I might have mom hair...

When I had Sam 8 months ago, I swore that just because I had a kid I would not "let myself go." I would still bathe, wear make-up, and generally keep up my appearance. I didn't want to fall prey to the mommy wardrobe, hairstyle, etc. You know how it is if you stay at home; it's just so EASY to slap on a t-shirt and yoga pants. I mean, no one sees me all day except for Sam, my husband, and occasionally the mailman. One day you get up and think, "I'll just let my hair dry on its own." The next day it's "At least I showered." Then everything just goes downhill. It's a slippery slope, I tell ya.

An example of mom hair

Anyway, I have had panic-attacks thinking about mom haircuts. There are many, many people out there that can rock a mommy hairdo, but I'm afraid I'm not one of them. However, I've been really bored with my coiffure. It's pretty much looked the same since college with the exception of some layers and some bangs. I wanted something a little shorter--nothing crazy--something chic and fun. So, I took the plunge, and let's just say that some tears were shed on my part. I held it together long enough to tell my hairstylist that I "loved it" and bolt from the salon. I'm hoping that things will calm down a little more when I style it myself tomorrow, but I can't make any promises.

At least my husband is a good liar.

(Please don't think I'm mean for posting this random lady's picture. I searched Google images for "mom hair," and she popped up. Blame the search engine.)

Happy Birthday Gammy!

Our best birthday wishes to Gammy! We are so thankful for your presence in our lives, and we look forward to celebrating with you. You are a wonderful, thoughtful, and generous person. I've said it before, but I truly couldn't ask for better in-laws.

Sam celebrated your birthday by clapping for you. Click on the video to see him in action.

Happy Birthday!

Mobility makes life interesting...

It's only 10:00, and my day has already been full of surprises.

I usually shower before Anthony leaves in the morning so that I don't have to worry about watching Sam while getting ready. However, Sam had a tummy ache at 5:00 this morning, and he would not let me put him down, which resulted in his sleeping in the bed with us. Because of this sleep interruption, we had a bit of a lie-in this morning, and Anthony left for work before I had chance to clean up. My genius idea was to get all hazardous material out of our bathroom and sit Sam in the floor while I quickly washed my hair. Sounds reasonable, right? I hopped into the shower and was just about to lather my hair when my child rips the shower curtain aside Psycho-style and barrels into the shower with me. (We have a walk-in shower.) He was immensely pleased with himself .

I did not take pictures of this for obvious reasons.

After we got cleaned up, I attempted to fold some clothes. Sam started crawling into the kitchen, but I was sitting where I could see and hear him, so I let him go for it. I turned to pick up another load of laundry. Sam got very quiet, and Linus, our dog, started whining. I looked up and figured out why Linus was pouting. You would whine too, if a kid was eating your food.

You'll have to forgive me for taking a picture before I took the dog food away.

I'm a nerd.

I find it hysterical that I have received the most comments EVER about my Snuggie post. Admit it; you can't believe you actually know someone who uses one. I appreciate all of your responses.

Sorry to disappoint the grandparents, but I don't have new pictures. Actually, I think I do, but I'm too lazy to get my camera right now. I'll try to take care of that tomorrow during Sam's nap. Today's naptime was devoted to watching the premiere of Lost. Anthony thinks the show is beyond weird, so I try to watch it when he's not at home. I like weird stuff, though, so time-traveling islands and smoke monsters are right up my alley.

I missed my old work crew this morning...(after I finished the episode) For the past few years, Thursday mornings at Madison Central were spent discussing Lost. I know--I'm a nerd. Don't feel sorry for me; I have zero problem with it.

I've mentioned before that I'm in a bookclub, (I told you. I'm a nerd.) and one of my friends suggested a book to me. I've posted it at the top of the page with the synopsis beneath it. I'm going to put up what I'm reading at the time, and if you are a reader too, maybe you'll find something you like. I would love some suggestions for reading selections, too, so feel free to comment. I'll try just about anything, but I don't really dig non-fiction. Historical fiction--fine. Non-fiction, not so much.

Sam and I are headed to the library tomorrow. I don't have anything to read now that I've finished Those Who Save Us, and I find it really hard to fall asleep without a reading a few chapters of something. Anyway, I really enjoyed the book. It was way better than what I picked for bookclub. (I won't even talk about that book right now since some of my bookclub peeps read the blog.) Let's just say I was not happy with The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. I'll tell you why after February.

Looks like I won't need my Snuggie tonight. It's finally feeling more like Mississippi again, rather than the bottom of my mother's deep freezer.

You so wish you had one...

Yep, that's right...I own a Snuggie. If you're not familiar with this fine product, I'll describe it as a friend of mine described it--it's like a backwards robe...with pockets.

My oh-so-sweet father-in-law has a nickname for me--"TCH," which stands for tired, cold, and hungry. He claims that I am always complaining of one of these problems, and I'm sometimes known for having all three maladies at once. I also love to read, but as the commerical for the Snuggie demonstrates, my blankets always fall down around my shoulders. This is where Joe stepped in. For Christmas, I received a Snuggie as a sort of gag gift. If you know Joe at all, you know that he was immensely pleased with himself. He took on "TCH," and he reduced her to "TH." (I think now that Sam is here, the "T" is here to stay.) Anyway, the Snuggie has been put to good use in our household. I curl up with my heating pad on my back and my Snuggie on my front.

I can be warm and:
1. Answer the phone
2. Read a book
3. Feed my child
4. Look like some sort of Benedictine monk

Laugh all you want, but when it's 18 degrees tonight, you're so going to wish you had my Snuggie.

They call him the streak...

Sam stripped down to (almost) his birthday suit, and he wants to wish a happy birthday to Mimi. I know that we're a little early since her birthday isn't until tomorrow, but we wanted to be sure that our greeting was up first thing.


I couldn't be luckier to call you my mother, and Sam is so fortunate to have you as his grandmother. You say that you could never be as good as my own Mimi, but you epitomize her in every way. We hope that you have a wonderful day, and we love you very much!



About the 2nd picture...Apparently, Sam has inherited my horrible tendency to snort when I laugh really hard. At least it's cute when he does it--for now.

Sam-watch '09

We're nearing the 8-month mark, and there is a huge difference in how active Sam is. He's officially crawling on all fours, although he seems to tire easily and will resort to commando-style crawling. I think it's because he has a lot of weight to haul around. I'm constantly taking things away from him, and for some reason he always goes for things that he shouldn't--like wires and electric sockets. We've already bought the socket covers, and I'm putting them to good use.

He's got mad skills...


He has 7 teeth, and is working on the 8th. 4 on top, 3 and 1/4 on the bottom.


He reaches for us now, which is quite endearing. I've decided that the reason people like being parents is that it's such an ego-boost. Your child always wants you around, and it's good for your sense of importance. It can cause problems when he's perfectly happy playing, and I decide to get up and fold clothes. The second anyone turns away from him he acts as if he's being tortured.


We had to lower the crib a couple of weeks ago because of this:




Can you tell he had just woken up?


Bending over to put him in his crib is not so easy any more. He's also figured out how to sit up on his own, which helps me out a lot. Anthony has gone in to get him in the morning to find him sitting up and clinging to the crib rails as if he's in jail. Let's hope that it's the only time in his life that he looks like he's in the pokey.


We went over to the Herrons the other day, and Sam got to hang out with Hayes McCarra. I didn't have my camera, but Haley did. You can check out Sam with his girlfriend here. She is too cute and sweet, not to mention, light. Holding Sam is like lugging around a couple sacks of potatoes. Holding Hayes is like holding a loaf of bread.


Anthony's great-aunt and uncle came to visit last weekend. Since they live in Germany, I had never met them, and Anthony rarely gets to see them. The Rossie family (Anthony's paternal grandmother) had a miniature family reunion, complete with lots of Lebanese food. We had a good time even though we had to make an early exit because of Sam. I've posted all those pictures in the slide show below.

Lastly, I want to wish the best to Gracie and Bailey Menetre today. They're at the hospital right now, and I know they're ready to meet baby George. We're excited that there will be another little boy for Sam to play with at the tailgate.

Dressing an almost 8-month old is like...

wrestling a greased pig.

The End.