Winners and Loot

Thanks, you all for the great caption ideas yesterday! They had me chuckling every time I checked my email. Of course, I loved the comments in reference to Ella's resemblance to the church lady! Thanks for the suggestion to send that picture into Ellen, that's a fantastic idea.

I also loved any reference to pooting, as I'm as mature as a fifth grade boy and giggle uncontrollably at poot and poot references. My sides. Are. Aching!

Here are my favorites.

Rachel's caption said, "My mom calls herself Binky whaaattt?" Isn't that a great?!

Auburn Gal Always gave me several gems, but I loved this one the most. Sorry it'll only make sense to those of you who are fans of SEC football and understand my disdain for Alabama football and love for the Tennessee Vols. "Roll what?????" Love it!

Works For Mom's caption said, "We really live in ALABAMA Mommy?" Yes, babe, we do. We really do.

And my most favorite of all....Drum roll please....

MamaDB's caption...

"Ovaltine? Never heard of it."

Sorry MamaDB about not being eligible for the Jamaican cruise. Better luck next time!

***************

Although there were no actual winners in my contest yesterday, I felt like a winner after attending our city's semi-annual children's consignment sale last night. Take a look at all my purchases...




All! Those! Clothes! And! A Halloween Costume! And! An exersaucer!!! (I'm well aware that Carson is MUCH too old to be playing in the exersaucer, he was in there merely for the photo op. The littlest girl in the house is too little for it.

I just love going to these sales. These cheap children's clothes are like crack! And I'm a crack whore, getting my fix. It is only these sales that I feel like I can justify buying so many things at one time. I purchased entire fall/winter wardrobes for BOTH KIDS. It's just like drugs, I tell ya.

Also, I'm not above loving these clothes because of their name brands. I fully admit that I can't resist the lure of name brands, especially when I'm only paying maybe $3 for a Polo, Children's Place, or Gymboree outfit. If clothes are the crack, then the name brand is the Ecstasy.

When I make a large purchase like this, I love to spread it all out and revel in it's bounty. So! Many! Clothes! Would it be strange to lie on top and roll around in all it's ample glory? Well, yes, it would be strange and I did not actually roll around on my purchases. But I may spend the rest of the day, examining each purchase, reveling in their inexpensiveness, and imagining the kids frolicking in autumn leaves while wearing their new duds.

Saturday is half-price day!!

I may be having the Best! Week! Ever!

What's Her Name...What are You Going to Call Her?

When Parent Bloggers Network came up with this Blog Blast topic, you know I couldn't possibly pass up an opportunity to bitch about annoying questions that I've been asked.

The hard part is going to be for me to FOCUS!! Having to pick just one annoying question I've been asked when pregnant or when I was a new Mom is going to be challenge.

Could it be questions that weren't even asked of me, but instead asked of my daughter, the newborn? You know those questions, where some jackass comes up to you and your crying baby and asks the baby "is your mommy just not feeding you? You poor thing."

Or they make a backhanded comment to the baby (again, who's a newborn) like "you aren't wearing any socks?!" or "you don't have a pacifier?!"

I also hate the questions from complete strangers that always swarm like mosquitoes whenever I'm out in public with Shel and she is crying. "Have you tried gripe water, swaddling, a chiropractor, Mylanta, holding her upright, holding her on her side, holding her....?"

Oh my yes, those are very annoying questions.

But the ultimate fingers on the chalkboard question has to be "what's her name?"

Seems like an innocent enough question and one that is commonly asked of all new Moms. The problem begins when I tell them her name and people respond with "well, what are you going to call her?," or "oh."

Apparently, everyone, including my own mother, hates her name.

Too bad I'm too chicken to use all the wonderful advice you bestowed upon me in this post when handling these people. And it would probably be really inappropriate, if not sick and twisted to use the butt-out tool.

Since it happens quite frequently, I've begun to respond to people by simply saying, "Her name just fits her, I think. A beautiful name for a beautiful girl." Why do I have to be so....diplomatic?!

But maybe Parent Bloggers Network has the right idea on how to handle assvice-happy strangers...

Don’t you wish you could have just handed them this?

He Can Tell His Own Story

Much of the content of my writing surrounds my children, especially my son, Peanut. Prior to beginning a blog where I could share my stories about him, I took photographs, wrote stories on scraps of paper, and logged entries in his baby book so that I would remember his details. Even with visual and written chronicles of his time hear on Earth, I continue to question "where has the time gone?"

My stories of my son have evolved over these past 19 months. The first stories I have of Peanut are full of despair and frustration. He started life as a screaming newborn, whose cries I could not quiet. Those first stories were scraps of paper I kept detailing my diet, his naps, his crankiest times, and the colic tricks I had attempted that day. I spend my evenings, once Peanut was finally calmed and sleeping, pouring over my writings and looking for a pattern or an answer to why he continued to cry. An entire day would pass and I would realize that I had not eaten or showered. I had spent the entire day searching for calm in all the chaos.

As Peanut got older, the stories became joyfully less dramatic. As an infant, I was able to record his first smile. His first laugh was not because of one of my comedic performances, but from the ceiling fan. I recorded his other firsts, too, like when he rolled over, army crawled, really crawled, and pulled up on furniture. Our time was spent happily together playing, reading stories, and going for walks on beautiful days.

Once he reached the one year mark, I began blogging as a way to share my stories. I've told stories of his sure brilliance with fashion, his devil-like behavior at story time, the heart-wrenching goodbye to his morning nap, and his new! ability! to! climb!

Since adding a new member to our family, I have not shared his current stories as much as I would like. Time continues to escape me. These stories would tell of the hysterical laughing that I can elicit with just the promise of a tummy tickle. Now instead of being carried or walking on his own, he must RUN! And the best part of Peanut is his ability to communicate. Gone are the days where crying was his only means of communication. He can request what he wants for snack, tell me where it hurts, and say Mama. My own vocabulary has been tempered as he mimics, in full sentences, whatever he hears. He can now tell his own stories.

Even with all my stories, I am unable to grasp how we've come this far. No longer is he the grumpy, needy newborn. He has evolved into this wonderful, increasingly independent toddler that even I, his mother, sometimes barely recognizes. I do not know where the time has gone, but I will forever cherish my photographs and stories, my documentation of our time together. I'm especially eager to hear his stories.

This post is my attempt to crash the BlogHer conference by winning a two-day pass (a value of $200) from Parent Bloggers Network and Light Iris. I'm dying to meet so many of you and this is my only way to get there. "Where does my time go?" is the theme, so, hurry, hurry, you can enter too, BUT ONLY TODAY.

I'm Putting Her Fate Into Your Hands

It's contest time!!!!

Today marks exactly 36 weeks pregnant, so I decided to celebrate with my very own contest!

First off, I know you want to know if it's even worth your while to participate, so I'll start off with the prize.

You get to name my daughter!!!!!!.

Well, you get to give her a blog pseudonym, anyway. Currently, she's named Petunia. And I gotta say, it's just not working for me. She needs a new name. It can be a cutesy name, a real name, whatever. (Not an ugly** name, obviously!)

Here's how you win...

Guess the weight, length, and time of birth. I'm not doing the date because I have a feeling I'll be induced and then my contest would be a bust.

I'll pick the winner based on weight, but if there's more than one "winner", I'll go to length. And if you are still close, I'll use the time of birth. I think this way all my bases will be covered.

I am sooooooooooooo nice that I'm going to give you some history to make the guessing easier.

Peanut was 5 lbs 5 oz, 20 1/2 inches long, and was born at 7:28 PM. Both my husband and I were small babies in the 5-6 pound range and around 19 inches long.

Voting is mandatory. So come on EVERYONE. Yes, I mean you St. Louis friends who have yet to comment (Go Cards!!!). Yes, that means you in Honolulu (aloha, by the way!!!!). EVERYONE. Yes, you, who visits everyday but never says hello...this is your chance to delurk and get a prize! If you're reading this at Maya's Mom, please comment at the blog so that your guess will count!

Guess how enormous this baby's going to be so that you get to name her.

You don't have to think of a name right now, but if you have one in mind, leave it in the comments section.

**Please don't give her a hideous name such as Bertha, Moose, Gladys, Knight, Pips, Chunk, Scrawny, Beanpole, Ugly, Dora, Peanut's sister, Rutabaga, Tubs, Crockett, Paulie Walnuts, Maxie, Dummy, Ignoramus, or Farty-Britches-Kid. Thanks in advance.