I love Christmastime!

I am sure a lot of people could say that. I know I am not unique in that respect. Here are some of my favorite things about Christmas...

1. Christmas movies...what can I say...I am a junkie for them. My favorite of all time is "It's a Wonderful Life". I know that is somewhat predictable, but I genuinely love that movie and cry every time I watch it. My thoughtful husband even bought it for me this year ... digitally remastered but still in black & white as God intended.

2. Christmas Carols. Bring on the nostalgia. I am a fan of the traditional songs...O Holy Night, Little Town of Bethlehem, The Christmas Song...I think they remind of childhood although I can't really pinpoint why. Maybe just an overall sense of the holiday season.

3. The scent of fresh garland and fir trees. It makes me smile.

4. Baking. Now, I am not usually a big sweets baker... thankfully, because I would probably weigh about 500 lbs. Everyone knows I have a serious sweet tooth. If it is sugary, I will eat it. I am not picky. I give equal rights to all candies, cookies, cakes, pies...you name it. So, at the holidays I like to do some baking. I think baked goods make great "gesture" gifts.

5. The Lights....need I say more...

I am really looking forward to adding more "favorites" as Bishop grows up. I am already planning on traditions...some I experienced as a child and others that will be all our own. Bishop will only get one childhood and I want to make it special. Plus, I get to be a kid all over again.

Tagged...

Getting tagged makes me feel good...warm and fuzzy...someone thought of me...anywho...

4 things I have done today...
1. Feed Bishop cereal
2. Pay bills
3. Update my blog
4. Track my Weight Watchers points (yea...it's that time again...stupid Halloween candy is NOT helping)

4 things on my to-do list
1. Make shrimp stir fry for dinner
2. Take Bishop for a walk down to the lake
3. Fold clothes
4. Take a shower

4 Guilty Pleasures
1. Morning radio (discussed in a previous post)
2. ???
3. ???
4. ??? (looks like I need to pick up some new habits...)

4 Random Facts About Me
1. I am addicted to routine
2. I dressed up my dog for Halloween but not my son (he was asleep --- he did wear a Halloweed onesie to school)
3. I LOVE the sky and colors at sunset
4. I was up at 4:30 this morning...for good! The end of daylight savings is not good for a 5 month old.

4 Favorite Movies
1. Father of the Bride
2. The Big Chill
3. Field of Dreams
4. Coal Miners Daughter

4 Places of Employment
1. Cable provider
2. Mortgage Company
3. Local homebuilder
4. National homebuilder

Things Always With Me
1. my tattoos
2. sense of humor
3. appetite (hence the weight watchers)
4. the girls...may they one day return to their glory!

4 Favorite Memories
1. my wedding day and honeymoon
2. vacation on St. George Island
3. Me, Kevin and the dogs at the park
4. The day Bishop first smiled at me

4 things you couldn't go a day without
1. Faith
2. My family
3. coffee
4. a Bishop hug

Guess I am supposed to tag someone now...how about Joy...

Here's to vices...

Not the good kind...I gave the majority of that up in stages over the past 3-5 years or so.

I am talking about innocent guilty pleasures...i.e. trashy morning radio, Venti full fat full sugar coffee from Starbucks, greasy breakfast food and the like.

I am great at avoiding trash TV as I call it. I don't even have the desire to watch the garbage that is on MTV or VH1 or WB/FOX/UPN. But, I have a strange need to listen to trashy morning radio. If you live in Atlanta, I am sure you are familiar the morning radio show I am referring to...love lost & found, HS football pool and Most Personal Secrets should sound familiar. Why do I listen? Maybe the crazies make me sound much more sane. Maybe it is an escape (I am now picturing a bad after school special...Janie needs to "escape" her _________). Anyway...

I enjoyed my greasy breakfast food this morning with the knowledge that in 5 short days I will, again, be back on the WW plan. I had success with Weight Watchers before Bishop was conceived so I figure its worth another shot. So, between now and then, bring on the sugar filled coffee, sticky breakfast food and anything else that isn't "points" friendly. After Tuesday, it is back to sugar free Oatmeal, plain old coffee with Splenda and ....I don't know....I am hoping the motivation will kick in soon....

So...here's to vices...I guess radio is all I have left!

Ringtones make me giggle..

So here I sit, minding my own business, trying to look busy at work and then...
"Hey there Delilah, what's it like in New York City. I'm a thousand miles away..." I am sure you know the song. The radio killed it over the past 6 months so that now I just roll my eyes when I hear it.

The humor here is the owner of the phone with this ringtone...maybe 40-45 ish...desperately trying to look cool by knowing the Plain White T's. If only he knew...

Of course, I am not really one to give pointers on how to look cool. I find I rarely know the newest bands, groups, singers...whatever the kids are calling them these days. I don't watch the garbage on MTV or VHI...frankly, I don't know how people sit through it. Maybe for the same reasons my hubby can still be found watching a Springer episode...it's all about the trainwreck. And I definitely don't have the latest rage in clothes or accessories.

I must confess I did download The Office theme song as my ringtone a while back. Then I traded phones with my hubby so now it is his ringtone. I just have the regular old, sounds like a phone ringtone. How boring am I? It just seems so hard to commit to a song.

I don't want some young kid in my office make fun of me on his blog because my ringtone isn't cool. Come to think of it...is saying "cool" even cool anymore.....

I feel old.

Bishop is 4 months old

I can hardly believe Bishop is 4 months old. What an amazing 4 months!

I never imagined all the emotion I would experience. I always thought I was a relatively emotional person. I have cried at my fair share of commercials. I get teary at PetSmart when they have the dogs to adopt. But, nothing compared to the tears I shed now. Tears of pride, fear, anger and above all, love! It overflows.

And, that is just in 4 months. I can only imagine what a year, 10 years, 18, 32 years will bring.

I never knew my heart could be so full and I could be so blessed.

Horrified - PLEASE take action

Everyone knows I do not send out blanket emails or send a lot of forwards so I hope that if you get an email from me on this topic you will respond.

I started to watch Oprah's show from Monday last night. I think I made it through about 6 or 7 minutes before I had to turn it off. However, the message was not lost. In fact, I am horrified by what I saw and I feel compelled to take action.

If you missed the show, Oprah detailed an evil and sickening activity taking place in our country and around the world. The sexual exploitation of children on the internet. If you would like more details, please visit the website. I cannot stomach typing out what I saw and heard. I feel forever scarred and even now feel tears coming to my eyes.

My purpose in this post is to ask you...beg you to contact your senator about the Protect Our Children Act / Senate Bill 1738. Here is the link from Oprah's website to learn how and more about the act. It is easy and takes only a few minutes to write your senator.

http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20080911_tows_predators

I believe it is of vital importance.

Mondays are hard

Yes...I know, it is actually Tuesday. But since we were off work yesterday for Labor Day, it feels like Monday.

They are hard because I want to be with Bishop. I want to make sure he is getting good naps. I want to make sure his sniffles are being addressed and he isn't running a fever...he had a cough yesterday and this morning. I want to hold him.

I am making myself all upset typing this....

I know they are taking care of him and if he were sick that they would call. But, I can't help it.

Working moms...tell me it gets better....

NO TV...round two

Okay...so the Olympics started just as I proclaimed the NO TV plan. Needless to say, I did not succeed so we are starting round two. I am going to try to watch only shows I have a genuine interest in...here are a few of my favorites...

1. Jon & Kate plus 8....my interest in these people started while I was pregnant and grew after my son was born....seriously, if she can do it so can I!
2. Diners, Drive-in's and Dives....love the host!
3. No Reservations...Anthony Bourdain is super cool and a great writer. His dialogue is very intriguing.

I sound like a TV junkie. Maybe I should try to limit my TV consumption to just the above mentioned shows. At least until the new TV season starts...then I do have a few others. But, I really don't think I am ridiculous with the amount of shows I routinely watch. Am I in denial? Should I have started this post with..."Hello, my name is Mandy..."? Do other people watch as much as I do? Or more?

What are your favorite shows?

Stay tuned...

Gratuitous Picture Posting...

Daddy did it!

I tooted!

Say What???

Bishop in his first Mickey Mouse shirt!

NO TV!

No TV...that is my new idea!

Over the past few weeks I have come to the conclusion that I am lazy. I always knew I had lazy tendencies. Not that my house is buried in dust and dirt but I don't think I do much other than work and watch TV. I think my laziness is especially excessive in the evening after a day of work. I tend to be a morning person and that is when I get things done. Especially at work!

However, I do feel lazy. When I read about other people's activities or hobbies, I always get the feeling I am sort of a loser. Do they just have better descriptions for their otherwise mundane activities or do they really do so many other things?

For instance, at a company function today we had to do a "getting to know your co-workers" activity. It entailed telling one true and one false thing about yourself and seeing if people could guess which was true. Here is a sampling of the true statements...certified skydiver, rode 100 miles on a bike last week, district tennis champ, home brew champion....

Here was my true statement...I was born in Germany. And that is really not a function of anything I did. My parents lived there!

So, I have decided that one of the factors contributing to my overall laziness is too much TV. It gets turned on in our house from the moment we walk in the door and stays on until we go to bed. And, most of the time I really am not that interested in what we end up watching. Here is the nightly routine...

5:30 News (local news at that...should be called the nightly crime report/Clayton County drama/weather)
6:00 Cash Cab (this is actually a pretty fun trivia show but come on...a whole hour!)
7:00 My House is Worth What
7:30 House Hunters
8:00 Depends on the night but ALWAYS something...maybe something from TIVO
9:00 Varies (I am in bed around now and just watching random junk)

So...less TV...less lazy me...that is the basic premise!

Stay tuned.......

I did it!

I returned to work.

I worked a portion of Thursday and all day Friday. I have to brag on myself...I did really well. I didn't even shed a tear. Granted, my MIL stayed with Bishop on Thursday and Kevin stayed home Friday so he has not gone to "school" yet. But, still...I did it!

My company has entered the 21st century and has begun to offer "Flexible Work Options" as they call them. You can job share, work reduced hours, work from home one day per week (not an option for my job), work various shifts or ...work a compressed work week!

Woo Hoo! That was my first reaction. Bring it on. I would gladly work 10 hour days to enjoy a 4 day work week. I imagined my day off...likely Wednesdays...as mommy time with Bishop...days in the park, lunches with girlfriends, uncrowded stores. What a dream!

....reality check...

In order to accomplish this blessed 4 day work week, I would have to...
1. be in the "school" parking lot when they opened the door at 6:30AM
2. work roughly 7:15AM to 6:15PM to get my 10 hours
3. sit in traffic until arriving home around 7PM
4. scramble to make dinner, eat, visit with Kevin before Bishop gets up from his evening nap between 8:00 and 8:30
5. give Bishop his bath, bedtime bottle and have him in bed between 9:30 and 10:00

...do I really need to go on from here??? My Wednesdays would instead be spent catching up on cleaning, sleep, laundry, etc. And, I am ashamed to admit would probably include my taking Bishop to "school" sometimes so I could get these things done.

All of this, quite frankly, SUCKS! Not to mention, I would have NO quality time with my son on those 4 work days.

Other option...work 5 days from 7:15 to 4:00 and be home by 5:00...2 extra hours every night with Bishop.

I feel like I have to try the compressed work week for a few weeks so I will know for sure that it won't work for us but I really feel like I have already made up my mind.

Life Lessons

I have this life lessons list posted in our home office. It has been up for awhile so I really don't pay attention to it much anymore. It caught my eye today. And, I am so glad it did.

I feel compelled to share.

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself too seriously. No one else does.
5. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
6. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
7. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
8. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is about.
9. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
10. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. Don't worry; God never blinks.
11. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living or get busy dying.
12. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
13. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Today is special.
14. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
15. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
16. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
17. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"
18. Forgive everyone everything.
19. What other people thing of you is none of your business.
20. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
21. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
22. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
23. Belive in miracles.
24. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
25. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
26. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.
27. Your children only get one childhood. Make it memorable.
28. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
29. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
30. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone's elses, we'd grab ours back.
31. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
32. The best is yet to come.
33. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
34. If you don't ask, you don't get.
35. Yield.

Mommy Poll

Ok...so I am copying this from some of my friend's blogs...eventhough I am a new mommy, I still want to play.

1. Were you married at the time? Yes.

2. What were your reactions when you found out you were pregnant? Oops. Surprised, freaked, excited!

3. How old were you? 31 when I found out, 32 when I gave birth.

4. How did you find out you were pregnant? I just felt different. My period's have always been like clockwork and I was cramping about a week early. So, I actually took a test before I missed my period. I think I just knew.

5. Who did you tell first? Kevin

6. Did you want to find out the sex? Definitely. Way too much of a planner not to find out.

7. Due date? June 4, 2008

8. Did you deliver early or late? 1 week early

9. Did you have morning sickness? yes but the B6 & Unisom cocktail really worked

10. What did you crave? Milk. To be more specific, I drank 2 gallons (skim) a week by myself.

11. Who irritated you the most? co-workers. They say the dumbest things.

12. What was your first child's sex? boy

13. How many pounds did you gain throughout the pregnancy? 60. I am happy to report that I have lost 40+/- at 8 week post partum.

14. Did you have any complications during your pregnancy? high blood pressure and severe swelling

15. Where did you give birth? Northside

16. How many hours were you in labor? I wasn't really ever "in labor"...due to high blood pressure and his "estimated" size, I had a c-section following a routine appt. I was contracting and 4 cm while at the hospital though.

17. Who drove you to the hospital? myself...actually I just walked through the ridiculously long tunnel from my doc's office

18. Who watched? Kevin

19. Was it natural or c-section? c-section

20. Did you take medicine to ease the pain? obviously...did it work...not really

21. How much did your child weigh? 9 lbs 3oz

22. Did your child have any complications? no

23. What did you name him/her? Bishop Michael

24. How old is your first born today? 7 weeks 5 days

Only 3 days until I return to work

I return to work on Thursday.

I really don't know what to say about that. I am fairly anxious about leaving my son. I know he will be fine. I just think about working the long hours (compressed 4 day week) and how little I will see him awake. That part makes me sad. Will he know me? Remember me?

Moving on...just can't focus on that today.

I am happy to be getting out of the house. I love our home and have enjoyed the past 8 weeks but I need more adult interaction.

Why do I sound like I am justifying???? I need to stop.

I need to be grateful that we can afford to send Bishop to a good childcare facility.

I am grateful that my company will allow me to work a 4 day week.

I am grateful my mother will be able to keep Bishop all next week so he doesn't have to go to school yet.

I am grateful we will have enough money left after funding my time off to pay off some debt.

I am grateful we have one payment left on Kevin's truck.

I am grateful Bishop is catching up on some sleep today.

I think that is good list of things to be grateful for today.

Virgin Blogger

Here I am ... hoping my 6 week old son sleeps another 30 minutes so I can attempt my first blog post.

Yes...I am a virgin blogger. I always thought of myself as someone who was "current" with technology. I know how to use the TIVO. I can hold my own on the PC. I can even download music. But, I found recently that my 32 year old brain is behind. Technology has sped past me and now I struggle to keep up. And seriously, I am NOT old.

Anyway, so here is my first post.

I have probably chosen a bad day for my first post. I feel pretty down today. Blame it on the stupid hormones or lack of...not sure which. My son was born 6 weeks ago today and I am still an uncontrolable ball of emotion. Tears of joy, sadness, loneliness, guilt, boredom...you name it...I have cried because of it. Per doctors instructions, I am giving it another 2 weeks. Just in time for me to go back to work and be upset about that. Motherhood is guilt ridden I have discovered.

Guilt for wanting to be around adults. Guilt for having the TV on Law & Order around my son. Guilt that I don't clean up more around the house while my husband is at work. Guilt that it doesn't all come so naturally.

I told my friend today that I was surprised that I wanted to go back to work. Don't get me wrong...I will really miss being around my son. But, I think I need to be out of the house and around adults. (sigh...guilt) She said the most profound thing....well, for me at the moment anyway. She said.."what is good for you is good for him"...and she is right. I know she is.

I choose to believe it will be good for my son too!

Who...is now awake and crying...gotta run!