Quick Update

As usual, I am being run a bit ragged.  We had a ball down in Atlanta last weekend for Jessie's wedding.  She was gorgeous, relaxed and glowing- all in all, a perfect bride.  We had the best bridesmaid dresses- I loved them.  They are Jenny Yoo (and like the much-missed Barbie Dream Car-convertible!)  We each transformed the strapless numbers after the ceremony to a completely different dress.  Amazing.

 It was an absolutely glorious occasion, which helped me keep my mind off this little one.  It was our first full weekend away from Miss Priss, but she behaved remarkably well (or so they told me).

We brought back these two baby Adirondack chairs from the Ace Hardware in Peachtree Battle, spotted while running in to the Publix for some beverages.  After all, every child knows that the benefit of your parents being gone is a consolation prize upon their return.  Until you get to be a teenager, when the prize is the giant party you throw.  Even the Cosby kids did it, albeit in a booze-free fashion.

So, the chairs have a new purpose besides sitting now.  Someone has decided to use it to pull up.  What?  I just got used to the crawling!  Oh, law.  

And we are off once again, to celebrate Miss Leigh's nuptials this weekend in Pawley's.  My liver is not going to know what to do with itself, after 2 child free weekends in a row.  Lucky for my liver, we will have to be pretty tame Saturday night, as we will be faced with the long haul home and a teething baby upon our return.  My poor parents will likely sitting on the front stoop, desperate to pawn off their sweet little granddaughter, when they experience the hell that is Miss Priss Cutting a Tooth Edition.  It is a lot of drama.

Side note- I was telling Jessie's mama (who has a mean case of grandmama fever) all about Dell Harper- I mentioned how dramatic she is.  Mrs.Smith snorted and said "I wonder where she gets that from, SAMMA!"  Yep.  Comes by it naturally, I suppose.  Poor Hubs.

So off to watch this Bachelorette become a wife!  If you see a squalling baby and a bedraggled set of grandparents roaming around my neck of the woods, feel free to offer some help!  Or Tylenol.

Monday Musings (Or Not)

I was all set to get some thoughts down, and blame my incoherence on Monday's haze.

Then I realized it is Tuesday.  Good Lord.

• I made Ina Garten's Turkey meatballs last night, with whole wheat angel hair (to balance out the fattening delight of garlic bread from the freezer aisle).  As with all thing Barefoot Contessa, they were easy, simple and delicious.

• Miss Priss went to the doctor for her nine month check up a couple weeks early.

Apparently, all the Greek yogurt she is eating is having an effect, as my little chunklet has jumped from a consistent 50th percentile in height and weight to the 90th!  What?  She is very pleased with herself.

• I was pleased with myself when all got all my pansies planted in my containers in front and on the back patio last Saturday during her afternoon nap.  I wanted to take a nap myself, but powered through.

It was worth it.  Instead of a nap, I went to bed practically when Dell Harper did, forgoing football watching.  I didn't miss much it seems.

• Finally, y'all all need to run at top speed to the GAP and get these magic pants.  I LOVE them!  This is my third pair (I have lost the previous two in the last couple of years since I was in maternity pants last fall).

They are just as magical as that Lilly dress- they suck you in, and are flattering in every way.

They are the ones on the left.  Here's an old picture of me in a previous pair.  Best aspect?  They are machine washable. 

• I have officially had it with both bubble necklaces, and pumpkin spice anything.  Overkill has ruined a perfectly fine flavor and accessory for me.

So that's it for me.  Hope everyone is having a lovely TUESDAY!

Edited to add-
Here is the link for the pants.  My brain is gone, and I forgot to add it.
http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=57240&vid=1&pid=772541&scid=772541012

How to Babyproof (?????)

So, there seems to be two schools of thought on baby-proofing. 

A. The Comprehensive:

Please see this list- securing toilets, refrigerators, cabinets, DVD players, furniture, televisions, faucets, etc.

B.  The Teach As You Go:

Basically, watch your child, and see what presents problems.  Teach what is off limits.

Okay, so both have pros and cons.  Obviously, the Comprehensive option presents a lot of work and expense.  Plus cursing when you are trying to pee in the middle of the night and your damn toilet is locked.  However, you can rest assured that your house presents little hazard to your child's safety, and that breakables are out of reach.

On the other hand, the latter option means you get to live in your home, not some knick-knack free sterile environment with unaccessible toilets and cabinets.  However, you must be vigilant, and be prepared for some broken objets d'art, and bruised noggins.

I'm leaning toward a combination of the two- protect my outlets, but otherwise keep a close eye on Miss Priss.  I have never loved a ranch house like I love a ranch house with a baby- no stairs to concern myself with.

So please share- what are my essential baby-proofing techniques I need to implement?  How far did you go with it?  I can't believe I have a crawler- HELP!



A Weekend In Pictures

Well, a partial weekend.  I was more social this weekend than I have been in months.  We headed to a benefit at the Botanical Gardens Friday night.  It felt weird but nice to haul out my boots and woolly scarf.

Dell Harper has been very busy playing with her new remote control from Granddaddy.  I have had a rocking tune of "I got a remote, and I'm ready to roll, making things happen, cause I'm in control!" stuck in my head since Friday.  The nanny and I agreed that it is what Miss Priss could sing if she could.

Speaking of ready to roll, this was a big weekend for Miss Priss.

 She went from lots of push-ups, down ward dogs and planks, to forward motion!


Now, her crawling in not pretty.  And much to my dismay, she will not crawl for an audience.  But she is on the move!  Another big step?  Pulling up- I walked into her room to find her holding on the the side of her crib, proudly peeping over at me. A frantic search for the doohickey to unscrew the things to lower the crib then ensued.  Oh, and then I got teary eyed at her super low crib mattress, because she is growing so fast.  Law, what in the world have I become?  We lowered it to the bottom setting, so I will never have to go through that hell of trying to lower the crib, bleary-eyed from the 30th birthday party we attended the night before, with a grumpy husband, and a baby who is crawling into any trouble she can find.   So our babysitter is considerably richer than she was Friday morning, but we had a well-deserved social weekend.  A friend asked us how often we get babysitters- it's probably about every other weekend.  Is that average?  Some months it is more frequent, and some weekends I just hibernate!  What about y'all?

Vroom, Vroom!

Ha- I cannot stop laughing at this picture of Dell Harper at a birthday party last weekend.  Little Will is the background is already checking out cute girls in convertibles! Her face is so serious, it just kills me.

I just love this picture outside the church after Dell Harper's baptism last Sunday. Also digging big-time?  The dress I wore.  I want to wear it every day.  Hubs happy-prized me with another of this style in a different print (normally he never notices what I wear, so this is high praise for a dress indeed).  I normally can't do wrap dresses (thanks, bosoms), but this one is flattering and non-revealing for us ladies with larger chests.  Check it out here or call the ladies at Palm Village in Asheville ((828) 505-8140) for your own magic dress.  I need to take a better picture so y'all call really see it in all of its glory.  A wrap dress that works on my top half is truly a work a genius.


What else is going on?

Beverages:
I am still faithfully drinking my apple cider vinegar weight loss tonic.  I haven't weighed myself, but have received several comments lately that I am looking trim.  Hurrah!  I have also been enjoying a lot of coconut water- so hydrating and tasty.  It's nature's Gatorade.

Baby Stuff:
Daddy and I took Dell Harper to Babies R Us last night, as it was time for some new toys to entertain my little busy bee.  She got a little work bench, a remote control and a walker.  I was late to work this morning because we were so busy playing.  If I did a plank every time Dell Harper did in her attempts to crawl, my tummy would be bikini ready.  She is so close!

So that's what's going on in our world.  We all have parties to go to this weekend- a 2 year old birthday party for Miss Priss to attend, and a 30th birthday party for her parents to attend. Pretty exciting!

How Clean is Your House?

Yesterday's post brought up all sorts of quirks we all have about the "correct" way to do things.  I must add in Hubs' defense- he only leaves up the seat and lid of the master bathroom- not the more public ones of our house.  I'm sure once Miss Priss gets moving, all lids will be down at all times!

Speaking of her moving-

We are almost there.  She is dying to crawl to Buddy and pull on his whiskers.  This brings up my topic of the day- cleanliness levels.

Confession- I used to be a slob.  My college roommates and mother are nodding their heads in agreement right now.  I was a mess.  Really until I had Dell Harper, my house had a least one spot where mess was accumulating.  And dog hair? Well, with a super furry golden retriever, it is always a losing battle.

Anyway, now I am in a clean house habit.  With a baby who is about to crawl at any moment, and a nanny in my house every other week, I am conscious of the neatness level of my house like never before.  I used to babysit and nanny, and remember noticing who had a clean house, and who consistently had a wreck.  Now I am scared of the babysitter judgment!  Ha!

 Thanks to this guy, my house will never be too clean.  It's a good thing that my secret slob loves a lived in feel.  After I straightened the couch last night, I went to fold clothes and unload the dishwasher.  I heard some scuttling around and panting, and came back in the den to see this-

Complete destruction.  But he had a great time, and was grinning from furry ear to furry ear.

Anyway, my messiness still manifests- my closet overflows with clothing I randomly shove in there.  I HATE HANGING UP CLOTHES!!  Why is that such an awful chore?  Mama made me start doing my own laundry when I was 9, because of my predilection for trying on several outfits, then throwing the clean ones on my floor instead of hanging them back up.  Now I have a tendency to stuff my suits in my closet opposed to hanging them neatly in my hurry to get to yoga pants and squeezing that baby.  This means increased dry cleaning bills and ironing, and saves probably 3 seconds, but I just hate putting things on a hanger.

 I also dislike mopping.  I'm terrible at it.  I have a doctorate, yet cannot avoid mopping myself into a corner. That is why I will gladly scrimp in other areas to have a housekeeper come twice a month to do floors and bathrooms.  It's not expensive, and makes my life so much better.

I am a reformed slob, who now picks up every night, cleans the kitchen before bed, and vacuums and sweeps every other day.  My adolescent self is nodding smugly at my mama, as I always told her I would become neater as I aged.  My house is cluttery with picture frames and books, but the clutter is corralled.

So- reader poll.  Messy or neat?  Always neat?  Most hated chores?

The Commode Controversy

Last night, I caught myself huffing a bit to myself as I rushed to the bathroom to find myself confronted with a toilet seat in the "up" position.  As I took all of ten seconds to lower the seat, I began to wonder- why is "down" correct?  Why is my way the "right' way? (These questions are not ones which you should discuss with your husband, by the way- your way being the only way should never be questioned).

But ladies, why is our way the "correct" way?  Courtesy to the fairer sex?  Because Emily Post likes the seat down?

Anyway, it's so easy to get wrapped up in a self-righteous fuss about the rudeness of leaving the toilet seat down.   Then you take the five to ten seconds required to lower it and realize that it's completely minor, and that you have bigger fish to fry.  Sometimes I need a reminder that courtesy works both ways.  There are a lot of minor things that I likely drive Hubs crazy with (whaaatttt?, moi? never!), but he lets go because he loves me.  It's easy to become a martyr, but a couple of deep breaths and a quick glance at the big picture are an easy way to keep myself in check.

So quick vent- pet peeves?  What does your husband/roommate/dog/neighbor do that drives you batty?  Let it all out, then (deep breath, deep breath) let it go! 

Procastination

I am procrastinating on my week beginning.  Waaaaahhhhhh!  I am kicking and screaming my way into Monday.  We had family in town this weekend to celebrate Miss Priss' baptism.  She was just perfect!  I just watched the service online, and I am grinning like a fool, while Hubs is appropriately somber and respectful.  I was just so thankful that my baby was acting right!

Mama and I polished the good silver for a celebration brunch at my parents' house post-church.   I'm of an opinion that some of those trays are just dying to come live at my house.  Between both sets of grandparents, and all of her little buddies (it was toddler central on the back lawn), Miss Priss was in hog heaven.  I was too busy preening to take any pictures!  You can take my word- everything was just gorgeous!

So, now I am just beat. It's rainy, gloomy, and I need to be curled up watching my baby do planks and creep backwards, with some tea and leftover pumpkin bread.

In other news AK just sent me this picture of me a year ago.  It's so funny how instinct and hormones override our good sense sometimes.  I see this picture, and I think "Ooooh, pregnancy!  So fun!"

WHAT?  No!  I did not enjoy pregnancy a bit!  It just amazes me how our bodies are hardwired like that.  Don't fret- I'm  not pregnant, nor do I plan to be anytime soon.  Miss Priss and Buddy are all I can handle at this juncture in time.

Finally, did y'all watch the UGA-UT game?  What a game! Since I was watching with my in-laws and family, all clad in orange, I was discreet in my cheering- but everyone was stressed on both sides by the end of that one.  Whew!