M Cubed

Hey hey hey.

2013-05-16T20:07:00.000-04:00

So Miss Matilda is in a growth spurt which makes her a little crazier than normal (can we say something like "than normal" when talking about someone who's only 3 weeks old?), and I spent a lot of the day preemptively cleaning the house and doing tasks so that tonight when her screaming tapeworm demon reared its ugly head I would be prepared and wouldn't be freaking out because I had to hold her for five or six hours straight when I had tons of other stuff to do. So right now things are somewhat caught up and clean and I'm all ready to hold that baby--and wouldn't you know it, she's gone back to her "normal" sweet, calm, tired little baby self.

So I decided it was a good time to write a blog post. Except here's the thing. I don't have much exciting stuff to talk about. The babies are good. It's hard to have two of them when they both need something, but it's not any harder than I expected it to be. Do I want to scream and throw a fit sometimes when I find myself cleaning the kitchen for a fifth time in a day, and do I want to spout off some cliche mom shit like "why do I even bother cleaning the house?" sometimes? Yep. But that was to be expected. And until I win the lottery and can hire someone to hold babies while I clean (or clean while I hold babies, I suppose--or, hell, do BOTH!), that's what life is going to be like for a while. Oh well. I'm trying to savor our moments with these wee ones and enjoy babyhood, even though we all know that babyhood isn't really my thing.

I don't have work drama to share because I haven't been to work in a month and a half (egads!) and because I wouldn't share work drama with you here anyway because I actually like having a job. And I haven't done any cool home projects (except for Matilda's dresser, have I shown you that yet?) or made any awesome desserts. I did take a shower today. And we did cook up some P Cubed for lunch. And we even went for a walk in our awesome new stroller. I think those things add up to a pretty big win.

The newest development around these parts is that Charlie is like officially a walking kid. He'd taken steps like a month or so ago, but never seemed to feel the need to walk because he is basically the fastest crawler on earth. Then we went to the beach (also, learn from my stupidly overambitious self and don't take a two-week old baby to the beach) and Charlie realized that it didn't hurt nearly as much to walk on the sand as it did to crawl, so he walked. Just like that. And every time I try to take pictures of him walking, they come out like this:

Shoot.

I'm enjoying the quiet right now. While the baby sleeps. . .

And the laundry is mostly done. . .

And the dishes are soaking (my procrastinating strategy to keep from washing them just yet).

And the wine is delicious. And the Reese's cups were delicious, too. . .

And the pup is cute and snuggly. . .

Later, I will read more of this. . .

And I might even get around to picking up these toys, but probably not. I mean, why do I even bother cleaning anyway?

(Note: Matt says that the Fisher Price barn is really Kent Farm, which explains why all of the super heroes are hanging out there. I always try to make it Animal Farm to teach young Charles about Communism and glue production and whatnot.)

This and That

2013-05-13T23:33:00.000-04:00

1. Why are Golden Grahams so good? No, I did not eat a half box of them today.

2. One thing that's awesome about not being pregnant (FROM NOW UNTIL THE END OF TIME!): cleaning with chemicals. Not that I need to inhale my favorite ammonia and bleach cocktail or anything, but it's nice not to have to feel like I have to hold my breath every time I smell a cleaning product for fear that my kid will grow up to be like some Real World Road Rules Challenge bozo.

3. I'm a terrible blogger lately. I know! But I actually do Instagram pretty regularly right now. My name is mandypkeaton. When Charlie was itty bitty, I didn't want to be that person who only posted pictures of their kids on social media. Sometime in the last year I let go of that bull jive (and even regretted not having more Instagram pictures of him), and decided that if you didn't want to see pictures of these little humans I grew using my body (and the cutest dingo this side of the Mississippi), then you just don't have to follow me. Right? And if you do want to see pictures of said tiny humans, there are plenty there for your enjoyment.

4. Loving Mad Men this season. What do you think?

5. Ever since I had Matilda, the fingers on my right hand have been numb. What's the deal with that? Super weird. Who needs hands or fingers, though, amIright?

6. Charlie walks! He also rearranges furniture and dances in a way that might make you think he's auditioning for the sequel to Magic Mike. I have videos of this dance, and am not posting them on the internet. But bet your ass I'm saving them for blackmail!

7. Matilda's like the sweetest baby ever. She's super cuddly and cute and sweet and insanely cute. Charlie has begun to warm to her (he now gives her head pats that are gentle, at least for him, instead of screaming at us every time we pick her up). Mitch has loved her from the beginning (don't even try to do something to her or he'll bite your face off), but goes under the bed when she cries. I'm pretty smitten, too.

8. I want to see The Great Gatsby. I'm excited because it's Baz and because he's such a spaz and I think he'd do a good job with the party stuff and 1920's New York. But people who romanticize the bejeezus out of the story are getting on my nerves. I love the book as much as the next gal--for serious--but let's not lose sight of the fact that almost every single character in the book is a giant asshole. And the one guy who's not an asshole is a murderer. So there's that. Still, I want to see it. Assholes can be fun. I think that came out wrong.

9. I'd been craving those crappy gas station powdered sugar doughnuts since I was pregnant with Charlie. So, like, for two years I wanted them but never allowed myself to eat them for some reason. Finally, the other day, I caved and got a bag, thinking that once I actually had them I'd realize that they're crap and I wouldn't want them anymore. Well, guess what? Powdered sugar doughnuts are delicious, and I don't care if they're crap or not. I want them again.

Well, I'm off to go sleep on my stomach! Amazeballs!

Hey!

2013-05-04T22:16:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to touch base and let you, the internet, know that we have not, in fact, fallen off of the face of the planet. It just so happens that having a newborn and a 13-month old is hard and exhausting (who knew, right?) and we're still figuring out how to juggle everything and still manage to sleep every now and again.

We haven't cooked anything new or exciting (though a Chick-Fil-A opened about 5 minutes from our house and it is kind of the most exciting thing that's ever happened), and we haven't been doing a great job keeping up with our television watching. I'm basically doing a great job if I've showered and eaten a meal that was cooked on a stove and if there aren't any babies screaming. And if you've called and I haven't called you back (which is pretty much the case with anyone who's called in the last week or so), I'm not being a bitch. But I have lots of phone talkin' time from the hours of midnight to 6 a.m. if you want to talk then!

In short: we're in the shit right now. It's hard, but it's good. And we're exhausted, but we're happy.

And, also, I NEVER HAVE TO BE PREGNANT AGAIN FROM NOW UNTIL THE END OF TIME! Feel free to send me cases of wine for taste testing.

MKF!

2013-04-25T15:48:00.000-04:00

Our baby lady finally arrived!

And she's perfect. And we are complete.

xoxo

To Do

2013-04-16T00:26:00.001-04:00

Ugh. That "have baby" task has been on my little Remember the Milk to do list since April 7. It mocks me. I don't want to be overly complainy or anything (at least on the internet--call me on the phone and you'll get an earful about how I'm 79 weeks pregnant and I want my body to belong to me again and how much it hurts and OHMYGODGETTHISTHINGOUTOFME). Last night I was 90% sure I was in labor. And then I wasn't. As a result, I haven't been terribly pleasant today.

And then everything just gets thrown into perspective, doesn't it? Am I really going to sit around and cry because I might have to be pregnant until my due date? Or because I might have to have a safe surgery (that I still really don't want to have, by the way)? Seeing and hearing the stuff about Boston has sure helped to provide a much-needed attitude adjustment.

The baby isn't happening today. But neither is the shower--let's be honest. And I'll probably whine and get Matt to vacuum. But we are safe and happy and have much to be grateful for.

Like a young Jon Hamm, who, thank God, was not one of my peers. Because if he had been, I would have died every day.

And baby sunglasses.

And this boy, who is going to make a fantastic big brother.

And my new favorite print for the nursery.

And a husband who brings home tacos at midnight. Those are the best kinds of husbands. I'm out. These tacos aren't going to eat themselves.

This and That

2013-04-09T23:35:00.001-04:00

1. So, this little female fetus of ours is already disobedient, and likely a little obstinate (did we expect anything less?). As you might remember, I decided that baby girl could go ahead and be born on April 7. And if you've looked at a calendar lately, you might notice that April 7 has come and gone, and I have not yet managed to evict her from my body. Do I need a judge or something?

2. Probably not a good thing that I bought three bags of Cadbury milk chocolate eggs when they went on sale after Easter. Except that it's an awesome thing because OMG they are so good and who cares. Fat is the new black, right?

3. My feet are so swollen right now that my flip flops don't fit. See above.

4. Best David Letterman guest of all time? Regis Philbin. Trust me on this. I know handsome old dudes.

5. Charlie is still supes cute, and a little bit insane, and a lot hilarious. Oh, and he walked! It was awesome. I imagine that he'll get a little better at it in time.

6. Hell yeah, return of Mad Men!

7. Oh, I did a dresser for our girl! Maybe I'll give you an entire post about it so I don't seem like the laziest blogger of all time.

8. Someone get this baby out of my body.

9. How's April 10 sound for a baby girl's birthday?

10. My doctor said he won't come by our house for a home water birth. I'm supposed to put bath salts in the kiddie pool, right? That's basically as good as an epidural, I heard on Pinterest.

I think I need to go to bed now. But first I'm going to make you look at some pictures of Charlie while he's still an only [human] child. And one of Mitch.

Calm Before the Storm

2013-04-04T00:09:00.003-04:00

So it's spring break, and this year spring break also serves as a kickoff to maternity leave for me (thank you, severe pelvic pain?), and I am feeling surprisingly content. It doesn't hurt that the weather has been amazing, and apparently my mood and general attitude toward life hinge on whether or not the weather is nice. Getting to sit in my (clean!!!) living room with the windows open and a slight breeze coming in is often enough to bring my mood up by approximately 30 notches. And slowing crossing off every task from our "must do before baby" list also makes me happy. There's really not much left for us to do before our little lady arrives. Matt and I have been spending our days taking turns napping, really, and then wondering how it got to be 3:00 in the afternoon so quickly. We've remarked to one another several times this week that it feels weird not to be completely effing exhausted. And while I feel like I should be spending my time in more productive ways, sleeping is probably the best thing I can be doing with my spare time right now. If only sleep was something that you could stockpile and then cash in on days when you really feel like you need it. Can some science person make this happen?

I have all of these things that I've been meaning to blog about, like how I miss the simple days of Mel Gibson and Tom Cruise just being hot and not crazy, and how obsessed I am with our new Rubbermaid Reveal mop (like, to the point where people interrupt me as I go on about it and ask, "Are you like a mop salesman now or something?")*, or about how you should go read the obituary for Harry Stamps and then try to even pretend that you don't wish that he was your best friend, or about how my brother came down to visit with his awesome girlfriend and her daughter and it was hella fun, or about how I've decided (since it's apparently not up to me as much as I'd like to think it is) that baby lady can come on April 12 instead of April 7 because April 12 is David Letterman's birthday. Oh, and how I turned 32 and how did that even happen that I got so old (see, also: fat)? And how much I love tulips and how they remind me of JMU in the spring.

Who knows when this girl will claw her way out of me? For now, I'm trying to enjoy these days with my three boys (can't even think about Charlie losing only child status without starting to cry myself) and to eat as many popsicles as possible (three for dinner--that's not crazy, right?). Sometime in April (it better be April, or Imma hurt someone!) shit will hit the fan again (hopefully just in a metaphorical sense, but, really, anything can happen, right?) and I'll be wishing that someone had invented that sleep bank.

Here's what it's looking like around here. Or, should I say, here's what Charlie's looking like around here?

*Seriously! Go get one! Washable pads! Super convenient! Use whatever solution you want! Amazing!

One Year!

2013-03-28T19:55:00.000-04:00

Our little baby Charlie turned one on Saturday. It was weird. I'm not really one to cling to babyhood or anything, and I actually have liked and enjoyed him more and more as he's gotten older, but I still found that I was a little sad, a little melancholy, when he reached that one-year milestone. I don't think it was that he's growing up so much, but instead that 1/18th of the time that he'll be in our house has already passed, and while we still have 17 more years of him with us, I know that that time will pass in a blink just like the last year did (albeit a pretty long blink at times). I mean, it was more than 17 years ago that Friends debuted on NBC, and that basically feels like yesterday!

So, anyway, he's one. A toddler. A lunatic toddler. Oh, Charles.

Sir Charles is getting closer and closer to walking every day, and while I wasn't in any hurry for him to take this next step (oh, awful puns), as he's gotten closer I've started to get more impatient about it. I mean, walk already! Charlie also has an uncanny ability to find the one thing in a room that has the greatest potential to kill him, and then to barrel toward that thing as quickly as possible. So we've been experimenting with some time outs around here. And even though putting him in time out is like the opposite of fun, we know that we have to be strict and consistent, lest he turn out like Mitch. Learned that one the hard way.

Brothers play tug.

Charlie is also hilarious. Like when he does blanket monster or plays hide-and-seek or speed crawls to his room and then slams the door shut so that we can't get in. He learned to snort laugh the other day, too, and it was kind of the funniest thing that's ever happened.

I feel really guilty about the fact that we're about to turn his little world upside down in a couple of weeks when his sister arrives, and I have no idea how he's going to feel about it or deal with it. The best I can guess is that he might try to hit her with a maraca or a miniature frying pan. Might have to get her a little baby helmet. Oh, and she might be a little Charlie doppleganger:

Okay, enough about all that. Let's talk about his party! We had Charlie's party on Sunday, and it turned out wonderfully. Matt's mom came down (um, a godsend!) to help us clean and prepare for the party, and I really don't know what I would have done if she hadn't, given that I'm 76 weeks pregnant, in pain, moody, and super tired all the time.

We tried to keep our guest list kind of small so that Charlie wouldn't be overwhelmed by all of the people. And the weather all week was predicted to be just awful--in fact, every day that I checked the forecast it would be worse and worse. By the day before, the weather forecast basically said, "If you go outside on Sunday you will face certain death." But by about noon on Sunday, the thunderstorms had passed, the temperature had risen, and the sun had shown its bright shiny face. So we opened the windows and got going.

All of the food was stuff that we could prepare beforehand, so that on party day we were freed up to talk to people and enjoy ourselves. (Also, I totally forgot to get a picture of any of it. Shooooot.) We had ribs, grilled chicken skewers, grilled pineapple, spinach dip, pasta salad and pimento cheese (from Cassie), potato salad (from Matt's mom), and three cakes. For Christmas Matt's grandma gave me 6" cake pans which I'd been stoked to use since the moment I opened them. Also, is anything cuter than a 6" cake? Maybe just Charlie eating that 6" cake?

I wanted the party to be nice, but didn't want it to be overdone or overly Pinteresty or themey. And I think we found a good balance in there. Ooh, but you really might need to make the robin's egg cake because it was fun and easy (just put some of those super-addictive Cadbury milk chocolate eggs on top) and festive.

The party turned out exactly the way I had envisioned. We had a house full of happy friends, Charlie ate his cake (surprisingly, with more manners than he eats anything else), and everyone left full of tasty food. Success!

Oh, just check out the pictures already.

Forgot to buy plasticware, so decided to use the fancy silver with our paper plates. I mean, what's the point in even having fancy silver if you can't ever use it, right?

Birthday sweet potato lunch.

A Year of Charlie!

2013-03-25T11:49:00.001-04:00

Well, the internet. I've been terrible about keeping you up to date lately, huh? In my defense, I'm like 76 weeks pregnant, and we've had lots of company, and it's a kind of tough time of year at school, and we've been chasing little Charlie Danger around all day. And I had some cakes to make BECAUSE CHARLIE IS A WHOLE YEAR OLD NOW! (More on that later.)

We've basically been having too much fun and then been too tired from all of the fun-having to do any kind of online updating of the ol' blog. Oh well. If it makes you feel any better, we've also neglected things like cleaning the house or keeping up with basic personal hygiene.

I'll be back later this week (I promise!) to talk about Charlie's birthday party, and maybe even his haircut (Operation: No More Rattail), too. But right now I wanted to show you something I'm pretty proud of, which is the monthly (okay, bi-weekly) pictures I took of Charlie all year. I wanted to have some visual record of how much he changed, and really I did them bi-weekly because 12 pictures just didn't seem like enough. Remember, I do nothing in moderation.

These were super easy to do, too. I just took the pictures into Picasa (which is where I do all of my photo editing because it's super easy and I'm too cheap to buy Photoshop and even if I had Photoshop it seems a little too complicated for what I need), did a cross-process effect on them (basically an Instagram kind of look), and then did the Polaroid effect on them. Finally, I added the text. If that sounds hard, just know that it wasn't. It took approximately 1 minute for each picture. This approach seemed much easier than having something where I had to have him sit in the same spot or against the same backdrop every time, and I really like that the pictures kind of show what Charlie was into or doing around specific ages.

For Charlie's party, we hung up all of the pictures so that everyone could see how our little buggle had grown through the year. It was one of my favorite party details.

So, without further ado, here are way more pictures of my kid than you probably want to see:

I seriously stare at these things all the time. Which is your favorite? (I have like 20.)

Weekend Fun

2013-03-03T21:05:00.001-05:00

Is it almost over already? Well, how'd that happen? Shoot.

We've had a lovely time these past few days, even if it is actually cold outside (like in the 30's at night, people! WTFingF? It's MARCH! BEACH WEATHER SHOULD BE HERE OR ELSE, THE UNIVERSE!). We've eaten insane amounts of delicious food, spent time with friends, and screamed at pillows and then laid down on them on the floor and wiggled our bodies all around. Okay, so that last one was just Charlie.

I'm still hella uncomfortable with the whole incubating the fetus thing, but fortunately I have a great husband who is willing to pick up my slack so that our house doesn't go completely to shit*. And I have like 200 different versions of Angry Birds on the pod now so that I can just veg out after Sir Charles goes to bed. So there's that. And I decided that new baby is going to be born on April 7 (yes, that's 13 days early, but it's also the last day of spring break, so I think it'd be the best time ever to spit out a baby). I have plans, y'all.

Oh, and Herbal Essences is re-releasing their original formulas and scents, so basically every time I take a shower I get to go into a little smell deja vu time machine and go back to the late nineties and then afterward I just keep smelling my hair and touching it and it's basically amazing. Seriously, this might be the thing to actually make me shower regularly.

And you need to make bacon fried rice. (Is it just me, or are you getting tired of hearing people go on and on about bacon like it's the only food on the planet worth eating? I mean, don't get me wrong, I love bacon, too, but I think people have gone a little bananas with it. Like, we don't need clothing with bacon on it, right? I almost skipped over this recipe because I was annoyed by the bacon obsessions, but I'm glad I didn't because the recipe was amazeballs.)

And with that, peeps, I'm off to go make dinner with that super husband of mine (I'm totally sucking up to him because I've been such a needy pain in the ass lately). And those birds aren't going to launch themselves into those awful little monkeys, now are they?

His new trick of "making sauce" is basically my favorite thing in the world.

Happy week to you! Hope it's beach weather by Friday!

*Good job on sticking with that boy, Mandy of 2002. Now, if you could only be less of a hot mess in other parts of your life. Stop shopping and eating out so much, dummy!

What Up?

2013-02-21T19:48:00.001-05:00

Hey there, internet! How have you been? It's been so long.

Life has been quiet around here lately. I've basically grown to the size of an orca and am having a less than fun time waddling around the house and school. Eight and a half more weeks. . .

I'm in my final push of productivity at school. Lots of extra stuff going on, and I'm working hard to get all of my ducks in a row so that I can be all "Peace out! See you in August!" come baby-having time. But it's hard work, and my body isn't so keen on hard work these days. It'll be fine. Eight and a half more weeks.

Hmmmmm, what else?

Yeah, I've really got nothing. Unless you want me to gripe about how stupid the season finale of Downton Abbey was* or gush about what a wonderful husband Matt has been lately** or fret over how we will ever handle two tiny people in our house at the same time*** Oh, and we visited our faves last weekend and got to watch Charlie and Pip be hilarious together. And I finally got a new ipod. And I learned that the sex of an alligator is determined by the temperature of the egg during incubation, and it kind of blew my mind.

So that's what you get. That and pictures, which was the real reason for me to do a post. Gots to keep dem grandparents satisfied!

(You were probably smarter before you read this post.)

You might think he is waving, but he is not. He is dancing. Charles refuses to wave.

And in case you were curious about how a yogurt-eating dinosaur sounds:

*I mean, seriously? It made me ashamed to watch the show.

**A husband who gets flowers is nice, but a husband who buys you a Publix sub and has it waiting in the oven for you all hot and melty when you walk in the door after work? Well that man is a prince!

***Answer: you gotta do what you gotta do, I suppose. Also, wine.

This and That

2013-02-11T22:14:00.001-05:00

Hola!

Hope you're having a good week! We're having one of those smug weather weeks, one where we go online and see that it's all cold and snowy everywhere else, while it's warm and beautiful here. Well, actually, it's raining right now, but it's warm enough that I have all of the windows open and quiet enough in the house that I can just listen to the rain. I'll take it. Plus, we can totes be beach-bound in like a month (maybe earlier!), so there will be a hole in the sand with my [giant, giant] belly's name on it.

And everything else is good. Mitch no longer has mange (!!!!!!!!!), which may have been such good news that I cried a handful of happy tears. Charlie is just a busy little learning machine. He's started incorporating periodic cuddles into his daily regimen of never stopping moving, so that's fun. I mean, they each only last for like five seconds, but it's nice when he puts down the piece of Milk Bone that he found on the floor to come over and give you a quick hug or snug. We take what we can get around here.

I had a minor scare last week when my doctor's office was worried that I may be in pre-term labor (which I'm not, but that was a fun two hours of freaking out in the inside while trying to keep cool and teach 16-year olds how to pass the Georgia High School Writing Test). The verdict? Not pre-term labor, but it looks like I'm going to be hella uncomfortable for the next couple of months. Yesterday marked 30 weeks pregnant--70 according to Matt. And I think I'm just going to tell people that from now on. Yep, 70 out of 80 weeks down. FOR LIFE. Oh, and I'm not allowed to ellipt right now, which really sucks, because even though I spend about 23 hours of my day coming up with ways to avoid ellipting, I'm always really happy and proud of myself for actually doing it, and it was helping me not to be so uncomfortable or be such a worthless slug.

We had another little scare when our sweet baby bug got a 103.3 fever. It turned out to break pretty quickly and be fine, but it merited a late-night phone call to Dr. Grandpa, and had us worried and doting on Sir Charles for the next day or so.

Other than that, our days have been filled with Chicken-Fil-A cookies and cream milkshakes, rewatching Parenthood (I hate Sarah Braverman with my entire heart and soul--and Matt's lucky that Zeke is a fictional character because if he wasn't then our marriage might be in trouble), and playing and playing and playing with toys.

Here's what it's looked like around here.

Redipulous sandwich. Redipulous, bacon, and ciabatta (from Back in the Day Bakery--a super act of awesomeness by a super husband.) (Also, do we feel like the noun form of awesome should be awesomity? Let's make that happen, the internet.)

FREE MANGE DOG! Uh, I mean, MANGE FREE DOG!

Plotting.

Amazing yard sale score. Former neighbor who died last year, Alma, had this in her house. She used to make me pick figs from our back yard and bring them to her. When delivering the figs one day, I saw this picture, and noted how awesome it was. Her son was having a yard sale on Saturday, and I randomly heard about it. So I threw Charlie in the car and went there and kind of begged for the picture. Best $10 I've ever spent. And I think it's going to look pretty awesome in our nursery, don't you?

BOO!

I got so pissed and felt gypped when I ordered these cookie cutters and realized they were missing the 9. "Oh, what?" I thought, "Is there just like another number that looks like a 9 turned another way?" It took a few minutes.

Charlie's getting political on us again. I think he's going to have to stop going to those Tea Party rallies with Mitch.

Price of admission for begging for chicken orzo soup? Orzo fur.

Worth it. (Says Mitch)

An attempt at having better lunches at school. They're pretty, at least.

Hope you're having a fun week! And please tell me that you also can't stand Sarah Braverman.

Crap You Need for a Baby

2013-02-02T22:40:00.000-05:00

It's hard to mire through the insane amount of baby shit that's out there, and one of the things I've realized this last year is that most of the baby crap that I obsessed about needing while I was pregnant was stuff that we only used for, like, a day. This post is about the items that we found to be useful in the long-term.

So in the same vein of the "crap you need while pregnant" post, I wanted to do a quick "crap you might need or want for a baby" post. Again, everyone is different and every baby is different and we all have different preferences and all, but here are the things that have been crucial for us these last ten months or so.

1. Nursing tank tops. These certainly made it much easier for me to be somewhat modest when whipping out my boob seven hundred times a day (what is this, college?). I wore one pretty much constantly for the first six months of Charlie's life, and while I was pretty happy to pack them away afterward (see: please, oh, please can I wear clothes that aren't contraptions?), I really loved them and they worked really well. Mine were from Target, but you could certainly buy fancier ones.

2. Nursing pillow. We used a Boppy and then I got one of the My Brest Friend pillows. Honestly, we use the Boppy way more (and it was also helpful when Charlie was first learning how to sit up--and Matt still uses it when he gives Charlie a bottle) and it's much more versatile than the MBF (can we abbreviate so we don't have to keep saying My Brest Friend?). There was a time, though, that I was obsessed with the MBF and its awesome storage pocket and the way it saved my arms and lower back. Had it not been for an effed up latch and weird positioning requirements and a host of other breastfeeding issues, I probably would have used it longer.

3. Aden and Anais blankets. These are the greatest and there's a reason you see them on basically every list of crap you should get for a baby. They're especially great for warmer climates. They're warm enough to keep warm, and they breathe enough to keep baby cool. They're big enough to use as a nursing cover, they're great for swaddling, they're absorbent, and they're, oh yeah, like insanely cute. You'll want at least 4.

4. Medela pump (or a good breast pump). Make sure you have the right size cone-shaped-part-thing that you'll be hooking up to your ladies to keep you from being a bellowing cow (phalanges? what are those things called? okay, according to Amazon they're called breastshields, but I swear the lactation consultant called them phalanges). This is totally one of those things that you don't want to be skimping on, since you will be spending way more time with the pump than you ever wanted. Mooooooooooooo! (Also, any amount of time you spend with a breast pump is way more than you ever wanted.) I have a manual one, too, and I wouldn't really recommend it because it's just not powerful enough, and whenever I used it I would get clogged ducts (the opposite of fun).

5. The grass. I originally registered for this because I thought it was really cute, and I certainly didn't expect it to be as useful as it has been for us. We use the Dr. Brown's bottles and they have lots of parts, so it's really great to have a spot for them. We haven't yet lost a single part, and I think it's because of the grass.

6. Awesome stroller. This depends on what your needs will be, but it's one of the purchases that you're actually going to use for a long time, so it's great to have a nice one. We have a snap-n-go that we used when Charlie was still in the infant seat, and it was really convenient for quick trips to the mall and such. But for longer day trips, for the beach, for going downtown and to the park, we've been in love with our BOB. I got it from Craigslist for $100, too, so it's not even like you have to drop a small fortune on the stroller if you don't want to. Also, as much as I hate to admit it, if I had a cheap or ugly stroller, I would totally have stroller envy every time I went out. For baby #2, we're upgrading to a different type (have heard the double BOBs can be pretty giant and cumbersome), but I think we'll actually hold onto the single BOB because we love it so much.

7. Cloth diapers. You don't have to be a cloth diaperer, of course, but we love the crap out of them. (See what I did there?) Our favorites are the Bumgenius, and we have been using them since Charles was a month old. For the last couple of months, we've been putting him in a disposable when he's sleeping, but we still love using the cloth diapers. I will spare you the entire cloth diapering post because there are like a bajillion of them out there on the world wide web, but we love them and plan to use them with #2 (haha) and love not having to spend a small fortune on disposable diapers.

8. Plain white baby socks. As much as I love the little tiny socks that look like tennis shoes or mary janes (why so cute, seriously?), mother eff is it easy to lose those things! We have a big pack of the plain white Osh Kosh grippy bottom socks, and they're pretty much the only ones we use.

9. Angel Dear lovey. Truth? I thought these things were stupid until Charlie taught me that they are comforting, super soft, super cute, would keep him from screaming, and would help him to sleep longer. We love this particular brand because they are supes cute, have a ton of animal options (baby girl gets a racoon!), and get softer and more lovely with every wash. Also, the heads on these are pretty small so they're easier for tiny babies to cuddle.

10. ipod touch/iphone. If you know me you know that I am like the most easily distracted person on the planet. And when I had to plant my ass down for 27 hours a day nursing, it was imperative that I had something to entertain me. Now, I don't have a smartphone because of the ADD-ness and because when I did have a smartphone I was constantly looking at it and messing with it and I didn't feel like it was prudent for me to pay $30/month to be more annoying and to be on Facebook more often. BUT! While nursing, the old iphone that a friend gave us was a godsend. Later, we used the white noise app to play for Charlie while he slept. Sadly, it recently broke (GASP!--also, do not let your baby suck on the phone), but I'm planning on getting another before our girl joins us because otherwise I'll go mad.

11. High chair you love. Ours is the cheap IKEA one, and I love it because it has a small footprint and is super easy to clean (also easy to take to someone else's house when we're on a trip). There are lots of cool options out there. Just make sure you like it and it's easy to clean. I'd avoid anything with fabric on it because babies have like the worst manners ever and they make a huge mess when they eat.

12. Amazon prime. Here's the thing about having a baby that everyone tells you but that you don't believe: shit's hard to do with a baby. So that Target trip for one thing that you used to take just because you could? I mean, you can still do that, but it's going to be a huge production and you'll have to time it just right so that your little sweet baby spawn doesn't have a meltdown in the middle of the store because he's tired or hungry (thereby making you a person that your former self would have rolled your former self's eyes at). And driving to ten different stores in town to find the perfect one of something? Yeah, have fun with that. Amazon prime is $80/year (free if you have an edu email address!) and gets you free 2-day shipping on most items. It also gives you free streaming on a bunch of stuff, and a free borrowed Kindle book each month. I mean, it's like $7/month. Get it, and then you'll never believe you ever didn't have it.

What did I forget? Was there anything you couldn't live without when you had a tiny baby?

Okay, look at pictures of my babies now. They're pretty cute.

Ten Months!

2013-01-27T20:28:00.001-05:00

Baby Charlie is ten months old! How'd that happen?

Ten months is super fun with young Charles. He's a champion eater, and a champion sleeper, and during his waking hours he never stops moving. He's started dancing (oh, sorry that that's the cutest thing that has ever happened on earth) and he's forever in love with Mitchell. Last month he got six teeth (!) and he somehow did it with only a fussy day or two, and he drinks from a sippy cup in the cutest manner that any human ever has.

Oh, and he gets jokes. We call them baba jokes around here. (Charlie is like super crazy physical developmental milestone kid, but when it comes to the verbal stuff he's, well, much more of a boy*. And while I'm loath to say things like "he's all boy," the more I learn the more I think there are more differences between boys and girls than I would have previously liked to admit. So the only real sound he makes right now is "baba" [unless you're counting Tim Taylor-style caveman grunts], but Matt and I are so tickled with these babas that we've kind of decided, "Hell, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."**)

*This is like when my college advisor looked at my math entrance exam test thing and said, "Mandy, your math scores reflect the English major in you." Shooooot.

**Wait, did that sound like we beat our baby? We don't beat our baby and don't plan to. Oops.

Useful Pregnancy Crap

2013-01-23T20:25:00.001-05:00

So like next week or this week (I can never remember) I'll be in my third trimester, and when I told Matt that, he said, "I don't like to think of it as your third trimester; I like to think of it as your sixth--and final--trimester." I like that. 5/6 of the way there, peeps!

Now since I've basically spent the last two years being pregnant (only taking a break to birth a human and put my body through a different kind of hell as I struggled to keep him fed, but that's a story for another time), I feel like I might have some tips for others about stuff that was/is actually helpful or necessary during pregnancy (especially since a bunch of my friends are fixin' to jump off of the getting-knocked-up cliff). Obviously, everyone is different and what worked for me might not work for you, but I think this might help to sort through the array of shit that stores try to convince you that you need while you're growing a fetus.

Here are my must-haves:

1. Long tank tops. So awesome. Mine are mostly from Target, some are the Liz Lange brand and some are the Be Maternity brand, but they're all awesome. I wear them under my other shirts, work out in them, sleep in them, and pretty much have one on at all times. They're long and forgiving and soft and I will probably keep wearing them long after I'm done growing babies.

2. Be Band. I have a black one and a nude one, and they're crucial to me for keeping up the full panel maternity pants (note: when at home I basically wear all yoga pants all the time, but for work and other times that I feel the general public doesn't want to see waaaaay too much of my ever-growing body, I opt for the full panel maternity pants). Nothing's more annoying than saggy-assed pants, and these help to keep everything in place. I've seen infomercials now about how people use them to decrease muffin tops, too, so there's that. (Though once I'm done being pregnant I will just long to wear clothing that is not a contraption, so I'll be passing mine on to my next knocked-up friend.)

3. Body pillow. Ten bucks and it makes side sleeping much more tolerable, if only it weren't being constantly commandeered by my husband and furry son. Also fun for making car trips more cozy.

4. Heating pad. Mine has a permanent place on our couch now (and is also often taken over by the dog). Now, my doc says that I can totally lie on it for like an hour because today's heating pads don't get hot enough to boil the fetus. So that's nice. If you have an old-school one, though, you only get like 15 minutes.

5. A good pair of jeans. You really only need one, right (remember the all yoga pants all the time around the house rule)? I was happy that my favorite type of Gap jeans, the long & lean cut (oh, Gap, you slay me with your less than apt body type descriptions!) was also a cut for the full panel maternity jeans. They're more expensive at full price than I feel like they should be, but you can totes keep your eye out for sales and coupons. This is not an area you're going to want to skimp on, unless you like feeling even more frumpy and uncomfortable.

6. A good pair of work pants. Mine are just plain black and are from Target. They were only $35 and I love them. They're super flattering and comfortable and they wash well. I would buy another pair if I wasn't so determined never to buy another piece of maternity clothing in my life.

7. Flats. Ugh, I like flats on other people but hate wearing them myself (I have high arches and they hurt my feet). But at some point in pregnancy they become a necessity. Honestly, I wore my lower heels up until Charlie was born last time, and they were great, but the flats were better with jeans and stuff when it was too cold for flip-flops. Plus, when you wear flats you won't have crazy old broads tell you how you're strangling your baby with the umbilical cord because of the height of your shoe. Something that you might not realize before you get knocked up is that there are like one bajillion undercover obstetricians.

8. Brand name Tums Smoothies. I'm like the cheapest of the cheap and we were buying the Target brand regular tums until Cassie told me to switch to the Tums Smoothies. Since I basically have enough to these each day to count as a meal, it's nice that they're less chalky and taste much better. And if you close your eyes and get your mind in the right place, you can totally convince yourself that you're eating Smarties.

9. Publix Mac & Cheese. Oh, how I love thee!

10. Elliptical machine. Partly for the aforementioned Public deli treats, but mostly because, as much as I often hate to admit it, ellipting is like the greatest pregnancy exercise. It makes you strong, is low-impact, and is great bang for your buck exercise-wise. When I ellipt, I'm less uncomfortable, my back hurts less, I sleep better, and I have more energy throughout the day. If only lying on the couch eating cookies and watching Netflix Instant had those same benefits!

So, those are the items that will help to get me through the next three months of my life without (hopefully) too much whining (accidentally just typed wining--oh, I wish!) and bitching. Did I forget anything? What did you find totes necessary while you were with child?

And stay tuned for the "crap we needed with the baby" post. I know, I know, too much excitement up in here.

If This Isn't Nice, I Don't Know What Is.

2013-01-13T19:59:00.000-05:00

The first week of 2013 wasn't kind to us. The weather was kind of gross, and we were feeling whiny because I had to go back to work, and it seemed that all of our things went in on a suicide pact. In one week my ipod broke, Matt's phone broke, the car got a flat tire (which I had to change by myself at night in an empty parking lot all pregnant--it's fine now that I wasn't murdered, but it was a little scary at the time), and then on the way to get the tire fixed, the doughnut got a flat. On top of that, our sweet pup was on too high a dose of his mange medicine (yes, he STILL has mange) and it was making him very sick and unlike himself (and after reading scary stuff on the internet I was sure we'd poisoned him and he was on the verge of death). Then we found out that our lovely car needed a shitton of work done, work that would cost approximately 3,000 times more than the car was worth. It was just one of those weeks.

But this last week has been just amazing. I found out that I'm going to be teaching AP next year (!)*, and our dog recovered wonderfully with a lower dose of meds. Matt got a new phone, I realized that life does go on without an ipod (though, let's be honest, I'll get another in the next few months), we got a new [to us] car (!!!), our landlord replaced our dishwasher, the weather was amazing, and we were crazy productive. Everything seems to be falling into place. We have company coming next week (thus the household productivity--don't want them to think we're dirty barn people, now do we?), we have a refrigerator full of food, a car that just starts every time you turn the key, and a dishwasher that actually washes dishes**. Add to that some cheap Fresh Market steaks, Downton Abbey, Girls, and the fact that it's 8:00 at night and our windows are still open. I can't wipe the smile off my face.

Meatball eater.

Meatball beggar.

First family trip to Skidaway Island State Park. Um, amazeballs.

Open window dinner prep. Ahhhhh. . .

Mitch passes out as soon as Charlie goes to bed. It's hard work looking after a baby brother!

Haha. This is Mitch's "We're sorry you have mange" special toy. We call it his Baby Krampus. He's obsessed with it. Has there ever been a scarier toy?

*OMG I AM SO EXCITED AND SO SCARED.

**I mean, who are we? The Rockefellers?

Love and Marriage

2013-01-06T19:48:00.001-05:00

[Today, Charlie took a nap that was almost 3 hours long. I took a nap when I put him down, and woke up--on my own--about a half hour before he did.]

Matt: Are you so proud today?

Me: Huh? Why?

Matt: Your son out-napped you. I mean, that's like the thing you do best and you've trained him to be even better than you are. It's probably how Archie Manning feels when he watches his sons play football.

Badass

2013-01-02T22:05:00.000-05:00

Hello, friends! I hope your 2013 is rockin' out so far. I've realized [after 7 years of teaching] that I get kind of down in the final days of my Christmas break, mostly because break is always so awesome and so relaxing and so wonderful, and then I dread going back to work. And you don't have to tell me how bratty it is for me to whine and cry about having to go back to work when I 1.) have a job and 2.) just had two weeks off. I know, I know. But still. It sucks. This year I'm extra bummed because not only was break f'ing amazing, but work is extra hard and stressful this year, and after having two weeks of hanging out with my three favorite boys, I really don't want to leave them. I might have cried about it like 4 times today.*

But it'll be fine. It always is, and I certainly have much to look forward to in 2013.

Like the new season of Downton Abbey.

And an upcoming visit from in-laws and my soulmate.

And a less sadistic school calendar for this part of the school year.

And a tidier house. (I think I love putting away the Christmas decorations as much as I love putting them up.)

And celebrating one whole year with the cutest human boy on the planet. (And making a smash cake!!! Horray!)

In our house we have morning hair, eat yogurt with a spoon, and scream throughout breakfast.

I can't handle the cuteness of Charlie's concentration while he drinks through a straw

And welcoming a new girl into our lives. (Egads!)

Matt and I have some lofty goals for 2013, and if everything goes according to plan this will be a busy, exhausting, rewarding, and magnificent year for us. There's a lot we're working on, and it's starting with our adopting the so very trendy green smoothie breakfast and pledging to ellipt more**. Surprise, surprise.

I've talked about this here before, but I've spent my life (with the exception of a few irresponsible years in my mid-twenties) in school, and my new year really starts in August or September. But the January one is fun for new beginnings, too, I suppose. And I really like how people do the whole "choose one word to live by for the year" thing, except that I'm not a serious enough adult to pick something actually inspirational, so here's the word I'll live by in 2013:

Badass.

I want to be a badass mother and wife and teacher and sister and daughter and friend. I want to cook badass food and throw badass parties and manage my life in a completely badass way. So there. When I look back, I'm hoping to remember 2013 as the Year of the Badass.

What badass things do you have in store for the next year?

*Also, I am a huge crybaby.

**Um, so, at almost 6 months pregnant I am as uncomfortable as I was at about 8 with Charlie, which I think is a combination of this being a second pregnancy after I already had a kid like a week ago and my body's all stretched out and deformed and the fact that I haven't really been ellipting at all. So I've decided that in order to keep myself from being absolutely miserable in the third trimester, I need to make my body stronger so that I can handle it with more badassery. Not being such a fatass is just a bonus.

Merry Christmas!

2012-12-24T21:12:00.004-05:00

From all of us to all of you, the internet:

Merry Christmas! May your days be full of wild rumpuses.

Love,

Matt, Mandy, Charlie (resident king of the wild things, though he is actually the most wild thing of all), Mitchell, and young female fetus.

Haha.

Those were the best ones from our Christmas card photo session. (Remember that we haven't forgotten about our wonderful pup, it's just that he had mange and was wearing a cone and had a swollen eye and no fur on his face when we were taking Christmas card photos. And nobody wants a mangey dog on display, especially at Christmas.)

But here's my third favorite, though it just wasn't Christmas card material. Kid's crazy.

Merry Christmas! Eat too much and drink too much and chillax and wear slippers all day and laugh and take naps!

Annnnnnnnd. . .BREAK!

2012-12-21T00:18:00.000-05:00

CHRISTMAS BREAK! CHRISTMAS BREAK! CHRISTMAS BREAK!

Yeah, so if you'd talked to me two days ago I'd have told you about how drained and tired and fussy and cranky I was, how hard this school year has been so far. And I'd have whined about how the dog still has mother effing mange and how I missed hanging out with my Matt and how I just needed a break and a nap. (And you probably would have made up an excuse to get off of the phone or out of the conversation because of how unpleasant I was being.)

But that break is here, my friends! One day in and I can already feel the stress melting away. Phew! So I'm feeling happy and fulfilled and not even pissed at the dogs for running off and embarrassing me with the neighbors who knocked on my door at 10:30 at night to tell us the dogs had escaped. Nope. I'm not even going to shame them (the dogs, not the neighbors) or deny them treats because it's CHRISTMAS BREAK! (Now, if those fuckers do it again I will take every single one of those wrapped stocking treats and donate them to the Humane Society. That'll teach 'em!)

The laundry is done and folded (but not put away because that never happens in this house), the toys are put away, the dogs are sleeping on the couch, the baby is sleeping in his crate, and the tree is perfect. Life is good. I might even take a shower tomorrow.

Here's what happy's looking like around here lately.

Our faves stopped by for a dinner visit last week.

Charlie is a texting fool.

Haha, watch this little demonstration of brotherly love and admiration.

That took about two seconds.

I am determined to continue to display my fragile ornaments even with a baby in the house.

Made this crazy ribbon/bunting/banner thing to go over our doorways. I kind of love it.

I also love our tree. As usual.

This kid is bananas. Here's a series we'll call, "Charlie Bananas throws things from his box."

And in an event that was ripped straight from the plot of an episode of Roseanne, we're giddy to have been selected as a Nielsen family. I've never felt so important and powerful and influential in all my life. Seriously. There were squeals of delight. Also, Nielsen paid us $5 (in the crispiest dollar bills on earth) to participate. Power and influence and wealth? Well, well, we have arrived.

Stuff for our girl. I'm really warming to the idea of having a daughter, and while some of the things about having a girl terrify me and cause great anxiety (see: princess crap and the seventh grade), I'm getting pretty excited about meeting her. Girl baby's going to be awesome. (Also, this is all of the stuff we have for her because our house already looks like a plastic wonderland/baby gear store/Toys R Us.)

MALLOWS!

I can't handle these two. They were telling each other jokes.

Done and done. Next on the list: drink a milkshake.

Hope you're having a relaxing and fun-filled week that's full of sugar and dogs and snuggling.

Face Off!

2012-12-16T15:38:00.000-05:00

Hahaha. Do you remember that movie? Why was it so bad? And why did my friend Tanya love it so? I caught it on TV the other day and was amazed that it was like one bajillion times worse than I'd even remembered.

Let's talk about skin. And getting old. I'm not gonna lie: I've been pretty fortunate in the skin department. The universe has been good to me, and with the exception of some dry skin in winter and a brief bout with pimples when I was 14 (back before I discovered that the best thing for my skin was water and a washcloth), I had 30 years of not having to worry about my skin (nevermind the great sunburn of 2008 when my eyes swelled up and were all squinty and I'm pretty sure it was sun poisoning but the only thing that I was worried about other than the extreme pain was that I was going to look like a squinty-eyed clown for Hugh and Cassie's wedding). Then I got pregnant, and my skin went all berzerk, and now I feel like I'm 14 again, back on the ol' skincare square one. Dry patches? More pimples than one a year? What the eff!?!?

So I'm on the lookout for some good skincare stuff, and I'd like to have some way of keeping my skin somewhat young-looking (started wearing sunscreen after that sunburn even!) that doesn't involve just getting fatter and fatter so that wrinkles can't possible show up. I'm thinking (hint, hint, Matthew!) that something like this DDF awesome micro polishing system could be what need. I mean, we don't want my skin to match my hair age-wise, what with all of the gray streaks and all. But back to the DDF thing. This thing is really cool and looks fun to use and might even be so fun that I'd actually make time to use it. (Truth? Last night Charlie somehow managed to dump a milkshake all in my hair and I have yet to wash it out because I decided that I just don't have time. It's basically like a foodie verison of hairspray, right? I could be all, "Oh, this is my local organic cookies and cream milkshake hair product.") It seems like it'd be gentle enough for my super sensitive skin, but cleansing enough to fight the ridiculous pimples that pregnancy has gifted me with (thanks again for that, the universe).

And extra cool for me and for you, too? It's on sale and you can get it for $45 (which is more than 50% off--they're running the special price through January 1, 2013) if you go here and use the code DDFMICRODERMA at checkout. Shoot yeah! But be careful not to use the microderm brush for too long because if you use it for like 12 hours in a row you'll look in the mirror and see John Travolta looking back at you.*

Anyway, now that I've posted to the entire world about my crusty milkshake hair, I think I should go bathe or something. Matt, buy me that thing already! xoxo

*Jokes. That won't happen.

If This Isn't Nice, I Don't Know What Is

2012-12-15T11:22:00.001-05:00

I won't turn on the TV today because I know that I will become a sobbing mess like I did about a dozen times yesterday, so I don't know all of the awful details of the shooting in Connecticut. Still, though, I can't get it out of my mind. We've been trying to focus on the joys in life and not to wallow in the tragedy, but it's hard, especially when every time I look at little Charlie I just think about how those babes were other peoples' Charlies and then, again, with the sobbing mess. So, anyway, please don't take this as my not caring about it or being deeply affected by the tragedy. I just can't think about it or I'll have crying headaches for the next week.

Tell me for one second that a dog in a baby swing next to a baby in a baby swing, somewhat dressed like the dog, isn't the best thing you've seen all day.

Unless, of course, you watched this video that makes me want to go buy every single thing that Lego makes.

Oh, also, Charlie has a box. A giant cardboard box that we draped a duvet cover over and threw some pillow into. He also has a cup. Seriously, why have I spent a dime on actual toys for this kid? Also, spontaneous baby laughter is pretty f'ing awesome. He also now has a tooth and has tasted bacon. Bacon jam, actually. Kid leads a charmed life, huh?

It's a _________!

2012-12-06T21:21:00.001-05:00

Want to know something fun?

(I mean, besides the fact that Charlie is insanely cute. Also, I am putting pictures of him on here because I like them and because I want to drag out this reveal.)

We found out what the next kid is.

And in addition to it being, "a naked baby," as my [crazy, crazy] doctor assured us it would be (seriously, no clothes showed up on the ultrasound). . .

It's a. . .

GIRL! Charlie and Mitch are getting a sister! And I'll get to play with Barbies again!

Says Shecky: "I'm kind of excited that you're having a girl, because, like, bringing an independent bitchy girl into the world is a good thing. Like, your girl can balance out some dumb bitch."

Here's hoping, Shecks.

This and That

2012-12-01T21:34:00.001-05:00

1. So here's a perfect example of why you should read a recipe all the way through before starting it. Today I was bound and determined to make the Homemade Franks & Beans recipe that I saw on Dinner: A Love Story a few weeks go. I picked up the few ingredients that I didn't have at that store (why is maple syrup so expensive?), and decided that I'd get started after I put Charlie to bed. Yeah, except that they take 6 hours. So unless I am planning on setting a dinner alarm for like 3 a.m., I guess that one will have to wait until tomorrow. Shoot.

2. Um, let's talk for a hot second about how I'm 20 weeks pregnant, which means that I'm halfway through being pregnant with this delightful little spawn (and STILL don't know what it is, which is completely unacceptable, by the way). More exciting than being halfway finished with this pregnancy is the knowledge that I'm 3/4 of the way finished being pregnant FOR LIFE*. Eff yeah. And I really can't wait for everyone else I know to be pregnant, and to hear their complaints and woes and joys about the experience, and to do all of that listening with a large glass of wine in my hand. I'm a much better listener when I have a glass of wine.**

3. I love flipping the calendar in my planner to a new month, partly because it's so clean and sparse and only has a few meetings written in. Lately I've been getting bitter every single time I have to add a meeting to my calendar because, well, I hate meetings, but also because it makes my month look all cluttered and messy.

4. Here's the problem with finishing Christmas shopping early: I want to keep buying stuff all month. Really, it'd probably be most economical for our family if I just waited until Christmas Eve to do all of the shopping. Charlie's only getting a few things from us (granted, they're really a few REALLY AWESOME things), but I keep finding more and more stuff to get for him. He needs ALL THE PUZZLES and ALL THE PUPPETS and ALL THE CUTE PAJAMAS. You know, except that he doesn't. And really, he'd be happier with some dirty flip flops (which are apparently the tastiest thing ever to exist), the computer cord, and the tags from Mitch's collar. Is it covered in dirt and germs and does it pose risk of death? If so, it's Charlie's favorite thing ever. He's been telling us lately that his name is not Charles Spencer, and that it is, instead, Charlie Danger. Charles Danger Spencer. Has a nice ring to it, no?

5. Been making my own granola. It's totes easy and way cheaper and super delicious. I've been using Ina Garten's recipe but modifying it according to what I have and what I want at that exact moment. And I always double the salt because I am an addict.

6. Someone doesn't like green beans.

7. Hilarious hand. When speaking for young Charles now, Matt and I often describe things as being fabulous.***

8. Probably time to get an automatic focus 50 mm lens. Lately too many of my pictures are looking like this.

*And, no, I will not be getting accidentally pregnant after #2 graces us with [let's face it] her presence. There are ways not to get pregnant. They work. Don't even get me started on my rant about how if people would use birth control correctly, then it would work for them. You don't hear me bitching about how advil doesn't work for my headache when I, oops, forget to take it, you know, ever. Geesh.

**Also better at Spanish when wine is involved.

***And why is it so cute when Charlie's belly hangs over his diaper, but when my belly hangs out of my pants in a similar way, it's gross and puts me at risk of ending up on one of those People of Wal-Mart emails?****

****Except that I would never be on one of those emails because I won't go to Wal-Mart.

Oh, Charles

2012-11-24T21:22:00.001-05:00

How is it that the boy can drive me bananas all day and fuss and scream and be a pisser, but then after he goes to bed all I want to do is look at pictures of him?

Happy 8 months to Baby Charlie.

And get outta here, post-bath hair.