And all of that can be found in the pages of a book.  It doesn’t get much better than that.

Or does it?

Enter the Kindle.

I know the Kindle has been around for a while now but I had never given it much thought.  The idea of an electronic device to read from was intriguing, but I believe there is something special about the feel of an actual book.  The turn of the crisp pages, the print of the bold text, the smell of the binding.  That’s half the experience right there.

So I never gave Kindle a chance.

Not too long ago, however, I saw that another electronic reader had entered the market when Barnes and Noble introduced the Nook.

Shortly after that, the CPA brought home the new iPad and I was able to give the whole electronic reading experience a try.

Not bad, I’ll have to admit.  I could see why someone would be interested.  But I still wasn’t ready to sink a couple of hundred dollars into a device when I could just as easily pay $9.95 for the real thing.

That all changed a couple of months ago when we flew out to Utah.  The CPA suggested I download a few books onto my iPhone so that I’d have something to read both on the plane and during our long hours on the road.  The idea of not having to lug two or three books around was appealing.  So I downloaded Kindle onto my iPhone (the software is free, btw) and started shopping.

I added a few free selections and one book that I had been eyeing.  And then I began to read.

What I found amazing was just how easy it was to adapt to the small screen.

But what really sold me, was how I could carry around a book with me anywhere I was.  I generally have my phone with me most time which means that now I always have a book to read too.  Over the past few weeks I’ve whipped out my book while standing in line at the grocery store, while sitting in a doctor’s office, and while riding in the car (as a passenger, not while driving).

I can’t tell you how great it’s been to be able to read a book at any time, in any place, yet not have to bring along the actual book.  I don’t see myself buying a Kindle reader or Nook anytime soon (I wouldn’t mind having an iPad for the web access, not just for reading) but then again, I don’t really need to since I have my phone.  I don’t even miss my actual books, which I thought I would.  In fact, I’ll save a ton of space at home by not having to store new books.  The Kindle books are generally cheaper too so that’s a bonus.  But mostly it’s the convenience of always having the book with me that I really like.

I’m just kicking myself for not having done this earlier.

Do you use Kindle, Nook or your phone to read books?  Is it something that you’ve wanted to try?

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A Sweet Gift

My Guilty Pleasure

Yes, they’re exactly what they look like – TEETH.

We should have known they were coming since we’ve seen a lot of drool lately (notice the chin and the wet shirt).

There’s also been a lot of gnawing of the hands, feet, and pretty much anything else that will fit into his mouth.

Even still, we didn’t think he’d get two at one time  - you’ve got to feel for the little guy.

I would imagine that it’s quite painful.  That’s probably why he did a fair amount of crying and giving me blank stares like this.  It’s sad because he’s normally quite cheerful and happy but he just wasn’t himself.

Good thing Daddy was there to help comfort him.

I know it’s a rite of passage and that everyone has to go through it, but it’s been a while since I’ve experienced it myself (try 38+ years), and I could sure use some advice.

How do you help a little one who’s teething?

Unfortunately, real life got in the way and our well-made plans changed.  Gone were our dinners out on the town and in their place were low-key dinners at home parked in front of the TV.  At first it was because we wanted to enjoy our new home and rather than sit in our unfinished dining room, it was easier to relax on the couch in front of a good show.  But pretty soon, we did it mainly out of habit.

Before we knew it, having casual meals in front of the TV was the norm.  Now that’s not to say that we didn’t talk, because we did.  And we have enjoyed our dinner time routine over the past few years because it’s worked for us.

But when Henry came along, we realized that we needed to re-evaluate the way that we were doing things.  Eating in front of the TV might be fine sometimes, but it’s not what we want to teach our little guy.  So a couple of weeks ago, we did what we meant to do when we first got married: we had a nice sit-down dinner in our home.  (We used our good plates and cleaned off our dining room table and everything!)

It went so well that we had one the next night, and then the night after that.  And you know what?  It’s been amazing.  I’m kicking myself (and the CPA) for not doing this sooner.  Who knew that simply sitting across from each other and sharing a meal could make such a difference?  I had forgotten how important it was to have that face time together, to be able to ask, really ask, how each other’s day had gone.  To discuss current events and politics and anything else that comes to mind.  To listen to each other without waiting for a commercial break or the end of a program.  To just… talk.

I can honestly say that over the past few weeks, I’ve grown closer to my husband.  I’ve seen him in a new light, you could say.  I mean I’ve always seen him, but now I hear him too.  As an added benefit, I find that I want to cook more (gasp) too.  Instead of fixing things that are quick and easy, I’ve wanted to try new recipes and cook something that is both healthy and tasty.  And better yet, I’ve enjoyed it.

We’re not the only ones who seem to enjoy this change.  Henry now sits in his “big boy chair” right beside us as we eat.  He doesn’t say much of course, he merely watches us do our thing, but I know that he’s learning.  He’s seeing his mom and dad communicate with each other and in a few months he’ll be able to join in the conversations.

Maybe most important of all, we’re teaching him that it’s important to make time for family.  And in the process, we’re strengthening our family too.  Because really, that’s what relationships are all about – spending time together.

And if good food is involved – hey, that’s just a bonus.

Do you have a sit down meal in your home?  Or does something more casual work for you?

Ahhh… but there’s a catch.  What if I were to tell you that you wouldn’t be alone during your working hours?  You would have an adorable, yet somewhat demanding and possibly fussy five month old, sitting by your side.  What would you say then?

That’s the situation in which I find myself and it’s become quite the dilemma.  It all started months ago when we looked at whether I would stay at home or go back to work after the baby arrived.  The decision was all but made for me to just work from home when our company changed offices in November.  Along with the change, almost the entire company began working from the comfort of their own sofas.  Great, problem solved.  I could just work from home, be with Henry, and everyone wins.  Right?

Wrong.

The old adage that it’s never as simple as you think it will be is holding true, once again.  Oh sure, the first few weeks were fine while Henry slept 15 out of 24 hours, waking only to be fed and changed.  But now that he is awake for hours at a time, rolling on the floor, and demanding my undivided attention, things are a bit different.  Worse yet, he will likely be crawling around everywhere within a month.

I find that instead of feeling grateful for the opportunity to have the best of both worlds, that I feel guilty and stressed out.  Stressed because my work quality has decreased and guilty because my attention is divided and both my company and my son suffer for it.

Because of this, I recently decided to try using a babysitter during the four hours that I work.  She comes over with her little boy and they stay upstairs while I do my thing downstairs.  She’s fabulous too – I couldn’t ask for someone more perfect.  But… (there’s always a but) she actually makes more than I do after paying taxes.  And I’m not even paying her that much (poor thing)!  I end up bringing home a total of $119.00 a week to go towards bills, which is a fraction of what I made working part-time with no childcare.  What this means is that even though the income is better than nothing, we will still need to dip into our savings every month in order to make ends meet.  While not ideal (it’s quite nerve-wrecking actually) it is doable and is something that we agreed upon long ago should we feel it was the right thing to do.

But I have to say that I feel really torn.  So much so that I lay in bed last night until after 4:00 am because of all the thoughts running around in my head.  Do I take the plunge and stop working altogether?  That option has its benefits, of course — the benefits being that Henry has all my attention and care, we are able to go to play dates and other activities, and I can do things around the house that I never seem to be able to get to otherwise.  There are cons too — mainly the lack of money and the possible negative effect it could have on my career should I desire to re-enter the work-force down the road.

So I ask for your help once again, my trusty internet friends: Do I continue to work from home or do I give up working altogether?

What would you do?

I found mine at the tender age of 35, a mere three years ago.  I still remember how devastated I was.  I believe tears were also involved.  Even though it was just a random grey hair, there’s something about seeing proof of the fact that you’re aging instead of merely thinking it will happen “some day.”

As awful as that experience was, it was nothing, I mean nothing, in comparison to how I felt the day that I realized I was going bald.  Yes, bald.  As in receding hairline, tufts of hair growing out of my ears, bald.

Okay, maybe it’s not that bad.  But still…

I made that discovery last week and it was due to this picture (admittedly it looks worse in this picture than real life because my hair looks so very dark here.  At least I hope it doesn’t look this bad in real life.):

Remember that picture?  I used it in a post about our recent trip.  See that little spot up near the top, right above my eye?  That’s the one.  Bald I tell you.  Now compare it to the picture below (taken back in 2007) and you’ll see what I mean.  No spot.

I should have known this would happen.  I’ve been losing hair by the fistfuls over the past two months.  I’ve got hair everywhere – it’s in the sink, it’s on the floor, it’s in my baby’s hands as he pulls away from my neck, it’s everywhere.  It supposedly has something to do with the hormonal change my body has gone through since having the baby, blah, blah, blah.  Again, reading about it happening and then seeing it actually take place are two very different things.

So I did the same thing that I did when I noticed my first grey hair – I Googled.  Imagine my relief when I saw several posts about how normal hair loss is after a pregnancy and how it will eventually grow back.  I even read about one woman who suddenly had a bald spot right above her temple (just like me!).  Needless to say, I came away from my Google search feeling much better than when I went in.  I realize now that all is not lost and there is hope and best of all, it will grow back.

Until it does, I guess I’m just going to have one heck of a comb-over.

But looking on the bright side – at least my comb-over’s not grey!

Anyone else had this happen?  Anyone?  Please?

To look at him, you would think that he was much older.

In fact, I often get looks of shock and awe when I tell passersby that he’s only five months old.  ”You’re kidding me!”  they declare.  ”There’s no way he’s only five months!  He’s so BIG!”

I’m never quite sure how to respond to that so I usually just blame it on the CPA.  But I think I might start carrying around a copy of his birth certificate so that I can whip it out and show it to people before they even ask.  It will save a lot of time that way.

I don’t blame them for their comments though.  He is rather large for his age as evidenced by the fact that he’s currently wearing nine to twelve month clothing quite comfortably.

I guess that’s why people are probably surprised to see Henry still doing the ‘ole head bobbing thing.  You know what I’m talking about – the head weaving movement that little tykes make as they attempt to strengthen their not-quite-developed neck muscles.  Henry’s much better now then he was just a few weeks ago, in fact he has very good neck control for his age, but people still expect more because of his size.

They’re probably surprised, too, that he isn’t crawling on the floor by now.  I tell them that I’m not rushing anything and that he’s very evolved (at least in my mind) for being only five months old.  In fact, in my mind he’s practically perfect.  I often ask the CPA, “Did you just see that?  Did you see how Henry rolled from his front to his back ALL BY HIMSELF?”  The CPA usually humors me and says “Yes, honey, it’s amazing!” knowing full well that Henry’s been doing that same thing for the past two weeks.

This is just one of the many wonders we’ve been able to witness as he’s grown.  But in spite of all of his achievements and his progress in these short five months, I know that he is still just a baby at heart.

I know because he laughs very easily at most any unusual sound or funny face.  He even smiles at us after he first wakes up which is such a treat, especially if a dirty diaper greets us from the other end.

I also know because like any small child, he loves to play with his toys while at the same time, he often spends long minutes doing nothing but staring at his hands.

So yes, he still has a long way to go and is still very much a baby, but he’s a big baby.  In fact, I sometimes forget that he’s only five months old.

It’s a good thing I carry around that birth certificate to remind me.

So Sunday morning, we headed down south.

We didn’t go anywhere fast-paced like Atlanta or full of fun and adventure like Disneyland.  Instead we just drove through the countryside and visited small towns like Culpepper and Warrenton.  We passed by historical sites that are known only to Civil War buffs (like my husband) and the local townsfolk.  The temperature wasn’t any cooler, but it sure was less crowded.

Our first stop was an overnight stay in the town of Lynchburg, VA.  The town was actually quite large and very old.  What surprised me the most were the downtown buildings – most of them are old warehouses.  Signs adorn the shops and restaurants giving some indication of what must have been there 100 years before.

Even the hotel where we stayed had a history.

At one time it had been a shoe factory (if the large shoe on the side of the building didn’t give it away).  To remind you of its heritage, rows of shoes lined the windows of the main lobby,

they adorned the doors to each room,

and wooden shoeboxes were used to serve the continental breakfast.

But the best part about the hotel was that it no longer looked like a shoe factory.  A recent renovation updated the decor making it modern and lovely while leaving beautiful exposed brick and high ceilings.

It was simply stunning, not to mention comfortable.  And at $139 a night, we considered it a definite bargain.

But alas, we had other towns to visit and countryside to see so we headed out the next day and went right on over to Thomas Jefferson’s summer home, Poplar Forest.

It was a lovely house situated on acres of beautiful landscape.  I think I would have enjoyed it a tad more if it hadn’t been 90+ degrees with no air conditioning inside.  But at least I didn’t have to wear a blanket on my head like Henry just because his mama forgot to lather him in sunscreen.  Poor kid.

We then headed to Floyd, VA.  I’ll be the first to tell you that there wasn’t much there.  Cow pastures lined the road about two blocks from Main St. if that tells you anything.  But it was quaint and it was quiet which is what we wanted.

The hotel was a bit more rustic than our previous night’s stay.

But it was pretty clean and we had internet so I can’t complain.

Our third day brought more of the same only this time it was in the opposite direction as we headed back home.  We stopped first in Lexington, VA which is an adorable little town full of great shops and yummy restaurants.

The next town was even cuter if that’s possible.  Staunton, VA (pronounced “Stanton”) had a fantastic dessert shop full of yummy ice cream and gelato.

The CPA was a definite fan.

I, on the other hand, made my way to an adorable toy store where special toys for a certain someone could be found.

We didn’t stay long though as it was getting even hotter, if that was possible, and we had a tired little boy on our hands (even with his new toys).  So we drove straight home, bypassing all the other cute towns and scenic detours along the way.

It was such a great trip.  There was no hustle and bustle of the city to distract us, no rush to get somewhere, no fight for a parking space (and no parking meters either , I might add).  Just me, my best guy, and my best baby.  It was the perfect weekend getaway.

What did you do for the 4th of July, anything special?

Speaking of summer, it’s been nice weather here the past couple of days too, which is unheard of in Northern Virginia.  Earlier in the week temperatures reached 100 with just about as much humidity.  I volunteered to stay home with the baby and not leave the house because I’m selfless like that.  But really it was because being out in humidity and heat makes me completely grumpy.  Grumpy and sweaty.  Not a good mix.

So I’ve spent most of the week at home and that’s been just fine with me and the baby. But yesterday was so beautiful that we decided to get out and about.  We walked down the street of our neighborhood and we ran into a couple who were walking with their two week old baby.  I looked at him and thought – was Henry ever that little?  Actually, he wasn’t, since their baby was born at less than Henry’s starting weight of 10 pounds, but you know what I mean.  It’s strange to look at that brand new baby and then look at our son and realize how much he’s changed in just five short months.

Five short months this week actually, since Henry’s birthday is coming up in a few days.  I keep telling him that the fireworks he’ll be seeing will be in honor of him, but I don’t think he’s buying it.  I’m wondering if we’ll be seeing any fireworks at all.  We try to stay away from the big firework display downtown because it’s usually a huge hassle trying to get down there.  That’s okay with me because I’ve never been a huge fan of fireworks.  The first few minutes are okay but then I get a little bored.  But since it’s new for Henry, I’d kind of like for him to see them.  Especially since they’re in honor of his birthday and all.

We’ll see how it goes.  Either way, it will be nice just to be with my two guys (three if you count Oscar) so I’m looking forward to it.

Enjoy your holiday weekend!

The problem is, they’re not exactly kid friendly.  Now that Henry is aware of what’s going on around him, he definitely takes notice of what I’m doing.  Since I’m working again, I spend half of my day on the computer with Henry right beside me either watching me from his swinging chair or sitting in my lap.  I always wonder how much he picks up as he seems to be reading along as I do work things or check out my daily blogs or look for new recipes to try.  And when the CPA and I catch an hour of TV in the evenings, it’s everything we can do to keep him from twisting around in our laps to get a better view.  I mean the kid’s only four months and he already seems to be entranced any time the TV or computer is in sight.

It’s got me thinking about the whole issue of TV and kids and when, where and how much they should be allowed to watch.  I even tried a little experiment the other day – I put in the Signing Time video we have that’s geared towards little babies.  Henry was fascinated with it for about 10 minutes.  Then he’d had enough and he started fussing.  Whether he was overstimulated or just needed his diaper changed (the latter was definitely true) I’m not sure, but I went ahead and turned it off.  But there are other times when he’ll sit with us on the couch and watch a whole episode of Jeopardy without blinking an eye.

The thing is – I have no idea if it’s damaging him to watch TV or not.  Research seems to indicate that it is.  The American Academy of Pediatrics has stated that too much television (under the age of two) can “negatively affect brain development.”  Then there’s the AACP who said that kids who watch a lot of TV often have weight problems, lower grades in school and read fewer books.  Umm… none of that sounds good.

So what do I do?  I think that not watching crime dramas around him is a given, but do I limit all TV programs (and computer usage) when he’s around?   Or do allow it to stay on in the background so that he’s used to it and doesn’t see it as a “treat”?  And what about programs geared for children – are they acceptable or do they cause problems too?

Based on what I’ve been reading I have an idea of what the experts suggest, but what about the real world?  What happens when you have a fussy kid and you have to get dinner ready and there’s nothing else but the TV that will calm him down?   What then?

I’d love to hear how real moms and dads handle the issue of TV and their kids:  is there none at all, only a little, or is it on all the time?

I don’t know why I was so shocked.  It’s not like I didn’t know it had happened.  I knew I had gained a lot of weight during the pregnancy, more than I should have.  But I remember thinking that I would just get back on the wagon as soon as the baby was born and work hard to return to my skinny self.  Ha.  Ha ha ha ha.

Seriously, what was I thinking?  I know myself better than that.  I know that if I even look at a piece of cake I gain 100 calories.  Not to mention the fact that my metabolism has slown to the point of non-existence.

So now I’m here, four months later and 70 pounds heavier.  Yes, you read that correctly, 70 pounds.  I have a hard time writing that down, but admitting it is half the problem.  Well, unless you’re talking about weight, then it’s really only about a tenth of the problem.  Because we all know that losing weight is HARD.

But I’m ready now.  It’s been long enough and it’s time.  Time to get back on that proverbial horse and get my butt in gear.  Time to start eating correctly and take care of myself again.  Time to enjoy looking in the mirror instead of avoiding it.

The question is: how do I do it?  I’m not a huge fan of dieting (don’t really know who is) but something’s got to give.  Do I try Weight Watchers again?  It worked for me once, years ago.  Do I count calories and keep track on my handheld or in a little diary or do I just forgo all carbohydrates?

How does a 38 year old, recently given birth to a 10 pound baby, constantly tired and limited on time, new mother lose weight?

I’m open to suggestions, advice, and motivational stories.

The floor is now yours…