As Much as I'd Like To

As much as I’d like to think about something else today, I can’t stop thinking about our ultrasound tomorrow morning. It’s totally on my mind . . . I’m literally just trying to get through until tomorrow morning at 9:30am when we’ll enter the office and wait patiently to be called into to the dark room with the black monitor. Then some lady will pull my shirt up and jelly me down . . . all in the name of finding out as much as we can about New Baby. I can’t wait to see those little arms and legs . . . that profile . . . and, OF COURSE, whether we have a ‘hamburger’ or a ‘turtle’ down there. That’s what they told us last time – ‘hamburger’ is girl and ‘turtle’ is boy. AH, less than 24 hours now. We can make it.

As much as I’d like to run around all do errands all afternoon – Meg is happily spending the day/night with my parents, you see – I can’t just yet because I’m stuck at the house waiting for the painters. “What?” you ask. “Weren’t they supposed to start today??” Yes, indeed. But looks like they got held up, so tomorrow morning is our new start time. Even the best laid plans . . . Anyway, they are coming by sometime in the next couple of hours to do a walk-through and obtain our selected paint colors (Colors that, by the way, were SO hard for me to choose – I had to have a friend come over and help, then I stayed up until midnight on Monday hashing it all out. Must be the indecisive side of my pregnancy – I can blame it on that.). By doing that this afternoon, they can actually START first thing tomorrow morning . . . we don’t have to go through the whole rigamaroll in the AM and get started at lunch time. Okay, so I’ll sit around and wait for them.

As much as I’d like to go pick up my fabulous newly completed window treatments, the painters have totally screwed up my day and I can’t until tomorrow morning (on the way to that fab-u-lo-so dr appt). Crikey, nothing is going my way!

As much as I’d like to do my shoot today – as it turns out, the weather is FINE!!!!! – I can’t because we already rescheduled. And the lady I’m photographing is getting her hair done for the shoot, so she’s already cancelled her appointment and can no longer do it today. UGH.

As much as I’d like to poop, I can’t. I LOVE this part of pregnancy, I tell you. (TMI, sorry -- maybe one or two pregnant or formerly pregnant people out there can relate.)

And, as much as I’d like to think about something else, I can’t. Are we having a boy or a girl? Will I even make it until tomorrow??

Nerves

This morning, as we were out and about running errands, I couldn't think of anything to blog about today. It's just mid-week in a busy week, but nothing really blog worthy.

So, I'll blog about my nerves.

I have a shoot tomorrow -- or, at least, I have a shoot scheduled for tomorrow -- that is really making me nervous. It's my first maternity shoot. Normally, I'd be totally psyched. I have seen so many beautiful maternity portraits, and I know I can recreate many of them. But tomorrow's shoot is for a mid-thirties couple having the 5th kid, so I don't know WHAT kind of shoot they have in mind. I want to do bare-belly shots, dad kissing mom, kids kissing belly . . . but something tells me that this woman is not into that sort of thing. They are a little older, so nakedness might not be what they have in mind.

And, to top it all off, it's supposed to RAIN. Not just a little chance -- 80% chance. That really means I should reschedule . . . you know how gray your house is on a rainy day. Chances are you have lights on all day, right? I use natural light from open windows and outdoors . . . but this lady is 38 weeks (yes-- about to pop) and doesn't think she is going to make it much longer, so rescheduling will be hard. It's really NOT MY FAULT that she called me last Thursday and then took until Sunday evening to actually schedule a date with me. I don't want to compromise my artistic integrity by trying to do this shoot with my speedlight -- I want to give her good pictures. I want to reschedule, but scheduling this in the first place was really tough. Of course, she insists on weekday shoots . . . which are SO hard for me . . . and I'm booked the next 2 weekends anyway. Like I said, not really my fault she waited so long.

What should I do?

So, I'm all a ball of nerves this afternoon while I get up the nerve to call her.

I guess not all of my shoots are going to be roses and ice cream (is that even a saying? I think I just made it up).

Nerves Subside

Okay, so the lady isn't as far along as I thought . . . 33 weeks, but she is going to be induced in just a couple of weeks . . . which still leaves us with a short amount of time.

And she is totally cool with rescheduling. WHEW. Big sigh of relief. Turns out her daughter's prom pictures were very crummy because it was a terribly cloudy day. Bad luck for the daughter, but that situation turned into good luck for me!

Now the waiting begins . . . just waiting to see what her calendar looks like over the next few days . . .

Almost a Day Off

We had a really great day today . . . dare I say, almost like a day off from my mommy responsibilities. Meg and I journeyed to
Ink -- an interactive neighborhood for kids up in Gainesville, GA.

It was so much fun for both Meg and I . . . we met up with some friends, so kids played while mommies chatted. The museum was like a little neighborhood, so we followed the kids from the grocery store to the library, to the playground and then back again, all while they got to explore and make-believe. There was even a ‘dress up theatre’ complete with boy AND girl attire, from head to toe. All of this for the bargain price of $8.00 – can’t beat it.

(Side note – one minor irritation that goes for this place and any other kid-type venue – I HATE that the charge the parents to get in. Great that my less-than-2-year-old gets in free . . . but I’d almost rather just go ahead and pay for her so that I can get in free. That makes more sense to me. They totally trap you because they CAN – you HAVE to pay because you certainly can’t turn your kid loose and wait outside! What a rip – just charge for all ages (well, all walking-age kids) and let parents in free, would ‘ya?)

I really do relish these days when I can enjoy some time with a friend while Meg is completely and totally having a blast. I can have some adult time that is guilt-free – not feeling like my time with my friend takes away from my time with Meg. She plays and plays and I get a break from the day-in-day-out routine of playing WITH her. And – yes, I’ll admit it – Meg also gets worn out on days like this and sleeps like a baby for most of the mid-afternoon. THAT is a nice side-effect of playdates . . . extra long naptime. So, between the hours of playing and the hours of sleeping, I have myself a pseudo day off from mommyhood.

Admit it – you like days like that too. Who wouldn’t? It doesn’t make you a bad parent. Gulit-free adult time . . . it’s rare these days, but always coveted. Today, I got a good dose.

The Week Begins

It all starts today, January 28th,2008 (Happy Birthday Kristy!!). Construction on 3236 Talimore . . . the basement finishing project. Oh, yeah . . . and we are having our upstairs bedrooms painted mid-week, too. And Friday we find out if we are having a boy or a girl . . . it’s a very wild week at our house!

I think I’ve mentioned our desire and NEED to finish our full basement, but I know I haven’t gone into much detail because there really weren’t too many details to tell. Over the past month, we’ve hired a contractor, agreed on a drawing, cleaned the whole basement, and are ready for the job to begin. Our contractor, Aaron of Aaron Enterprises (thanks again Paula for the recommendation!) was here this morning with his two sons . . . they took a good look at the basement – complemented us on our cleaning job – and will now spend the next day or so getting their gear together to REALLY start the job.

Here is what Aaron has drawn out – to give you an idea. It’s basically a bedroom, full bath, playroom, and media room . . . plus an unfinished area for storage/Jim’s tools.

Of course, I’m taking pictures all along the way to monitor the progress . . . here are a couple of our bare, unstubbed, boring, cold basement.

When the framing is up, I’ll post more photos . . . and, of course, I’ll keep you posted on how the job is going. We chose a contractor that does a lot of the work himself (including all the cabinetry, which is fantastic) . . . so it takes a bit longer. We are hoping for completion in May.

And, as for the upstairs . . . we decided to have our Master, the nursery/Meg’s future room, our hall bath, and the upstairs playroom all painted at the same time. Basically, every bedroom in the house minus Meg's – which I have already painted. That whole painting idea came up because we hung curtains in our Master and then I decided the wall colors definitely needed a change . . . and hey, while we’re at it, let’s just have the painters come and do everything, right? Seriously though, the master and the front bedroom (which will either be a nursery OR Meg’s new bedroom, depending on how Friday goes) both have vaulted ceilings, and who really wants to paint that?? The bathroom was just an add on . . . and the painters offered a discount to do ALL the rooms, so basically the playroom is being done for $40.00. Ahhhh (sigh) . . . I'm so anxious to see everything upstairs freshly painted and ready to decorate!

As for Friday’s big baby news . . . nobody around here can wait. I’m so excited, I can’t stand it. Jim is really hoping for that boy. My dad keeps telling me HE can’t wait. And – the poor painters – they are on pins and needles because I have to call them Friday morning with the go-ahead on which color they’ll be using for that front bedroom!

It’s a busy week around here. Throw in music class, lunch in Atlanta, a trip to the Children’s Museum, coffee with friends, and a trip to drop Meg at my parents in Newnan, a rare mid-week photo shoot . . . and it’s really more than I think I can do!

Hope you are having a great start to your week . . . and keep checking in for all the activities going on around here.

Meg on Sunday Evening . . . she is wearing my headband, which she took OFF my head and put on hers. I love her little smile and her goofy attire!

Wild about Happy Monster Band

I just had to share Meg's latest fettish . . . Disney's
Happy Monster Band . If you are reading this and you have kids, you have to check it out. She LOVES LOVES this 5 minute show that comes on the Disney Channel each morning at 9:25 am. Each day it's just a simple, cute music video about something that kids should learn -- hygene, being a good sport, making friends, etc. The lyrics are funny, the music is spirited, and Meg is IN LOVE.

Of course, now that she's seen (and we've TIVOed) all 8 or 10 episodes the Disney runs, she pretty much knows them by heart. She walks around the house 'clawing left' or 'clawing right' (from the "Monster Hoedown" . . . or she waves her fist in the air chanting, "Go! Go! Go!" (from "Get Up and Go Go Go!") It's so fantastic to see her have her very own opinions and fall in love with something that she thinks is so fun.

Happy Monster Band has not, by any means, trumped the old fav,
The Backyardigans . Uniqua, Pablo, Tyrone, Tasha, and Austin are still very VERY well known around here . . . and they are still taking up about 3 hours in our TIVO database. I don't know that anyone can complete with them . . . Meg sure does enjoy those 'Yardigans.

So, go enjoy you some new music -- check out the Happy Monster Band and let us know if your kids enjoy it as much as Meg!

Dr Jekyl, Mr Hyde

Okay, so here is an example of the rollercoaster that incisors bring . . .

Friday morning: sluggish, whiney, not-quite-right
Friday 8:30 am: administer baby ibuprofen
Friday 9-12pm: school -- reported that she is clingy and quiet all morning

And then we had lunch . . .



But by the time the sitter came around 6pm yesterday evening, she was back to whiney and whimpery . . . barely eating much dinner at all.

Oh well. We'll just keep lovin' on her because . . . well . . . that is the only thing I know to do!

Incisors

First and foremost – HAPPY BIRTHDAY JIM! Today is Jim’s birthday – he’s a fabulous 29 years old. It’s a big day for him in more ways than one . . . his birthday and bonus/annual review day at work. I love you, Jim . . . have a great day and I can’t wait to celebrate with a wonderful date-night tonight!

And now for the topic of the day . . .

As the title suggests, impending incisors are wreaking havoc on Talimore Circle. I’ve heard that they are bad. I’m here to tell you: they are. My poor little Meg has had a rollercoaster of a week . . . fever Tuesday, feeling great Wendesday and most of Thursday morning, then back to feverish and whiney after her Thursday afternoon (way-too-short) nap.

I just hate to even think that her little gums are so tender that they are really just pure torture in her mouth. It’s gotta be the teeth . . . she still only has 12 to date, so 8 more to go. She has a little cough which I thought was fever related . . . but other signs (such as the fantastic diaper experiences we’ve had) lead me to believe that she’s got some porcelain poppin’ through those sore gums. Poor Meg.

Last night, she 100% refused her dinner. She only picked the cheese off her sandwich at lunch. Not eating -- that’s not like her! She did force down some apple sauce before bed, but I think she really just wanted to go to bed to relieve herself from the pain. So, to bed she went, without a whimper or a whine.

Anyway, my topic might not be too exciting today, but incisors are what are on my mind. I can’t wait until they are here and my little Meg can get back to her smiley-self. I miss her smiles terribly – but not nearly as much as she misses her own painless grin.

154 Days to Go

I get these goofy emails from some baby website that come each week reading, “Your Baby – XX Weeks Pregnant.” It also boasts a proud picture of what New Baby looks like . It comes each Wednesday as a lovely reminder that we are one week closer to being a two-kid family.

But today, the note said, “Only 154 Days to Go!”

At first, I thought, “ONLY 154 more days? That is forever!!” 154 more days and nights, 154 more days to pack on the poundage . . . and if Jim remains gone 4 out of every 7 days, that means about 88 more Jim-less days and nights until he’s home again for a nice, long stretch of time. 154 days seems like so LONG from now. Heck, finding out the sex of this kid in just eight days seems like an eternity right now.

But more than that, I thought, “154 days – that’s not enough time!” I have so much to do in these next 5 months . . . paint, decorate, gather necessities (more a problem if it’s a HE rather and a SHE) . . . can I do it all in only 154 days?

I think this panic is normal for all pregnant moms, be it their first, second, or fifth time carrying a child. We all go through the stage where we feel a bit overwhelmed at all that life has in store. We all get a little sweaty in the palms about the things that have to be done before baby comes . . . or, at least, the things we WANT to have done before baby comes. I guess it is the ‘nesting’ instinct you hear so much about. Am I nesting already?

I totally ‘nested’ like a madwoman with Meg. As a matter of fact, the carpets were cleaned the afternoon before she was born . . . not because I planned it quite that close, but just because Meg was a little early and I wasn’t DONE nesting. I still had a pantry to clean out and some items to pick up from every mom’s favorite – Babies R Us. We made it through . . . and the ‘nesting’ was done once Meg crossed the threshold of our home.

But is it REALLY a nesting instinct, or is it just good housekeeping? We all know how much our lives are going to change with baby . . . for goodness sake, strangers tell you that when they see you prego in public. Maybe it’s just the good brain of a mom-to-be that kicks in and tells you to get a whole bunch of stuff DONE around your place before the baby arrives so that you can devote 100% of your energy to the new little one. ‘Nesting’ to me sounds like you are preparing the place so it’s all dreamy and clean for a baby . . . but, I think that even more than that, you are just trying to actually DO some of the things you have been wanting to do around your house. Maybe it’s more ‘pregnancy motivation’ than a ‘nesting’ instinct.

For example, my cousins’ wife has had a few weeks between jobs, so she’s been very busy cleaning out her laundry room, organizing closets, getting her home office in order, and working on smaller projects with her son. If she were pregnant, everyone would be saying, “Oh, look at you NESTING! How endearing!” Instead, because she does not have a bun-in-the-oven (unless you count the countless delicious muffins this chick makes), her actions are just seen as a smart use of time. ‘Vacation motivation’ if you will.

But, we pregnant people get unique names for everything. ‘Gestational Diabetes’ and ‘Pregnancy Gingivitis’ are a couple of things that – when not pregnant – have regular old scary names. But, if you have these symptoms AND are pregnant, then it’s different. 'Morning sickness' is another one that comes to mind . . . really, it's just plain old puking at any time of day. So, I guess it’s the same with plain old smart housekeeping during pregnancy . . . for heaven’s sake, if you are doing that, you MUST be ‘nesting.’

Okay, so back to my original thought – only 154 days until this baby pops out and Meg becomes a big (jealous) sister. And, I might not even make it that far . . . if this kid follows in big sisters footsteps, my best guess is that really I only have 133 days to go.

If you’ll excuse me, I think I have a closet to clean out right about now . . .

I Forget How Much I Love it 'Til I Do It

This past weekend – following the blessed snow – I did have my first photo shoot of 2008. It was for our friends who have a little guy that just hit the big O-N-E in early January. I will admit that, after the holiday rush I had experienced in December, I found it a little hard to get myself geared up for this one . . . I was plenty ready, I just hadn’t done a shoot in nearly a month . . . so it was really just a matter of just kickin’ the horse in the sides to get her goin’. You know how it is returning to 'work' (this is hardly work for me!) after a nice long break.

Quickly I realized -- I had forgotten how much I enjoy what I do.

It certainly helps that the baby boy (or big boy, I guess) is so adorable and super smiley. He’s got the perfect little face . . . and he had a fresh, new, precious haircut to match. He is really a cute kid, so ‘shooting’ him is a breeze. Of course, his parents are great too – which helped relax me and get me in the mood for photography. They had a great space for us to use and were totally up for just about anything we tried, making my job so easy and fun.

I was able to use my new backdrop and stand, which worked out swimmingly and was a total breeze to set up/take down. Now that I’m ‘in the editing room’ I’m able to use my new actions and tricks (via Photoshop, naturally) that Jim purchased for me as holiday gifts. Breaking in the new goods is ALWAYS fun, as you know.

So, now I’m ramped and ready for a 2008 full of photographs. Send me your tired, your poor, your smiley babies . . . I can ‘shoot’ them all!!

Oh, How I Love Those Firemen

At 8:35am this morning, a Cobb County Firetruck pulled up in front of our house, and 5 firemen got out to save me.

I am not going to tell you the story of their heroics . . . how they pulled us from the burning house, how they swaddled Meg in their arms with a blanket, and how we are now recovering in the hospital. I’m not going to tell you that because none of it actually happened.

Instead, I’ll tell you the story of how I locked myself out of our house at 8:05 this morning.

As our morning began and I was getting breakfast together for Meg and myself, I realized it was trash day. “I’d better get the can out to the street ASAP,” I though to myself, “because last week they came SUPER early.” I was still in my jammies, but I threw on my coat and dashed to the garage to push the Dixie Trash Service receptacle out to the end of the driveway. About a dozen cars drove by – of course – which was embarrassing for a mom in her PJs, but the chore was done and back to the warm house I went.

Little did I know how truly embarrassed I’d be in a matter of 30 minutes.

Naturally, as I turned the doorknob to reenter the house through the garage, it was LOCKED. Imagine my horror . . . I knew that I had no keys, no phone, and NO MEG. She was locked in the house. I panicked. I knew there were no windows were open, and all the doors were locked up tight. I ran around the back of the house and tried desperately to break the glass on our backdoor. But, ah, those lovely, energy efficient double-pained windows made that an impossible endeavor. I tried and tried for about 5 minutes – succeeding in nothing more than scratching up our glass – then I ran across the street to my neighbor’s house. I knew Denise would be home . . . she could help me figure out what to do.

Like a night in shining armor, Denise's husband Paul opened the door. He knew I was freaked out, so he put on a coat and some shoes and tried to help. He tried to break a window (much less expensive than the door – smart guy), but he could not do it, either. Meg just stood on the other side of the window in our living room, smiling and giggling at us. She didn’t know what was going on . . . but she had a cup of milk and Sesame Street on TV, so she was really totally cool with the whole situation.

So, back across the street we went to dial 911. Paul kept saying, “They’ll come help. I’m sure this happens all the time.”

Really? There are other women out there as stupid as I am that lock their 19 month-old children in the house while they stand outside in their pajamas?

The firetruck pulled up about 10 minutes later, and 5 of Cobb County’s finest hopped out. I’m not sure that FIVE guys were needed for this . . . but whatever it takes, I guess. They asked if there was any way Meg could help us open the doors (nope, she’s too short) or if any windows on the back of the house or on the 2nd story were open (nope, ALL locked). Then they entered the garage with a LARGE AX in hand and took a look at my interior garage door.

I didn’t see what they were doing – the sight of the ax totally shocked me – and within a second the door to the house was open.

No – I’m not THAT dumb – it definitely WAS locked. One fine (but maybe not always law-abiding) fireman slipped a driver’s license between the door and the frame and pushed the door open . . . the old 'break in with a credit card' trick. No problem at all, no need for the ax or the broken window.

Meg was standing right there at the door, blankie in hand, wondering what the heck was going on. She had not cried or even acted concerned . . . and it had been at least 30 minutes since the ordeal began. I think she just enjoyed the quiet house and her Sesame Street buddies . . . she wasn’t phased a bit.

We are all fine . . .we’ve had breakfast and we’ve read books . . . a normal morning, minus the fact that the firetruck has already come and gone at this early hour.

No laughing at me – like Paul-the-neighbor said, “I’m sure this happens all the time.” Just never again to ME, I hope.

Wonderful Wintery Weekend

I got my wish. It snowed on the weekend so Jim could enjoy it with us. And, boy, did we ever.

The snow began early on Saturday morning, just after Jim had returned from some necessary upcoming-birthday type errands (he’s turning 29 on Friday, and he had to get his driver’s license renewed, car tags taken care of, etc. . . nothing like procrastinating almost to the last minute!). As the storm began, it was sleety, then small flakes, then at about 10:30 am, the BIG flakes began pouring down.

As we peered from Meg’s playroom window, she kept saying what sounded like, “Snow!” . . . but could easily be interpreted as “No!” also. Whatever she was saying, she got a big kick out of the white stuff falling from the sky.

We didn’t run out to enjoy it just yet . . . we stayed inside and watched it collect on the porch and grass for several hours. Meg enjoyed looking at it from the window. I loved it, too . . . Thursday’s snow took place mostly during the nighttime hours, so this daytime snow was a real treat to observe. The flakes were huge and wet . . . sticking to everything but the roads and sidewalks. We watched for a while . . . we decided to wait until later in the day when there was snow ON the ground before going out to play.

Here's a quick video to show you what we did all morning . . .

Then, at about 11:45 am, we couldn’t stand it any longer. . . we ventured out to see some friends . . . plans we’d make earlier in the week would not be disturbed by a little snow! We were just going for a short visit no more than 10 miles away . . . so we packed some extra food, water, and a heavy blanket and headed out into the storm. (Okay, so we packed nothing except the standard diaper bag . . . but newscasters had been warning travelers all morning to take their entire house with them if they had to go out . . . heaven forbid you might get stranded for days along the roadside in our 1 inch of snow.)

It was so fun to see the neighborhood covered in white. The roads were fine – don’t worry about us – we made a safe trip there and back with no incidents at all. Quite honestly, I was very surprised to see so many cars on the road! Lots of others were braving the elements with us. Publix was packed (and totally out of milk and bread, I assume) and so was the movie theater. Nothing like the big screen on a snowy day.

After returning home, having lunch and some naps, we all – Jim, Meg, and I – finally went out to enjoy the snow. The anticipation had built all morning . . . there was plenty of snow on the ground . . . and now it was time to PLAY. Daddy and Meg built a 4 ft snowman – smiling face and all – while I sat back and took about 200 pictures. Our neighbors came down to play with us for a little while – their 2 sons being young enough to enjoy the snow with Meg. We goofed around, tromped around, and danced around in the snow. For us here in Georgia, this was a rare day . . . once to be treasured and enjoyed to the fullest. We certainly did that as long as our unprepared-for-real-snow wardrobes would allow. When we got cold enough (Meg only had on sneakers, for crying out loud), we came back in to the warmth of our home. It was a perfect (dare I say ‘picture perfect’?) afternoon.

The rest of the weekend was cold and wintery . . . the snow remains on our front lawn even today because we get morning sun that’s not yet gotten warm enough to melt it all away. Our 4ft friend is still in his spot, facing the road and smiling proudly at all the passers by.

It was a wonderful wintery weekend . . . an occasion we haven’t had in many years, and one that we will always remember.

The Chinese Calendar

Have you seen it? If you are pregnant or have a baby, you know exactly what I’m talking about. The lovely, ancient graph that supposedly – with 99% accuracy – tells you the sex of your unborn child. Just cross-refernce the month of conception and the age of the mother at that time, and WHALA! the mystery of your baby’s gender is solved.

For some CRAZY reason, someone forwarded this calendar to me AGES ago . . . when I was working at News America, so clearly it was long before I had a baby. (I would say long before I was THINKING about having a baby, but let’s not kid ourselves. Most of you know that I was thinking about having a baby well before I even got married!)

The magic calendar may not be 99% accurate, but it’s close. Based on my age of 27 and a conception month of October, it did say that Meg would be a SHE. And, for my friend Kristy, both of her girls were predicted correctly by this mysterious charm. I think it got Tricia’s wrong for her first (guessing girl but she had a boy) but was right for her second (boy).

So – the question is, what does it predict for New Baby?

BOY.

Boy, oh boy . . . does Jim want a BOY. When I remembered I had this calendar, found it, and figured out it’s prediction, I certainly told Jim right away. He beamed his super-smiley Jim beam. He wants a boy SO badly.

My dad dreamed we were having a boy on the very night that I looked up our destiny (according to Chinese myth, anyway). That was a funny coincidence to me because my dad so badly hopes we have another granddaughter for him. (He’s picking out girl names already . . . but he does assure me that he would be just as excited about a boy.) Me? I haven’t had any dreams or anything to tell me one way or the other. With Meg, I had 2 dreams girl, one dream boy. And – when I’m pregnant – I have CRAZY dreams, so I find myself very tuned in to them. This time, no sex-determination dreams to date.

What do I want? I can honestly say that I’ll be happy with either. I know – it sounds cliché – and saying it sounds cliché is cliché – but I don’t care. I’m being cliché. (If you can tell me where that ‘cliché’ line came from, I’ll acknowledge your brilliance in my next blog!!)

I really AM going to be delighted if we decorate in pink OR blue. A girl would be fantastic – bunk beds, matching dresses, tea parties – all the fun that TWO girls would bring. Sisters growing up so close in age would be awesome. I love girls, as you know. If it’s a boy, I will be so incredibly happy for Jim. Sporting events, Tonka trucks, and lots and lots of blue. I got what I really hoped for the first time around – my GIRL – and he would be getting what he’s hoping for this time around. Either way, I’m delirious. Like I’ve said many times, I have my girl, so the next baby is icing on the cake!

But sersiously . . . what do I think it’s going to be? Originally I thought girl. I SWORE girl, and I was sorry for Jim. Now, I really don’t know. I do think I’m destined to have another girl . . . but something tells me this might be a boy . . .who knows? (Incidentally – I thought Meg was a BOY – and was totally convinced. I just didn’t think I could be lucky enough to get pregnant AND have a girl.)

We’ll find out how accurate that trusty Chinese Calendar is Friday, February 1st. Jim and I can’t wait . . . we are looking forward to moving forward with a nursery and a big-girl room for each of our kids, and we are excited to really start planning for New Baby’s arrival.

Will Chinese folklore hold true? 12 days till we find out, grasshopper.

Blog-a-versary

Today is my Blog-a-versary. What’s that, you say? One year ago today, I opened this account with blogger and wrote my very first blog. I had literally NO idea what a blog really was at that time . . . and, until then, I thought they were kinda boring. Who would want to read about someone else’s life? I thought I’d use mine to update our family in the Midwest about what was going on here in Georgia. I thought I’d post pictures and give updates about our day-to-day activities. Nothing personal – because who would care, anyway?

Over the past year, I think it’s safe to say that not only have I changed my opinion on blogs, but I have changed the format of my very own blog. It turns out that there are at least 3 or 4 people out there who do care about what’s really going on in my life. And, it turns out, it IS fun to read about other people's lives.

According to Wikipedia, this is the description of a blog:

“Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs.” (http://www.wikipedia.com/)

My blog was once just a commentary on the Dahlby household, but I believe it has evolved into my very own online diary. As I began to read the blogs of other friends, family, and strangers (yes, I’m a voyeur and love to read the blogs of strangers!), I began to see how interesting and personal a blog can truly be. In September, I made a decision to go ‘more personal’ in this space . . . and to commit to writing more and more. I’ve ENJOYED it so much more since I made that decision, and I hope you have too. I’ve strayed away from the day-in-day-out of Meg-raising that goes on around here and tried to talk about other things . . . feelings, movies, desires, etc. I wanted to make it interesting. I hope I have succeeded.

I wish, sometimes, I had the courage to be 100% truthful and honest and open in this webspace I have created, but the fact that I have little anonymity here makes that kind of brutal honesty tough. I choose to be ME on this blog, so those who read it KNOW who I am (and, for the most part, I know them too) . . . I can’t tell everything because, well, there would just be too many repercussions. Sometimes, I’ll get a comment from someone that I didn’t KNOW was reading the blog and think, “Yikes – he/she is reading . . . I’d better make sure I watch what I say about such-and-such . . .” Even still – self-monitoring and all -- I do address topics on this blog that I’m relatively uncomfortable talking about face to face with someone. It has become an outlet for things like that. I enjoy have a place to write down these thoughts and feelings . . . and if something is left unsaid, I'm sure I'll remember it when I read it later.

Sometimes, I do feel like people know a LOT about me. Blog topics that I’ve written about come up in conversation with friends, and I smile at the thought of them sitting down and reading my heart-felt entries. It is nice to know that people care enough to check in and see what is going on with me each day (or every few days, whatever). But it is funny to think that these people have read about my pity-party-miscarriage, my whining about wanting new jeans, and my rants about eye-brow waxes. Oh well -- if you are reading, you must find something amusing about that! And, now that I’ve started reading a lot of blogs out there, I feel like I know a LOT about my friends, family, and strangers. In an email and voicemail filled world, blogs are just one more somewhat impersonal way to get to know someone . . . which is strange, but I don’t mind it a bit.

I hope you have enjoyed ‘the dahlbys: family life in suburban georgia’ as you’ve read it over the past few months. I think I’ll keep it going for a while to come. Thanks for tuning in . . . and please do leave a comment today to let me know you are there and that you are reading . . . it’s always fun to see who checks us out.

Happy Blog-a-versary to me.

By the way – ever stop to think of exactly where the word ‘blog’ comes from? It’s a portmanteau of web log – the combination of those two words.

This picture was taken exactly one year ago today -- Jan 18, 2007. You'll notice that it is Meg and Lexi . . . of whom I posted pictures from our play date yesterday. These girls LOVE each other . . . look how much they've grown in the past year!! This picture reminds me of that day . . . and that Jim and I started talking about moving to a new house later that same evening. See -- the blog is a great memory-keeper!!

Today in Pictures

Today, January 17th, in pictures . . .

(This was a fun project for me today . . . I'm sure I'll do it again!)

It SNOWED here today!

Yes, folks, that's right. It snowed in Georgia this evening. More than just a flake or two . . . as I write, it's about 9:30 pm and my entire yard is covered in powdery white goodness. I can't wait to see if it's still there in the morning so I can dash across to my neighbors yard -- probably in my robe! -- and snap a shot of our wintery home.

Of course, I had to take Meg and the camera out to enjoy the experience. She wasn't quite sure what to think at first . . . but she quickly 'warmed up' to the idea of white falling from the sky . . . she was running around in it in no time. And, after running for a bit, she decided to plop down and have a seat to enjoy the snowfall.




It was a fun afternoon for mom and Meg. This was Meg's first real 'snow' -- but I do hope it snows again later in the year . . . perferably on a weekend so daddy can enjoy it, too!



Happy Winter my friends!