A Mile in my Shoes

3/4 of the way there!

2012-01-20T21:51:00.002-05:00

To celebrate JJ's 9 month birthday, he had his first beer.

Just kidding! One of JJ's favorite tasks these days is sorting the recycling, and by sorting, I mean taking everything out and putting it on the floor and crawling away. I just caught him in the act this particular morning.

JJ hosted his friend Mimi the other day, while Sarah and I caught up about her recent trip to London and Paris. Here they are cruising around the house together.

Mimi seducing the photographer in hopes of getting jelly beans! "Can we open these, please?"

Love this picture!

JJ locking himself in Jim's office, to finish his baby stuff, undisturbed.

Longing.

I love this picture, because it looks like such a disaster in there, and where are JJ's pants?!?

Oh, you're using that knob thing.

Baby hands!

Here are JJ's numbers for his 9 month check-up:

Height: 28 in. (40%)
Weight: 21 lbs 3 oz (60%)
Head: 48 cm (90%)
Cuteness: Max Power (100%)

He's recently started eating Cheerios, pasta, pineapple, strawberry (mixed in his "to go" applesauce that I buy), and spinach. No new skills to speak of, but that's okay. Rome wasn't built in a day by a really talented baby.

What's next? Kindergarten?

2012-01-11T12:18:00.001-05:00

So in the past 24 hours, JJ said his first word, his second word, learned how to clap, and produced his first sign! Holy moly!! Here are the details...

His first word was...Mama!!! He was on the floor in the sun room, and was pretty upset. He crawled over to me, stood up with the help of the ottoman, looked at me, and said, "Mama", and then calmed himself down. Jim and looked at each other in shock! He's been babbling for a while now, and his first consonant babble was Dadadadadada for sure (as in, not a single ga or other vowel-heavy utterance). We decided only to count it as his first word when he was ascribing meaning to the sounds. It was so great!

Then, this morning, JJ and I were on the floor of his nursery, Jim came to the door and said goodbye, and walked away. Immediately JJ went to the gate (at his door), stood up and looked in the direction Jim walked and said, "Dada?" He stood there for another 30 seconds looking after him without saying anything, then crawled back into the room and started playing again, like nothing had happened. Precious!!

As if that wasn't enough, JJ was hungry this evening, and I said, "Do you want food?" and he did the rough symbol for "more". Now technically he wasn't about to get "more", he was about to get "food", but I'm counting it because we only use it in the context of food.

And then finally when Jim and JJ got home from the basketball game, he started clapping! I guess being around all those applauding fans inspired him!

Tomorrow I am expecting him to have made the coffee and toasted an English muffin (with butter) for me by the time I wake up. Too much?

Also our bright little star was featured in Charlotte Parent magazine. I submitted a picture and it was chosen for their first issue of the New Year! Thanks so Grandaddy's coworker for mentioning it to him--otherwise we would never have known he was in there!

And here are a few cute pictures, because...just because. JJ literally starts smiling as soon as I bring out the camera. He's such a showman!

Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!

2012-01-02T22:25:00.000-05:00

Because we have 2 Christmases, and since I so love the season, I think it's worth saying twice. Our families out-did themselves making it a great first Christmas for JJ. I joked that I would be putting toys aside for JJ's birthday in April (though, now that I'm looking around, it may be the way to go!) We spent Christmas Eve and Day with Jim's family in Charlotte, and a few days later drove to VA to spend New Year's Eve and surrounding days with my family. We had such a great time with everyone! A few pictures to prove it...

At the mall with Aunt Ib to get JJ's picture with Santa!

At the Bobcats opening game against the Bucks! Jim and I have season tickets this year, which I'm super excited about!

Christmas Eve, and JJ is already enjoying the ribbon off his gifts. Momo is a very good gift wrapper, and provided lots of curly ribbon for our little man! One of the highlights, I think he would say!

Ib's impression of herself as a child, opening Petite Naté. This time it was Coach perfume and lotion.

Jim listening to his Noise Cancelling headphones. He says they're "for work". I think they'll cause problems in our marriage.

JJ in his new SmarTrike from MoMo and Grandaddy. He seemed to enjoy getting escorted around the house.

Despite looking like instant friends in this picture, JJ is a bit hesitant about this guy. I think he's pretty awesome, and I can tell that JJ is coming around. He sings and dances and says cute things like, "You're SOOOOOOOOO big!"

Playing with his drum.

This cube is pretty awesome, and so easy for JJ to work. And the songs are really enjoyable for us too. Overall, a great baby toy.

Next we visit Aunt Kate and Uncle Rob (and cousins Azmo and Beezle). JJ had a great time getting licked by Azmo, though at times he got overwhelmed. Beezle was not having anything to do with him, though, which seems to be the cat style when it comes to JJ.

Azmo finally calmed down after seeing Jim!

JJ and Kate!

And then to my parents' house, where JJ met his Auntie Melysa in person for the first time! He was pretty smitten!

Pharley really wasn't though. He doesn't like sharing his mommy.

JJ with Yoda. He doesn't really know what to make of him.

JJ may just remember that this guy is copying his style...

I think JJ's favorite toy by far is his Slinky. Thank you GG (and Target $1 Spot).

This might be our first family picture since our wedding in 2007. Haha!

The Slinky made it into the tub later that night!

GG and her little Santa man!

And here's PopPop too.

And now Mommy! I love how JJ is visibly less happy after picture #4,510!

I am leaving out so many details of our wonderful holiday, but trust me, it was awesome! Thanks so much to our families for making it great! Happy 2012 to all of you! I hope it brings many great things your way!

Merry Christmas Eve, Eve!

2011-12-23T23:54:00.000-05:00

JJ, Jim, and I have enjoyed some pretty slow days around the house lately. Jim had off on Thursday and today, which was totally awesome! (Thank you, OtherScreen!) On Wednesday, we drove with Jim's family through the light display up at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was great! The best part was definitely driving on the actual track that the Nascar drivers speed down (we were going much slower, of course), but I was definitely struggling to stay in my seat, the track is so steeply banked. The lights were pretty fun, and the Van Fleets definitely made a fun trip of it with beer, snacks, and Wendy's drive thru for the passengers.

That night I woke up with hives from head to toe, and a particularly swollen eye. I called the nurse's number from our insurance, and she told me to go to the Emergency room, but because I took some Benadryl, I was too tired to go. Luckily, my throat didn't close while I was sleeping, and I woke up in pretty good shape. I still don't know what caused it, though, and hopefully won't ever encounter it again!

And tonight we went to one of our favorite places, Carlos Cafe in Rock Hill, SC. If you're ever in the area and like Cuban food, this is the place for you!

And now, some cute pictures of JJ around the house. The first set is of us playing around the tree, and some details of our nativity scene (that was my Grandmother's--along with some additions from JJ's farm animal toys). The second is him escaping to his favorite room in the house, his bathroom. Seriously, I think JJ would sleep standing next to the tub, if he could.)

Turtle bottom!

I wish this one wasn't fuzzy, but I just think it's the cutest little pose!

And a cute face!

And a...not so cute face!

And my Grandmother's set contained the ever popular Christmas deer...What? The horse and pig were ours when we were little.

JJ's first Christmas Ornament!

At church we all wrote messages of hope on the back of ornaments, put them in a basket, and chose someone else's. This was the one received, and I love it!

Puppy bottom!

Merry Christmas Eve, Eve, to all!

Happy 8 Month Birthday, Buddy!

2011-12-20T13:12:00.000-05:00

Our little guy is 8 months old, and I just can't believe it! Where did the time go? Every now and then I get a flash of something that he used to do when he was younger (rooting around on everyone's shoulders for food, only a single "goo" sound per day, barely sitting up on his own--I would stash pillows all around him "just in case" because I was also usually standing by, ready to catch him before he'd hit the pillows. How far we have all come!), and it seems like a lifetime ago. Now I feel like we have a little boy. As I write this, I am watching him play with his toys on the ground, and it is amazing to me how easily he gets around, sitting, rolling forward to start crawling, standing up with assistance from the furniture or a big toy. He concentrates on one activity for a while, then moves on when he's bored, or something catches his eye. Exclaiming "uh Di da di da daa daa" through it all.

JJ is still such an agreeable guy. He is eager to share his smile with everyone, which I love!

Here are some general updates:

Weight: approx. 20 lbs
Foods JJ Eats: apples, pears, carrots, sweet potatoes, peas, parsnips, broccoli, butternut squash, bananas, rice cereal
New behaviors: quietly playing in his crib when he wakes up from naps (not crying immediately), running (what is really fast crawling called?) for the cat food bowl--and looking over his shoulder to make sure Mom is chasing him, sitting well at his play table, putting toys in containers and taking them out, standing for 3 seconds at a time, cruising along furniture with dexterity
Working on: Using a sippie cup, standing on his own, ability to hit buttons with better precision

Foods on the list to try soon: spinach, avocado (if Mom will share with him), green beans, white potato, meats!

JJ is really excited about Christmas, and loves all of the paper, tape and RIBBON!! And here are some pictures.

JJ helping me decorate the tree!

And also helping me UNdecorate the tree--the first ornament he removed to gum.

Playing

My friend Tracy from high school was in town, so we went to dinner with some friends of hers. We had so much fun!

JJ sleeps in the corners of his crib. Usually he has removed his blankets by this point, but this was a rare shot of blanketed JJ sleeping.

He fell asleep sitting up in his crib and then just fell forward to actually sleep. THIS is why we must keep bumpers up in his crib (NC suggestions be damned!)

And JJ playing at his new table (an early Christmas gift from GG and PopPop). He is pretty cute at it, and loves "putting together" his puzzles.

Dangling feet are so sweet!

Happy 8 month birthday to our sweet boy! We love you more than you know, and so enjoy watching you grow! You will do so many great things! We can't wait to see what your future brings!

Trip to the Park

2011-12-13T11:33:00.000-05:00

In an effort to exercise more, Jim and I took JJ to a nearby park the other day, and I took my new camera along too. Even though it is getting colder, Charlotte is so lovely this time of year. Crisp, cool, sunny, brisk. We've had a few rainy days, but for the most part, I am a fan of winter down south!

This was a brisk day, so we bundled JJ up and headed down the Greenway (a park that is a walking path through town), to nearby Cordelia Park. This will be where we take JJ to go swimming during the summer. There are basketball courts, large open fields, 2 playgrounds, an overlook with benches, a swimming pool and water park. We are lucky to be so close to such a great place (and it is less than a half mile walk to Amelie's French Bakery, though I suppose this negates our efforts to exercise).

Here's JJ in his hat that Auntie Ib knitted for him before he was born. So cute! Gah!!

Cutest picture ever? Quite possibly!

Along the Greenway...

Our new neighborhood marquee

A different kind of golden arches

Here comes JJ!

And closer...

Too close! (smooshed face)

Mommy loves the slide!

Cool branch with Uptown Charlotte in the background

Love this man!

Upon exploring the "big kids" playground, I stumbled on this guy...

Since JJ was sleeping...

I got on!

And was in love!

Who among us has ridden a dinosaur?

Since JJ was still pretty happy...

Jim decided to test his balance!

Look at that wingspan!

And celebrating his fancy dismount! There was a twist involved...

What a great day we had! Still loving my new camera! I can definitely tell the difference between these pics and the ones from my iPhone. Now JJ will have some "real" pictures of his childhood!

Bath Time!

2011-12-09T22:40:00.001-05:00

Bathtime is my favorite time. I get to splash around, I have a lot of fun toys around, and there are BUBBLES! I. Love. Bubbles! And here's an expert baby tip: when you splash bubbles, it makes MORE bubbles. They don't tell you this stuff in school.

So, Mom has started taking pictures of me everywhere. In the living room, on the road, in the tub. She's pretty crazy. But I love her. In fact, she and dad are my two favorite people. Anywho, the reason I started this post was to prepare you for the cuteness that is me, JJ, in the tub. Several people have told me I should be a model. Except I think I look fat in pictures. Do these pictures make me look fat? I don't know.

Peace Out,

JJ

Time with MoMo

2011-12-09T22:33:00.001-05:00

For MoMo's birthday, we spent the day over at their house, and out to brunch. It was a fun, fun day, and JJ always enjoys spending time with his grandparents. Here are some pictures of JJ and MoMo having a blast (and also falling asleep)!

Time with Grandaddy

2011-12-06T12:00:00.001-05:00

The many faces of a Grandaddy with his grandbaby! The monkey pictures are from Grandaddy's birthday. The others are from MoMo's birthday.

Around the House

2011-11-29T17:10:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving and 7 month birthday!

2011-11-26T14:33:00.001-05:00

I hope that all of my readers had a Happy Thanksgiving (and since 90% of you were actually sitting at my table, I REALLY hope you did, because I definitely did!)

JJ has been a crawling machine, and doesn't slow down for anything, even the little cold he has now. He has started crawling from his room to the bathroom to take a bath--he is a huge fan of bath time. He also loves driving around in his car, an early Christmas present from GG and Pop-Pop.

An early Christmas present from them for me was my new Nikon! I am so excited about it, and have loved using it and getting to know how all of it works (I am far from mastering all of the features!)

Here are some pictures using the new camera of the family around the holiday!

Riley is almost 100% blind. He has some vision in his right eye. He's doing a good job of getting around, and we're trying to minimize problems for him. He's currently getting eye drops to make sure his eyes don't get inflamed.

My nutcrackers are out! It's officially Christmas!

Auntie Ib feeding JJ with Momo working entertainment.

Greasy Jim drinking juice!

Look at those eyeballs!

Getting kisses from GG!

GG rocking away!

Peekaboo!

The Heisman trophy pose!

Out for a spin with the Corgis!

Swinging!

Driving home!

More fun with GG!

Happy 6 months, JJ!

2011-11-01T13:18:00.001-04:00

JJ is 6 mos old, and I think it's time for an official update on skills, talents, progress, etc.

Statistics:
Weight: approx18 lbs 10 oz (50%)
Height: 26" (35%)
Head: 44 cm

JJ can:
-sit up without falling
-crawl forward and backward! (this technically came a little after his 6 mo birthday)
-rollover very very quickly from back to tummy and tummy to back
-grab objects with accuracy and precision
-eat fruits and veggies from a spoon
-feed himself his bottle
-turn pages in a book (not always one at a time and not always front to back)
-sleep in his crib for a 6-7 hour stretch, though this does not always line up with our sleep hours
-entertain himself for 30+ minutes
-suck his thumb instead of his whole hand or forearm, which was JJ's favorite snack
-immediately stop crying when he hears Mommy sing (this makes me so so happy because I love to sing--though admittedly I do not have that great a voice--but as long as my baby loves it, that's all that matters!
-recognize and show preference for certain songs--namely The Wheels on the Bus, which happens to be my favorite one to sing!

Other things to note:
JJ had his first ear infection recently, which he is handling like a champ. He is taking amoxicillin, which was my favorite medicine when I was little. I would take tiny swigs in the middle of the night without my parents knowing--it is that delicious! I asked JJ to share his supply with me, but he refused!
JJ is such a joy to be around. He is such a happy guy and is willing to share his smile with anyone who is looking. He had a week where he was waving too, but it looks like he's forgotten again. He rarely fusses, but when he does, it is usually an easy fix (hungry, sleepy, wet).
Still no teeth for JJ. They can stay away for a while longer. I won't mind.
JJ still loves being outside, and has recently discovered dirt. He loves playing in dirt and, much like everything else, tries to put it in his mouth. This is tough, because I want him to play outside, but now that he can crawl, all he wants to do is go to the edge of the blanket and sink his gums in!
We have a growing circle of babies whom JJ can play with now, all about similar age. He loves seeing other babies! They are so funny to him!

I think that's about it for now.

More Halloween

2011-11-01T11:25:00.002-04:00

When I was separating seeds and pulp, JJ crawled (that's right--our baby is crawling!) over and started playing around. He would then lick his hands and go back for more! I think the texture was so new and awesome too.

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T00:27:00.000-04:00

Every good Halloween begins with 2 things: a great costume and a great pumpkin. So when I went to visit my parents in mid-October, we were on the hunt for both. For our Halloween party, Jim, JJ, and I were dressing up together as Dr. Frankenstein (JJ), Frankenstein's monster (Jim), and the Bride of Frankenstein (Megan). JJ also got a monkey costume from his MoMo and Grandaddy that he was going to wear for his daycare party. So we had to find a lab coat to complete his look, a blazer for Jim, and a dress for me, and we found all three of them in King George County at my parents' favorite thrift stores. With costumes complete, Mom, Bob, JJ, and I went on to Westmoreland Berry Farm to the pumpkin patch! JJ and I had a great time, and we got 2 awesome pumpkins. JJ loved playing around in the grass and dirt in his overalls. He looked like such a little farmer!

Eating with GG!

The view from the picnic tables. Isn't this gorgeous?

JJ eye-ing my peach melba sundae! It was sooooo delicious!

Check out all of those ceiling fans!

Goats!

Who's that cute piggy?

JJ loves swinging! Hooray!

JJ as a monkey!

Inside playing with his abacus! JJ loves doing math!

I of course got no pictures of JJ as Dr. Frankenstein or of Jim as Frankenstein's monster. And I dressed as a hippie, because I deemed my costume too much of a pain in the butt as I scrambled to finish getting ready for our party. It was fine, and we all had a great time, which is what Halloween is all about. And also, we have a lot of candy, which is also what Halloween is about. :)

Hello World! It's me, Megan.

2011-10-26T22:44:00.003-04:00

We call JJ's exersaucer his "office" since he always seems to be working so hard. On this particular day, he even wore a tie to the office! So much for casual Friday! (though, he wasn't wearing pants, so that's pretty casual).

JJ is wearing his Rice Owls shirt and he kept playing with this one Owl box. This boy clearly understands accessorizing!

On our way to Virginia to visit my family, we stopped at a Rest Area to feed JJ, and he was AMAZED by the acorns that were covering the ground. He wouldn't rest until he got his hands in that dirt and played around. We had such a good time! JJ is definitely an outdoorsman!

About 5 minutes into his visit with my parents, he was already modeling my mom's baby purchases. What do you think of his little fisherman's hat for next summer?

And it was no secret how JJ feels about his new ball.

JJ cannot stay still during changes lately, so to punish him for this behavior, I am publishing pictures of his bottom on the internet. He sure is a cute little thing!

I'll post pictures of our trip to Westmoreland Berry Farm with my family soon. We've been super busy lately, coming and going to this event or that. Hopefully things will slow down as we start the holiday season. The likelihood of this is close to 0. I also have some fun house projects to post pictures of too!

Yard Sale Score!

2011-10-04T13:38:00.002-04:00

Since JJ is now of solid food age, I have been looking into making his food (because Megan never does anything the easy way...), and was a little bothered that the "spend money to save money" concept was back in play. Food steamers, food grinders, food storage systems, on-the-go items, cook books...there is a LOT out there for people who are trying to save some money by making their child's food, and I felt that it would take a while to see the savings. The only thing keeping me interested was that I could control the quality of my child's food and the waste from all of the packaging.

Enter this weekend. Jim and I went to a yard sale in town, and I was thrilled to find some of the very items I had been scouting in the past few weeks! I got a food grinder, 2 food storage trays, and an on-the-go grinder for food from my plate at restaurants, as well as some very helpful advice from the seller. And all for...$6!!!!! . I feel like I hit the jackpot! Here's a picture of my score. The items are as good as new!

So I purchased 8 jars of food for JJ (of Earth's Best "First" series), so that I can try out different foods to see how he reacts before I spend a lot of time making them (then I also have 8 jars that I can use to take his food around!). I started with sweet potatoes, and he seems to enjoy them! So I will add that to my list of things to make him. Next up, I will try squash, since our doctor recommended starting with yellow/orange veggies before green ones, then moving on to fruit.

Anyone out there have any tips for making your own food? How much did you make at a time? Did you develop any sort of routine that seemed to make the task easier?

Milestone!

2011-10-04T12:42:00.001-04:00

JJ has started eating rice cereal and pureed veggies!! We decided to give it a go this past weekend, and I would say it was a great success! You can check out my youtube feed for some videos of it all! And here are some pictures below of the events (and a few more of the last few days, since I can't seem to get enough of this little guy!)

During the feeding:

After the feeding:

Hanging at MoMo's with a basket on my head:

Such an avant garde look!

Recently JJ has started having a lot of fun on the changing table. Fun for him...tough for us!

He refuses to let go of his feet most of the time, which makes putting a diaper on his difficult to say the least!

Thanks, Uncle Ryan and Auntie Mel, for my monkey blanket! He's a good listener!

This is JJ typing in our GotCup.com chat room. He loves his (our) gadgets!

I can't believe JJ will be 6 months in a few weeks! It feels like most of the time has flown by, and I can hardly remember some of it! But most of it is etched in my brain as some of the sweetest time ever! What a fun little man we've got!

Bobcats

2011-10-02T22:44:00.000-04:00

If all goes according to plan (i.e. if the NBA can work through its current issues and the Bobcats have a season), Jim and I are season ticket holders! We took the plunge and will hopefully be enjoying a successful season up close and personal (not that up close)!

They held a season ticket holder BBQ the other day, and Jim, JJ, and I were excited to attend! We knew that no players were coming, but we met the assistant coach and Rufus the Mascot!!! We ate, drank, danced, and played mini golf! A great day for sure!

Always a Critic

2011-09-26T18:31:00.000-04:00

How to Read a Book by JJ Van Fleet

Step 1: Check out the cover. If it's compelling, continue to step 2.

Step 2: Open the book to the first page and read.

Step 3: Skip to the end of the book.

Step 4: WTF is a Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz?

Step 5: Turn the book to see if it makes sense from a different angle.

Step 6: Check out author's credentials on the back cover. What kind of doctor is this Seuss guy?

Step 7: Throw book aside and write it off as an old man's tomfoolery. Go back to reading sophisticated literature like Bert and Ernie's Book of Opposites.

Growing JJ

2011-09-25T19:37:00.003-04:00

JJ and I took this picture when he was 6 weeks old.

And here we are at 23 weeks. Look how big he's gotten! (and unfortunately, I look larger too :( How did that happen?)

And here we are hanging out by the bar, 'cause that's how JJ rolls.

Pictures of JJ

2011-09-19T19:34:00.001-04:00

I don't really have a bunch to say right now. Life is carrying on as usual, albeit a little crazy. I'll caption the pictures to let you know what we've been up to!

Because JJ has started sitting up on his own (yes, we have a sitter at less than 5 months!), we've recently eliminated using the car seat in his stroller. He seems very happy, and can see so much more on our walks now! What a big boy! It will still be a while before he's using that cup holder though!

JJ and I went to an interfaith candlelight vigil at a Lutheran Church to protest the ban on gay marriage that the NCGA was voting on last week. It was such a powerful evening full of spirit, words of love and justice from leaders of different faiths, and songs lifting up the power of love. It was a nice reminder that the conservative view is not the religious view. So many people of faith came out to show support and stand on the side of love. Unfortunately the vote didn't go our way, but I think the voters will avenge the discrimination in May when we vote.

Just a cute picture of JJ!

JJ's first self portrait! I gave JJ my phone with the camera turned on, and this is what he took all by himself!! I think he may be an artist following in the footsteps of Uncle Ryan!

This is another picture that JJ took of himself. I'm telling you, this kid is gifted. Most pictures I take of myself don't turn out this good!

I turned some of JJ's socks into a make-shift ponytail holder. I'm kind of a genius!

JJ and Franklin watching TV together!

Here's our little dude in the bathtub! He's using the "toddler" side now, since he loves to sit up! Soon he'll be in the real tub splashing around! (or the real kitchen sink, probably!)

Post-bath hanging out

This look isn't really runway ready, since we're mixing all sorts of seasons. We had a fire in our chiminea in the back yard--it was totally awesome--but since it was a little chilly, I wanted JJ to have a hat on. He's "between" winter hats right now though. He has a few infant caps, but they don't fit anymore, but his heavy winter caps would have been too much. So he got this summer hat that used to be mine, and this sleeper outfit whose legs are clearly too short for him. And the socks are also too small for him. I promise we usually take better care of him than this...

Our fire!

JJ came down with a fever last night, but that didn't stop him from being a smiley cute awesome baby this morning. This is how our baby acts when he has a temperature of 103.1!!! He's so great!

He fell asleep playing with his shape sorter! Poor little guy--I didn't even have a chance to put his pants back on!

Another impromptu nap. I sat him in the chair, went to grab something (I was out of the room for literally 30 seconds), and he had flopped to one side, grabbed his foot, and fallen asleep. He stayed like this for about 30 minutes!

That's it for now! Hopefully I'll post more pictures of our little guy soon (and hopefully he'll be 100% by then!)

Makeover

2011-09-13T10:35:00.003-04:00

Jim and I recently bought a bookshelf for JJ's room at a yard sale to benefit the Free Store in our neighborhood. The shelf cost us $5, which I thought was a bargain. It is solid wood, and was in decent shape. Here is the before picture:

I decided to paint it with chalkboard paint, so JJ could eventually use it to write fun things while he's in his room. Here is the after picture of the painted shelf in his room:

And here it is full of his (my) treasures! What do you think? Personally, I love it!

25 Small Ways to Go Green in a Big Way

2011-09-10T19:13:00.012-04:00

I am speaking on Tuesday at Ignite Charlotte 3 on Bringing Up Green Baby. The Ignite series has a slogan: "Enlighten us, but make it quick!" The evening consists of 5-minute talks from 15 speakers on various topics that they are passionate about. As promised in my talk, I am listing 25 small things that you can do to go green. There is no way that I could fit such details in the talk, since it is so short and structured (20 auto-advancing slides, 15 seconds to "talk to" each slide). So, here it is:

1. Use rags and burp cloths to clean up any baby messes around the house, then toss them in the wash with your cloth diapers. This cuts down drastically on the paper towel use around the house. (A 12-pack of paper towels lasts us well over 8 months. I really only use them to drain my bacon! Mmm...bacon!)

2. When you buy a toy (or inherit it from a friend), don't put batteries in it right away. The novelty alone will keep baby or child engaged for a while. Once this has worn off, then put them in, and make sure it is turned off after each use. (JJ's been using an exersaucer for about a month and we rarely turn it on for him. But he is still really engaged when it's off!)

3. Transfer cleaning and body products to reusable pumps. This way, they are "pre-measured" (per pump), and you end up using less than just squeezing out from the bottle.

4. Mark clearly with a permanent marker the "load lines" on your detergent caps. I guarantee you are using too much detergent per load.

5. If you will be using bottles to feed your baby, buy the larger size only (8 oz). Once baby is ready to move up to larger meals, you won't need to buy a second set of bottles.

6. Resist the urge to nest! Don't unwrap items until you need them because...you may not (and keep the receipt!)!

7. Forego the wipes warmer. You don't need it, and neither does baby!

8. Choose a laundry detergent with no phosphates or chlorine, and only natural scents (if your baby has allergies, you may have to forego the smell goods too). We use Ecos detergents, but there are several good ones out there.

9. Consider making your own body products from kitchen items, following these recipes. Have older children help you!

1o. Use cloth diapers already! How many times do I have to tell you how awesome they are! We use Kawaii snap diapers.

11. Babies and young children don't need bath toys. Give them used bottles and tupperware to fill and empty while they bathe.

12. Make your own baby food using recipes found here.

13. Breastfeed if possible. Greenest option and best for baby!

14. Buy gender-neutral clothing and bedding. This increases their ability to be handed down to future siblings or friends' babies.

15. Share your love of the planet with your kids! Talk about the importance of conserving resources and making better choices!

16. Use vinegar and baking soda to clean your house. They do a surprisingly great job, especially in the bathroom! (And they're cheap!) Add some essential oil to your white vinegar to make the odor more pleasing.

17. Compost yard and kitchen scraps.

18. Purchase rechargeable batteries. The upfront cost of heftier, but in the long run, you save a ton of money!

19. Have an "electricity-free" night once or twice a month. For 24-hours, turn off all running items (including A/C or heat, computers, TVs, lights, but not your fridge or security system). This not only saves $$, but also challenges you and your child to get creative! Read or draw by candlelight, camp in the backyard, make music with household items, have fun!

20. Pre-fold diapers happen to fit a Swiffer mop perfectly! When you're done using them for baby's bottom, use them to care for your hardwoods!

21. Start an indoor herb garden that your child can care for by him/herself. Or, have them help you maintain your outdoor garden, if space allows (container gardening is great for porches/balconies in homes with no yard)

22. Keep a "craft box" of items for art projects for rainy days. Cereal boxes, empty coffee cans/tubs, paper bags, magazines, scraps of ribbon, old greeting cards. You can use pantry staples like pasta, rice, dried beans, or cereal to supplement projects. (Just be sure not to turn into a hoarder. Recycle the items if you find you don't use them.)

23. Visit or join a community garden in your area. Some look for volunteers just to help them harvest items!

24. Use pictures from old books or magazines as art in your child's room, rather than buying new pieces. If they're old enough, have them collaborate to create a winning look!

25. Use Neem oil to keep bugs away from your children, pets, and garden. It's an all-natural way to keep pests at bay.

26. Turn your fingernail trimmings into bristles of a hairbrush for baby. (Just kidding on this one...seeing if you made it to the end. Did you?)

Look for more lists like this one every so often, because there are so many ways that little choices can make a big impact! Feel free to leave a comment with other ideas!

Pictures

2011-08-31T16:49:00.009-04:00

This summer has come and gone faster than I could have imagined, but at the same time it seems impossible that JJ is only 4 months (and 2 weeks) old! He feels older in what he can do and how much he "says" to us, but he's still just our sweet little baby! At his 4 month check up (on 8/19), he weighed 12 lbs 9.5 oz. (20%), 24.5" (25%), and 40cm head circumference (40%) and he is officially out of the low weight woods!! His next check up will be at 6 months like other children!

On Sunday we participated in a UU Ceremony at church called a Family Dedication ceremony. This is the closest thing we have to a baptism in most Christian churches. UUs, however, believe that children cannot decide to become a member of our faith until they are older, so until then, the congregation agrees to support us as parents raising JJ and JJ as an individual on his unique spiritual journey. It was great, and it was nice to have both sets of grandparents there to witness our congregation's commitment to our son. JJ let out a bit of...gratitude...during our moment of our silence. Looking around everyone heard how grateful he was, and were all chuckling silently to themselves. JJ is definitely our son.

I'll try to update on more specific goings-on in our lives in the next few posts. It has been interesting chez Van Fleet recently for sure!

And now for some pictures over the last few months. He's certainly gained weight, which I think is evident in his face most of all, but also his little legs. What do you think?

I just thought this little outfit was so cute on JJ. It looked like his first day of Kindergarten!

Meeting Uncle Ryan for the first time! JJ wore his "My Auntie Rocks" onesie because Aunt Mel was off rockin' at her work. She's important to a LOT of people (not just us!)!

An afternoon spent with MoMo and Grandaddy! Yay!

So cute!

This is JJ's new friend Franklin! (Sticking with the Founding Fathers names, of course. Bonus if you've seen Arrested Development.) He was an IKEA purchase when we went with GG and Pop-Pop.

Sitting in his high chair! What a big boy!

With his pretty GG on the front porch!

Goofball!

I was having so much fun, then ZZZZzzzzzzz...

More playtime in my highchair!

Big baby blues! This "little slugger" outfit was Uncle Ryan's when he was a baby!

Reading!

Hanging with Pop-Pop!

He loves his Exersaucer from his good friend MiMi! He's really good at entertaining himself in it, which is a blessing while I'm making dinner or trying to get things done. I haven't even turned it on yet either!

JJ and Mommy having fun during tummy time! (My earrings are Tasha McKelvey originals, as usual.)

SMOOOOOCH!

Reading with GG!

Hanging with Mom in my swing! Look at my Tigger tail!

JJ's chewing on everything these days!

Starving fans

2011-07-30T23:10:00.007-04:00

I am sorry I haven't been posting recently. With returning to work, the schedule has gotten a little hectic and I am still trying to find my bearings and get a routine down, which will of course include time for blogging.

While on the topic, work is going well. I returned to an orderly office with a backlog of only the most mundane tasks left to complete, thanks to Wendy, and we're getting into a rhythm of having 2 assistants now. We'll soon add a 3rd, since Jackie will be joining our team mid-August as a marketing director, so another interruption to the rhythm, but a happy one, I assure you. I received a promotion, to Director of Business Operations, which sounds great, right?. Since I was doing everything before I left, and now I have specific roles and don't have to do everything, I suppose it IS a real promotion! Our pay structure has changed as well, with a bonus schedule in place, so that's good as well.

Our morning routine is still somewhat of a challenge. I wanted to start on an 8-4 schedule, and probably still will to make time to go to the gym, but so far, we can't get ourselves together in time to make this happen! I need to wake up about 15-30 minutes earlier, and get down to business as opposed to now when I just dilly-dally and play with the baby. He's just too cute, though! How can I not?!? I can also do a few things the night before, like prep his bottles and take a shower, but mostly it's stuff that has to be done morning of, like change him and feed him. We're smart people, so I am sure we'll work something out. If you working moms (or SAH moms too) have any tips for a quick morning exit with an infant, please let me know! I would love the advice!

We've been going to JJ's doctor every 2 weeks now because the little guy still isn't putting on weight, and he's been falling off his "curve" for the 25%. He's at about 20% now, which isn't horrible, but they feel he needs to be higher. He was up to 10 lbs, 15 oz on Thursday. We're now feeding him a combination of breast milk (pumped and bottled when he's at daycare, and from the breast when we're together) and formula. It seems to be going well. I am glad he is still getting some breast milk, even though I still struggle with low supply for sure. I was reading the other day that some women pump over 40 oz a day?!? Are you serious? I am lucky to get 8 oz at 2-3 pumping sessions. I am beginning to think that lazy eater wasn't our only problem! I am still taking about 30 pills a day, mostly to do with breast milk supply augmentation, but it doesn't seem to be doing as much good as I had hoped.

JJ is now a solid roller. He has also discovered that not only can he control what his toes do, but also he can grab his toes and feet with his magical hands! He reaches and grabs at everything now! He is a fidgety guy for sure! If only I could train him to pick or bite off his fingernails--then I wouldn't have to do it! (I'm just kidding! That's a terrible habit that he shouldn't start. I am living proof that it is hard to stop!)

We picked up a bookshelf for his room at a yard sale near our house today that I am excited to makeover. I will take before and after pictures so you can see the transformation. I think it will look pretty awesome! Still not sure if I want to go black-brown like the rest of his furniture, gray because i have the paint, or completely strip and stain it (in an ebony stain, which we already have). I think the last is my favorite, but we'll see. I actually quite enjoyed my last stripping experience (furniture folks...get your head in the game), so that may be what I do.

We've had a busy few weeks this month. We've had 5 out-of-town guests, a trip to Charlottesville, and our first date since JJ was born. I was also chosen as a speaker for September's Ignite Charlotte 3 conference! I am so excited! I will be speaking about Bringing Up (Green) Baby. I am nervous, but excited to share my experiences and research with others on the topic. The talk is streamed live around the world, as well as video taped, so there is no excuse to miss it.

And now, for some pictures. You can also check my YouTube stream tomorrow (most likely) for some videos as well. But I have to mow the grass, usher, and do laundry, so I may not have time to get to it.

We've got a Super Star!!

2011-07-12T20:13:00.008-04:00

Our little JJ is growing up so fast, and coming up with all sorts of new tricks to keep us on our toes! Recently he has developed a love relationship with his hands. He grabs at everything, and will pass things between his hands pretty well! He also chews on everything. His favorites are: his hands, his car seat straps, his arm, our shoulders, anything you put in front of him. Jim has him exercising all the time, and his legs are very strong. He can push himself to standing with ease these days!

And for his latest trick--JJ ROLLED OVER FOR THE FIRST TIME!!! (and second and third...) As great parents, we caught it all on tape (and we were both there--as well as Sophie cat--which made it better!), which is totally awesome, and I proudly award us the gold star of awesome parenting!

You can find all of my uploads here--including the aforementioned awesome parenting rollover video. I will try to let you know when I put up videos, but check here periodically for some new ones.

http://www.youtube.com/user/meganvanfleet

JJ has continued to thrive at school. His teachers always report excellent days, which is great, and he comes home happy (albeit sleepy).

Yesterday was supposed to be my first day at work, but JJ had other plans. All Sunday evening he was straining and grunting with really bad gas. With the help of some baby yoga, we were able to get rid of some of it, but he was still straining a lot. He wasn't fussing though, so it was clear he knew he could handle it. But then I woke in the middle of the night and noticed that he was especially warm. We took his temperature in his armpit, and it was up to 102. Jim ran out to get some tylenol drops to get the fever under control (what an awesome daddy, right?). I nursed him to make sure he was getting all of the fluids and antibodies he needed to fight whatever it was he had. We gave him the drops, his fever lessened, but was still there. I called into work and let them know I wouldn't be coming in until my baby was better, and they were all awesome about it. (I do love that I work for 2 family men, and with Wendy who would do anything for Ginger (her doggie) and Bill (her fiance)). Around 9AM, I took his temp again, this time rectally, and his fever was 101.9. So I called his doctor's office, and they said that for a baby his age with a temp that high, they have you come in. Unfortunately, this was the one day they were closed due to an office move, so we went to Urgent Care (the same Urgent Care where Jim passed out while getting his blood pressure taken. Remind me to tell you THAT story if you haven't heard it!) The doctor checked him out, decided nothing was wrong, and told me that we weren't giving him enough tylenol drops. A few doses later, some good nappies, and JJ was healed!

So off to work I went today, and it wasn't half bad! They were taking it easy on me for sure, but I think it will be a doable arrangement even when they're not. My sweet coworker Wendy made me Weight Watchers brownies, and my other sweet coworker Jackie (who will be joining our team in August) got me a picture of my sweet baby JJ for my desk and some tissues when I realize how much I miss him! Ha!

I will have to work on the pumping though, because I only pumped about a bottle and a half today. I need to fit a 3rd session in for sure, but today got away from me a bit.

We had Tasha and Jeremy visit us this past weekend on their way to the Big Crafty in Asheville. She took some amazing pictures of JJ, some of which are below. It was great to have such wonderful friends meet our sweet little guy! Kate will be coming down this weekend, and I couldn't be more excited! Then we will be heading to Charlottesville the weekend after for Joanna's wedding, where he will get to meet Joanna, Becca, and hopefully Mike, Courtney, Sam and Alex as well! What a month!!!

And now, some pictures of our baby:

THIS FIST!!! FOREVER!!!

What makes this picture even better is that he is wearing a Star Trek onesie! Thanks, Uncle Ryan!

Apparently, I have TWO monkey men in the house!

Tasha meets JJ!!!

Hiding in the blankies! (As I like to call him, Mother JJ--as in Mother Teresa)

Eating his new delicious shirt from Auntie Mel!

(Okay, this is Sophie, but she's our baby too!)

And here he is "at the gym/Jim" in his new pants from Auntie Mel! Look how strong (and international) he is!

AAAHHHH!! I want to EAT YOU!

Serious biznass if I've ever seen it!

Hello blue eyes! Isn't this the cutest guy ever!!!!!

He's a big fan of his yummy zebra rainstick!

And of his jiggly bird! He's getting so much better at sitting in his Bumbo too! (this time with the help of a wadded up blanket)

Zebras are delicious!!

I love everyone!!!

First Day of School!

2011-07-02T15:59:00.001-04:00

I keep calling it school, but really it's daycare. And JJ started on Friday at The Crib! We are so lucky to have found such a great place! Mrs. T is his lead teacher, and she's been there for 11 years. She's awesome--totally put me at ease when we showed up a little nervous. Jim and I dropped our sweet guy off at 8:15 and I picked him up around 4:15.

JJ's day:
3 naps
6 dirty diapers
3 4 oz bottles
Tummy time
Outside time
Hanging w A, L, and Mrs T!

Megan's Day:
1 nap
7 reruns of Sex & the City (to relive my single days and take my mind off my missing baby)
2 loads of laundry
1 load of dishes
2 lists made
3 stores shopped
5 oz breastmilk pumped
2 cats petted
1 mom relaxed

A great day overall! When I picked JJ up, he was super smiley and happy to see me! That made me feel totally awesome!!! And now we have the weekend to relax and prepare for next week. I am a bit concerned about being able to pump enough for him to eat. We'll see how that goes. Formula supplementation may be in our future at daycare.

2 Months Old!

2011-06-23T11:00:00.007-04:00

JJ is just over 2 months old now. Here are the results of his check up this week (on 6/21):

Weight: 10 lbs (25%)
Height: 23 in (50%)
Head: 40 cm (50%)
Awesomeness: Totally (100%)
Favorite toy: Rattle
Favorite things to do: Be outside, stand up on Daddy, smile at everyone!
Biggest adventure: Going to the beach!
Things to work on: Sleeping by himself without assistance of breastfeeding or swinging

He's still slow at gaining weight, but he's maintained his 25% status. As long as he continues on his arc, they aren't worried. He is clearly thriving.

All of his skill sets checked in around the 4 month mark, so he is totally advanced for his age (as we all suspected--proud Mommy talking!). He can hold his head and chest up while on his tummy. He coos and gahs all the time now. He loves standing up with the help of his daddy (or visiting grandparents), and just needs a little help with balance. He smiles all the time either in response to your smiles or just because he finds something funny, and he's even started laughing too. He can sit up in his Bumbo and now grasps his toys when you give them to him. We never know what skill or habit he'll pick up next!

In general JJ is such a calm baby. He is now awake for most of the day, taking naps from 9:30-12:30; 3:30-4:30 and 6-7:30 (times are approximate, but in general he sticks to this timeline). He enjoys visiting with friends and family, but always loves returning to Mommy's arms (which are always open to him). He still eats often, usually every 2-3 hours with "snacks" in between.

Our biggest JJ news recently is that we found a daycare center for him for when I return to work! I am going back on July 11th, so he will be starting at the end of June to get into a routine there. I know that I will sob in the parking lot on his first day! I have really enjoyed our full time together. It's nice to have such a sweetheart to fill my day, though I think overall we have made the right decision having me go back to work. As nice as it would be to stay home full time, I think I would go stir crazy! I am not good at filling our day with visiting people and whatnot, since I am such a homebody, so I don't think he would get the socialization that he needs. At daycare, they have 3 women who are all very sweet taking care of him, and a room (not too) full of babies of varying ages and abilities for him to play with. They have music time, outside time (which JJ LOVES!!!), and little activity cards for each week of skills to work on with our baby. He'll have his own crib, and they will feed him breast milk that I pump for him and will even use his cloth diapers (which in my search is almost impossible to find!). I feel very lucky to have found such a great place for him (hopefully this will still be true once he starts there too).

And now, a TON of pictures of JJ:

Trying to plug in!

With GG and Pop Pop when they came to visit!

Out at Intermezzo with our friend Summer!

The rat tail in full effect! It's the only hair that hasn't thinned or fallen out completely!
Sideways Mommy and JJ
Daddy and JJ!
Standing up like a big boy (check out the Spiderman socks--thanks MoMo!)
Taking a bath! He's graduated out of his newborn sling!
YAWN!
Hanging with Riley in the Bumbo!
Taking a nap with the kitties!
Chillin' with MoMo!
My favorite toy! Thanks GG!
Supermen Bob and JJ
Cuddling with Grandaddy!
Sleeping on Sarah!
Gripping GG
Hiding on Pop Pop

Are you serious?!?

2011-06-19T02:55:00.001-04:00

THE CUTENESS WILL NOT BE STOPPED!!!

Our Sweet Angel

2011-06-15T10:32:00.000-04:00

When we returned home from vacation on Saturday, we were deeply saddened to find that our sweet Mispies had died while we were on vacation. It was so hard not only dealing with the physical trials of burying a beloved pet, but the emotional struggle of saying goodbye so suddenly. She didn't appear sick at all and was spry for her 11 years. For those that don't know our kitties well, Mispies was our shy, quirky girl. Even if you've visited our home, you may not have met Mispies, who was fond of hiding until the excitement was over.

Mispies was Erin's cat, and the first acquired of the ones we presently care for. She loved licking plastic (you heard that right), and would spend hours doing so to her heart's content. She was a snoogler, especially with her daddy, and could settle into an arm nook like nobody else. She had a pink belly, and when she was showing it off, you knew she was in a good mood. Living at this house was the happiest I had seen her in the 7 years I've known her.

Daddy, Bubba, Sophie and I will miss you, sweet girl!

Beach Vacation: Days 6 & 7

2011-06-14T10:24:00.001-04:00

Sorry no pictures for this post! Whoops! Thursday we had a great day with delicious food! I will mention now that Ib, Jim's sister, prepared all of the meals we had at the condo (with sous chef help from the parents), and they were delicious! I believe this day was beef sweet potato turnovers. Yum! We also went to P.T.s Grille for delicious burgers and beer, Boca Bay for seafood, and South Beach Grill (my favorite place to go) for delicious seafood too. In fact, I had a terrific salad with tuna on it--I will be dreaming of this for a while!

It's always sad to come home from vacation, but all good things must come to an end! Thanks so much to the Van Fleets for hosting us yet again, and making the beach with a baby such a wonderful experience! We look forward to many more trips together!

Beach Vacation: Days 4 & 5

2011-06-13T10:02:00.003-04:00

We started out by taking JJ to the beach again in the morning, and set up a tent for him to stay in while we enjoyed the morning. We totally messed up this experience! It was too difficult with just 2 people to set up the tent and have the baby. Then we left the tent on the beach and it blew away! Luckily the neighbors saw it blowing away and saved it for us. Thank goodness for the kindness of strangers. Next time we would bring a larger team for the set up and enjoyment of the beach experience with a baby.

Tuesday also held a special treat for us. We went down to North Myrtle Beach to have dinner with Jim's high school friend Jenn and her husband Brent. They are expecting a little girl, Lily, on July 15th! She looks absolutely great for being so far along! It was so fun catching up, and hearing how they've been.

Here's JJ getting dressed up to go see them! (Thanks, Sarah, for the adorable outfit!!)

On Wednesday we went to the pool again and had a great time. Here's Jim enjoying a beer on the balcony overlooking the ocean. What a glorious view it is!

Here's JJ enjoying his own snack on the balcony with Mommy!

Beach Vacation: Days 2 & 3

2011-06-06T22:07:00.005-04:00

Day 2 was pretty slow for Megan! Just stayed in the condo, mothered the baby, and watched cable. I did realize how much I missed HGTV--no surprise!

Day 3 found JJ at the pool in the morning in one of his new bathing suits, with his trusty hat by his side (well, on his head, really). Jim got to do the honors this time, since I was first at the ocean (we celebrate equal parenting rights at our house). JJ really liked the pool! At first we just put his feet in which he liked. Jim tried taking him around the pool in a motorboat fashion, which he didn't like that much. Then I took him and bobbed around in the shallow end for a while, which we both enjoyed. Then we sat under the gazebo at the pool and watched Jim play around and enjoy the beautiful morning! It truly was beautiful today. It was hot at the expected times, but on either end, it was very pleasant.

I returned to the pool later with inner tube to enjoy a little Megan time, and it was absolutely fabulous! It was only the second time ever that I was not in the same building as JJ (the first was on Saturday when I ran quickly to the bank before heading out of town).

Ib has been our chef for the trip, and has done a great job taking care of us. Tonight was taco night, with a guacamole and queso appetizer.

Tomorrow we'll be heading to Myrtle Beach to visit Jim's high school friend Jennifer Musick, and her husband Brent. They are expecting a little girl next month (to be named Lily--how beautiful!) Can't wait!

JJ has been really good overall for the trip. Despite some green poop that of course I worry about, he's really taken to traveling. He accidentally pooped on MoMo when he came back from the pool, but otherwise, he's been a perfect little gentleman.

Waking up this morning and having some cuddle time with Daddy.

Feet and bottom in the pool! He likes it!

Drying off in the gazebo after our swim.

I don't want to get out! I'm having too much fun!!

Beach Vacation: Day 1

2011-06-05T17:37:00.004-04:00

Getting fresh for his trip to the beach. I think he looks just like Jim in this picture. The only thing missing is White iPhone.

Finally at the beach! This is the view from the balcony of the condo for the week. Over the dune and right to the beach! Can't wait to get out there!

Neither can JJ! He insisted we get going first thing by putting on his SPF hat!

Mommy and Daddy obliged (could you resist?!?). This is JJ putting his toes in the Atlantic ocean for the first time!!! Certainly not the last!

All dried off and clean after coming in! What a great day!

Smile-tastic!

2011-06-02T12:25:00.004-04:00

I know that you all now depend on pictures of JJ to brighten your week and get you through to Friday...so here are a few of the smiliest (it's a word...look it up!) little guy! In his trusty swing this morning, I woke up from a quick nap to find JJ just smiling away at everything!

And here's a little something my brother created from a picture of JJ and Jim. It only took about 30 minutes to create the 1st draft. This is the 3rd and final version. So awesome!!

Packing for the Beach

2011-05-31T17:35:00.003-04:00

JJ and I took a break from packing for the beach to snuggle! Here are a few pictures...

Jim and I took this while I was pregnant. I practically lived in this nightgown for months!!!

Our House

2011-05-31T13:45:00.001-04:00

It occurs to me that I haven't ever posted pictures of our house! In an effort to be not just a mom, but a wife and a person too, I will post some. These were taken a while ago, but not a lot has changed since then. I will try to post more later of the basement and nursery, which aren't featured at all here. Enjoy!

Our front door with last year's wreath on it. We now have a cooler, tinsel-y-er version that I LOVE!

The back of our house. We have balconies off of our basement, kitchen, and master bedroom. We love them all!

This is the fence and walk that run along the stream in our back yard. It separates the manicured from the wild sections of the yard.
Our pergola and patio area in the back yard. A site for spring, summer, and fall meals. We now have a chiminea back there, so possibly winter meals as well!
Our front porch! Lots of time spent out here for sure, except now we have a wonderful table and chairs set, as well as lots of potted plants!

Our guest bathroom. When you come and visit us, this will be all yours!

Our sweet pea Riley cat (this was back when his left eye was still good. sadly, no longer the case) Photo courtesy of Tasha McKelvey

Kitchen window sill objects (photo and bird bowl courtesy of Tasha McKelvey)

Our bedroom, which features an orange, brown, black and white color scheme. It's really cozy, though I wish there were more wall space and less doors (total door count: 8!)

Front room. The side table has since been changed out.

Our den off of the kitchen. Lots of rocking happening in that chair (which was used to rock me as a baby as well!)

Dining room!

Kitchen with yummy meal option!

Moving pictures

2011-05-28T22:54:00.005-04:00

JJ is really cute in pictures, but I think he's even cuter in real life. Obviously I can't take him to everyone's house to show him off, so I think that videos do him more justice. Enjoy the few posted below! (apparently, I am too dumb to upload a video through the Blogger link, so you'll have to visit YouTube to see them). I apologize for my stupid commentary--if I were you, I'd mute the videos as you watch them!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwTeK6iVMfg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVfy4ZDrZHU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-bFpSN2zBw

(PS--If anyone wants to tell me how to better upload videos to my blog, please let me know!!! I have the mommy brain and won't ever figure it out on my own!!!)

In terms of updates, JJ is still doing well. We're nursing even more, and I am pumping even more. Now it is with the goal of supplementing his usual feedings, rather than storing for later. I don't know when I will be able to pump for storage sake...it seems like every drop needs to go to my skinny baby! Hopefully at his weigh-in on Wednesday, he will have packed on some pounds.

Per our midwife Leigh's advice (well, when I asked her if there was something we could do), we are now treating JJ's acne with antifungal cream (like Monistat). Today was the first day of application, so I will keep you posted on how that turns out. His acne just seems to be getting worse, and it makes him look so sad, even though it actually seems to bother me WAY more than it bothers him (which is not at all).

I also think he may have an ear infection, so we have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning. The more I look at it, the more I think it is just ear wax that has leaked out of his ear. But, since I am a new mother, we are going to the doctor's office.

He has been smiling a lot more lately, which you will see in the videos. He has also been a lot more vocal lately. He doesn't do a whole lot of what I would call "coo"ing, but definitely some "uhs" and some nasal "ah"s. It's all still very cute!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Memorial Day weekend, and thought of the men and women currently serving, or those who have served our country. Even if you don't believe in the cause they are fighting for, it is necessary to support the soldiers themselves. A beautiful poem was read at church on Sunday (I wasn't there, but Jim went to usher), and he shared it with me. Here it is--very moving.

The young dead soldiers do not speak.
Nevertheless, they are heard in the still houses:
who has not heard them?
They have a silence that speaks for them at night
and when the clock counts.
They say: We were young. We have died.
Remember us.
They say: We have done what we could
but until it is finished it is not done.
They say: We have given our lives but until it is finished
no one can know what our lives gave.
They say: Our deaths are not ours: they are yours,
they will mean what you make them.
They say: Whether our lives and our deaths were for
peace and a new hope or for nothing we cannot say,
it is you who must say this.
We leave you our deaths. Give them their meaning.
We were young, they say. We have died; remember us.

Happy One Month Birthday, JJ!!

2011-05-19T18:11:00.006-04:00

Mommy can't believe her little buddy is already a month old. Here's a glimpse into JJ's world. By JJ.

Stats: 8 lbs 11.5 oz. (25%) 22 in tall. (60%) totally cute. (100%)

Nicknames: Little buddy. Little man. Monkey man.

Favorite activities: nursing. sleeping. pooping and tooting. going on car rides.

Favorite places: Mommy and Daddy's bed, specifically laying down on their tummies while in their bed. My swing.

Favorite people: Mommy, especially her boobies. Daddy. Sophie Cat.

Favorite toy: I don't like toys yet, but I like it when Mommy makes up songs about my tummy time whale. my hands (to play with and to chew on).

Favorite book: Thomas Jefferson trivia that Mommy reads me while nursing.

Favorite outfit: anything with a monkey on it. And I like when my diaper matches my outfit--Mommy is really good at that.

Things I'm good at: holding my head up for, like, a million minutes at a time! sleeping! Being a good baby. flailing my arms. tooting. holding my soothie in my mouth all by myself.

Things I am going to work on: Gaining weight. Related: being a more efficient nurser. Not crying every time we go to Target or Salvation Army. Growing back the hair that I've lost.

The Labor

2011-05-19T00:11:00.005-04:00

My last day of work was Monday, April 11th, the day after my mom and Bob got into town. They were going to help around the house and get everything in order (the garden, a few home projects that I had mentioned, the vacuuming, dusting, cooking, etc) for JJ's arrival. Wednesday, April 13th, our due date (and coincidentally Thomas Jefferson's birthday) came and went and still no baby. I felt great, besides some swelling in my lower extremities, and it didn't seem like he was going to come anytime soon. So Bob decided to head back to Fredericksburg on Friday to get the Corgis out of the doggie hotel, since they weren't super happy and it didn't seem necessary to keep them there that long (please note that Gypsy the mean-face cat stayed at the kennel since 1) no one likes him and 2) no one cares how long he stays away).

Sunday even I started having back pain (in Costco of all places...my favorite!) which was probably some sort of back labor, but I didn't want to jump to conclusions about it. We came home and I laid down, which mitigated it for the most part. At 2:30 AM on Monday, I woke up to pretty intense contractions that were lasting about 2 1/2 minutes each. I was relaxing through them, and was able to handle them, but I wasn't able to do anything but lay down and concentrate on relaxing--so there went my putsy-putsy time! I had all of these activities planned for this "easy time" that we were promised--making lemonade, baking brownies, vacuuming, painting my nails. But my body decided that none of these things was important enough to make time for in the labor process. Finally I got in our tub around 4 am and labored for another 3 hours there. but the contractions were about 3 minutes long and I only had about 3 minutes between them. We called Leigh and she said we could head in, because the length of the contractions was concerning her (and I think she could tell that I was overwhelmed by the difference between "typical" and what I was feeling). I was also having the shakes, and had convinced myself I was close to transition (for you labor noobs, that means that the first stage was over, which was SO FAR from the truth!)

When we got to the birth center, I was only 4 cm dilated. This was really disappointing to me, since I thought I was further along to the 10 cm goal than that. We were that couple that arrived too early because they misread their labor signs. Leigh suggested that the contractions seemed so long because there were multiples piggybacking on each other with little to no distinction between them. She recommended that we keep timing them, but at the first sign of weakening, mentally let go of it, and convince my body to stop. This helped for a bit which was good. We walked around the parking lot and the room, and every few hours Leigh would check me, but each time I was only be another 1 or 1.5 centimeters further along. That was frustrating because it felt like my body was working so hard and not moving forward much. As I look back, I should have been thankful that I was moving forward at all, but at the time I was frustrated. I never actually said that I wanted to go to the hospital, but I heavily hinted at it. The pain was pretty bad, and I couldn't sit or lie down without experiencing intense pain. Luckily Jim (who was a fantastic coach--he earned that laminated card for sure!!) and Leigh didn't even acknowledge the possibility, and we moved past that frustration. I got into a bit of a rhythm again in the tub and found a different position that made things a bit easier (and my body finally gave me some break time once i found this). Then I guess transition kicked in, I vomited a bit (even though I didn't have much to get rid of). Finally around 9PM, after building my reputation as a mom with the "mouth of a sailor" who listens to gangsta rap while birthing, I was fully dilated and started to work on getting the urge to push. My water still hadn't broken, and the pressure building around my hips was getting to be really unbearable and preventing me from wanting to push. So around 10, Leigh broke my water. She said that the bag was very strong, so it turned out to be the right move, since there was some debate over it.

2nd stage was nothing compared to 1st for my labor! I felt like I was getting a few more breaks between contractions (though again, not as long as those described as "typical"). It was much easier than I anticipated, but I think only because it was a more active thing that I could control, rather than just dealing with like 1st stage contractions. I pushed from about 10:30 until 3:37 when the little guy came out!! I pushed on the toilet, one-legged kneeling on the bed, standing up, lunging, and most helpful was on the bed, Jim behind me holding my legs back, and Leigh in front of me telling me to "push to here" where she was putting pressure on my perineum. The last bit went by so quickly. I thought we had another 40 min of labor and then the next thing I knew, we were looking at our baby. We birthed on the bed, even though i did most of my laboring in the tub and shower. I will never forget the feeling of having the baby slide out of me and onto the bed in front of our very eyes. After so much work, you almost forget that there is a goal in mind--having a baby--so when you see him in front of you, having just come out of your body, it is pretty shocking!

He was completely healthy and perfect! 8 lbs 7 oz. 22 in long. 14 1/2 in head. 10 fingers, 10 toes. Completely perfect! Leigh cleaned him up while I caught my breath and processed what just happened, and Jim and I stared at him and each other in awe. I remember saying, "He's so CUTE! He's actually cute!" (In general I think newborns are pretty gross looking). Leigh wiped some vernix on my hand (the white "cheese" that babies are covered in in utero to protect their skin from getting pruny in the amniotic fluid) and told me that it's the greatest lotion ever, and that I should rub it into my skin when I felt capable of it. She was right--it is the greatest lotion ever! Leigh finally handed me our beautiful baby and Jim and I cried and stared and cooed and stared and kissed and cuddled and breathed. We had done it! After I birthed the placenta--and examined it very closely, it is fascinating!--we cut the cord. I was very sore and tired, but Leigh helped me into the shower to get cleaned up. Then I climbed back into bed. The next thing I remember is waking up with the baby in my arms and Jim next to me. We were able to leave the birth center after Jim went to get us some Bojangles' biscuits.

Leigh, Damaris (another midwife who joined us for the last few hours of labor), and Jim were the greatest team I could have had, and I felt like our Bradley training really did help us stay on track. Not only because of the laboring skills we learned, but also because of the knowledge that we were doing what was best for Baby and Mom.

G.G. greeted us at the house and we all breathed a sigh of relief that our sweet little man was here. I went up to bed and stayed there for the next day and a half. I couldn't have survived without my mom! I will spare the details, but your body is pretty much a mess after giving birth! I was glad to have some help taking care of myself since I had to take care of the baby. I will be forever grateful to my mom for the week and a half she spent with us after his birth taking care of all of us--cooking, cleaning, everything!

Momo and Grandaddy came by later that afternoon (for those that don't know, they now live in Charlotte!) to meet their grandson. It was such a special time for all of us.

This was definitely an experience that I will never forget. I think it was the perfect birth for us (although it could have been a little shorter, in my opinion!). I was proud that we had chosen to bring our baby into the world in such a positive, supportive environment. And I was glad to have my wonderful husband by my side the whole time, as we met our beautiful son for the first time.

JJ in the car on his way home from the birth center!

JJ and GG gliding and getting to know each other!

WE CAN'T STOP STARING AT OUR BABY!!!!!

A visit from the Van Fleets to meet their grandson!

The Pregnancy in a post

2011-05-18T23:40:00.003-04:00

July: Mommy knew right away that I was pregnant! I waited to take a test at the end of the month, and it came back negative. But I would not be swayed! I took another test...

August: On August 5^th, your G.G.'s birthday! I took it first thing in the morning, and it was positive! I came down stairs and put it in your daddy's lap, who was working in his blue chair. We hugged and kissed and were so excited!! We had wanted a baby, and soon we would be your parents!! On August 18^th, our 3 year anniversary, we went to work, then came home and called family to tell them the news!! Everyone was so happy about you! Mommy went to visit G.G. and Pop Pop at the end of the month, and they had prepared a bunch of things for me to take home—some toys from my childhood and a list of names to name a few—and it was the first time that I felt like I was going to be a mommy for real!

September: We had our first doctor's appointment on September 9^th with Dr Belle. We liked her a lot, but ultimately decided we wouldn't be having you at the hospital. We went to visit Daddy's family in DC for Aunt Ib's birthday. We had a lot of fun as usual! We got our first glimpse of you on September 28^th when we had our first ultrasound! We were smitten! You were so little and cute, and had a strong heartbeat! I loved every minute of this visit! Mommy was feeling fine, but very tired! Daddy was very amused by how easily I could fall asleep!

October: A pretty slow month for us, but our anticipation continued to grow! We eased into the second trimester with very little problem! All reports were healthy and happy baby! We were slowly telling more friends and making some preparations for you. Mommy went as a “Devil in a Blue Dress” for Halloween and went bowling with some coworkers, where we spilled the beans about our little secret—you!

November: Mommy had tons more energy starting around now. At the beginning of the month, we found out we were having a little boy! I was convinced you were a little girl, so it took some getting used to at first, but I was so excited!!! A little boy!! Daddy and I were both over the moon with excitement! Mommy started interviewing for her replacement at work. Then Daddy took Mommy to a conference in New Orleans. As we boarded the plane and sat down, I felt you kick for the first time!! And boy, could you kick!!! We had a great trip! Later on you would kick a lot more! At the same ultrasound they told us you may have some issues, so we scheduled another one for later on. Mommy and Daddy both knew you were perfect, but wanted to make sure we were on top of things.

December: We decided that we were going to have you at the birthing center in Fort Mill, and were so excited to have Leigh Fransen as our midwife. She was awesome and made us feel totally at ease with our decision. We couldn't wait to meet you, but wanted to make sure it was the perfect experience for our family. We could tell that Leigh was a childbirth geek, and that was totally awesome to us, since we are both pretty geeky ourselves! It was a great fit, and we were building the dream team to bring you into this world. We went to Fredericksburg to visit G.G. and Pop Pop and Uncle Ryan and Aunt Melysa. What a great holiday we had! Then we flew to Iowa to visit MoMo, Grandaddy and Aunt Ib, where the fun continued. You got a ton of great stuff for Christmas, and it was starting to feel like you were going to be here any minute. Of course, we still had 4 more months to go!

January: Mommy started training my replacement at work, and I felt the clock ticking down to your arrival! Daddy and I decided that he would accept a position with Other Screen and put his business on pause. This was largely due to your impending arrival. We knew that big decisions were being made, and that you were a big part of all of them! We started birthing classes at the Birth Center, and were preparing mentally for your arrival. We felt that educating ourselves was the best way to create a happy, warm environment for you to arrive in.

February: We had our third ultrasound and they confirmed our suspicions that you were perfect. Your heartbeat continued to be music to our ears! Mommy had 2 baby showers this month! One was put on by Sarah, Mimi, and Hattie on Daddy's birthday, and was tons of fun! We played a lot of games and had lots of fun time with family and friends. G.G., MoMo, and Aunt Ib all made it down for the shower! The second shower was a SURPRISE put on by my friends at work: Misty, Wendy, and Jackie! It was so fantastic, and once again, Mommy was overwhelmed by my friend's generosity! Your supplies were nearly all gathered, and we were getting closer and closer to your arrival.

March: Mommy was getting increasingly miserable with very swollen ankles, calves and feet. I hadn't worn real shoes in a month or so—only loose-fitting bedroom slippers. This made Mommy very sad, and I was growing very nervous that my shoes would never fit again. Mommy's birthday came and she celebrated quietly with Daddy at home.

April: The month of your arrival! The most exciting thing ever happened this month (besides your birth of course), which was the Prince concert in Uptown. Mommy had wanted to see Prince perform since she was in high school, and I finally got to see it happen in all its glitter fabulous glory! Remind me to describe every detail of how hot this concert was to you when you're older. You will not be disappointed! Mommy and Daddy decided that April 11^th would be Mommy's last day at work. Wendy was more than prepared, and Mommy no longer felt that I was needed there. And I was very uncomfortable there, so it was in our best interest to stay home and relax. G.G. and Pop Pop arrived on the 10^th, and we had a good time hanging around the house making final tweaks to your future home. When your due date, April 13^th, came and went, Pop Pop decided to head home to the Corgis and wait for you in Fredericksburg. G.G. stayed with us and took care of Mommy and Daddy until you came. We went to Costco on Sunday, April 17^th, and that's when Mommy thought I was in labor, since my back hurt so badly! But I wouldn't go into REAL labor until Monday morning at 2:30 AM! Stay tuned for the birth story! It really isn't too exciting—just a lot of complaining!

JJ, April 19^th was the greatest day of your Mommy and Daddy's life! We fell instantly in love with you as soon as we saw you, and that love has only grown and grown and grown with each passing minute! We feel so complete with you in our lives!

The pictures are in reverse order, but I don't feel like reordering them.

What a Chunkster! Sleeping for the first few days of life!

Finally awake and alert about a week old!
Sleeping in Mommy and Daddy's bed!

Daddy and Baby JJ sleeping after coming home from the birthing center! They left Mommy upstairs to recover from labor--what gentlemen!!

Off to the birthing center to have JJ! This was at 8AM on Monday--we would be home in a day and a few hours with our bundle of joy!

Vacation

2010-06-18T11:55:00.002-04:00

This is our last full day at the beach, where I've been for the past week with the Van Fleets. I will try to take some pictures today, since I have 0 so far! I'll do a real post once we get back and settle back in to life. When we get back...#SummersEve10!! I will DEFINITELY have pictures from that!!

Hope everyone else has had a great week!!

More garden pics

2010-05-18T22:40:00.004-04:00

Just like I promised...here I am again! with pictures! I'm sorry they're all pretty crappy--I rarely bother to get the camera out. My iPhone takes okay pictures, so that's what I use! Here are additional pictures of the garden and other pieces of the front yard. Here's the garden from the front porch--usually where I sit when I get home from work.

This is the right side of the front yard, including our adorable house numbers. I didn't think I could love house numbers so much, but I do! Our CPI plant is thriving!!

More pics of the garden!

Our Crepe Myrtle in the front yard. I just pruned it the other day, so now it has a cute weeping look, which I love!

My tomatoes are coming out already! These are going to be yellow grape tomatoes called Sungolds--and they are delicious!!

When Jim came home from Richmond, he came back with this little guy from our friend and awesome potter Tasha McKelvey! He's so cute!!!

More veggies growing on the front steps. Tomato and squash!

Two types of peppers: a jalepeno, and one called a Big Jim! I had to get it!! Lavender and a surprise growing in the little pots. Everything we've planted has been started and cared for organically. No chemicals, except for H2O, have been used in the making of this garden! I do use Neem Oil to keep the pests away, but it is also organic--also great for your gums and scalp! Haha! I sound like a crazy person sometimes!!

I have so enjoyed starting and caring for my garden. It's so relaxing to come home and watch how everything has grown. Things are really thriving and it's so rewarding to see my efforts actually turn in to something!

Who else has a garden? What are you growing? How are things looking?

What I've Been Up To

2010-05-17T20:38:00.008-04:00

Certainly not blogging!! I promise I've been busy doing other things, which I'll talk a bit about here. Most things have been great, so that's good!

In February Jim left his job at TradeKing to start his own business as a freelance computer programmer and consultant. Though it has its challenges--and there will be more to come, I am sure--I can tell that Jim is much happier working for himself. After a bit of a rocky start, he's going full-steam ahead and booking his calendar months in advance. I am really proud of him, needless to say, but I want to say it anyway, because he's most likely going to read this :) Right now he's in San Francisco in training--that is the one downside of this arrangement. He's traveling a lot to various places--Raleigh, Richmond, San Francisco so far--and I miss him!

My work is going well. Not really that much to say, since it's just an office job. This, however, leaves me a lot of energy most days to come home and tackle home projects. I'll show a few of them just because that's what I wanted to do in this post!

The first project is the garden. Unfortunately, I don't really have any pictures of the finished product, (I will post those tomorrow when it's light out), but everything is doing well, and there are already some tomatoes on the plants! So far I've planted 2 types of basil, 3 tomato plants, red pepper, arugula, rosemary, zucchini, yellow squash, and butternut squash. I had to "scalp the earth" (as I kept calling it so that I would sound like a badass) in the front yard, because it's the only place that gets consistent sunlight and drains well. It looks great. Here are pictures of the "scalping" process:

For some reason, my third picture isn't loading...hmm...

When I was in Fredericksburg for Easter with my family, Mom and I went to our Goodwill, and I found 3 chairs that I really liked, but they were in terrible shape. Literally falling apart, terrible fabric on the seat, and the wood's finish was just sad. They had a great look to them, and I could tell that they were solid wood, and at $5 a pop, it was hard to leave them behind. I took them all apart, stripped off the previous finish, sanded, stained, glued, screwed, nailed, and recovered them! Phew! I think they look great--a total "drab to fab" makeover. What do you think?

I think they look pretty awesome!! I'm going to use the leftover fabric to make some cushion covers for the other chairs in our den.

Since I'm having some issues with blogger now, I am going to end here for now. I will post the rest of the projects this week. Do you it's been a whole year that we've lived here, and I haven't posted too many pictures of the house. That will soon change!!! I plan to do a Happy Birthday House post soon.

Hope everyone is doing well!!!

My Baby Doll

2010-03-23T19:25:00.003-04:00

Due to a terribly tragic apartment fire, our great friends Sarah and Morri (with Baby Miriam and Dog Ivy in tow) stayed with us a bit ago while they moved. Luckily, their apartment was not one of the worst hit, but it did still mean an impromptu move and a general unsettling of an otherwise comfortable set up (as well as a purging of the unnecessary, which isn't always bad, I guess...). They were champs about the situation though, and made the best of it. I loved having a full house! It was fun to come home from work everyday to smiling faces galore! Especially this sweet little adorable baby!! Ah!!!!! Seeing Jim play with her made me realize that Jim and I should DEFINITELY have children soon! (Although, this sweet face could convince me of almost anything!)

DINOSAURS!

2010-02-24T21:22:00.002-05:00

We had a fun fun fun surprise weekend when Ib and Greg came down last
weekend! Ib and I planned on surprising Jim, and being the stealthy
ladies we are, were able to pull it off! (I'm sure they were also
surprised when I fell asleep and didn't let them in right away!)

We had a great weekend playing around town. We hung around Noda on
Saturday, played some Wii Sports Resort, and ate a fabulous dinner at
Intermezzo that night (and a delish dessert stop at the DQ!). On
Sunday we went to the Penguin for lunch, which was of course awesome.
Then we said goodbye :( We'll visit soon and see how their apartment
makeover is looking! Thanks again guys! We miss you already!!

On Saturday, we also stopped by Michael's to pick out yarn for a
fabulous scarf that Ib is generously knitting for me. I also picked up
a late birthday present for Jim!

The directions for the dinosaur started with "Get a general idea of where all the pieces go..." WHAT?!? I think it turned out great, and he now resides on Jim's office shelf.

I also figured out how to post from my phone (this is my first one), so you may be seeing more typos since I have fat, (previously) broken fingers.

Have a great evening!!

Cuteness!

2010-01-18T16:33:00.004-05:00

I recently uploaded pictures from the camera we don't really use anymore (actually, as you can tell from my general lack of photos that we don't use ANY camera!), and stumbled across this. It's back in June, right after we moved into our house, and Jim decided to make breakfast for me. This is the fruit of his labor! (He did, of course make more than one pancake, but this was the best Mickey he made. Jim will be a great dad someday.)

Almost too cute to eat...almost.

No Comment

2010-01-06T20:20:00.003-05:00

"Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!" -Anonymous

This was an anonymous comment left on my last post. I am sure it was spam of some kind, but I got a big kick out it. Did this anonymous spam program not notice that I don't post nearly as often these days? And that most of my posts are apologies for not posting as often as I feel I should? Perhaps they're sending me a different message, which is, "your silence says more than your lame posts ever will" or "it's what you're NOT saying that I'm hearing loudest" or "your blog was chosen at random by this spam program".

Who knows. The point is this. I will be even MORE creative and MORE original than my newer posts. Take THAT, SPAMMER!!!

Also, if you are the author of this comment, and are not spam, feel free to identify yourself next time. All opinions are heard on this blog. And by all opinions, I mean mine.

FIN

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-26T19:01:00.006-05:00

Well, so Christmas Eve, Christmas, Hanukkah, and Boxing Day have all passed, but New Year's Eve and Day have yet to pass, so I'm still on time. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!! I hope everyone got to spend time with family and friends, or will soon. It certainly makes for an excellent beginning to the New Year.

For Jim and myself, we have spent the past several days in Iowa with the Van Fleets. We've had great fun spending time with the family, eating lots, playing games, watching movies, and just hanging out. Thank you for a wonderful Christmas, Jane, Alanson, and Ib!!!

We leave tomorrow for Charlotte, where we'll go back to work for a few days, then head to Fredericksburg to do "Christmas for New Years" with my family. I am excited to see them, since it's been a while (we saw Mom and Bob at Thanksgiving, but haven't seen Ryan or Melysa since Easter!). I miss my family a bunch lately, so I am super excited to see them! (Note to family: You are ALWAYS welcome to visit us in Charlotte!!! That would be so nice!)

We'll be visiting Richmond people on the way to the 'Burg too, which will be fun! We'll also get to visit with Marta and her family while in Fredericksburg, then we'll get to see all of the Barretts at Sammy's 1st birthday party in Staunton, on our way back to CLT. I am excited about seeing so many people, even if it is packed into only a few days...

My New Year's resolution is to get Blogger working well with my iPhone, so that I can blog directly from my phone. Right now, I am having some issues...

Here's to making 2010 (saying "twenty ten" will save years off your life apparently--haha, not really) a year of peace, love, and togetherness.

A bunny outside of the Van Fleet's house in Iowa! He was sooooo cute!!

Our Nativity scene in Charlotte. This was my Grandmother's set that was given to me.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care!

Our beautiful Christmas tree!!

I've got some 'splainin to do!!

2009-11-20T21:39:00.006-05:00

Oh, loyal, faithful readers, I am sorry I have abandoned you. In this economy when you need my wise words more than ever, I have forsaken you. A million times, I am sorry!

I wish there were some awesome reason for my absence...world travel, disease that led to weight loss and a new rockin' bod, monumental changes going on. But sadly, just life as usual, which has been pretty great lately. I won't update you on every little thing, mostly because I can't remember them, but I will give you a few highlights, with a promise to do better.

Everything around the house is still good. My decorating craze was put on hold, mostly because I just sort of stopped decorating, but soon it will be back when we get some shelves installed on the main floor, and I make some rockin' curtains for a few rooms. I did, however, get the office in great shape, with a new filing cabinet, my diplomas hung, and a general cleaning. It looks great, and Jim was really surprised! Yay!

A few trips we have made:

-Asheville, NC to see a Richard Buckner show, and visit our friend, Ezra
-Scott Mountain near Amherst, VA to go camping with Tasha, Jeremy, Gwen, Brady, Sophie, Gardener, Matt, et al.
-Jim went to Cincinnati for his last ever CISV Board Meeting!
-We went to Richmond for Kate's birthday and Halloween. We had a great time, as always!!

A few trips we are going to make:

-Jim is in San Francisco now at a conference
-Thanksgiving in Fredericksburg, with a visit to DC in the days following
-I will be heading to Philly and Swarthmore, PA to visit Sarah, Andy, Maddie, and baby #2, and to go to Emily and Roban's wedding with Marta!!! I am really excited about this trip!!!
-Christmas in Iowa, then Fredericksburg
-Perhaps Paris in April?!? We've been talking about it and would love to go. We think there may even be a direct flight from CLT to CDG. We're researching...

Some new things:

We bought a beautiful new LCD TV for the basement, with an HD Tivo, new Amp, Mac Mini, etc. We've really been loving it. I never thought I would really care about the picture quality of TV, as long as my favorite shows are on, but it really does make a difference.

New friends. Jim's geek connections have been paying off lately. We have befriended a guy he works with, his wife, and their adorable daughter too. Also, another fun couple that features a programmer. Our new friend Ben just left Charlotte to move back to Lexington, but we're hoping he and his girlfriend will return soon.

I dyed my hair for the first time in FOREVER! It's my Winter look, and I am really enjoying it.

I got an iPhone!! I have had the same phone for the past 4-5 years, and it was showing! I had a huge phone, with no data plan, that would freeze for 5 minutes after I sent a text message (which makes texting back and forth a huge problem!). I am glad to see it go. If you have not received my new number, and you are a friend, just email me for it. I absolutely love my iPhone--works wonderfully, calendars syncing, apps downloading...life is good!!

In other news...

-Jim's parents will be coming to visit in early December, which is exciting.
-Work is still going well, with some general annoyance from useless coworker.
-I am excited about the holidays. I have no idea what to get anyone this year...seriously. I started to make a list (because that's what I do), and it just a list of names with blank spaces next to them. So SEND LISTS!!!
-Jim and I are still loving Charlotte, our house, our lives in general.

Well, that's about it for now...I will try to be better about posting. With the holidays coming up, I will have some time on my hands (work will be slower, more vacation time, general happier mood for sharing). I will try to share that time with you, dear readers.

Can't stop redecorating

2009-09-20T14:32:00.002-04:00

I don't know what's gotten in to me lately, but I can't stop redecorating. I can't stop shopping for nick-nacks (or nick-nicks as we call them, thanks to the Van Fleet's movers a while back) and throw pillows, making lists of home projects, planning, planning, planning. I just hope that some of this planning actually materializes into awesome house-ness. We went to IKEA yesterday for shelving, and I found a photo ledge to help put up these canvas board paintings my brother did a while back. Sooo happy about that, since I didn't want to frame them, but didn't know how else to get them on the wall!

I am hoping that I will have fabulous pictures to post soon!!!

The weather is getting cooler, and I think Fall is officially here, which I am so excited about. I can't wait to get out in the yard and prep it for the coming winter. I have big plans for a veggie garden for next year--and actually getting to use the compost I've been working on. Recently it's a bit wet because of all the rain we've had, so I need to add some more brown to balance that out.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! I am also hoping that this coming week goes by quickly. I have really been loving the weekends lately, and not so much on the work front. Nothing terrible to report, but it's work, and I prefer relaxing.

Houston and Charlotte

2009-09-12T20:07:00.011-04:00

Over Labor Day weekend, Jim and I went to Houston for his college buddy Jordan's wedding to the lovely Aimee. I was excited to go, since this was the first time I had seen Rice, where Jim and Jordan met in college, and the town that Jim speaks of often (and not too fondly, in general). I had a great time on the trip, and was pleasantly surprised by Houston and all it had to offer. I will mostly just post pictures here, since I am drugged up on pain medication from getting my wisdom teeth out yesterday.

The wedding was absolutely beautiful! Very modern, with vintage touches, and the bride was truly glowing and happy and fabulously gorgeous! The groom looked awesome too, in his sharp new tux, which he seemed quite pleased with.

The House of Pies, where we ate breakfast our first morning there. They offer more than just pies, of course.

Jim at The House of Pies.The pies of The House of Pies.

Welcome to Rice University!
Founder of Rice, Mr. William Marsh Rice. He is buried under this statue, making Rice the largest private cemetery in Texas (I believe).

Jim under the Sallyport, which welcomes you into Rice's Quad.
Jim's residential college, Baker, was under construction, and therefore we couldn't go in to visit. Doesn't look like anyone will be living there this year!

More construction at Baker College!

Jim has talked about Freebirds since we met. It's his favorite burrito in the world. Two thumbs up, indeed, Jim!

Preparing to have his mind blown by his monster (that's the size of the burrito he got).

Digging in!

Savoring...

This is my burrito. I am usually not very excited by burritos, since it's usually just the same stuff everywhere (and for whatever reason, most places don't believe in heating up their fillings?!?). This one was quite delicious--lived up to the hype!

I made wedding bells in honor of Aimee and Jordan out of my foil for the "Foil Objects Wall" they have at Freebirds.

The proud artiste!

Minute Maid Stadium.
Downtown Houston!

Fun animal topiaries!
They had so many!

Before the wedding started. What a beautiful sanctuary they had set up. I would never have guessed that a wedding in a hotel would be so beautiful!

The dinner plates were so beautiful! And the food was delicious!

We sat at the Cornwall table.

We elected Evan "Duke of Cornwall" by the end of the evening. Very fun guy!

Dad giving a speech about Aimee and Jordan. Cheers!

Thank you, Aimee and Jordan for hosting such a beautiful event. This was the first time I had met either of them in person, and enjoyed such a fun weekend. Can't wait to visit again (or have them visit us!) Have fun in Costa Rica!

Back in Charlotte, we got to meet several babies for the first time. An unusual friend of mine, Charlotte the spider, has taken up residence on our back door. At first I was very annoyed, and wanted to get rid of her, but then I became amazed at her perseverance--every time you open up the back door, she has to rebuild a bit of her web, in which she had created 2 egg sacks. This is after the second one yielded lots of baby spiders--those are the little spots everywhere!

We also got to meet our friends Sarah and Morri's baby Miriam. She is an absolute peanut--so cute and adorable!!! I'll post pictures of her soon--have to get them from Jim's phone, since our camera battery was dead by then!

And then, just before we left for Houston, I found this fabulous couch at our Salvation Army just up the road. I love that place!! We got this sofa, in great shape, for $80. I am planning on removing the skirt to make it a bit more contemporary. I'll also get some throw pillows to break it up a bit. But I love it!!!

And finally, here's me and my wonderful nurse during my recovery this weekend. My cheeks are big anyways, and this just makes me look ridiculous. I hope the swelling goes down before I go back to work on Monday!!

Surprise!!!

2009-08-31T20:23:00.003-04:00

On their way home to CA, Christine and Lanny stopped in Charlotte to say hi!! It was so great to see them both, and I wish they could have stayed longer! They are so Berg-a-licious!

Let's Get Ready To Rumble!!!!

2009-08-23T16:50:00.002-04:00

This weekend, Jim is participating in the Rails Rumble with a coworker and friend of his, so I took the opportunity to clean, clean, clean, weed, mow, and shop.

To read what the Rails Rumble is, go here.

Saturday, which was the first full day of the contest, we ate lunch with Sarah and Morri. Jim then went to work at Adam's house, while Morri, Sarah, and I went to see The Cove. This was a good documentary, but like most, extremely depressing. It is about the slaughter of dolphins in Japan, and a team's journey to get video footage documenting this slaughter (the area where they are killed is not visible, so nobody had seen how the dolphins were killed). One of the team leaders is a man who starred in Flipper, and it also follows his personal struggle to forgive himself and make up for his role in this process.

Then I went to the hardware store to get several items for various home projects.

My big excitement came at the Salvation Army near our house. I bought a cast iron skillet, a cute white bowl with nubbins all over it, a cute hummingbird "bric-a-brac", and a fabulous chair ALL for $26!!! The chair is now in our bedroom, and adds that perfect bit of glamour I was looking for!

Then I cleaned the house for the next 7 hours, and it is beautiful!!

Today, I mostly did laundry and yardwork. I mowed the grass, weedwhacked, and weeded our beds. The yard looks magnificent, though I wish we had our yard tools from my parents' house, so I could lop off a bunch of branches on all of the crape myrtles that are out of control!

My herb garden is doing very well. The rosemary that I thought was stunted forever has finally shown signs of growth. We have 2 jalepeno peppers that are almost ready to be picked, and I will be making a lot of pesto soon to use up all of the basil out there. The grapes are alive, which was more than I thought they would be at this point, but they are still too short to tie to the pergola. Hopefully they will survive the winter and grow more next year.

I just got back from the grocery store, and now I'm blogging obviously! At 7PM, when the Rumble is over, we'll probably go out to eat with Adam. I feel extremely great about how this weekend went, and am looking forward to a somewhat slow week, since one of my bosses is out of town.

I will post pictures soon of the things I mentioned above, and a few of the house too (especially now that it's super clean!!)

PS: I got my first business cards this week!!! Woohoo!

PPS: I also forgot to mention that I am scheduled to get my wisdom teeth out in mid-September. I am obviously not thrilled, but I am not nervous at all about it. I met with my surgeon a few weeks ago, and he is great. He actually reminds me a ton of our Financial Planner, Bill, and is great, so that is one fear assuaged. Once my date is actually scheduled, I'll let you know. I just don't know how much bigger my cheeks can get!

Canada in Pictures

2009-08-16T16:37:00.006-04:00

For once, my post is mostly pictures! These are pictures from our trip to Toronto, in July. It was lots of fun--and here's the proof!

Greener Pastures

2009-07-17T18:44:00.005-04:00

I am not sure that anyone will remember, but at the beginning of 2009 I made a resolution to change most of our household and beauty products to greener versions, and to generally live a greener life. I did this for several reasons, which I will list here.

1. It's better for the earth. I am nearly brought to tears by Noah Wiley's polar bear commercials, so I just think of them everytime I throw something out or drop terrible chemicals into our water systems. Try it, you may just find it enough of a reason to re-use that bottle as a vase.
2. It's part of my religion. Yes, I am a Unitarian Universalist. In the mission statement of our church, it states that we inspire others to "discover and articulate deeper spiritual meaning evidenced in lives of integrity, compassion and stewardship of the earth". That's right, folks--we're stewards. I have never believed that God would put us on a planet to get closer to him, without wishing that we also bond with other humans, and the Earth itself. It's important.
3. It's trendy. I was a bit ahead of my time (I was composting in college? Awesome!), but now who am I to ignore the current craze?
4. Re-using requires and inspires imagination. I have come up with some pretty awesome, albeit wacky, ways to reuse items. One of my favorite is using the plastic tab that you close bread bags with (do those have names?) as a wire label (printer, monitor, cable box...you get the idea).
5. Going green can occasionally save you money (I will go into this later, as this is both a true and false statement).

I knew it would be a process, and would not happen overnight, so I gave myself the full year to make the switch. I just wanted to update everyone on how it's going and where we are in the process. This will also serve as a reminder to myself to keep on truckin'.

What We've Changed:
Household: As of now, we have switched our liquid dish soap, wipes, and laundry detergent exclusively to green products. We are using ECOS laundry detergent, which we got at Costco when we were members. It is very inexpensive, smells fantastic, and does a great job getting clothes clean. Since we are no longer Costco members (I have probably posted about my rising anger levels when I enter that space), I will most likely ask my mom to pick some up for us whenever we visit next. The wipes and dish soap are both Clorox Green products. I was a big user of the regular Clorox wipes before, and while I enjoy the smell of their green counterparts more, I do not enjoy how much lint they leave behind. Where appropriate, I usually follow behind with a dishtowel to remove the white lint from my black dining table, for example. We also switched to a cloth shower liner (and a glass door, which we squeegee instead of clean with chemicals, washcloths instead of disposable plastic loofahs, cloth towels and rags instead of papertowels, and washing our laundry in cold water. Some of the changes were so natural and effortless that I will most likely forget to mention them here.

Bath and Body: One of the shampoos I use is a green product, as well as my facewash, body soap (that's right--white people do occasionally use soap and a washcloth), and face lotion. Otherwise I am still using up the products I already owned (if you do plan to make the switch, please don't throw out items in order to purchase their green counterparts. It completely defeats the purpose!). I also switched my powder, blush to Organic Wear by Physician's Formula and lip gloss Burt's Bees Lip Shimmers. The powder is alright--certainly not winning any awards in my book--but the blush is awful. It barely shows up, and if it does, it looks muddy. You're better off just pinching your cheeks throughout the day, or getting pregnant for that "natural glow". I love the lip shimmers because they're minty and feel fresh, but honestly, I miss pasty, bright, saturated lipstick. I will do more shopping for a good lipstick, but for now, the lip gloss is great (and the packaging is recyclable!).

Lifestyle:
I have started a compost bin on the side of our house. It's a closed trashcan, rather than an exposed chicken wire mess, and I have to say, it seems to be doing pretty well. The next time I visit my parents, I will be excited to get our shovel so turning it will be easier (right now I use my "turning stick", which is literally just a stick). I feel like an evil green witch stirring her brew. (Funny side note: The man who broke into our house threw a candy wrapper in the compost bin as he was walking down to our back yard to break into our house. He should have been more environmentally conscientious. Also, breaking people's glass doors = not environmentally conscientious. Or conscientious in any way, really.) I am very happy to say that our recycling bin is generally twice to three times as full as our actual trashcan. I know that recycling is the last ditch effort to save the earth (reduce, reuse, recycle), but it certainly beats throwing things away outright.

Work: All four people in my office are now avid and diligent recyclers, mostly thanks to my insistance and constant vigilence over their trashcans. We have also reduced the amount of paper we produce in general, which is the first step in the cycle--excellent news!

What's Been Hard:
Not much, honestly. I am very much a "greater good" thinker, so I don't mind a few sacrifices in order to do my part (and sometimes the parts of others as well). I do sometimes feel like a preachy b*tch, but someone's gotta do it, right? I do miss things like impulse nail polish and lipstick purchases (I still have some nail polish that I will use up, but the plan is to eliminate it eventually). I am also still on the lookout for good makeup. I want to have rosy cheeks, and the blush I have is not cutting it!

Also, the thought of eliminating some of my magazine subscriptions has also made me sad some days. There are a few I will keep, or at least vow to read at the library, but I also have a few I won't miss, so it will be good to see those go (Vegetarian Times was a pity purchase a while back).

What We Haven't Changed:
Being a penny-pincher by nature, I still cannot fathom spending a lot of money for the green counterparts to some items. This mostly applies to the bath and body products, but also to food and textiles. Since we don't need new towels, sheets, or anything, we haven't yet had to shell out for the organic cotton or anything like that. But how can I pay twice as much for organic potatoes from Peru, when I can buy non-organic NC potatoes for half as much?
Our cats would never go for the pine shavings litter. Kitty used that years ago, and did just fine, but she was such an awesome cat, she would have adapted to anything. These three cats are super sweet, but not so amenable to change. So we'll stick to the clay clumping stuff that keeps them peeing in the boxes.
I am also resolved to the fact that Jim will not use earth friendly deodorant ever. And to be honest, it's probably best that way, especially if you've ever gone camping with Jim (love you, honey!) I might be able to switch a few of his products, but never the deodorant--and probably not the shaving lotion either. Ryan and Melysa got him Anthony shaving lotion for Christmas, and he loves it. At least it's not in an aerosol can, right?
I do still occasionally shop at big box stores, or at Amazon. When in town, I try to support small local business, but sometimes it is hard.
I drive to work alone. If I get a bike soon, which I am really hoping I do, I will cut down on the amount of driving I do. For now I have to settle for lumping all of my errands in one trip, and saving gas that way.

So as you can see, we've made some excellent strides in my going green project, but still have miles to go. For now, I sleep! Goodnight!

PS--Promise I will post pics and perhaps a movie from our trip to Canada soon!

Wow, I'm boring myself!

2009-06-24T20:48:00.003-04:00

So I will apologize in advance. There will most likely not be any pictures with this post. I may not even know where our camera is right now. We've had a somewhat eventful month since I last posted. Here are a few of the highlights:

Our house got broken into! On June 10th (I think), Jim got a call around 9:15 saying that our alarm was going off. Since neither of us was home, he asked them to dispatch the police. He then called me to tell me the news so I could head home. We have CPI for our security system needs, and if you live in the NC/SC area, this is definitely the company to use--they were completely awesome. Someone had apparently climbed to our second-story balcony and broken in the glass door. They then tripped our internal alarm while getting an old phone of Jim's, and then left 2 minutes later. Luckily all they stole was an iPod and this old Palm Pilot, even though we had several things of much higher value in view. No one was hurt, which was truly the fortunate part, and the door was fixed in a matter of hours. If someone tries the same or a similar caper in the future, we have since safe-guarded against that as well, so overall I still feel very safe in our house.

Later that day, CPI came out to check on their performance, give us the exact timeline of the events as we know them, and to fix any holes in the system. Again, I love this company. We have dealt seriously with 2 servicing installers/technicians, and there is a place in my heart for both Chris and Will. Will came out and took care of everything--he even helped me piece together the details of the "case" as I kept calling it. I felt like a detective trying to figure out how they got up there, where they went, etc.

I was disappointed in the follow-up of the police department. The Eastway division (our district) doesn't even answer the phone (seriously, I have called many times of day and no one ever answers). I would like more patroling of our street, but don't know how to get anyone down here, since no one will answer. A few days later, our neighbor's car was broken into. I'm starting to feel that our neighborhood is less "up and coming" and more "ghetto".

I still much prefer it to our previous 2 neighborhoods though. Not only do we own woods and live next to the greenway/park and have bugs (including LOTS of lightening bugs), bunnies, and cats, but we're close to city amenities, all of our neighbors wave, say hello, and were very sympathetic to our misfortune and promise to keep an eye out. This kind of welcome is very...welcome! I love it. I believe everyone should be a minority at some point in their lives (a man among women, white among blacks/hispanics/asians/anyone-non-white, rich among poor. There are lots of ways to be a minority, but it is definitely a great experience). Everyone's comfort zone should be shaken is the point, and it can be more comforting than you would think. This is how I feel about our new home and neighborhood, and look forward to becoming an active member of the area.

The house, by the way, is definitely looking like home. I have been very happy at how little we have had to purchase to fill it and make it look like home. My favorite space is our den off of the kitchen, and my new favorite piece of furniture is a navy reading chair we got at the Salvation Army in the parlor (I can't believe I have a room we call the parlor...reading room was the other possibility, since there's a bookshelf in there and some chairs). The only room that hasn't really been set up is the middle bedroom, and that's because the only stuff in there is my old baby toys and I refuse to set up a child's room before we have one--it's way too creepy! Seriously, I am getting chills thinking about how weird it would be. I know you are too.

Last weekend we had a fun time at a Summer's Eve party. The theme was "dress like a douche bag" (think about the name for another 3 seconds, and you'll get it). There were lots of "brahs" there, and it was fun. It was hosted by one of the people we have met via Twitter in Charlotte--but Mr. Ben Marvin is a fave in particular. Good times were had by all brahs, and I look forward to it again next year (it's already on the calendar!). We found a killer outfit for Jim at the Salvation Army in about 3 minutes, and also picked up my new favorite chair.

I continue to love my job. Occasionally I run out of energy to deal with it, but the weekends are usually enough to re-energize me. I bought a few plants for the yard, including Thai and sweet basil, jalepeno peppers, and grapes for our pergola. I have not yet planted the grapes, but they've been doing fine in the pots. I once again had to buy beetle traps, because they are eating the crap out of several of our plants.

The construction on our street looks like they're actually making progress (for a while it just looked like they were doing the demolishing part, and would never get to the reconstruction of sidewalks, roads, sewers). But finally I saw blacktop today, and it gave me hope that my car would not be covered in dust forever.

Alas, that's all I feel like typing now. I will try to post more soon--I hate going this long without posting. I know I judge others for such vacations--I shouldn't afford myself the same luxury. I hope all is well with my readers, if you still exist.

To all the ladies...

2009-05-10T22:07:00.002-04:00

I just want to make sure that my mom knows how much I love her and how awesome she is!! Thanks for all you do!

Also, thanks to my mom-in-law Jane for making Jim the wonderful man he is today (and for being the wonderful woman you are today)!

A post to come about my upcoming business trip, the official move date, and life.

What is the haps?

2009-04-30T22:30:00.002-04:00

I can't believe how quickly time has flown recently! I mean, I know I say this every time I blog so I don't look like a total slacker, but really--it's been a while since I feel like I've come up for air. Don't get me wrong, things have been going really well lately! Really quickly as well.

A few updates...we close tomorrow morning at 10AM--we will be homeowners again! I am pretty excited, especially after seeing the house at the walk through tonight. I am so in love with where we'll be! The neighborhood, the yard, the space inside...there are opportunities everywhere! I can't wait for it to truly feel like home! I will start moving things in on Saturday, and won't stop until the 16th, when the actual movers come to finish the job! This has been one of the best experiences--Jim and I continue to stumble upon great people to work with--our realtor is absolutely awesome, and she got our name from her company's website, that we used to look up another house a while back. I am so glad that I finally answered the phone and talked with her--instantly, I felt that we clicked and she knew what we were looking for, and the minute Jim got involved, he felt the same way. We went out with Theresa and her husband the other night, and had a great time! I think the four of us will be hanging out again soon! The builder/realtor/stager/lawnmower Donald was also great. He is just a very hard worker, and poured himself into this house, and it certainly shows. Tonight was a great chance to see how much he did care for this house and ensuring that its future would be bright (mostly because he left us about 56 lightbulbs for the various fixtures around!) Our mortgage lender was also great, and posed very few issues along the way. Apparently, this is not the norm, so we were very grateful!

We will see if the movers, alarm company, and carpet cleaners turn out to be a good experience as well. I am a tad nervous, but am mostly optimistic. There is only so much planning and stewing and thinking I can do before just letting go and having things run their particular course. Then I can complain :)

My bookclub finally read a book that I really liked. It was Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson, and it was good. She is a fantastic writer, and I really enjoyed her beautiful prose. I really do appreciate good writing, and was thinking for a while that my expectations were too high for contemporary literature. She made me believe again!

We haven't been to church recently, which stinks. I do miss it, though I have been trying to stay "spiritual" as much as possible. I will go Sunday, even though Jim will be out of town at a conference. He leaves the evening after we close! Talk about timing!

And speaking of timing, I am going on a business trip for 3 days, and get back the day before the movers come! This is my first business trip ever, and I couldn't be more excited! I think it's a great sign that my bosses are investing in my future with them, and it will be great to meet some of my peers and learn lots and lots!

Well, I am off to bed--I will certainly try to write more frequently and will let you know how closing goes!!! Ta ta for now!

More Pictures and Week in Review

2009-03-24T20:22:00.007-04:00

So, first I would like to say that I miss Kate. We talked this evening and caught each other up on most events happening right now, and it's so wonderful to have such a wonderful person in my life. I always feel so refreshed after talking with Kate--because I can vent about anything and know that there's an understanding and sympathetic ear on the other end, and also because she also has interesting and funny stories to tell, and it totally makes my week to hear them! So Kate--thank you for being a wonderful, level-headed, encouraging, smart, and downright funny friend! I appreciate it, and require it at this point! (Side note--Kate and I are twins separated at birth. We have claimed this for years. Today, we both had issues with 3/4 length sleeves being bizarrely tight around our forearms, and both took drastic actions against them. Who could say that? Totally bizarre coincidence--unless it's true, and Jan and Kim are actually the same person...)

Part of what I spent most of our conversation complaining about was my latest task of naming strengths and weaknesses of my new co-worker to my boss tomorrow. Sure, I can come up with the weaknesses--not a problem, believe me--but finding some strengths has been challenging. I'm really summoning the "nice person" inside me to field this one. It's hard, because it's business, and frankly hiring her was not a smart business decision, despite the fact that her salary is already paid for. That is a bold statement, which I can back up in several different ways. But, I realize that one day (in the distant, distant, distant future) I will be going on maternity leave and will have to find someone to do my job while I stay at home. Perhaps this woman is that person, but that means that I have to start training NOW for my absence, which just seems strange. How do you teach someone to use a computer? How do you teach someone to make a phone call when they have a question, instead of asking the person who originally asked them the question? How do you teach someone that doing their job is a more pressing task than finding out which department store has the next Clinique "Gift With Purchase"? (seriously, this happened today.) It will take time, I understand. I am not a robot. But seriously? You really can't take this piece of paper and recreate what's on it in Microsoft Word? But you do understand that it's just typing into a space...and you try to make that space look like that piece of paper? And you've been an Administrative Assistant for 25 years? Oh, 30...30 years. Seriously? I have little to no patience for incompetence or retaliation. And when I ask you not to waste paper by printing things that make no sense and are a complete waste of time, I expect you not to print them. And when you print them 3 times (because you don't know how to feed paper into the printer) and it's still useless nonsense, I am not any more pleased with your lack of progress than I was 15 minutes or 54 pages ago. And I don't want to hear that you "just wanted to print them to show Don what you did" (Reminder: what she did was WASTE 15 MINUTES, 54 PAGES, AND WEAR ON MY NERVES AND PATIENCE). Seriously? I can't help but laugh because every few minutes, I expect Candid Camera to jump out of our filing cabinet. That's the only way it makes sense. Seriously. (NOTE: Since employing this particular person, my use of the word seriously followed by a question mark has increased by 377%. In related news, beer consumption at my residence has increased by 861%, hair loss has increased by 172%, and time Jim spends ignoring my inane stories has increased by a whopping 1439%.)

Happiness still reigns supreme in my world, though, since we are buying our beautiful house. There are still a few obstacles, but mostly everything is falling into place. We had our inspection on Monday, which turned up a few small repairs, but nothing serious enough to be a deal-breaker. We'll see what the seller comes back with, and hopefully we'll continue along in the process.

Here are some additional pictures to give you a better idea of the spaces in the house. Some of the rooms have the staging furniture in them--don't hold it against 'em! White leather sofa? Yikes!

Backyard with pergola, concrete planters for my herb garden, and fence.

Dining room from living room, heading back to the kitchen.

Master bathtub, "bathed" in sunlight (waka waka waka!)

Master shower with pebble floor. 3 shower heads cropped out.

Master bedroom. Doors lead to custom closet (that I will rearrange once I get my mitts on it!)

What will be our nursery in 8 years.

Guest bedroom! Come stay with us and help up unpack!

Guest bathroom off the hallway upstairs.

Basement with TV nook and stairs to upstairs den.

Backyard with more of the "wild" section of the yard on film. And a river runs through it.

Kitchen--fridge and desk area. This is where my laptop will live!

Den off the kitchen with bar area. Woohoo!

Jim standing in the dining room! And plenty of ceiling space to spare!

Front Living Room with fireplace and beautiful front door! (Not pictured (but just around corner and wired to front door and windows): Security system...phew!)

Office with built-in bookshelves and built-in nook)

Pick Me Up

2009-03-16T22:49:00.004-04:00

Well, this might be quite different from my last post. We are in the process of buying a house!! The address is 811 E 15th Street, so you can look it up on zillow.com or something, but I'll post some pictures as well. They don't do it justice, which is ridiculous, because it looks great in pictures too!

Master Bathroom tub

Master vanity and shower

1/2 bath on middle floor

Looking from the living room into the dining room, kitchen and den.

The view from our BED!!!

Part of our backyard--with pergola, stream, wild trees, and cement planter boxes

full finished basement

In the den looking into the dining and living rooms

The front of the house! Stacked stone columns--my favorite!!

The piece de resistance--the kitchen!! This isn't even the whole thing!

Rough Week

2009-03-13T21:14:00.003-04:00

I won't turn this into a therapy session, but I have had a rough week. I just feel so frustrated with where things are right now. I have been working a lot more lately, which I'll explain below, so the rest of my pastimes and duties are falling by the wayside.
Results =
messy house,
behind on my Book Club book (which happens to be 500+ pages!),
feel overwhelmed,
lots of laundry and steaming,
bizarre bumps on my neck caused by stress,
no food in the fridge,
randomly bursting into tears,
forgot to season my chicken pot pie tonight (because I was rushing),
always tired,
un-styled hair with minimal makeup,
frowny face.

:(

We had a new assistant start at work this week. To say that she is incompetent doesn't even scratch the surface. She's been an assistant for a NYL agent for 25+ years, which seems great, but apparently, she doesn't know anything about the products we sell, doesn't know how to use a computer, and moves at a snail's pace. And when I say she doesn't know how to use a computer, I mean it. She actually struggled to find a means to access the internet today--and she was ON A WEBSITE at the time! It amazes me. She wasn't hired based on her merits, she was part of a package in a business deal. Basically the deal pays her salary, so she's a free assistant, although this week my hours went up by 25% to make up for the time that I wasn't able to actually get work done, so it may end up costing us more in the longrun. And my sanity is slowly going down the drain. It's really been getting me down, since I don't like to be mean to people, but she needs to know that this pace is not acceptable for our office. And I know, it's my job to tell her, but it's not--it's Don's. This is only one of 50 stories from this past week. And it's not the worst of them.

I bought a chair on Craigslist this week for $15 that I am going to fix up. I may or may not paint the legs, I will definitely recover it, and I may replace the brass nails, depending on how much energy I have at the end of this project. I am also in the process of painting 2 pictures for our bedroom. I am not sure what I'm making, but I'm sure it will come to me.

I am going to look at houses tomorrow morning in the area we like. Jim isn't coming because he thinks it's a waste of time. He may be right. He thinks that we can't get good enough financing to not go out of pocket until we are in the poorhouse (is the poorhouse for sale? Perhaps I should take a look inside and see if I like it). It's true--once you have purchased the house, the expenses don't end there. In fact, they never end again! I just really like looking at houses, but I don't wait to waste the realtor's time. I'll talk about it tomorrow with her, and we'll see what's what.

We also have a meeting with our CPA tomorrow to get our taxes started. This is one thing I'm very glad to get crossed off the list.

So rather than do any of the things I mentioned above, I just complained to my poor readers. I apologize--apparently, I did make this into a therapy session!

On the plus side, my boyfriend Nathan Fillion (aka Nathan Hottypants) is in Castle now on ABC. The first episode was really good. I am looking forward to more.

Also I'll end on a funny note from work. So I had to call up one of our clients today to finish filling in some missing info on his Life Insurance application. He's a few years older than I am, so pretty young and also successful. This was how our conversation went today:

"So, how much money do you make?"
"About $150K."
"Do you have any health issues--high blood pressure, surgeries."
"No I have great genes."
"Ok, great. So how tall are you?"
"I am 6'1""
"And how much do you weigh?"
"Um...I would say, 216 1/2."
"Okay. So are you married or single?"
"Single."

So, in my spare time, to make money on the side, I'm going to start a matchmaking business. I already know all of the important things about this guy! Now just to find him a woman (whom I will prescreen in a similar fashion later). If you need life insurance and a boyfriend, just let me know, and I'll get right on it. My fees are minimal--the love you share is all the reward I need (but I do want to buy a house, a new big TV, and have a baby, so charges will be 2% of your net worth).

Now I'm feeling better. That's good. Also, I am looking forward to watching Parks n Recreation with Amy Pohler. She's funny.

2009-03-08T22:05:00.005-04:00

So, first I would like to apologize to my faithful readers, who have waited far too long for a new post from me. I would also like to promise that it will never happen again. Sadly, this just isn't the case. So I do hope you enjoy the occasional morsels I throw in your direction, and hope they're tasty enough to keep you coming back.

So where to start? Part of the reason that I haven't been posting is that we have been pretty busy. Jim always works late, but recently, it's become a habit for me as well. I have taken on more responsibilities at work, which means more time. I am paid hourly, so it's fine with me, but it does mean I rarely get to the gym, have to rush to get dinner ready, and have enough energy when I get home to keep the house in order and spend quality time with Jim and the kitties. I honestly don't know how women have done this for years--and I often think about my mom doing this by herself with 2 kids! I am in total awe and amazement.

Jeremy and Tasha came to visit us as well, and we had a great time showing them around Charlotte, eating out, and hanging out. They were house-hunting at the time, so it was fun to shop around online with them. We had Sarah, Morri, and Hattie over for dinner with them, and everyone got along really well, which is always awesome!

Jim celebrated his 30th birthday on February 13th. He shares a birthday with one of my bosses, so the 6 of us (Larry, Don, myself, and all of our spouses) went to dinner at the Mez, which is a new hip restaurant in Uptown's Epicentre. This is the newest area of town where they have restaurants, a movie theatre, a bowling alley, and some shops--it's like condos for restaurants. It was a lot of fun. I suspected it would be, but you never know how people will mesh once they're all together. Luckily, we both had a blast!! Of course, the next day, I caught the plague, and was in bed for the next 2 days recovering while Jim tended to my every (and numerous) need. He was the greatest nurse ever--and on Valentine's Day no less! Ordering in delicious Thai food to clear my sinuses, bringing me juice every 30 minutes, keeping the tissues stocked and medicine nearby--I did not want for anything! I was pretty much back to normal come Monday (which luckily was Presidents' Day, so I was off of work).

Two weeks later, Jim was sick with similar symptoms--I did a pretty good job nursing, but unfortunately, my patient was stubborn and went to work everyday. He now has the "teacher mentality" which is, it's easier to go to work and be sick, than to stay home and have to prepare for my absence.

My friend from college, Dawn, came to stay with us while she was at a LEED Certification class in Charlotte. It was fun to visit with her and catch up, even if it was only 2 days. Just a note to all friends out there--if you want to come visit, please do!!!

After Jeremy and Tasha left, I caught the house-hunting fever. Now let me say that I look at houses online at least once a week anyways, simply because it's something I really enjoy doing. But after seeing one house in particular, I was energized by the fact that I thought there were wonderful houses, in great parts of town, that we could afford. So, in typical Megan fashion, I dove head-first into a house search in this part of town, mapped it all out sequentially, and drove us around multiple times to look at all of them. More on this later.

Our most exciting news is from this weekend--our friends Sarah and Morri got married!! It was an intimate ceremony in Lynchburg, VA, and it was great! Sarah looked absolutely gorgeous, and everything went very smoothly. Jim was an usher, and I cut the cake. I was very nervous, and had theorized and practiced it all week, but I was thrown a curveball--the cake was really tall and 2 layers. Luckily, we brought our cake-cutting set as well, so I had plenty of tools to help me out! The four of us stayed at a bed and breakfast close to downtown. It was the funniest and most unique experience ever. The BnB was run by an older couple--Joanne and George. George is a financial planner in Lynchburg, and treated me and his team to a presentation about charitable giving and 1035 exchanges. I already knew everything that he presented, which made me feel pretty good, since I typically feel clueless when it comes to the specifics of insurance products. He tells pretty bizarre stories, and seems to know a lot about everything. Joanne was a bit of a mother-hen type, and made sure to tell us where everything was, and took care of our every need. They also had a massage chair, that we used quite a bit (more than any other guest, they said)!! We went for a bike ride through a nearby park, went downtown to a bar (it's so weird to see smoking in bars--and I forgot how gross it is to sit in it for a long time).

Saturday we got back into Charlotte. We had an appointment to see the house that I mentioned above today. We got there, and the realtor was late, so we decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. When we got back she had arrived, and we went inside. The house was absolutely beautiful inside--beautiful floors, kitchen, bathrooms, everything--and the yard was a decent size for us. The most noticeable drawback was the neighbor to the right of the house. Young people, no maintenance to the house, a total piece of crap, and they are probably into some dogfighting. We asked the realtor about it, and she said that they were the reason the owners moved out. What?!? That's pretty crazy, right? She didn't really go into what they were doing, but explained that the man who lived there died, his daughter inherited the house, and basically gave it to her son for his party house. I was still excited about the house, though. I thought that the upsides of the house were greater than a crappy neighbor who may move at some point. After the showing, we went to go see another house with a different realtor, and we got talking about big houses in bad neighborhoods, and he mentioned that house specifically. Apparently, it's a bit legendary in the area. The house next door is a crack house. So, the house that I've been in love with for the past few weeks, is out because the neighbors are crackheads. Great. Thanks. So we're back to square one with the house search, but really we were only at square 1.5, so it's not a total dream killer. I'll definitely keep you all posted about any progress that happens.

Tomorrow is the first day of work for a woman who will be helping us out. I am not too excited about it, since we don't have any room for her, and I don't really need any help. We'll see how it works out. She came as part of a business deal that Don made, so she's basically a free assistant.

Well, I am heading to bed now. I'll leave you with a few pictures of Sarah and Morri from this weekend.

Better Update to Follow...

2009-02-01T13:52:00.005-05:00

Every week while watching Top Chef, I scream out loud about 10 times how much Jeff looks like Dr. Chase from House. Now that Jeff has packed his knives, I thought I would poll the audience. Here are some pics--what do you think??

New Beginnings

2009-01-21T19:33:00.002-05:00

So I am sure that everyone was glued to the TV during the Inauguration on Tuesday, right? If you weren't shame on you (double shame if you haven't looked up any of the events online in the days following), since most places do have a TV or a computer where you can watch such historic and important events. I thought it was great, I thought everyone did a great job, and I happened to love the part of Lowery's benediction that he's gotten so much flack for--I thought it had a very 60s vibe to it, and hasn't that been the era we've been channeling all week? With all of the comparisons to King and Kennedy he has endured, I thought it had the right amount of truth, innocence, playfulness, and hope behind it. My favorite part was during the oath when Obama struggled several times to follow what Roberts had said. This is a man who is an eloquent speaker, who has received rave reviews on his abilities to move a crowd with his words, and he was so caught up in it, that he messed up a simple recitation. I really enjoyed that even steady-handed Obama can get swept away in emotion.

On Monday we had snow in Charlotte. All schools, including universities, were canceled, most people didn't show up to work, and there was a state of emergency declared for the state (apparently in the mountains it was pretty bad, but still). Southerners really can't handle snow--it's just not in them. (and wouldn't you know I didn't take a single picture of this snow?)

I am helping our friends Sarah and Morri with their wedding. This week I will be finishing their wedding invitations, and hopefully we'll send them out Monday. They're cute, pretty basic, but to the point!

Well, Lost just came on. Gotta go (back)!

Where has the time gone?

2009-01-10T19:13:00.003-05:00

I can't believe I haven't posted anything on my blog in 2009! So far, I am thinking this is going to be a great year! (Is it ever a good idea to think it WON'T be?)

After Jim and I got back from our trip to Iowa, we drove over to Staunton to visit Mike & Courtney's new son, Samuel Michael Barrett. I am in love with this little boy--he is so cute! Here are some pictures that I told Jim he had to take of me with the baby. I guess since I don't have my own, I just have to live vicariously through others for now. Speaking of this, I believe that everyone I know is having a baby right now (or has had a baby recently). Looking over my list of Facebook friends the other day, I was able to enumerate a DOUBLE DIGITS of people I know who are pregnant. 2009 has officially been named "Year of the Baby". (This is partially wishful thinking, as I would love to have a little baby of our own, but despite the pressure that I put on Jim, we will know when it's right for us. It may be this year, but maybe not.) Our friends in Charlotte Sarah and Morri just told us that she is pregnant as well, which we are very excited about! It also means that we now have 2 months to plan their wedding, since she didn't want to be super pregnant when she walks down the aisle. I am up to the challenge! I can't wait to really get started! Our first task was to make their guest list, and now she is in charge of getting addresses. Now I will start to think about announcements, invitations and registry information.

Otherwise things have been going well. Some people know that I was worried about my job recently because I'm too nosy for my own good and found out information (but not the whole story) that one of my bosses was hiring someone else for my position. Well we talked about it the other day, and I had been worried for nothing. He told me that he couldn't be happier with the work that I was doing, and that hiring this other person was a part of a larger business deal--but if it doesn't work for me, then she doesn't stay. So that was good to hear, and now I am satisfied that I do indeed have job security! Woohoo!

We have some fun events planned for this month and next, and I am excited about what this year holds. I don't make resolutions (I never keep them so why bother, right?) but I have high expectations for this year, and I don't plan on disappointing myself.

And now, some pictures!

Mike and new son Sam!

Me and Sam Barrett!

Me and Sam again! He slept almost the whole time! (and when he wasn't sleeping, he was pooping or eating--I like this kid already!!)

The baby of our family, Mr. Pharley dressed as Mother Theresa.

Christmas!

2008-12-28T10:35:00.003-05:00

First, I want to wish my friend Christine Berg a Happy birthday! (I know I'm a day late at this point, but it's better than never, right?) HBGF!!

Now I would like to recap the events of our holidays so far:

On Tuesday we left Charlotte for Richmond to spend the night with Kate and Rob, to visit and do gift exchange. They were quite generous this year (thanks you two!) and gave me snow shoe clip-ons, "Squeaky Green" the book by the method guys (which I have already finished and am sufficiently freaked out by my toiletries bag), a bag of sample products from Occitane (one of my faves!), and a vacuum sealer with bags! Jim got Seasons 1-3 of Arrested Development, a Simpsons lamp for his desk, and a watch! On Wednesday we left in the early afternoon for Fredericksburg.

We got to my house and just hung out most of the time, nothing too fancy. Always yummy food there too! Thursday early afternoon, Mom and I have been prepping and cooking food, Ryan and Melysa arrive with cute Pharley. We open presents--another fantastic haul for us! I am sure I will leave things out, but here is a highlights list. Megan: clothes steamer, beautiful rug, antique wedding box, UVA PJs/shirts/sweatshirts, ornaments from my dad, a little purse that was my mom's, SOCKS out the wazoo!, take-out menu box...I can't remember anything else now, but there was lots!

Jim got: Wii Fit, 2nd guitar for Rockband, watch with a jump drive attached, an 8-bit avatar created by Ryan, socks and tie, Ali G DVDs, a wall clock...I can't remember other things now!

After a meal that could feed 80, and I was stuffed to the gills, we visited with Marta and her parents! I always love catching up with them. Marta, as everyone knows is one of my best, very dear friends, who lives far far away in Budapest. So I love seeing her when I can. And her parents are going to be missionaries in January in Indonesia, so it was good to see them before they left!

Friday we left for Iowa to visit Jim's family! We got the non-stop flight from DC to Des Moines, which I highly recommend! Smooth sailing the whole way, and no flights to miss in the bad weather. We arrived, went for a tasty dinner at Nick's, which is one of our fave restaurants here, and then came home and opened 2 presents. I opened PJs (which I am wearing right now!) and a grey sweater, which is exactly what I wanted. Jim opened CDs, and I don't remember the titles.

Then the next morning, we got up and opened the rest of the presents. Megan got a nicer grey sweater for work, a brown wallet, Julia Child cookbook, Tales of Beedle the Bard, body cream of my perfume, scarf, Burt's Bees products, reusable bag for my purse, office supplies, prep bowls for the kitchen, good vanilla extract, soaps, a Pinocchio ornament, and a bunch of other goodies that I can't remember now (I know it seems strange that I can't remember things that happened less than 24 hours ago, but my short-term memory has turned to complete mush lately. I can only remember things that are work-related in the short-term, and even then I still write it down.)

Jim got a butt-load of CDs, a new computer bag, which he needed so badly I could weep over it, iLife, a guitar book (he wants to learn the basics), and other things that of course, I can't remember!

A wonderful breakfast followed, and because there was a tow-ban in Des Moines (which literally means that if you venture out on the roads that you've been told are so terrible, we will not tow you if you end up in a ditch. We will come get you, but we will leave your car in the ditch until Spring thaw), we stayed around the house and ate and watched TV. It was glorious!

I think today we will venture out into Des Moines, since the ice is supposed to melt a bit. At least the windows aren't iced over anymore--that's a good sign!

Hope you and yours had a Merry Christmas, and enjoy a wonderful New Year!

7 Things People Don't Know About Me

2008-12-17T16:31:00.003-05:00

This was passed on from my husband, so I guess I should do it, right? Wifely duties...
This is difficult for me, since I am chatty, and tell pretty much everybody everything.

1. Until this year, I have never lived outside of Virginia.
2. I originally went to college to be an architect.
3. I was born 2 weeks late.
4. My favorite number is 19.
5. I love to clean.
6. My favorite Christmas song is "Oh Holy Night". It literally brings me to tears every time I listen to it. Can you think of the last time that your soul felt its worth?
7. I am currently obsessed with birds.

So I don't want to call anyone out specifically, but if you read my blog, and have a blog and want to reveal your inner secrets, post a comment with a link to your blog! Happy Holidays!!