Leaving, on a jet plane...

Tommorow morning at 6:15 A.M. we are headed to NYC! So symbolic of our life, our relationship. Being from New York Dom makes the city feel small, and warm, and cozy. I like to pretend I'm a local even, in the morning at the Diner I play along in my mind this is my morning routine.

We fell in love in NYC.
We found out we were pregnant New Year's Eve 2007 in NYC.

We've been to all museums, love Central Park, Chinatown, we eat at the same Italian restaurant on Mulberry St. each time we go.

We've been there 6 times in three years, this will be 7.
We named our child Brooklyn.
Obsessed much.
Yes.

I can't wait for this particular trip though, this one is far more special than all of the others. You see, Dom and I did everything a bit different. We both ended relationships to be together, bought a house, then had a baby, and now, getting married. Friday at noon in Central Park. Just the two of us, simple, and perfect.

It has been a long road for the both of us, but we couldn't be more ready. It's not about the bells and whistles and look at me and my fabulous wedding, it's just us and our vows.

My little world traveler will be there too, but not on Friday. She's staying with her Aunt and Uncle so we can have one day/night to ourselves in the city. Dinner planned and Wicked that night. So romantic and so us. But, I can't wait to have her there in the city, the lights, the noise, the people. She was there last May, just wasn't quite ready to experience yet...

I'll be thinking of all of you as I'm sipping champagne, taking it all in. Okay, I won't be thinking of you at all actually, but I will be sipping champagne.

Cheers!

Me, Myself, & I

(Everything with B's tubes went great - super fast, easy, nothing to be scared about! Thanks for the well wishes!)

Remember long ago in Facebook land a trendy, yet annoying, little thing called 25 things was going around? Yeap, jumped on band wagon.

I'm making some new friends here in Blog land and I'm a little boring today so I thought I'd plagerize my own work and post it here. I must love myself.

Here goes it...

1.) My friends tell me I am a picky eater but I think they are crazy. I just don't like onions, or lettuce on sandwiches. I don't like pineapples, or oranges. I only like mayo and tomatoe on a cheeseburger and think blue cheese on anything is disgusting. That's not picky, just eating in good taste.

2.) I always seem to run low on wiper fluid in my car. It beeps at me to refill constantly. Maybe I am obsessed with clean windshields.

3.) I own over 50 pairs of shoes.

4.) At one point in my life I thought a spiral perm was hot.

5.) I always yell at Dom when he drives the car. Therefore, I drive almost all the time.

6.) When I was in 5th grade I choreographed a dance to "Opposites Attract" by Paula Abdul and sold tickets to my parents and neighborhood friends to come see my show.

7.) I'm too chicken to get up and do Kareoke but will sing LOUDLY to every song as others perform.

8.) I love to travel - so far on my list is Mexico, Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Egypt. I've been to many places in the US and can't get enough of NYC. Can't wait to get to back to Europe.

9.) I craved anything blueberry and diet root beer when I was pregnant.

10.) I think girl time is essential.

11.) I believe people should have good manners. Table manners especially. If you chew with your mouth open or smack loudly I will most definitely let you know it's rude and annoying.

12.) I was raised to be tough. I once took a softball to the mouth when I had braces. My dad looked at my mouth full of blood, carefully seperated inside of my mouth from bracket and told me to get back out on the field.

13.) I have grown up around hunting and fishing my whole life. I was 2 years old when I sat in my first deer stand. When my brothers are home there is almost always something dead in my parents backyard.

14.) I volunteered at Brackenridge Children's hospital for one summer while in college and will never forget that experience. One of the days I was there my only responsibility was to hold a newborn that had been abandoned. I was her form of human touch that day and for that I am forever grateful. I wish I could find her mother and punch her in the face, but then again, I'm sure it was a blessing.

15.) In college my roomate and I got a Sonic drink almost every day.

16.) Said roommate mentioned in #15 and I got a note on our door once that said "Shut the F*** up" for always talking so loudly on our cell phones on the back deck of our townhome.

17.) My first concert was Debbie Gibson, followed shortly after by New Kids on the Block.

18.) 2006 was a shitty year for me.

19.) My brothers and I are very close. That's not to say I've completely forgiven them when they threw a screwdriver at me or put dead bugs outside my door.

20.) I love a fire in the fireplace.

21.) I think floating the river with good friends, cold beer, and hot sun is the best "day" vacation.

22.) You must have a good sense of humor to be my friend. People that are too serious bore me.

23.) I love Broadway plays. When in NYC we almost always pick one night to get dressed up, go to a nice dinner, and a play. The absolute perfect date.

24.) September 8, 2008 I became a mom. I have made a vow to myself to raise my daughter with manners, to teach her to respect her elders, to work hard for what she wants, to appreciate things, to have perspective, do everything in moderation, and to pursue her happiness. I promise I will try not to contribute to the pool of next generations that think MTV news is news.

25.) I am happy.

25 things about you? Do share...

Tubes.

Ever since Brooklyn started going to her school she has been getting ear infections. One, after the other, after the other. I think in the last 5 months she's had at least 6. The very first one she got she ran a fever of about 104, Dom and I had her in the tub at 2:00 a.m. trying to cool her down. I hated it.

I hate giving her medicine. Can't they come up with something other than a plastic dropper I have to shove in her mouth, holding her head still, arms down while she lashes back and forth, crying. Ugh, it sucks. Dom is a wimp too (honey if you are reading this you know you are!) so I almost always am the bad guy and give her the meds. It's what we women do. I've been a good mama too, finishing the antibiotics down to the last drop. If I'm ever sick I'm terrible about doing that, I just take them until I feel better then get lazy.

Her last ear infection was last Sunday, driving home from the beach we looked at her eyes and just knew she's getting sick. Keep in mind she had only been off antibiotics since the Thursday before. We didn't even come home first, we just pulled into an after hours clinic and waited for 2 hours. This visit she got a shot in the leg and an amped up antibiotic that was only a 5 day treatment. That shot was the worst ever. Again, Dom left the room for that and I stood there over her. Seriously, men. Now we know why women were chosen to carry the child and BIRTH them.

We had already set up an appointment with an ENT prior to her last infection. We met him yesterday and he looked at her for about 2 minutes and said, yeah, tubes. She gets them put in tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m.

While I know this is a minor procedure my baby still has to go under for a bit. Scares the shit out of me, and I'm allowed to be since it's my first time. It's supposed to be short and sweet so let's hope so. The outcome of this is most important, my smiling baby will be smiling even more. Wish us luck!

I suck at sewing, but maybe you don't...

I always aspire to be apart of something good, something bigger than you and me. My friend Jade, over at ChikAustin has done just that with her love inspired project, Craft Hope.

Jade and I are friends primarily through blog world, and Facebook. I work with her hubby and we have met a few times, she rocks. She has two beautiful children, a 3rd on the way, and is full of life and giving back.

She makes me insanely jealous with her craftiness!

I may have put together a scrap book page now and then, ooohh, and I did paint the letters in Brooklyn's room, but that is about as crafty as I get. I have never picked up a needle and thread, if a button falls off of anything I'm screwed and it goes in the trash. Domestic Diva...hardly. But this is not about me, this about you and all of the creativity and mad sewing skills you probably have.

Craft Hope just announced their third project, below is a bit from Jade:

The children in Mexico are wearing their handmade dresses. The dolls will soon be heading to Nicaragua. Craft Hope is crossing borders to make a difference. Spreading seeds of hope one stitch at a time. I am so proud to announce that project 3 is going all of the way to India! For this project, Craft Hope has partnered with the Miracle Foundation to supply blankets, booties and beanies for newborns.

If you sew, or know someone that does join Jade in her mission. Craft Hope's tagline is 'spreading seeds of hope one stitch at a time.' Consider me a virtual stitch, from her to you.

Sign up and sew!

That's mine.

When Brooklyn was born I got to stay home for 4 months. I loved being home with her, and after the freak out phase in the beginning we grew into a routine that was fantastic. Yeah I was up at least once or twice throughout the night, but it didn't matter because I had the day to figure out what we wanted to do. We'd go shopping, meet friends for lunch, take care of our house, grocery shop, laundry, and cook dinner before Daddy got home. She'd sit in her swing, or Bumbo chair and it was our girl time. I loved it.

After Christmas it was time to go back to work. I was okay with that though because as much as I loved being a stay at home mom for those few months I was ready to get back. Well, as ready as one can be I guess. I love her school, the staff is awesome and they make you feel very comfortable. They have web cams too so I can see her whenever I want to. The first day I logged in I literally got nothing done because I kept watching her. It was so strange to watch her interact with other babies, her teachers, and I'm watching from my office - miles away...

Just recently they sent home a CD with pictures and video of Brooklyn. While very thoughtful and sweet, it was so strange to look at these pictures I didn't take, these moments I didn't see, and these "firsts". This video is from when Brooklyn first started standing in her crib. Watching her made me so sad, because I didn't get to be there one that saw it the FIRST time.

Yeah, yeah, woe is me huh? NO one else could possibly be going through this same thing. ;) Suck it up, right? And I can, and will, and as we go throughout our days everything is just as it's supposed to be. But it does tug at my heart every once in awhile knowing that my baby is growing up so fast and someone else besides me is seeing it too.

My beach baby.

We went to the beach last weekend with friends. I sort of had one of those come full circle moments as I was with my girlfriend and her family. Same girlfriend that I was at the beach with in college, big decision of the day was determing exactly what time we would pop that first Corona. This time, families in tow, I was so excited to take Brooklyn as this was something I did every summer as a kiddo and loved it. Note: ignore the brownish blue water and semi-sand, we live in Texas and this is what we get. Deal.

She loved it, every minute of it, and even though she was the runt of the group she held her own. See all those white specs of shells in the sand? Those might as well have been crackers because each and every one she could get her tiny little fingers on she tried to eat. Sharp edge, dirty, way to go mom of the year.

Where the water hit the sand, however, we were good to go. Splash, splash more, kick at the waves breaking on her little feet. A whole new world.

At one point we had her in her 'boat' in the water. Sharks, jellyfish potentially feet away - another mom of the year moment, but again, I remember playing in the water for hours, and I cherish those moments.
We plan on going again at the end of the summer, although I may leave her with grandma as this is much more rowdy crowd. Circa 1998 type of crowd referenced above. The type where I could potentially drink so much that I myself will start thinking the shells are crackers.

Yay summertime.

Blogiversary

Hard to believe, but yep, been blogging for a year now. It's been a year actually on June 4th, but in typical anniversary fashion I missed it. I took a moment to reflect on my first post, about a $22.00 sandwich, my pregnancy posts, when will Brooklyn get here posts, new mom days, and then some...

My dad still doesn't understand the purpose of it, my mom reads it (some), my brothers do when I tell them to, and my whole reason behind it was so that family could keep up with Brooklyn. Ha! :) My online poker playing grandmother is a follower though - Hi Nana!, and I am nothing but impressed that she is.

I'll keep it up though, if nothing else it provides sanity checks for me when I sit down and just write about whatever the hell I want to, when I want to. It's been inspiring too, to read about other peoples experiences, journeys, ups and downs. I laugh a lot, have cried too, and just enjoy knowing that I'm not going crazy. Or if I am, so are you.

Happy Blogiversary to me, off to celebrate with a Diet DP out of the vending machine. Cheers!

Orange CRUSH

I'm no organic hippie, not yet anyway, but I am working every day to eat healthier. It's a lifestyle change - BUT - there are just some things I will never give up. NEVER!

If I could take three things with me to a deserted island to survive one of them would be ranch dressing. Name one thing you can't dip in ranch that isn't good? Name it. Can't, can you? Survival mechanism #1.

Cheese - #2

Coors light - #3

What? There a fruits and veggies on the island.

I do find myself buying more fruits and veggies than ever before so I know we are on the right track. Not quite perusing the Whole Foods isles yet, but that is out of mere intimidation - "What is that?...huh...wtf does that say...is that real food?"

It's all REALLY changed for me now that Brooklyn is eating BIG people food. I want her to be a healthy child, eating fruits and veggies, but I can't deny her the sugar rushes either can I? So, we are compromising. She gets to play with, and eat, a chocolate covered donut on Saturday morning, and an occasional popsicle. When she gets older I'll be all about the funnel cake at the carnival, cotton candy, etc...but I'm shooting for balance. The rest of the week we are trying other things, rice cakes, peaches, yogurt, etc...and just recently, Oranges. I have never seen this child eat anything like she can eat an orange. Devours it. Juice everywhere, one big sticky mess. Awesomeness.

YOU

You crawl.
You clap.
You have fallen off the bed.
You eat big people food in the tiniest bite sizes.
You know how to communicate 'No.'
You have two teeth.
You pull up and stand.
You are curious about everything.
You love the swimming pool.
You laugh all the time.
You mimic your Dad and the crazy sounds he makes.
You put your head on me when you want to be rocked.
You wave 'bye-bye.'
You have amazed me this last month in how much you have changed.
You are beautiful.
You are my life.
I love YOU.