Baby Mohawk

Yeah, I'm cool - just like daddy.

Do you think Guinness has a world record holder for most photos taken with a Starbuck's cup? Cause I could totally beat it.

It's been a little hectic around here lately, but I thought I owed it to Shane to mark his 4 week birthday with a little recap of how things have been going this first month adjusting to a new family member in the house. With Bridget, I remember four days could seem like four years at times (sorry babygirl, you were quite the handful and, at the risk I could somehow do you reprehensible damage, I will follow that up with the fact that I wouldn't have it any other way) but this time has been flying by and, dare I say it, knock on wood, has been completely and totally manageable and you know what, not just manageable, but ENJOYABLE!

Yes, there are times it is extremely hard - beyond hard - but in between those times there are the moments when Bridget cries because she didn't get to give "the baby" a kiss goodnight and then promptly lets out an "oooohhhhh" signaling she is about to give him a big bear hug - albeit this is sometimes dangerous for an 8 lb being, but adorable as hell nonetheless. Then there are the times when I actually figure out what is wrong with my little man and I feel like such an empowered, can-do-no-wrong mommy... well, that is until my daughter comes home, flops on the ground in a fit of rage over the fact that I DARED TO LET THE DOGS OUTSIDE - didn't I know that the dogs needed to stay inside, that the world was about to come to an end if I let the dogs out the back door? Luckily, I am usually able to chalk this behavior up to little daycare sleep and 21 months of age. Lastly, as we had hoped and have come to find out, this time is unequivocally, without a doubt, so much more relaxed. We are so much more okay with things and not overcome with questions, worry and guilt 24/7. Now, that certainly doesn't mean I don't experience all three of those things daily, multiple times a day, but in a much less stressful and overwhelming manor.

Bottom line, things are going really well. I've only hid under the bed eating burritos once - twice maybe - okay, six times at the most, but it's still been a great experience so far and having this new little person in our lives is working out pretty well, I think we'll keep him.

On an unrelated note, I've been totally remiss in not thanking Mark and Kim for the best new mom present ever - a Starbucks giftcard. I look so forward to this little treat in the morning and it's become part of Shane, Bridget and my's morning routine. Forgive me if that grammar is totally wrong in the last sentence, I always mess up my I's and my's - yes, I am an english major. Thanks guys - cheers to you!

Is it worse that I ate half the bowl before I figured it out or that I contemplated finishing it...

In the haziness of the past couple weeks, we have definitely neglected to grocery shop. In fact, food around this house is in incredibly short supply (except for Shane's that is!). We finally finished eating a lasagna from Chris and Kristi that has pretty much been our main source of nourishment the past 10 days. In fact, I think I could be the new spokesperson for the NLA (National Lasagna Association) I've already got a great slogan -
Lasagna: it's not just for dinner anymore.

And even though I've never eaten that much lasagna in my life, I never got sick of it. In fact, I'll probably have a little lasagna withdrawal this week. I wonder if they make a lasagna patch - you know like a smoker's patch that delivers small doses of lasagna into your system so as not to completely quit one's lasagna addiction cold turkey? Hmmm... maybe that will be my first act as spokesperson of the NLA. ANYWAY, thanks again guys - it was delicioso - we really loved it and it was so above and beyond considering you have a newborn yourselves - we will be paying it forward very soon!

So, this morning with the lasagna gone I returned to my regularly scheduled breakfast food - cereal and milk. I poured myself a HUGE bowl of Trix and filled it to the brim with delicious milky. As I was eating it watching the View (I know, I know, but I like it with Whoopi on it these days) I kept noticing this kind of stinky smell. Thinking it was surely just one of the 16 diapers laying around on the table, torn up by the dogs on the floor or in the pack and play, I kind of kept writing it off. Then, about half way through my cereal I start to think it might taste a little funny and then the sinking feeling set in... when exactly is this milk from? Worried about it, I make my way to the fridge (mind you I take another bite or two just to confirm that the smell and taste is in fact coming from the bowl) to find that yes, indeed, this milk would have tasted much BETTER BY May 8, 2008. So as not to gross you out entirely, I won't go into detail about the thick, goey rim on the sides of the milk jug that probably means no one has even touched this milk since before Shane arrived.

The worst part of it all is I was really loving that cereal. I haven't had any in weeks and I think I was more upset about not getting to finish my cereal than the unfortunate digestive issues that might possibly be forthcoming....

What's that you say, you think you're water just broke? Well, cool...

I can't believe I'm spending today playing with pictures of my NEW NIECE! It's just too crazy! And, OH MY GOD, I have a new NIECE... wait I have a niece PERIOD. I never had one before and it's so awesome. And she's so B-U-TIFUL. Sorry for all the UPPER CASE blog "yelling", but I can't help it. It's just that COOL!

I was falling asleep last night at 10:22pm (yes, that was the time exactly because Tim and I both looked at each other like, "who the hell is calling now?") when the phone rang. Neither one of us even thought about it being an early arrival from baby indy, even though just hours earlier we had been teasing Lil' G about the possibility. "I think my water broke" Kim said and it truly didn't sink in with me. I guess I was a little in denial or sleep deprived state, but I just kind of calmly took it all in and relayed it to tpd. He was all like, "are you awake? Do you realize what your saying?" In all honesty, it wasn't until about 1/2 hour later that I was like - whoa - they're really going to have the baby soon - like not in a month, but in a 24 hour time span and then I was awake and soooo excited!

I spent most of the night waiting for news, texting them back and forth (and when I say them I mostly mean Kim - that girl is a lean, mean, labor texting machine) and watching Poker after Dark (I highly recommend this for late night baby feedings or insomnia). I was super tired from a rough night with Shane the night before, but I was too excited to sleep. It was a great night - so exciting and so much fun getting the next ding of a text message.

I got the call shortly after 5am that the baby would soon be here and as I managed to drift to sleep one last time I was actually dreaming about the baby and got the news it was a girl in my dream only to have my brother call a few minutes later telling me that I was correct - a little perfect brand new babygirl was here and I could come meet my niece - Amelia!

Congratulations little bro and sis-in-law! I'm so happy Amelia is here and everyone is doing well (albeit a little shell shocked from her abrupt arrival) but happy and healthy and what more could we really ask for? Love you guys and love my little pretty niece!

Here are the rest of the pics I took at the hospital.

What happens when you're new at this two kid thing and leave one of them alone too long...

Say it ain't so, John E.

Oh no, why John why? Oh wait - it couldn't be so you could score a big fat VP nod, could it?
Oh! The Hillary humanity of it all!

Well, at least I can sport my new "Barack the House" design by my
talented Uncle Mark and available only at ElectionSwag.com!

A first milestone down...

The very first day in the hospital, I looked at Shane's little umbilical cord and actually dreaded the day it would fall off. Well, today's the day. Tim did a happy dance (no more folding down the diaper and dealing with all the other boy "parts" that we are so terrified by) but I felt a little "oh my baby's already growing up" sadness.

Just the first of many to come...

This post is mostly just so we don't have to look at Al's big face anymore

Hope everyone had a great Mother's day! I'll post a few pics of what my KIDS (even though I don't know if Shane pulled his weight this year being 9 days old and all) did for me.

One of the pictures Bridget made for me at school.
You can see the handprints in the photo below. Too cute!

My new Phil & Ted's double jogging stroller. I was TOTALLY shocked by this present!
Thanks TPD (and thanks Kim for the help), I absolutely love it!

With the both of them - two babies, two years, two mother's day! Crazy, but so much fun!

At our Mother's Day brunch at Nicoletti's - it was yummy!

I posted more pics up at picasa of all the fun festivities.

On one other note, this year was a little bittersweet for me as I remember last year at this time when we lost Karla on mother's day. I was actually at the exact same plant stand this year when it hit me that was exactly where I was one year ago when I got the call that she had passed away. I think Mother's day will always remind me of that, but I will use it moving forward to remember what a fun and spirited mom she was and to honor her memory on this day, too, just like all other moms. Karla, you were and still are a great mom and your spirit is remembered every day in your two beautiful kids.

Hope all the mom's out there had a great mother's day!

In a Nutshell

I'm a lazy, hard working entrepreneur mommy. How's that for an oxy-moronish description? Since I run my own business(es), I work extremely hard at times and can be known to take it too easy at other times. A luxury of being self-employed, although my hubby might not agree.

My husband and I had TWO kids in TWO years, a girl and a boy. Yes, we are crazy, but we're having fun and taking it one day at a time.

I'm an internet consultant for over 20 clients on a regular basis and somewhere in there find time to maintain a big brother/sister t-shirt business and other affiliate websites and blogs... whew.

I LOVE all things internet and design related and have been addicted to this stuff since my first IM 16 years ago on AOL - LOL. I am still trapped in that 17 year old internet mind set at times, but it keeps me up to date in my profession and, like, totally, lets me have fun, too! I hope I never get too old for this stuff.

God, thank you for not choosing Ann Curry

After an incredibly hectic morning (not enough time right now to even begin to describe this morning) we finally get things settled down and Shane and I set up for breakfast - hey, if he's gonna eat, you better believe I am too - I flip on the tv to the very beginning of a segment entitled, "How do you handle change?". A full 5 minutes devoted to working on change in life and dealing with the first 30 days and how that time period makes the biggest difference in how you are effected with the change. It was a pretty good segment with some good advice.

I guess it's true what they say - God works in mysterious ways, and in this case it was right through Al Roker. Thanks God and thanks Al, I needed that little boost this morning.

When the room service lady almost got punched in the face...

Room service lady (aka Evil Post-Partum Mom Eating Police): "Hungry girl, aren't you? Is this all for you?"

Post-partum, free-to-eat whatever I want Erin (as thought in my head): Oh, I'm sorry lady, were you woken up 6 times last night between a hungry hungry baby, percocet delivery and blood pressure readings? Do your "girls" (as they will be referred to from here on out concerning all breastfeeding posts so as to minimize my embarrassment) hurt so bad you want to cry every time they bring said baby to you? Was the only thing that kept you going during those sleepy, painful times the thought of that first Vanilla Latte and French Toast?

I didn't think so.

As actually said: "Yup, pretty hungry."

The Theory of Relativity and other Ramblings

It's day four of Project Baby #2 and if you didn't hear the name saga, I'll be sure to write up a blog about it sometime... maybe in about 20 years, but we are very happy with the name we selected and feel it already fits our little guy perfectly. Since I have a minute (read: still in hospital where they bring me food when I want it, take the baby when I need rest and generally pamper me silly), I thought I'd share Baby Shane's webnursery first pics and give a quick update.

So far, things are going really well here in the hospital, but I'm sure being home with two big hairy dogs, a toddler that just got blindsided with change and real life will be exactly like hospital fairy life. Hey, a new mom can dream right? I'll try and update later this week with how the actual transition to home is going. As of right now, Shane is great, breastfeeding like a champ and sleeping like an angel. Of course, Bridget was exactly like that in the hospital too and we all know how that turned out! Regardless, like I said before I'm prepared for that and if it's exactly the same, we'll be just fine - we'll also probably be done having kids, but fine. :)

Here's one of our favorite pictures. I'm sure in this moment he was contemplating Albert Einstein's theory of relativity in an a-ha moment type of way:

"OH! It makes sense now, the laws by which the states of physical systems undergo change are not affected, whether these changes of state be referred to the one or the other of two systems of co-ordinates in uniform translatory motion. That Einstein guy is da BOMB"

Click here to view all of the web nursery photos! Such a baby, isn't he?!

Throwback Thursday (a day late): and then there were six

Thursday, April 24th, 2008 - The night of the Buffett concert!

Thursday, May 1st, 2008 - meeting Baby Shane!

(They wouldn't let us bring the boys up to the hospital for a true Delanty six pic!)

We welcomed
Shane Patrick into the family
10:08 am, May 1st, 2008
7 pounds, 9 ounces 20"
We are so excited to have you here!

I'll upload photos and more info tomorrow!

ps - Thanks so much for that great welcome, A-LE!!! You guys rock!

When blood drawing goes horribly wrong...

...and you can't even see the number of times she tried in those two veins, two veins in which, upon viewing them before the blood drawing disaster, she said, "awesome, you have great veins". Bless her heart, you gotta love a new blood draw-er. (I'm pretty sure that's their professional title - Blood Draw-ers).

Blood drawing disasters and all - we're all set. I'm technically admitted and ready to go. I will say, Ignorance was definitely bliss for me - this time around there were many more questions, warnings, side effect discussions and recovery options than I would ever care to know about the "major abdominal surgery" (can't we just stick with the little "c-section" term, I like that better, thank you very much.) Unlike last time when it was just - "let's get her to the O.R. now. oxygen? yes. epiderral in? yes. Okay, off we go to have a baby"...

See you from St. John's tomorrow (hopefully they will have internet access... but last time it was really hit and miss - come on St. J's it's not 2006 anymore!)

Thursday's Project Baby #2 : Still a go!

DICLAIMER: Brutally honest opinions expressed about newborn babies and new mommyhood. The opinions are of the author only and in no way are meant to be a reflection of motherhood in general. Oh, and Custom Web Connections also takes no responsibility for it's employees' expressed opinions - in fact, we think the owner may even be a little crazy.

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We had a little blip on the radar screen yesterday and this morning we were preparing for what might have been a tad bit of an early arrival due to some high blood pressure and headaches experienced by yours truly, but they think that's probably due to baby positioning and some condition (a big word involving hyper, but not tension) where the blood pressure jumps up and down in the last week or so leading up to delivery, so relaxation and left side laying was my prescription (not too bad, huh?).

I'm pretty excited about the May 1st date anyway (and I know my grandma is too), so I'm fine with waiting 48 more hours but, surprisingly, I was also perfectly fine going in today, too. That's so different than last time when I looked like a terrified 1st grader going to school for the first time as I'm leaving for the hospital (see terrible picture at right - face puffy and swolen from all the crying, fake smile and all) I was a week overdue, hugely uncomfortable, had just been told it was in mine and baby's best interest to induce that day and I still was not wanting to go. Now, I feel much more "let's get this show on the road" vs. "maybe the baby can just stay in me until she goes to college".

Edited to add:  see how much bettter I looked this time: 

So what brought about this change of heart? (Besides the drugs and therapy) :) This time, I know the next few weeks/months will be rough (potentially nearly impossible at times), but unlike last time, I also know it will get better and easier. I'm sure this has to do with my "c" word issues, but regardless, it's there and it's real - I don't do well with change and/or transition periods in life. Throw in a crazy influx of hormones and a baby I had no idea what to do with and the conditions were ripe for a meltdown the first time around. No matter how many people told me it would be better and easier, I couldn't hear that in the days after Bridget was born, so I won't preach it to my first time mom friends out there, but for me, I know it now and this is a much more comfortable place to be.

This time, I can accept that I just am not a big baby person. Don't get me wrong - they are cute and all, especially those teeny tiny little fingernails, but I can hold one for a few minutes and then be ready to give it back, unless it's sleeping, then I can hold it for a while.. anyway... I've come to understand this doesn't mean I won't love or appreciate what an amazing thing a new baby is, but it does mean I probably WILL NOT love all the early days of care and getting used to an entirely new routine and breastfeeding struggles and sleepless nights and missing designing new t-shirts and working. Because those things can be hard and stressful and NEW and different and not routine and, like my wise brother-in-law once said, "good things are good" and sometimes new motherhood is not good. I will, however, try harder to cherish this time as it is fleeting and quite possibly my last go around with a newborn, but, I also will allow myself to feel overwhelmed and discouraged with the depth of new momhood and I won't beat myself up for longing for a time in the past occasionally. I will understand that feeling that way DOES NOT a bad mom make and it does not mean I wouldn't do anything for this new little person, it just makes me flat out NORMAL. This time my mantra will be, good things will be good again, the best is yet to come.

And, hey, remember this post? Well, just look at all the progress we've made now and we still have 2 days left!


PS - Check back here next week same time same place to see if my empowered second baby mantra is working out or if I've been hiding under the bed all week eating bean burritos.

Throwback Thursday: Changes in Latitudes Edition

Surprisingly, I got to go to the Jimmy Buffett concert last night at Riverport UMB Bank Pavilion at Verizon Amphitheatre! We had AMAZING seats (best I've ever been in), awesome weather and awesome music. It was a great night for TPD and I (well at least for me and Tim got to drink beer so everyone was a winner) to kick back before things get a little busier around here for a while. The only thing missing really was that big giant margarita in my hand, but otherwise the company was good and the show was fantastic!

So, in a tardy Thursday Throwback, it reminded me of my 30th birthday (so many years ago now! ouch) in Las Vegas at the last JB concert we attended. This was Tim's first concert (I'm sure he was thrilled), my 10th or something like that and just coincidentally the Muldrow's were in town for Aimee's work so we all got to kick back the last night in Vegas for a little 30th B-day partying (after a stressful weekend of work for a-le). Fun times!

So cute, so young, so carefree... so three years ago.

Me dragging everyone to Margaritaville Las Vegas

Sooo much fun!!!

Even my parents surprised me by flying out to Vegas, too!

This is what happens a week before your new baby arrives... Even when you don't "officially" know if it's a boy or a girl.

What are all these clothes for Mom?

For your new baby brother, Bridget...

Could these be any cuter? You can't even see the little palm trees on the side.

Just a little something for the hospital after that,
all clothes are courtesy of Boutique Matthew.
Guess which one babygirl liked best?

I shall call this one: Artsy Turtle

For the official record, I have no idea if we are having a boy or a girl.

For the unofficial record, I know we are having a boy.

What do you think?

Since I spent too much time on the new skin, this is what you get for today...

It's an oldie, but a goodie!

Area Baby Doesn't Have Any Friends

TARRYTOWN, NY-Although he's had nearly three months to meet people, stay-at-home misfit Joshua Goldsworthy hasn't made a single friend.

Wasn't the dog named Brandon or maybe it was Comet?

Today, I was a little late in dropping Bridget off at "school" her part-time daycare not far from our house. Tim had to go out of town so the dirty deed was left to me again. I try and get out of this drop-off thing if at all possible simply because it's so miserable. When Tim takes her I have a happy image in my head all day of her walking happily out the door, backpack in tow, waving, giving kisses and saying "bye bye". But when I take her I never know which Bridget I'm going to get. There's the "oh i'm so happy to see all my friends and go play - mommy who?" Bridget or the "why on god's green earth would you make me come to this forsaken place where they torture me all day long with song singing, artwork making and interactive play with my peers" Bridget. It's a toss up and as far as I can tell there is no predictor of which one you're going to get. Lately, it's been a little more of the torturous variety than mommy who variety. So, I prepared myself for the worse this morning. I was going to be confident, strong and not give into what was sure to be a veritable melt-down with the weaker of the two parents doing the drop off.

People, I was in control. Then I opened the door.

This is "young children's" week at school (??) and they've been doing activities all week to celebrate the younger ones. So today they brought in a story teller for Bridget's room and because I was so late, she was already mid-telling of some monkey/fairy story. Cute, right? WRONG. WRONG. WRONG.

She was absolutely terrifying and she scared the hell out of...... me. She was straight out of a 1984 Punky Brewster episode - you know like the really bad ones when Punky was all "expressing" herself. I'm not exaggerating here friends, the "story teller" was a (not that this matters, but it does add to the visual) very overweight 65 year-old Punky Brewster with wings! dressed in multiple layers of bright pink, yellow, purple, and plaid pattern clothes, mismatched socks and shoes, a stuffed monkey and some god-awful hat that was luckily still "hidden" behind her back for what I can only assume was to be used in a future climatic element of the monkey fairy story.

I wanted to run out the door screaming. I quickly looked at Bridget to see her reaction and the only way I can describe it is - purely mesmerized. She was taking it all in, trying to figure out what was going on. Then I looked at the other kids, and they all were fixated on Punky, too, but not in a bad way, in a happy, clap my hands jump up and down when she tells me sort of way. Bridget actually reached out for Miss Emily to go sit on the ground and get a closer look.

Wait! No tears, no heartbreaking reaching for me as I try and kiss her goodbye - in fact, there was not even a kiss goodbye or a wave - she was just off - sitting down with her friends, and actually clapping a little as I walked out the door - not caring for a second that I was leaving.

Can you believe that? All that preparation in my head, all that stress and my daughter liked scary Punky over mommy. I almost felt a little sad or something - she just didn't care about me at all. I should have been happy that it was so smooth - but again - SCARY PUNKY?! At the very least, I was relieved to get the hell out of there before that hat went on.

All this progress and we still have over two weeks left!

Baby D² new nursery checklist:

✓ Vacuum under the cradle
✓ Place sheet in wash
✓ Plug in light behind cradle