WTF?!?

We just received a call from some woman in Georgia. She opened up her Snapfish shipment and found OUR BAPTISM INVITATIONS in there. You know, the ones that I paid two-day shipping for? The ones that need to get out in the mail this week? Argh.

Despite the fact that I am completely annoyed, it is nice to know that there are good people out there. She told hubby that she comes from a large family and knows how important these events are.

After I call Snapfish tomorrow, I think that we are going to send the woman some flowers...

Honorary Jersey Girl

Hubby usually puts Harrison to bed, but he is at basketball until 10:00 this evening, so it was my job tonight.

Each night, when we rock him to sleep, we sing him a lullaby. Tonight's choice?

Bon Jovi's "I'll Be There For You." Seriously.

Now, I wasn't born and raised in NJ, but I did live there for 10 years. I drive like I live in NJ. I worship the Short Hills Mall. I have spent many a summer weekend down the shore. And I am instilling a love of Bon Jovi in Harrison at an early age.

Is that enough to make me an honorary citizen? If not, what else would make me a true New Jerseyan?

Sweet Pickle.

For those of you who read hubby's blog, you know that our dear Staney went in for surgery today to have a cyst removed from his tummy.

Thankfully, the surgery went well and he made it through with flying colors! He is clumsily walking around with a cone on his head (to prevent licking) and is very tired, but overall, he is good. Thank God.

Stanley has many nicknames, but my favorite is Sweet Pickle. Remember that commercial - "Smart moms know...how kids might grow...up on...Sweet Pickles" with the Sweet Pickles bus? For some reason, I sing that to him all the time, so the Sweet Pickle name stuck.

Please wish my little Sweet Pickle a speedy recovery!

Happiness is...

To me, happiness is being a mom... and being a daughter. My mother is a wonderful woman, and my best friend. Now that I am a mom, I better understand the parenting choices that she made throughout the years, and appreciate and respect her even more. I just hope that Harrison loves me half as much as I love her.

Happy Mother's Day!



(Me, Mom and Nana... no, the coordinating outfits weren't planned in advance)



(I love my little guy)

The dark side of adorable.

(I'm cute. For real.)

Without a doubt, Harrison is the best thing that ever happened to me. All of those pregnancy side effects - weight gain, swollen hands and ankles, anemia, sciatic nerve pain - were a small price to pay for all of the joy that he has already brought into our lives.

Once he was born, I thought that I was done with my body playing tricks on me. "Time to get back to my old self," I thought. Um, yeah. My little bundle of joy brought with him some unexpected post-partum effects:

1. A new body - When I got home from the hospital, I was shocked by what I saw in the mirror. My cute pregnancy body was nowhere to be found...but neither was my pre-pregnancy body. Instead, staring back at me was a flabby, bloated version of my former self.

Delivering an 8 pound baby and coming home only 3 pounds lighter? Um, yeah...great. And although I have lost weight since then, I still can't fit into most of the clothes in my closet. Those of you who wore your pre-pregnancy jeans home from the hospital? I hate you. Just kidding. (Maybe.)

2. Stretch marks - What the hell?!? I swear to God, I had fewer stretch marks when I was nine months pregnant and looked like I was carrying around a beach ball in my stomach.

3. A "leaky chest" - Not joking. One of the awesome side effects of breastfeeding (along with that 10-pound cushion that your body holds onto so your baby doesn't starve to death). All I have to say is THANK GOD I was wearing a cardigan at work on Wednesday...

4. Hair loss - Just when you think you come to terms with all of the punches post-partum hormones throw at you, your hair starts to fall out! I was combing my hair after my shower today and it was coming out in clumps. Oh my God.

So, to recap: I am flabby, leaky, and balding. So hot.

But my little one is soooo worth it.

Three months!

My baby boy is three months old today!



(It's my birthday - I'm three months old!)



(Yay!)



(Check out the socks...)

Surprise, surprise...

This is my second week back at work. I actually chose to go back a week early and ease my way in with two weeks of half-days.

Yeah - guess how long that lasted? I was on the elliptical machine at 6:00 last night, talking to our PR agency about a media opportunity. And today I was in the office until 12:30ish, then picked up Harrison at daycare, dropped hubby off at the garage to pick up his car, got home and worked on a presentation while holding the baby until I stopped to eat a sandwich at 4:00. God, I am just exhausted.

Thankfully, I really like my job - that makes the transition from stay-at-home mother to working mother a lot easier. But it is a high-stress environment, and I already have enough pressure on myself, trying to be the perfect mom. Plus Harrison is still being stubborn about the bottle, and I am afraid that the little guy is going to starve to death when I start working full-time. I constantly feel panicked about one thing or another, and it stinks.

So I am leaving for work one day last week and I see all of the neighborhood mommies hanging out at the bus stop in their hoodies and pajama pants, drinking coffee and chatting. And for a brief moment, I wanted to be one of them. Sigh.

I think I need a drink.