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!

Movie Review: Juno

Jim and I were lucky enough to pawn Meg off on my parents a few weeks back and enjoy a night to ourselves. Because we hadn’t done it in so long . . . and I know how much Jim LOVES it . . . I decided we should . . . see a movie. (LOL -- I guess that sentence could have ended a lot of ways, couldn’t it??)

I was nice enough to choose and activity of Jim’s liking . . . but the bossy wife that I am didn’t let him choose the movie. I had my heart set on “Juno” . . . so that is what we saw. (*Side note – Jim almost never really CARES which movie, he just likes going to see flicks in the theatre atmosphere.)

I had heard it was witty, quick, hilarious, and sweet. It had no actors that I knew of, but still it sounded intriguing. “Teenage girl gets pregnant and gives baby up for adoption” . . . seriously, what pregnant woman wouldn’t want to see that?

“Juno” lived up to all of my expectations. For once, a move WAS as witty, quick, hilarious, and sweet as it was promoted to be.

The movie is a “must see” my dear friends. You don’t have to rush out and see it at the theatre . . . I realize many of my blog readers are fellow moms, so I understand that struggle with finding time for a movie. You can rent it or watch it “on demand” when it is available . . . it has no special sound effects or visuals that are best seen on the big screen. So it doesn’t matter how you choose to view it – just make sure that you do it!

The movie tells the story of a young, 16 year-old girl and boy who find themselves pregnant after his ‘first time.’ Naturally, the entire cast of characters is stunned at this occurrence, and they spend the entire 100+ minutes finding charming and sarcastic ways to make light of this totally unexpected surprise. Juno, as played by Ellen Paige, is young and hip and really does MAKE the movie. The stuff she says will make you laugh out loud, and her heart and charm will make you cry. She can’t stand the idea of an abortion, so she decides to have the baby and give it up for adoption. The parents that Juno selects for her soon-to-be-born “uh oh” – played by Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman – are, of course, squeaky clean and quite hilarious in their own right. Throw in Juno’s whacky family, her fearless best friend, and the goofy ‘baby daddy’ and you’ve got a movie that is a REAL hit.

So, I give “Juno” as many stars as I can give it . . . 5/5, 10/10 . . .whatever the scale may be. It scores 100%.

I hope you and yours enjoy it as much as Jim and I did.

One Lucky Old Gal

Thanks to some very special people in my life, my birthday weekend was totally fantastic. So fantastic. The best birthday that I’ve had in a long time, honestly.

What would we do without our friends? I have so many that are so special to me . . . and I’m so glad for each of them. It’s funny how I have friends from so many areas of my life . . . high school, college, work, friends I’ve met through Jim, friends I’ve met since becoming a mom . . . all different genres of life, and all great friends to me.

I was lucky enough to see and hear from pretty much ALL of my friends this weekend – which in itself makes for a great three days, even if it wasn’t my birthday. There were friends that came to see me on Friday afternoon for a “playdate birthday extravaganza.” Friends called me all throughout the day on Friday to wish me a happy thirtieth. I had even more friends over on Saturday night for a small dinner at our house. Then, a very awesome and special friend came and surprised me on Sunday evening with a dinner-and-movie-girls-night-out. I feel so lucky to have each and every person who I saw/spoke to this weekend as a part of my life. I wouldn't be ME without THEM.

Now the dust has settled . . . it’s the 14th of January, and I think that the birthday festivities have come to an end. I have no words to describe how awesome all of it was. I was hoping that I could have a great birthday . . . I haven’t made a ‘big deal’ of my day in many many years (despite what those who have known me longest might think!) . . . but this was a big milestone birthday, so I wanted it to be great. And it was.

My very best friend of all was really at the helm of organizing ALL of the birthday merriment. Jim, I can’t thank you enough for all you did. You pulled off one hell of a weekend for me . . . and even at the last minute! Thanks, my love. I have no words to describe my feelings for you, either . . . but I think you know.

Now I forge ahead into my 30th year. It holds at least one major event – the birth of Meg’s sibling and our 2nd child. What else? Keep reading, and I guess you’ll see.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO MADE MY BIRTHDAY SO SPECIAL!!
(Pictures are from the Friday Play Date . . . and one from the "aftermath"!)

Thirty So Far . . .

. . . is very busy!

Here is what I've done so far, on this my big 30th birthday:

-- contractor dude came this am and gave us his bid (8am!)

-- Jim took Meg to school, and I went to the dr for the 16 week appointment. Heartbeat was in the 150s and the big 20 wk ultrasound was scheduled for Fri, February 1st. Three weeks and counting!

-- stopped and picked something up for HD Portraits (yes Jim, I kept the receipt)

-- got a manicure

-- stopped and got myself a mini-ice cream cake for my little gathering of friends this afternoon

-- picked up Meg

-- picked up Chick fil a for lunch (my fav!)

-- fed Meg, put her down for a nap

-- cleaned up the house, put three (yes THREE!) dozen roses in water

-- sat down to write this blog

And it's only 2:30! What a busy day. But, I'm having a GREAT day -- no complaints at all. Looking forward to dinner with Jim tonight.

I'll have to post more later about how the whole day has been -- or maybe wait and post about the whole weekend -- but so far, so GREAT.

The Eve

Tomorrow is my 30th birthday. I’ll be 30 years old at 7:28 am tomorrow morning.

And I’m totally OK with it.

Thirty, while it IS a lot of years, is really not old. It’s not ancient, it’s not elderly, it’s not even “oldER” – it’s really still quite young. I used to think of 30 as “old” – but now that it’s hit me, I don’t FEEL old . . . so 30 must still be young.

I’m actually excited about turning 30. It’s another milestone in my many, many lifetime milestones. Ten was one in the early years – first year in “double digits.” Then came 13 and the teen years. Sixteen means driving a car, 18 is practically an adult, and 21 = booze. I felt like 25 was a mini-milestone . . . my “mid 20s” had arrived. Now I’m turning 30, which has no real significance to it, other than it’s a new decade.

I think I would be having a harder time with 30 if I didn’t feel so happy and accomplished in my life. I have a dashing husband and a killer kid-o, with one more on the way. I have a bachelors and a masters from the world’s greatest university. I’ve dabbled in a few careers in my 8 working years, and I’ve had a great time in each. My house is awesome, we have no debt, and I am generally stress-free in my lifestyle. What ELSE could I want from 30?

Tomorrow will be a fun day . . . a busy morning, afternoon friends to play with, and a babysitter for Meg = a baby-free dinner for mom & dad. I’m looking forward to my birthday.

Look out THIRTY – I’m HERE.

Check out the Poll

Not really much time or material for writing today . . . took care of some errands, went to the park, my cousin came over for dinner, and I just spent an HOUR and an entire roll of paper towels cleaning the wooden blinds in the kitchen (really, they were GROSS). Although the day was average, I did want to take a minute to point out may super-fancy new POLL on the left side of your screen.

Will New Baby Dahlby be a boy or a girl? You decide!

Okay, so you can't really decide . . . but it will be fun to see what the poll shows. I go to the doctor this Friday (a big day for other reasons, as you may know) . . . and then I'll set the date for the ultrasound. I'm hoping for February 1st, but it might have to be as late as February 15th . . . we'll see.

Taken last week -- 15 weeks -- dude, I'm getting huge already!!

Making My List . . . Checking it Twice . . .

I'm in super fix-up-the-house mode. The holidays are over, we are happily 16 weeks along in the pregnancy, so FINALLY I can start to think about some decorating around my house. We didn't do much in the beginning -- we were too busy settling in -- and then we didn't do much because we were focused on photography, Meg (of course), baby, and holidays.

Now I have some time to spruce up the place. I can't wait to make it more presentable so that I'm not so embarrassed about the lack of decorating I've done in the 5 months we've been here!


First -- window treatments for the kitchen. Talked to a lady today, picked out fabric last week. Should have them up in the next 3 weeks-ish. I WANT them up because I'm tired of "naked" windows, but 3 weeks of waiting is doable.


Second -- basement. We've now had 2 contractors come look at our basement, and we are waiting on quotes. I can't wait to find out how much it will be and when the job can get started . . . it's going to be a really cool experience to watch the basement change into functional, liveable space. Plans are to have that done by June, but we will just have to see how it goes.

Third -- dining room furniture. This was a resounding FIRST on the list for a while, but the searching and searching for the perfect set has left Jim and I a bit weary. We are going to keep looking . . . and we will just have to wait until we find "the set" before we make the big purchase.


Fourth -- Meg and New Baby's rooms, sometime after the first week of February. That's when we'll know what if New Baby is going to be a cheerleader or a football star (I know, you can argue that either sex could be either thing . . . but you know where I'm going with this.) I have tons of grand plans -- and I've enlisted the help of friends. This will be a fun project -- I can't wait to start!


I also have many various and sundry "things" I need to do. Picture hanging, fixture fixing, errands (um, I have to admit that I have NOT YET ordered Meg's birth certificate!! That NEEDS to be done!). I made quite a list today. Becky (http://mommyisme.blogspot.com/) is motivating me to get some stuff DONE.


After I made the grand list, I put Meg down for a nap . . . and all the list-making had made me tired, so I felt like I needed to do the same.





Oh well. My list will still be there tomorrow, right?

We Should Stay Away from Phipps Plaza

Matching -- or at least coordinating -- outfits for our kids. Yes, it might be silly. Yes, it can be a bit much. But I don't care. It's cute, it only lasts for a short period of time, and I'm totally doing it.

Exhibit 1:

Purchased today while shopping at Hanna Andersson . . . on sale, of course. Still too expensive really to be reasonable, but I don't think I'll regret it for one second next December when I have them both dressed in these darling jammies. Best part: works for boy OR girl! How could I resist??

And, speaking of too expensive, I did get some new jeans today. Ahhhh - a sigh of relief goes up in the crowd. Seriously though, I needed something to help make me feel a bit better about myself and my size right now. The funniest part is that when I was trying them on, I felt like I'd found ME again. The jeans fit right -- so I didn't look silly or like I'm wearing clothes that are ridiculously too big. I looked in the dressing room mirror and said to myself, "Oh, HI. THERE you are. I've missed you." I felt good. (Thanks, Jim.)

Tomorrow we are off to visit Grandaddy and Grandma so that I don't have to watch the National Championship game all by my lonesome . . . Jim's traveling, so I need a football companion, and my dad fits the bill. Meg actually got a new Georgia outfit today, so she'll wear that for our trip (she doesn't know that UGA isn't going to be on!). My dad loves to see her in anything Georgia . . . he'll love her new digs. And, of course, I'll wear my new jeans.

Everyone is wearing new clothes tomorrow . . . too much shopping for one Sunday, I guess. But these jammies, they are going in the closet until Christmas . . . and I can't wait to bust them out again in 12 months.

An Earbug

Sometimes, I get an idea or 'thing' stuck in my head, and I can't get it out. When it's a song lyric or muscial chorus, it has a cute little name -- an 'earbug'. When it's something else, it's just annoying.

Today -- and for the past few days -- it's been maternity jeans.

I have 3 or 4 pair from the last go-around . . . but I really only like 2 of them and NEITHER of them are close to fitting me. As a matter of fact, they probably won't be fitting me for a while because my butt and legs have quite a ways to go before they'll fill them out. I don't kid myself and think they'll never fit . . . sadly, I know I'll be growing into them . . . but right now, I have no jeans to wear.

I should be more clear -- I have ONE pair of non-maternity jeans that still fit, but I have already patched 3 (yes THREE) holes in the knees. Dude, I PATCHED my jeans. How old am I? Anyway, they are in terrible shape now and really are embarrassing to wear any place except the grocery store or maybe Target. Seriously, they are even almost too sloppy for a Target trip.

This situation makes me a stay at home mom with no jeans. Isn't that the SAHM wardrobe? Jeans??

So, now I've become obsessed with mustering up the nerve to talk to Jim about buying a new pair of maternity jeans. Why must nerve be mustered, you ask? Come on -- don't pretend you don't know me. Of course I don't just want any jeans . . . I've gotten it in my head that I want some Citzens or Sevens or True Religion jeans. Seriously -- I don't even have any of those fancy jeans for NON-maternity times. My weight has fluctuated too much over the past 2 years (weight watchers, pregnacy, weight watchers, pregnancy) to invest in any of the designer denim. I've never had the hutspa to buy them because they are so expensive and I want to wait until the baby-making days are over and my weight is going to be stable for more than 12 months.

Now I want some of those fancy rags, maternity style. I want some to wear for the next several months so that I can actually feel GOOD about myself for a change. Maybe it's because I'm at the lovely "fat" stage that I'm feeling down . . . but right now getting dressed is such a chore that I don't GO PLACES because I don't want to get dressed. I wish I were kidding.

I want to pick up right now and go searching for jeans . . . but I have to talk to Jim about it first because they really ARE expensive (approaching $200 for some styles!) and that is such a big cost for JEANS. I have to run it by daddy-o before I spend the big bucks . . . it's only fair. I feel like I'm coming across as a meek, insecure wife having to ask the husband for shopping money . . . but really I'm trying to be respectful and not just run out spending gobs of money on myself without at least discussing it with my other half.

Ugh. I'll probably NOT get them. But, damn, I want them!

Settling In

Christmas is packed up and resting peacefully in our basement until next year. New Year has come and gone, this time with a great party with friends that Jim and I truly enjoyed. Now it’s time to settle in to 2008 and get back to “life as usual” at the Dahlby house.

What does that mean? It means Jim goes back to traveling, Meg goes back to regular naps, and I go back to . . . well, all the other stuff I do. Cleaning, feeding, photography, blogging, etc. Time to get back to work for me, too.

I’ve been thinking about ways that I want to make 2008 better than 2007 . . . not necessarily resolutions, but things I’d like to accomplish in this year. Maybe a few changes I’d like to make in myself or my work, or just “stuff” I’d like to get done.

Here is the list, so far – in no particular order because, well, it’s hard enough to get this stuff done . . . I don’t want to put pressure on myself by prioritizing.

*Get a business license/tax ID/bank account for HD Portraits. Also, follow all the business/tax rules I should be following to make my company ligit in 2008.

*Be less judgmental. Stop worrying so much about others . . . and realize that it really doesn’t matter, anyway.

*Do more with the décor in the house . . . kitchen window treatments, plantation shutters, front hall table, pictures in the front hallway, repaint kitchen cabinet doors.

*All three “kids” bedrooms upstairs need work . . . Meg needs a new big girl room in time for New Baby, New Baby needs a nursery, and we need to decide what to do with that 3rd room. This “work” also includes getting Meg to sleep in her new room, when it’s completed . . . I’m hoping that won’t be too hard.

*Finishing the Basement. Well, I have nothing to do with the actual WORK, but I’m sure it’s going to take up a bunch of my time here in the next several months as we get the project started with a contractor.

*Eat at home more – even when I’d RATHER go out. Try new recipes, too.

*Smile more – especially in public.

*Do nice things for Jim – little, surprise things to let him know I love him. He does stuff like that for me all the time, and I know how good it feels. This year, it’s my turn.

*Convince my parents to suck it up and buy a car seat. THAT would make life easier, for sure.

*Stand up for myself and for my work with HD Portraits. Don’t let clients take advantage of me, and don’t be afraid to talk about money. My product is worth it.

*Play with Meg more. And more. And more.

Of course . . . now that I think about it, really these things need to be accomplished in the next 6 months because after June 25th (that is my NEW and OFFICIAL due date, btw) life will change and I don’t know WHAT I’ll get done.

So, this is my list of things to do before New Baby arrives. Stuff I’d like to accomplish in the first half of 2008.

Gosh, I should get to work.

Dying to Tell

Written about 3 1/2 weeks ago . . . and the last of the back-logged blogs . . .

I’m blogging right now, knowing that I have to wait to post this one. I’m just DYING to tell. I’m dying to bust out and scream that we are pregnant. I want to tell my blogger world what our plans are for Meg’s new bedroom and for New Baby’s nursery. I want you all to know that, yes, at 11 weeks I AM showing.

But, alas, I must wait until next week sometime – after the 12 week appointment and after I’ve posted the several blogs I’ve already written about this topic.

Not telling has been SO hard for me. As a matter of fact, I simply have not NOT told. Several of my closest friends know. I think we told about ½ a dozen people in the first week . . . way early, but OK with me. Those people who knew then were the people that I would most likely tell if I had had a second miscarriage. Telling EVERYONE with the summer pregnancy was certainly fun . . . but it became SO hard when we miscarried. I hated telling everyone about that – I think that was seriously one of the hardest parts of the whole experience. It was embarrassing, it was so personal and private, and I just wanted to crawl in a hole instead of send out a stupid email to tell the world, “Nope, Baby 2 didn’t make it.”

I said to Jim, “Next time, we aren’t telling ANYONE.” Well, kind of.

He’s been so much better about keeping our secret than I have. I think he’s told maybe 2 or 3 people, total. Not even HIS closest friends know. He is a GREAT secret-keeper. Got any news that you are dying to share, but you really shouldn’t? Tell Jim – he’s like a vault, I tell you.

I did tell some people with excitement . . . those I was really anxious to tell . . . and some I told more by accident, then hated myself for doing it. I don’t know if that even makes sense. After telling a couple of people, I thought, “UGH! Why did you do that??” and way back in my head a little voice said, “Now you have to tell THEM if things go wrong.”

But things did NOT go wrong. So, oh well. Those accidents know before my Grandma and any other members of our extended family. So what? That’s life.

I’ve kept this a secret for about 8 weeks now. And don’t tell me you didn’t already guess (unless I told you, of course). I know it’s been a little obvious. The topic of pregnancy and miscarriage have totally disappeared from the blog . . . I think I accidentally mentioned a doctor’s appointment once or twice . . . and I’ve been generally happy-go-lucky. Well, pat yourself on the back if you figured it out before I announced. You didn’t really solve that tough of a riddle, but you did do a good job of putting a few pieces together.

And now we can move on to other topics again. I promise this isn’t turning in to a blog about my pregnancy. We’ll still chat about events, Meg, photography, and books (should I ever actually read another one). I just ran a series of pregnancy blogs because that what I’ve written and saved over the past few months. “Back to our regularly scheduled programming,” as they say.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for your well-wishes. Here is to June 2008 (oh yeah, they moved my due date to June 28th, one week after Meg’s b-day) and to a happy and healthy New Baby.