Crib Strike

So for the past 2 1/2 - 3 months, Colm has decided that he likes Mommy and Daddy's bed SO MUCH BETTER than his own. I am not sure what exactly forced us to venture down this path to begin with, but I keep hoping this is merely just a phase. All though, we're beginning to have our doubts. I can remember the good old days where he'd sleep all night in his crib, no waking up, no crying, no problem. Those days are a fond and distant memory and I'm desperately trying anything to get back to that place of serenity, but it's not going very well. It seems to have started during the last teething cycle....he'd wake up SCREAMING and Matt or I would come running. We'd pick him up and try to get him back down by walking or rocking him to sleep, but the only thing that would really soothe him was laying with us, snugly in the middle. Normally, this would not be much of an issue. We've got space in our bed and Matt and I seem to fit comfortably with no problem. But when you throw a toddler in the mix, who loves to turn and twist and spin around and sleep completely sideways in his sleep, this presents an issue where neither of us have any space and are practically falling off of the edges of the bed. How can something so small take up so much room?? It's amazing! See diagram:

I am having a really hard time just letting him cry it out, but that's my next step. But I'm so torn because he is still so young and not fully able to tell me exactly what he wants or needs yet. I've read on one hand that it's good to let him just cry....it helps build independence. OMG...it's sooo hard. I've been so used to waking up and tending to my sweet baby for a year and 1/2 now, that it's hard to let him go and just wail. I feel almost like I'm betraying his trust...he's trusting me to come in there when he needs me. And when I don't show up, it's like "Where's my Mama?? I need my Mama and she's not here!" UGG....rip your heart out, right? But I've also read that it's good to let them sleep with you and good to come when they cry. Crying is their form of communication to you. When you come when they cry, it helps build trust and have a sense of security. I've read that by letting them sleep with you, there's a lower risk of SIDS because the parents are more in tune with the baby's breathing and the kid comes out to be a more well adjusted adult for having a good sense of security early on. So I have no idea what to do here. We're both so low on sleep that we're dragging during the day. I'm going to try letting him cry himself to sleep as much as I can stand it. If that doesn't work, I think I'm just going to let him fall asleep in our bed and try to sneak him back in his crib for the rest of the night. Man, being a Mom is seriously a tough job! I really wish these kids would pop out with an instruction manual! That would be pretty sweet!

Go Vegan Go!

In my plight to slim down and lose weight for my brother's wedding, I am not only trying to do yoga several times a week, but I'm also toying with the idea of completely changing my diet and going vegan. Now, my husband is a complete carnivore, the complete antithesis of a vegan and everything a vegan stands for. Can we say MEAT EATER?? He was Tyrannosaurus Rex in his past life, I swear! He's not aware of my new game plan yet and when he figures it out, I'm sure he'll be, to put it mildly, annoyed, but he'll get over it...after making fun of me for a few hours. So at the risk of sounding like an uber hippie, what's turned me onto vegan eating is the sheer practice of eating everything organically grown (which I already try to do anyway), stripped of chemicals, free of all dairy and all meat, and infused with super nutrients and natural detoxifiers and how good all of this is for your body. I'm sure that whole sentence just got an eye roll or several, but I don't care! I've recently discovered this restaurant and have fallen in love! I tried the rawsagna the other day and was so surprised at how good it actually tasted! I was expecting a bland blob of hippie food mixed with tofu, too much cumin and topped with something green and unidentifiable, but it actually tasted like lasagna and had similar textures and flavors. I was shocked! What shocked me even further was how GOOD I felt after eating it. It was like my body had a complete and total recharge. I had so much energy and felt like running a marathon! So why not try it out? I mean, if I like the food and it makes me feel so good, what's the harm in it? So, I'm going to try making a few recipes I found here and hope I don't overdose on tofu. Wish me luck!

Crazy Days are almost here...as if they weren't crazy enough already....

I must be insane....no certifiable.....for I have decided to take 6 hours of nutrition classes at TWU, starting August 31st. What am I thinking?? I'm struggling enough to work 40 hours a week, being a full-time mom, wife-extraordinaire, doer of all laundry, bill payer, budget planner, all while trying to maintain my girlish figure and squeeze in a few yoga workouts each week. So now I'm adding even more pressure on my life by taking a few classes?? In Denton??? Well, the way I see it, if I don't do this now, it's never going to get done and I know that I cannot, must not, will not continue down my current career path forever. I will literally shrivel up and die....someone will find me on the floor in a desicatted mass of what once resembled a human being. My job will suck the life out of me....so I have to do this! I have to go to school and I have to get on path to doing something I love, so I can quit doing credentialing for now and forever. So I've been running through in my head of how to maintain some type of schedule and salvaging what little sanity I have left. So far, the best thing I've come up will go something like this:

1. Wake up at 6:30 am - shower, dress, get kid dressed, feed kid breakfast, grab breakfast/lunch for the day, throw load of clothes in washer.
2. 7: 45 am- Drive to work - work. Eat/Study at lunch.
3. 5:30 pm - Come home - eat. feed kid, play with kid, bathe kid, get him down for bed (hopefully by 9:00 pm). Dry/Fold clothes. Study. Sleep.
4. If Tuesday or Thursday, yoga class at night will take place and daddy will feed/bathe kid those evenings. End day with studying and hopefully sleeping.
5. Weekends - Squeeze in a yoga class or 2, if possible in the early morning (8:15ish). Finish up whatever laundry is left. Play, feed, bathe kid. Study whenever available. Sleep.

Obviously, this schedule needs some tweaking, but I think if I can stick to this basic outline, I should be able to stay on top of things. Of course, in between all of that, I'm going to have to squeeze in my brother's wedding, moving into our new house and all of the holiday madness that will ensue. I really need to find a way to clone myself...seriously! But for now, I'll just settle for not going crazy....we'll see how that goes.

Mom, this is for you!

I love you Mom....and I totally understand now!

Pouty Face

If ever I thought my kid didn't resemble me in any way, shape, form or fashion, I was wrong. This is TOTALLY one of my faces! Even though he's pouting, this picture makes me happy! Enjoy...

Goodbye Spike

Yesterday was not a good day for us. Our baby Boston, Spike Jones, had to be put down. He was lethargic, had labored breathing and started peeing blood. Matt rushed him to the vet yesterday and they ran a bunch of tests on him and determined that his heart was enlarged and said he had congestive heart failure. They ran blood tests on him and sent him home last night, but his condition got so much worse in a span of hours. We rushed him back up to the ER vet and they said his lungs were filling up with fluid, his heart rate was highly elevated and he was having a difficult time breathing. He was in pain. They said they could do exploratory surgery, but couldn't guarantee that whatever they found could be treated. It was apparent that his health was rapidly deteriorating. We debated the situation for awhile and came to the conclusion he had to be put down. It was very peaceful when he went, but I am so heartbroken, because he was so young. He was only 4 years old. He was such a good dog...so sweet and loving and faithful. I'll miss him so much. We got a call this morning from the lab and they said he had cancer, so this was the right thing to do. He would not have had any quality of life if we opted to get treatment for him, if he was even treatable. Even though we both feel like we made the right decision, it just doesn't take the heartache away. I know our other 2 dogs suspect something is wrong, as they keep pacing around the house looking for him. Dilly immediately went into his kennel last night and slept there. She knows he's gone. My dear, sweet, lovable baby will be sorely missed, but I know he's in a better place and with no pain. I love you so much, my Baby Spike.

Yoga Nazi

So my brother is getting hitched in October and my goal is to try to be down at least 2 dress sizes by then. After having the kid, my body is stretched out in places that is not supposed to be stretched out! Weight wise, I actually weigh less than I did before I got pregnant. It's just that STUFF is dispersed a lot differently than before, and it's seriously annoying! I think I'd be happy if I lost about 15 pounds, which isn't a lot, but it's so hard when you are surrounded by constant temptation (my husband is King of Temptation....here honey, here's a bowl of ice cream....want a cookie with that??). So, I've started going back to yoga again. I do the power yoga, where the room is heated to a mere 98 degrees and the classes are instructed by tiny little yoga nazi instructors. Am I glutton for special self-torture? Probably. But it seems to be the only thing that helps me slim down and slim down fast. I love how I feel afterwards, even though during most of the classes, I feel like hurling. I really do feel healthy and strong. I just need to keep that mindset and stick with it. I have to force myself to find time to get to class. So the plan is to squeeze at least 3 workouts a week and cut back on sweets. I think if I can manage that, I can get down to my goal size by October. I've only got 2 1/2 more months, so I better get to it!

Food Glorious Food!

As my little monkey is growing and getting to be a big boy, I find myself exploring with new and interesting foods for him to try. In the last 2 weeks, we've gotten him off of formula and started introducing cow's milk gradually. Amongst the hundreds of articles and books I've read over childcare and child nutrition, most have said that his body has had enough time to fully develop his digestive system by 12 months, so he can process cow's milk easier than he would've a few months ago. He seems to like it so far, all though he's a little more gassy than usual (which he gets from his daddy's side of the family anyway). We've also started giving him new fruits such as mangoes, blueberries and strawberries, which he LOVES! He already chows down on bananas, peaches, cantaloupe, pineapple, honeydew melon and watermelon. I'm think I'm going to try to experiment with chick peas and make some chick pea burger patties for him this weekend. Chick peas are a great source of protein, without being terribly loaded with unhealthy fats. I found a good website for some different and yummy recipes, which is the source of my new found inspiration. I've got to find a creative way to get some green beans into his diet, because he's notorious for spitting them across the room with vicious fury! So maybe I can grind some up and throw them in the patties for some extra greenery....we'll see. I might even try introducing honey into his diet. Honey is loaded with antioxidants, but it's not a great idea to give to kids under 12 months, for they are at risk for botulism, which is no bueno! So maybe I can come up with a homemade yogurt dish or something to add a touch of honey to, now that he's old enough. He's loving pasta now, so I'm trying to do different things with that and throwing in as many veggies with it as possible. He loves sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, corn, broccoli, zucchini, squash and avocado (all though, I think that's technically a fruit). I'm sure between Matt and I, we can come up with a yummy, healthy pasta sauce that he'll eat. I must admit that homemade food is SO MUCH cheaper and you get 20 times more than you ever would with the jarred stuff....besides you know exactly what goes into it and you can even get them to "help" you make it....we're still working on that last part....that's a work in progress at the moment! I've made some of his food before, but must admit that I relied on the organic jarred stuff a lot, from lack of time. So it's a goal of mine to make more of his food, now that he's old enough to eat almost anything. Again, this is all a work in progress, so we'll see how it goes.

Happy Birthday Little Monkey!

Today is Colm's 1 year birthday! I can remember this time last year, I had been in labor for a solid 2 1/2 days, trying to have this kid. We had a pretty tough delivery. The Saturday night before he was born, I started having contractions. This being our first kid, we decided just to go into the hospital, just in case. We had been using a midwife, with the total intention of doing natural childbirth. However, she wasn't there when we got to the hospital, so we were forced to use the midwife that was on call (which I didn't like very much to begin with). Upon her insistance, she suggested that since it looked like we were in for a very long day ahead of us, that I should get some sleep and take something for the pain. Now, not knowing what to really expect from all of this and having never gone through childbirth before and trusting that these are medical professionals, we decided to take her advice, even though there were red flags that were going off with both Matt and I. So, she gave me both Ambian and Morphine and I conked out. It was a mere 2 hours later, that I was being awakened by a frantic nursing staff, straping an oxygen mask to my face and shooting me up with Narcam to try to wake me up. Apparently, after taking all of these drugs, I went into respiratory distress and it was affecting both me and Colm. I freaked out, frantic, was completely disoriented and alone. I had sent Matt home to get some sleep, so he wasn't there when all of this was happening. I called Matt and he came rushing in to see what was going on. So from that point on, my body was never insync with my contractions. They tried to induce me for 2 days and wouldn't let me eat anything. I had catheters inserted to try to stimulate dilation, was on pitocin constantly and had the cytoteck inserted, but NADA. So it was Monday night when I just couldn't take it anymore and opted to have a ceasarian. I have got to say that throughout all of that pain, that epidural was FANTASTIC! The whole procedure probably only took 30 minutes total, but it seemed like an eternity before I could hear that wonderful little cry. I was out of it because of the drugs, but can remember the doctor saying "Look at all of that hair!" So, it was then that 9.8 lbs of lovin' was born. He was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen!

So to mark this special occassion, we gave him a wonderful birthday party this weekend. He really enjoyed smashing cake into his face, playing with his friends in the pool and romping through all of the package wrapping. He had a wonderful time and I feel so fortunate to have so many people that love him as much as I do. He's really the most important thing that I've ever done in my life and such a special little person. I feel like the luckiest girl on the planet for having such a wonderful little boy! I love you, little monkey!

Walk like a little man

Yesterday, June 24, 2009, marked a milestone in my little monkey's world. He walked. Oh yes....full on walking! He stood up without holding on to anything and took about 7 steps and then fell down on his butt. He kept getting up and trying it over and over. And of course, he heads straight for sharp corners, hard surfaces, and towards anything and everything he shouldn't head towards! We're both excited and terrified for our little man. I'm just gearing up for some major exercise! The video is to come soon. Matt and I are so screwed!

Anniversary Weekend

We had a wonderful time this weekend on our anniversary trip. I think we both really needed a break and just didn't realize how badly it was necessary until we got there! Each morning, we both woke up about 6:30-7:00 and just bracing for the impact of the day and.....nothing happened. It was kind of shocking, actually! We were able to wake up, leisurely get dressed, enjoy a cup of coffee, read the paper, get breakfast and decide what to do for the day. There was no rushing around to try to find something to wear, letting the dogs out, getting the baby up, changing the diaper, feeding the baby, feeding the dogs, getting baby dressed while simultaneously brushing your teeth and combing your hair, changing the diaper AGAIN right before trying to get out the door, only to go to a job that neither one of us are really thrilled about going to, then coming home and doing it all over again. It was weird! There's absolutely no doubt that we love our life with our little monkey man....you can tell that by the bajillion pictures I have of him posted everywhere. However, I think we forgot about what it was like to just spend time together and focus on us and our goals and accomplishments, without all of the craziness. We've made points to go to dinner every now and then or go see a movie by ourselves, but I just don't think it was enough time for us to have some quality time together. So this was a good weekend for us. We got to explore some caverns, float down the river, taste some amazing food, play with some farm critters, and just RELAX. We missed our monkey TONS, but it was hard not to fantasize about retiring early and moving to the hill country FOREVER. We absolutely love it there! It was a great way to mark the first year of our marriage and I'm so glad we had the opportunity to take our little getaway.

Oh Happy Day!

Today is going to be a good day. Not only is today like my "Friday" as I have tomorrow off from work (woohoo!), but we're also going out of town on our anniversary trip tonight AND I just found out that my friend may potentially be able to adopt the boys she thought she lost after all! I'm so excited for her and hope that everything works out! She sent a text message (going to have to kick her in the butt later for sending a text message about something like that!) and let everyone know about the situation with the boys and it looks like she's going to be able to get them back on Friday....hopefully on a permanent basis. That just made my entire day! So, even though it was raining cats, dogs and cows this morning and traffic sucked a major hooter and I managed to spill coffee on my shirt already and it's not even 9:00 am yet, it's still going to be a great day! And after a week like this week, it's wonderful to have some good news! :)

Heart Hurt

I might be thought of a bit of a sap and melancholy (and I'm sure it's hormonal too) for writing this, but I don't care. My first reaction to anything that's wrong in the cosmos is to try to fix it somehow, but right now, I feel a little helpless to help, so maybe writing this down will in a way, will make me feel a little more compassionate, at the very least? I guess that's my way of helping as much as I know how to. I have 2 friends that are going through some rough times right now. I'm not a religious person, so saying I'll pray for them is pretty insignificant and probably doesn't allow for much comfort, when you consider the source. But I am thinking of both of them, because they are 2 very dear friends of mine and I can only imagine how hard and how much emotion each of them must be experiencing at the moment.

One friend's father passed away recently. He had been sick for a long time and even though she hasn't seen him in a years, it still doesn't ease the pain of her loss any less. I can only imagine the family drama she must be going through as well. This person is not one to show much emotion, well, not sadness at least. She has no problem letting you know if she's unhappy or irritated or pmsing...and just hope you're not the one who gets in her way when she drives, as you are sure to experience road rage from hell! But for this person to tell me that she's not sure how to handle something or how much heartache she's feeling is quite significant. I wish I could just put a big emotional band aid on her to help her feel better, but I can't. All I can do is be the supportive friend I am and be here when she needs it. It just doesn't ease the hurt I feel for her though. I guess only time will heal that.

My other friend has got to be one of the most amazing people I know. Her and her husband recently became foster parents and have taken in 2 small boys and have had them since Christmas of last year. That's ample time to form a very strong bond with these kids and to love and adore them as their own. She found out they were getting them a week before Christmas and managed to have tons of presents ready for them just in time, gave one of them a birthday party for their first birthday, made sure they were in a good daycare, nurtured them when they were sick, and took care of these boys like any loving parent would. CPS has managed to work out a permanent living arrangement with the boys' Aunt and on Monday, they went back to live with her. As a mother myself, I can't even begin to imagine how painful that must be...to let them go to someone else and never to see them or watch them grow up. I'm tearing up from writing this, but it helps to know that these boys will be well taken care of and will be in a good and stable home from here on out. However, it has got to take tremendous strength to endure the hole it's left and I know I couldn't do it. That's one reason this person is so amazing to me...because of her strength. And as if that wasn't hard enough to deal with, her Aunt also passed away suddenly too right about the same time they were preparing for the boys to leave. The good news is that they are getting ready to adopt a baby boy in July, but there can be some complications with this little one, as he's not developing on schedule as he should. So my heart is going out to her and her family and I can only hope that things turn out positively, so they can finally have the happiness they so truly deserve.

Again....emotional band aid needed! And maybe a box of kleenex!

One year anniversary

June 14th will mark Matt and my one year wedding anniversary. I remember this time last year, as big as a house, getting ready to have the kid, when a wave of hormone craziness swept over me and I decided right then and there that there was no way I would have this baby without us being married. This was Sunday night. By Wednesday night, we had our marriage license, Matt's outfit and my dress purchased. By Friday night (all thanks to absolutely no sleep whatsoever and the creative talents of my Mother, Keisha, Kellie and Melissa), we had bridesmaids, groomsmen, videographer/photographer, flower bouquets and arrangements, dinner preparations, 3 cakes, champagne/glasses, plates/silverware, table cloths, decorations, centerpieces, a flower girl (Dilly), music downloaded, a minister, chairs set up for the ceremony and even an archway to stand in to say the vows. We got hitched on Saturday morning and had the reception shortly after. Except for the fact that I looked like the Goodyear Blimp, it turned out to be a beautiful little ceremony. Even though it was so last minute, I don't think I would've done it any other way. Don't mess with a hormonal pregnant woman! She will get her way, come hell or high water!

So, since we didnt really get to have a honeymoon, Matt and I are taking a weekend trip here right outside of New Braunfels, TX. It's a charming little place...perfect for a weekend of total relaxation and pampering. We're going to head out of town on Thursday night, so we can have all day Friday and Saturday to enjoy and then come back on Sunday. There are some wineries to check out, Natural Caverns, where I think we're even going to do some panning for some precious gems (maybe we'll get lucky!), and a couple of local festivals that we might check out. I'm just mainly looking forward to spending some quality time with Matt and for both of us to get to relax for a little while. We haven't really had a chance to spend time together, much outside of a movie here or there, so this will be a nice and welcomed trip. It'll be hard being away from the Monkey that long, but I think we can handle it. Besides, he's going to be at Grammie Murphy's all weekend, so I'm sure he'll have a blast. I'm getting excited!

Murphy Castle Progress

This was an eventful weekend. Matt and I have finally been able to make some progress on the home rennovations at our future new home. We began major demolition with knocking down the exterior wall to the front of the house. Let me explain why we knocked down this wall. Everytime it rained, water would build up under the wall and pool on the floor. Upon looking at how the initial wall was contructed, we realized that whoever built it never used water resistant walling and used plywood and particle board instead. The wood and boards were totally rotted out and warped from so much water damage. Apparently, it's been leaking for years. Nice. So basically, we have to rebuild the entire wall to stop the leaking. That's fine with me, because I get to put in new windows and cut out a space for another window beside the one that's already there. We're hoping to have the wall completely rebuilt in 2 weeks. That's one of the major projects of this house, so once that's done, it'll help us to start on other projects like the wiring and floor installation. We also installed a toilet and a sink in one of the bathrooms...hooray! That was quite a proud moment for Matt. He is now the Toilet Master, having conquered the stereo-like toilet installation instructions and making sure everything was connected correctly. The defining moment of his toilet triumph was the sound the the very first "FLUSH." It was glorious! He also had to rig the air conditioning unit, because apparently there was something wrong with the drip pan and it pooled water all over the floor. Awesome. All I keep hearing is cha-ching, cha-ching, everytime we find out something else is jacked up with this place. It truly is the money pit! But anyway. We also did some major cleaning and yard work in the front of the house. We've still got a long way to go, but we both feel good that we have made a good start. So we're hoping to have this finished by the end of the summer, so I'm crossing my fingers.

I must say that I am happy that my parents have been gracious enough to let us stay with them, while we're getting this house in a liveable condition. Even though there are days that haven't been entirely all together peachy and we've driven one another a little nuts, overall, my parents have been wonderful and are really the ones who are making it possible for us to rebuild this place, as we're paying for everything out of pocket. So we are ever grateful. I know we, as in ALL of us, are both ready for us to move out, because it's nice to have your own space. But I don't think we would've been able to do this without their hospitality. So i just wanted to say thanks ya'll and love you so much!

Firsts

It's pretty amazing to think that just a year ago, I was about to give birth. Time has flown by so fast and I just know that one day I'm going to wake up and my kid is going to be moving out to go to college. I want to cherish this time as much as I can and lock it up somewhere, so I can take it out and look at it over and over again. He's doing so many new things each day and it just amazes me that this little thing, once kicking ferociously and doing sommersaults in my belly, is now this little person, who has his own special personality. This year marks a year full of firsts for us....first baby, first time mother and father, first labor pains, first car ride home from the hospital, first time breastfeeding, first bottle, first poopy diaper, first bath, first smile, first time sleeping the whole night, first time rolling over, first crawl, first solid food (sweet potatoes!), first tooth (well, first 4 teeth as he sprouted 4 at the same time), first haircut, first Halloween, first Christmas, first drawing, first time to stand up by himself, first official word and first offical hug and kiss. He's just now trying to talk and so far we have these words down pat....Da-da (it's so not fair), Doggie (but it comes out sounding like De-de, but he points to the dogs and says it consistantly), Ma-ma (but only if he's really upset), and the newest one is Dude! The fact that my kid is saying Dude really cracks me up! Kind of makes me wonder just how much I say dude....which I know is probably too much! Oh well, I gotta be me, right? He's also trying to walk. He can walk like a champ if you hold his hands or or if he's hanging on to something. He also can haul some serious booty, if he's in his walker. But on his own, he's trying to get the hang of standing up and balancing. He's can stand on his own for about 30 seconds and falls down on his bottom. So it won't be long until he's actually walking. He's just growing up so fast! It makes me happy to be a part of something so important, so special. I'm just sad that it is going by so fast! So as we gear up for his first birthday, I'm definitely looking forward to more firsts with my precious, precious baby boy.

To stress or not to stress...that is the question

"Stress is nothing more than just a socially accepted form of mental illness." So my question is why do we stress so much? Is it worth it in the long run and what do we gain from it? Yes, a certain amount of stress is necessary and keeps things interesting, but when it's causing you to lose sleep at night, stifling your creativity, sucking the life out of you and causing mini panic attacks all of the time, it's obviously too much. My husband, Matty Watty, is going through a tough time at work. As a project manager, the poor guy has a really full plate and is totally stressed to the max. He has to deal with people with extremely thick accents, who are rude, unappreciative, and extremely demanding. His is constantly overloaded and can never seem to catch up from the work that keeps getting piled on him. I, the fixer that I am, try to be as encouraging and supportive as I can, but I know it doesn't do much. He makes good money doing what he does, but is it worth his sanity? I recently went back to work and accepted a position that was about 15K less than what I was making at my previous job. But you know what? I don't stress at work. I'm able to do my job and leave it at the door when I go home. It's so laid back and to me, that's worth the pay cut. It's like I bought piece of mind. My previous job sucked balls so bad, I'd come home in tears. I'd dream about work and it was always a burning thought in the back of my mind. I could never get away from it enough to relax. So I'm trying to encourage him to find something else. I know it's hard for some people to go backwards in their profession, but honestly, I don't think he's going to do this type of work much longer anyway. I told my future sister in law one day, "you are at work 85%-90% of your time. If you are miserable at work, you are miserable 85%-90% of your life." That really puts things into perspective. So I say, go...take the cut....find something you can at least be satisfied with, so you can at least somewhat enjoy life. After all, you only get one shot at this life, so you better make it a good one, right? To wrap this up, I'd like to use this quote: "Brain cells create ideas....stress kills brain cells." It's just not worth it!

Weekend in St. Louis

So, I had a marvelous time this Memorial day weekend. This time last year, I was absolutely HUGE, 8 months preggo and just had my babyshower. It was possibly the best baby shower I've ever been to. :0) My girls did a fantastic job putting it together! From the crazy onesie game that Melissa concaucted to the interesting apple/chicken/snicker salad to the swollen cankles I had by the end of it, it was definitely a memorable experience and I love my friends and family for thinking of us so much. So this year, we (the girls and I) all decided to have a girls' weekend in good ol' St. Louis. It's been a long time since we've had a girls' trip. Everyone has seemed to either get pregnant or acquired a child in some form or fashion....so needless to say that our annual trips were put on hold last year.

So, we all flew in on Friday morning...starting out the day with a healthy diet of coffee and bloody mary's. Upon arrival, with the cameras flashing, we all piled into Becca's Trailblazer and our vacation officially started! Thank god I called shotgun....they look a little crowded back there!

So off to the Loop for some shopping, FOOD, and drinks. It's pretty funny how certain things catch our eye, right? Of course the statue with ginormous boobs was one of them...tity, tity, tity!

So after molesting this unsuspecting statue and walking miles and miles in the heat, we tracked on down to this awesome pizza spot called Pi. It was like a bohemian version of Fireside Pies. The pizza was fantastic and I had the strongest mojito-martini thing ever....mmmmm! So after a marvelous lunch, we mosied on back to the car, a meer 10 miles it seemed, to go and get pedicures. I friggin' love pedicures. My feet always look so fabulous and I love to just sit, read juicy gossip magazines and get a foot massage. I guess I'm a girl after all, right? After the pampering, we went to the house to get dressed and then off to dinner. We went to this tappas bar called Barcelona, had more drinks, and awesome tappas and finger food. It was so good! And then it was time for....oh yes....karaoke! We ended up at this hole in the wall karaoke bar, where we tore it up, had lots of shots, lots of drinks and LOTS of singing at the top of our lungs. Oh yes! The Journey NA-NA-NA's were in full effect!

So Kellie, Keisha and I tried our luck at the microphone and well, at least we didn't sound as bad as some of the dorks that were up there....I think? But hey, beer makes everyone sounds like an American Idol finalist, right?

We are some really big dorks, but whatever. Kellie and I had a brutal rendition of "Goodbye Earl" and Keisha and I busted out with "Father Figure" and the always classic "Black Velvet." I freaking love that song! We had a blast! We ended up closing down the bar, so we all went home, ate large quantities of junk food and then passed out. The next morning, we got up, ate a quick breakfast, got dressed and went to the wineries. Who knew St. Louis had such beautiful vinyards? Suck it Napa! These were absolutely fabulous!

It was getting pretty hot and a few of us, ahem, MELISSA, looked a little green around the gills from the night before, so we went to this little biker bar to get a beer and get out of the heat. After some excellent people watching....like this guy....

We ended up going back to the house and chilling out on the patio. We got Imo's pizza (not sure why we kept eating pizza, but it was soooooooo good) and just sat and girl talked for awhile. About 10:00, we ended up at this frozen custard place in downtown St. Louis and it was freaking amazing that there had to be about 150 people standing outside waiting in line to get ice cream. Absolutely incredible! And the custard was good too! So after the sugar rush, we all went back to the house and hung out in the basement and talked about boys and skidmarks and stupid stuff. None of us Texas folk are used to having a basement, so this was the coolest thing ever! It was about 1:00 in the morning, so we all decided to go to bed. I bunked with Melissa and we couldn't sleep for anything because it was A. pitch black and B. we kept telling scary stories. I felt like I was about 10 years old at a slumber party, but seriously, we kept freaking ourselves out! It was hilarious that 2 grown women with kids were absolutely terrified to go to sleep! Again, we're dorks, but whatever!

So the next morning we all got up, ready and packed, and set off for the airport. We all had a wonderful time and I was sad that it was over so fast. I really miss getting together with my friends. Each one of them are different, but we all seem to compliment each other beautifully and I just love them! Now to end this blog, I'd like to note the catch phrases that were shouted thoughout the trip.

"I'm so tired of your face!"

"You fucking whore"

"Snakeskin lookin' cheese"

"Mama bird's here"

"Nature!"

"Ass-HOOOOOOOOOLE"

and the always popular...."Tity, tity, tity!"

I love you girls and I can't wait to see what we do next year!

Popeye

I have come to realization that daycare is both a blessing and a curse. I absolutely love our daycare....it is the bomb-diggity as far as daycares go. They feed the kid organic, low sugar, nutritional foods, teach him sign language, pipe in classical music in the class room, read stories, do paintings and arts/crafts, and get some serious exercise. The teachers are so attentive and they are just really great with him and I just love them and feel so secure about them watching my precious child all day. Now, on the flipside, daycares can be a nightmare, as I've now experienced what every parent talks about....childhood sickness. Over the past 3 months, we've had conjunctivitis, bronchitis, multiple ear infections, Type B flu, fever, eczema and your typical, standard colds. And also, not only is your kid sick, he gives to you. Here mommy....here's some swine flu along with this drawing I made for you! I hope you like it! I know that it's hard for working parents to find someone to watch their offspring when they're sick. So many choose to bring them to daycare anyway, despite of their kid being extremely contagious. So their diseased kid plays with your kid and bam! The ENTIRE class, the rest of the parents, their friends, their dogs and anyone else that comes in contact has now become infected. So our latest debacle has been orbital cellulosis with a side of double ear infections. Look at my poor baby's eye:





He was not happy whatsoever and ended up having to get a shot in the leg. So what the heck is orbital cellulosis, you ask? It's apparently a bacterial infection that can result in vision damage and potential blindness, if left untreated. HOLY CRAP! Had I known there was all of these freaky diseases out there, I think I would've thought twice about going back to work. All I can say is when your kid is sick, please, please, please keep them at home, leave them with grandma or someone other than daycare, because they unknowingly infect the entire school and everyone else. Daycare is a giant petri-dish for ferocious viruses and bacteria. It's going to eventually turn me into a germaphobe before it's all over with!

I joined the club

Ok, so I feel awful that I haven't set up a blog or kept a journal of my journey through motherhood and having the whole family life. So much has happened to me over the past year (well almost 2 years), that I've hardly had time to actually sit and jot down my thoughts. But I'm afraid if I don't document this experience somehow, that it will just become a collection of distant memories. I can remember when I was pregnant, how I actually bought a journal and even a special pen to write down thoughts, feelings and emotions I had experienced. I think I wrote in about 5 pages of it and it's now in storage somewhere, stuffed in some random box. Even though the intention was there, I just didnt have the time to keep up with it. So, I decided to take the bull by the horns and make the time to write something down. So here's the first official blog of The Murphy Show. I just hope I can keep this up!

Ok so, I'm a mother now! Holy crap! I feel like I just woke up one day and BAM! I'm a mom! I went from being a social butterfly...someone who was perfectly content with only having dogs, no curfew, few resposibilities, and a permanent boyfriend, to all of a sudden being a wife and a mother and having the whole nuclear family life. Who is this person I have become and where in the heck did she come from? I must admit that even though all of this is unfamiliar territory, I am SO THANKFUL this has happened to me. I can honestly say that through out this whole experience, it has allowed me to tap into unchartered potential that I thought I never had. I've got this beautiful little human who is a part of both of us. I can see the little smiles and faces he makes that look just like his dad. I can see the quirky little things he does that are the same things that I do too. I wasn't expecting this and being a mother was always a thought I had in the back of my head as "well, maybe someday." But here I am! And I must admit that I LOVE it. I love my son more than I thought I was ever capable. He is the very best of us. He is such a happy and curious little boy, who's smile is infectious and who I miss terribly, even if I'm away for just a few hours. He makes me want to be a better person and I can't imagine my life without him now.

As he grows and learns new things (which is every freaking day, it seems), I want to somehow take those memories and accomplishments and lock them in a vault to take out and treasure over and over. Does that sound bad or too over the top? It might to those who don't have kids. I must admit that I was one of those people at one time. I didn't understand how people could be so wrapped up in what their kid was doing....how they seemed to define their very existance based on the actions of their child. They always talked about what he/she figured out how to do or how cute they were or what was the color of poop they had that day. It was kind of disturbing how they couldn't seem to talk about anything else, other than their kid.

Ok, I get it now. I have officially joined the club.

Even though I still feel like myself (well most of the time anyway), I feel like I've made some great accomplishment...the selfless act of bringing something bigger than yourself into the world...nurturing, caring and loving it more than you love yourself. I made sure to not drink, not to smoke, not to eat crappy food, to get exercise, take my vitamins (even though they made me puke) and read every baby book I could get my hands on, took the stupid baby classes, all just so I could make sure I was going to give this kid the best possible life I could. He's almost 11 months now, and everyday, I think about how everything Matt and I do can shape his life and how it can affect the type of person he'll become. So I think this experience has made me a more aware, a more conscience person. I try not to obsess on things I do and how they might impact my child forever, like forgetting to brush my teeth before I go to bed or feeding him something that's not 100% organic, for example. Obsessing over that stuff can drive you crazy, if you let it. So, I just try to lead by example and just hope that my efforts and my love for this kid helps him turn out to be a decent human being. That's all I can ask for! It's just going to be a long journey getting there...one I'm so very thankful to be on!