Monday's Baby Fashion Trend (Drool included)

I'm honestly having a hard time blogging right now about things that wouldn't include delving deep into how I'm feeling at this difficult time for my family and I don't know if I have that in me right now. So for the time being, I might just post a happy baby picture once in a while or funny baby story, because lets face it - I don't think anyone can look at one of these sweet baby faces and not feel a little bit better about life - even during the most difficult "life" times.

PALTSKKJ more than ever right now.

And I wonder why she doesn't nap well during the day...

Why I shouldn't go running anytime between 5 and 6pm

Lately, the earliest I am managing to hit the streets "new mommy style" (baby in tow blaring my favorite hip hop from my ultra yuppy jeep - yes, it's a jeep - jogging stroller) is sometime between 5:30 and 6:30pm. This is probably the worst time to try and head out in my neighborhood for this one reason: these people know how to grill. Imagine running between that time or in my world "the hungry hour" and every street and corner brings a new unbelievable aroma of delicious food on a grill. It's so bad that I have developed a little game to keep me distracted from the mouth watering smells - It's basically just a guessing game of what meat or veggie is making that smell? Is it pork tenderloin? Chicken? A veggie packet? A bratworst - which I've decided has the most recognizable grill smell. It's just pure torture the whole time, but at least guessing the meat keeps my mind distracted enough from going right up to the perpetrators door and demanding that they let me and babygirl in for dinner.

Regardless, the whole point of this post was to tell you about the two funny things that happened today on the run/walk but I get so damn distracted thinking about grilling that it's all I can focus on...

Today, this hungry hour time must have also been a popular time for 2-3 year old girls to be outside because they were running rampant in the neighborhood. The first one I encountered on Spring Hill drive was walking up the driveway with daddy when she spotted me.

"Daddy -daddy, look at the baby"

"Yes, that's a cute baby"

This is where I luckily start slowing down so they can admire my gorgeous baby a little longer - just as the little girl decides to dart away from daddy directly into my path causing me to come to a very abrupt stop. As I look up, dad has a pretty nervous look on his face as he is leaping to pull her away from the eminent yuppy stroller squashing injury that is about to occur. Luckily, I stop just fine as she comes up to the stroller, stands on her tippy toes and and peers over the edge,

"Daddy - I want to pet the baby"

Laughing, the dad explains that babies are not like doggies and that you don't "pet" babies, you say "hi" to babies. She goes on to say hi about 10 times and I say hi back on Bridget's behalf and finally as we slowly say goodbye and start moving again I hear her say to dad as she is walking back up the driveway,

"Daddy, I don't know why that baby didn't have any shoes on."

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love this time with babygirl, but things like that certainly make me see that the future is going to be filled with so much fun, too.

I'll save my other funny little girl story to entice you with later in the week as I have already blown off way too much work already!

Happy Tuesday!


PALTSKKJ

The great toy uprising

Can you spot the baby in this pile of toys?

I wouldn't want to spend even one day in your head...

This morning Tim takes his car to Combs to get a "quick" tire rotation and check on the brakes before he and the boys head out to Memphis for Ehlert's big bachelor party. Fast forward 1/2 hour to a frantic phone call to me about car needing new brakes, has to leave it for 3 hours, meeting at UMSL at 9:45, need to print out instructions, the password is Tremco9435....yadda, yadda, yadda...

So, to give you a nice run down of how I spent my day from approximately 8:17 am (the time of the first phone call) to 12:23pm (the time I FINALLY arrive at Sydney's Closet for my work day) I've prepared a lovely numbered list for your reading enjoyment:

1. Drive to combs and pick up Tim - 8:45am
   
   
2. Drive up to UMSL and drop Tim off for some big roofing meeting (only after reliving all my *crazy* good old days at UMSL ALL the way up there) - 9:30 am
   
   
3. Drive back to Brentwood to meet client for 10:30 meeting at Bread Company
   
   
4. Stop off at Brentwood Target for no other reason then I had 15 minutes to kill and who doesn't love to go to Target when they have 15 extra minutes
   
   
5. $47 Target dollars and one Venti Mocha non-fat no-whip later, I wrap up my meeting and go back up to UMSL (surprisingly the timing could not have been more perfect as Tim was just leaving his meeting)
   
   
6. Drive Tim back to Combs tire. This is where apparently (somewhere between the Venti Mocha and after only approximately 5.5 hours of sleep last night, but that's a whole different Bridget entry) I apparently became a monster chatterbox about my surroundings and events as they were occuring in real time:
   

"Do you think we can live in a house like that some day?"

"I know she's going to bug the crap out of me today with all this ABS b.s."

"Wow that dog just went after that little kid - did you see that?"

"Oh man, I hope there's not a train - is that I train - do you see a train? "

"This satellite sh*t is cool - don't you love it?"

These are just a few of the ones I remember and they were in that order - rapid fire. So, my whole point about this last bullet point is this...no really, I think I have one... -I decided today (when someone was actually in the car with me during my usual "alone" time) that I have a complete constant thought stream - it seriously never stops. Actually as I am typing these lines I'm thinking at least 4 sentences ahead and listening to 30 Rock in the background. Anyway, I guess Tim picked up on it especially today since he was privy to my own little J.D. world, because when he finally could get a word in he said:

"I wouldn't want to spend even one day in your head...it's tough enough even being out here".



PALTSKKJ

the landlord

This is worth watching - disturbing, but funny at the same time... sorry if this offends anyone - blame Will Ferrell.

The Landlord


I have lots of pictures from the wedding and easter getting ready to go up on shutterfly. I'll post as soon as I get them all loaded!

PALTSKKJ

It's the big ONE!

I LOVE April 11th - I always have. I get a little fluttery inside when coincidentally someone on tv announces something taking place on "April 11th" or when Easter falls on "April 11th" and people say it over and over again. It's no secret people - I LOVE April 11th. I really do think of it next to Christmas as the best day of the year.

Now, I have gotten plenty of flack in my life for this love. "Birthday Season" jokes have arisen and much ado has been made over this little day, but I really don't care, in fact I think I like that a little. I think of it as just a testament to another aspect of my quirky, yet childlike at times personality and whether I'm turning 11 or 32, why shouldn't I still love this day? It's really not the self-serving "give me all the presents you can" reason that I like so much about this day, although I would venture to say that many people think that is it. It's really just more that there's just a nice little something special to a birthday. Like a little secret you can carry around in your pocket that no other stranger knows about you on that day. You are special that day and, for that reason, I've always walked around with a little spring in my step.


So, now that I am 32 and have been through quite a few of these April 11ths, I started thinking about why I love this day so much and I realized it's not about the presents or the cake (to be honest, I've never been the hugest cake fan - I know, crazy...) but what it is about is basically one great thing - my family and specifically, my parents. They are why I love this day so much. They are the birthday king and queen. They made each birthday, no matter how rushed of a time of year or how many times it fell on Easter, always a special day for me. It was all about me - although occasionally my mom would remind me that they really should give the presents to the mom's on birthdays since they did all the work and, I'd have to say, this is the first year that I would probably agree with her on that one.... But, really, I would like to say thanks mom and dad - thanks for making all those birthdays so special and for teaching me that life is too short to not have a piece of cake on your birthday and be grateful for another year in life with good friends and family.

Well, finally to this April 11th (the whole reason I started this post way back when) THIS April 11th is especially special. (Can you use especially and special back to back?) Well, it is, let's just say SUPER SPECIAL this year! I am so happy to be able to now share what was my secret & special day with a very deserving little man. Yes, one year ago today, Mr. Matthew Wellington Muldrow made his way into the world on the (second) best day of the year - April 11th. I remember going to see him in the hospital and holding those tiny 6 lbs of pure adorableness and thinking how cool that birthday for me was -here I was seeing one of my best friends go through a real "birth" day and, for the first time, I got a real appreciation for why we celebrate birthdays the way we do. It truly is a miracle to have Matthew in our lives now and what better way to remember that every year then to celebrate the day he entered the world. I remember feeling so excited that he and I would forever be connected by this awesome day - April 11th.

So, without further ado - to my main little man -

Happy FIRST birthday!!!!!

Here's to many many more awesome April 11th's to come for you. Because, just like my parents made this day something great for me, I have no doubt that you will be 32 years old someday and looking back on how special your mommy and daddy made every April 11th for you! Love you, little man - Happy First!


-PS- Aimee wrote a great blog entry (something I will undoubtedly steal come August 26th) about Matthew's arrival into the world one year ago today! Check it out here.

PALTSKKJ

Larry Birkhead is the Baby Daddy

Well, thank god we all know now. I don't think I could have slept one more night not knowing.

Sorry, just bitter as they have broken in, yes, I repeat, broken in numerous times to announce the "breaking news". America, please get a life!

-Easter pics coming soon! Stay tuned!

Everyone here is extremely gruntled...

This takes forever and is absolutely beyond cheesy (although, brilliant NBC viral marketing at it's best), but you know how I'm a sucker for a good lovey dovey video and the music just fits so well. Anyway, don't bother watching if you don't like cheese or don't have 4 minutes, but DO get PSYCHED cause tonight Roy is "gonna kill Jim Halpert" (well, hopefully not...)

Happy Thursday and FINALLY new office night!!!

Diversity Training Day at the [CWC] office

Come on everyone, gather around, you too Blue Octopus, we need to address the comments you made toward Yellow-Orange Fish on Wheels last week.

Wait, I have a question... if I know Pink Puppy is socializing outside of the workplace with Green Frog Lily - is it my responsibility to pass this on to corporate?

Okay, let's say there is a certain colorful male giraffe who happens to sport a lot of bling - if he doesn't tell, we shouldn't ask, right?

Diversity training is fun - let's all celebrate diversity!

PALTSKKJ

Tuesday Newsflash

Anne Curry still makes me want to jab my pretty silvery-blue metallic pen into my eyes.

I'm a complete sucker for physical comedy

happy only one more week until the new office where Jim Halpert gets it!

PALTSKKJ

We really did try to get them IN her mouth...

Tonight we tried carrots - oh the humanity!

She's not terrified of the dog, she's terrified of the carrots...

Is the torture over?

Thank you, this is all I need...

In case you didn't read the previous post...make sure you do to catch up on how much babygirl LOVES eating solid foods...


PALTSKKJ

Now miss Scarlett, you come on and eat juss a little honey!

All of a sudden babygirl has taken to not liking her solid foods. In the beginning she would tolerate it and appease us, but she has absolutely regressed lately, preferring to just grab her little bottle on her own and eat from that at her own pace and on her own time. Whether we try and feed her when she's starving or just barely hungry, try rice vs. oatmeal, carrots or squash, she throws a fit as soon as the bib goes on... and I swear she even knows what kind of bib - if it's the slicky, plasticy bibs that's when the Gone With the Wind type drama begins...

This morning, before I barely even touched her mouth with the spoon, her little nose wrinkled up, the hands flew up in protest and she actually started this little gagging sound as if she was choking even though absolutely nothing had gone in her mouth yet....of course, this was enough to make me double check since any remote little gag or cough strikes fear in me like nothing else can. After confirming there wasn't so much as a drop of milk left for her to choke on, I decide I'm sure she is doing this on purpose, that she somehow knows this fake choking will make me stop trying to feed her. Refusing to be mentally defeated by a 7 month old, I go back to trying again and immediately her little hands start rubbing her fists across her eyes and forehead with a type of despair equal only to Scarlett O'Hara's dramatic reaction as Rhett Butler is leaving her to go off to war..

As I do finally manage to get a spoonful successfully in her mouth (instead of all over her face, fists, and in her hair) she makes a face as if I've just wronged her beyond any and all reasonable mother/daughter expectations, it's a face that I swear said word for word,

"How could you do this to me? The pain, the anguish, the betrayal..."

After this, she sits in her little chair for a good 15 seconds in what I can only describe as shocked stillness until finally erupting with volcano-like projectile spitting that goes all over me, the chair her clothes and even Brogan, a perfectly innocent bystander.

Finally, after at least three rounds of this fake choking/flailing arms and projectile spitting, I give in to the queen and stop the apparent torture I am inflicting. Given this flare for the dramatic she is developing, I'm sure one day we'll be watching her portray Miss Scarlett with ease in a high school play and, right now, as far as this solid food business is concerned... frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn....



PALTSKKJ

friday night lights during wednesday night screaming

Has anyone ever watched Friday Night Lights? We've watched it since the pilot right after babygirl was born. I think she was home for a week and we saw the first show and since then each show I like more than the last. In the beginning it took me a while to get into actually understanding and appreciating the story line, but now I am hooked. It's not just about football and teenagers, it has more depth than that but still gives you the good teenage angst stuff once in a while that I love. And given that the beautiful guy from my all-time favorite (though short lived show) Homefront is in this gives me all the more reason to love it.

Article: why you should watch friday night lights


At the moment, Bridget is trying to prevent me from watching this by fighting her very predictable and reliable bed time. The past week or so she has been very particular about going to sleep often fighting naps and now even bed time. The screaming is as loud and awful as anything I've ever heard, but I have a feeling she would rather just be up playing and hanging out with us rather than getting the sleep she so desperately needs. So, were letting her go for a while. We have a routine that we've always used practically since she started having a regular bedtime, so I know she's okay, but it's sooooo not fun to listen to.

I know the Muldrow's can appreciate this as I went back and looked at Aimee's posts about Matthew's sleep problems and imagine my (not) surprise when I realized Matthew's issues took place when he was almost exactly the same age as Bridget is now. There must just be a light bulb that goes on in their little brains that says, "hey, sleeping is not as much fun as my elephant book or big bird bouncy, so i think i'll just scream at the top of my lungs 'til i get to do that stuff again..." I'm certainly not glad they had to go through this with Matthew, but it does help me realize that this is just a phase and I won't have to rock her until she is in college!

Thankfully as I've been typing this it's finally been silent for a little while now...aahhh sweet silence....


PALTSKKJ

Like father, like son and daughter...

Happy 60th Birthday Dad...

Here's a little video to celebrate his 60th and kick off where he'll be spending his next 60...it is in a home...a lake home that is!




Happy Birthday Dad!

We love you!

PALTSKKK

Welcome Cole Daniel!

Babies, babies everywhere!

Chris and Kristi welcomed Cole Daniel into the world yesterday evening at 5:40pm. After waiting months to find out whether we had a he or a she and what the name would be we are all so excited to finally have Cole here!

Aunt Charlotte gave the following update:

"The beautiful red-headed baby weighed in at 7lbs 6oz and is 19 and a half inches long. Although born by Caesarean, mother, father and baby are doing beautifully. Thank you God for this new and wonderful miracle."

Congratulations guys - Bridget can't wait to meet her new cousin and neither can we!

ps - Come on Gianino's - I know you all have digital cameras...how about a picture of this little red headed man - you're killing us!! Update 3/16/2007 7:32pm - retraction issued - thanks for the photos he's a cutie!!

Are you sitting down for these gems...

Get ready for about 200 pictures! Libby and I took "the kids/babies" (Bridget and Matthew) to the Jewel Box yesterday for some fabulous Spring inspired photos. The weather was just too nice not to sneak away, that and I really wanted some professional quality pics of babygirl to mark her 6 month birthday. Even tho these are like 6 1/2 month pictures, I think they'll do. They may not be perfectly professional, but I love them a lot! She was smiley and had a lot of fun with her pal Matthew. Some of my absolute favorites are when they are sitting about 8-10 feet apart from each other with one in front, one in back. We couldn't get them to sit happily next to each other as you'll see in the sequence below of the two of them where you can see Bridget goes down. It's hilarious.

Matthew isn't sure about sitting at this point and babygirl is about to be his first casualty...

There she goes...don't worry it wasn't bad. Not half as bad as when mommy wasn't watching her and she fall over backward and banged her head on the concrete...that was BAD.

This is my favorite. You can imagine all kinds of great scenarios for this little beauty. Bridget looks exhausted from the long day of modeling and Matthew looks like he's preparing himself to defend her with his cool new kung fu moves....

Want to see 'em all?

http://picasaweb.google.com/edelanty
Now before I hear any lip about the new photo site, I had to post them temporarily there since the files are so large, I can't upload them all to shutterfly. If you want any, just email me and I'll post them to wherever your little heart desires.

Irish eyes are smiling...

It's no secret that I'm a wannabe Irish-girl, so I thought I would get ready for the big holiday by using my daughter to create the cutest St. Patrick's day header ever. In case it's not clear the "name" I'm referring to in the header is mine - Erin. Some people thought that may not be clear, I think some people are just stupid.

Still busy working on the new going-ons at the CWC headquarters. It's really not too exciting so to ensure I don't create a bigger buzz than is warranted, I will give you a hint: it really just has to do with organizing and some new equipment. That's really about all, but there will be some good pictures to come hopefully by the end of the weekend.

In other news, my little 1/4 Irish baby or however much she is has been very busy lately (and not just working in the CWC offices). She is almost fully sitting - picture a weeble wooble that usually makes it back upright after wobbling forward back and side to side. She is also eating some rice cereal now, too. She's had a couple feedings and basically took to it like "what's the big deal here people? it's not rocket science, it's a spoon"... at least we're pretty sure that's what she was thinking. She is also training for the upcoming 5 miler downtown on St. Patrick's Day. So far she's up to about three miles run/walking, but really seems to be good at it... although once again, she's expressed that sitting in a stroller while someone pushes you up and down hills isn't really brain surgery, either.

Well, time for the best night of tv - except for the reruns, but most office's are usually worth watching again- Happy Thursday!

PALTSKKJ

Oh hi - we're vaccuuming, yeah that's fine

I've discovered something about myself that I find either interesting and a sign of high intelligence or disturbing and weird so since I have about 10 minutes for something to finish copying I thought I would share... I just opened up an older client file of mine to check a password and written in close proximity to the client's all important username and password was the following three lines: oh hi, we're vacuuming, yeah that's fine. You see, almost everytime I open up an old client file or thumb through some notes or project lists I've joted down, I will find these little areas on the page where I have written down aspects of a conversation. It then makes me wonder what the context of that conversation was and I'll spend too much trying to remember who I was talking to and about what. Seriously, why did I even need to tell the caller I was vacuuming in the first place?

You can always tell if I've been on the phone and there was paper and pen nearby because you can pretty much surmise what the conversation was and in a lot of cases who I was talking to - actually at times this is a borderline dangerous habit. Just last night I found the following chicken scratch at Tim's desk on the back of an envelope:

"annoying, so annoying...
irritating - why does he think that is funny?"

- now, to give you the full effect, picture the above text bordered with little hand drawn daisies and hearts and sprinkled around were my initials and full signature both Delanty and Jones versions ... am I ten? It took me a while but I remembered the conversation with Molly last week about how Tim annoys us when he says "get off my back jack"... funny now, but that little chicken scratch could have implied something much more sinister and my unconscious writing could definitely get me in trouble some day.

Anyway, without making this too long of a boring post about my idiosyncracies (some of you are already thinking "too late"), I was just wondering if everyone does that or that makes me odd in some way?

I am in the midst of some very exciting stuff right now and I really have so much to blog about that it's pretty ridiculous that I just took up some blogging time writing about my weird habits... but you'll have to stay tuned to find out what I (err...we... I guess Bridget is kind of helping) have got cooking up for Custom Web this week! BTW, that's called "pulling a Preszler" - when you lead someone on just to make them keep tuning back into you. Cindy Preszler that is - for those of you saying what the hell is she talking about now?

Happy Tuesday

PALTSKKJ