Steelers not on tv...what to do?

Two weeks ago our beloved Steelers were playing Cleveland. Not only is it a bitter divisional rival, but it was also the return of Ben Roethlisberger. We used to just head over to a local bar to watch the game but that was P.C. (pre-Chase).

Don't mind our friend's look of contempt...he is a 49ers fan

We decided that we'd take him to a restaurant/bar and see how he does fully expecting to be gone by half time. We had to get there about an hour early to get a seat in the restaurant area where there is only one section that has a big screen tv. We got there at noon for a 1pm game and to our amazement, Chase made it the whole way through the game without making a peep.

Taking a snooze with Aunt Kellie

He is either showing his intense love for the Steelers at the tender age of 5 months or he is so afraid of his parents during theames that he opted to stay quiet! Either way, we had a great time and he was a huge hit in his Steelers apparel.

Watchin the TV

Steelers not on tv...what to do?

Two weeks ago our beloved Steelers were playing Cleveland. Not only is it a bitter divisional rival, but it was also the return of Ben Roethlisberger. We used to just head over to a local bar to watch the game but that was P.C. (pre-Chase).

Don't mind our friend's look of contempt...he is a 49ers fan

We decided that we'd take him to a restaurant/bar and see how he does fully expecting to be gone by half time. We had to get there about an hour early to get a seat in the restaurant area where there is only one section that has a big screen tv. We got there at noon for a 1pm game and to our amazement, Chase made it the whole way through the game without making a peep.

Taking a snooze with Aunt Kellie

He is either showing his intense love for the Steelers at the tender age of 5 months or he is so afraid of his parents during theames that he opted to stay quiet! Either way, we had a great time and he was a huge hit in his Steelers apparel.

Watchin the TV

Chase's visit to the pumpkin patch

Now that Chase Man has become more interactive, Jeff and I have shared our excitement in taking him places that we secretly are excited to go to. We can't wait for Hershey Park, Disney, and other fun things like that. We decided to kick off our family fun trips with a journey to Ashcombe Farm's pumpkin patch and we learned a few important things on that adventure:

1. Chase likes alpacas
2. Parents must always carry cash, the days of only having an ATM card are gone (we couldn't buy our pumpkins out in the patch because it was a cash only stand, as was the awesome food stand).
3. Hay is messy

Wow! Time Flies

So it's practically been a month since my last post, which I cannot even believe. I know that I feel like I have been very busy but can't seem to pinpoint what I was doing and what I can say I accomplished in that time! I think my brain has officially turned into some congealed sort of mush.

I guess I better get to thinking about what happened in the last month and catch you all (and by you all I mean the 3 or 4 people that even know about this blog) up.

I'm a Heffer!

So - it was only a matter of time before I posted about my post-pregnancy bod. Man - the whole bed rest/cesarean section thing has really put a crimp in my style. I have tried to start exercising only to have myself stopped due to some breakthrough bleeding. They told me the process to recovery would be long and drawn out due to the bed rest but you gotta be kidding me.

I have a closet full of clothes- actually a room full because a closet cannot house the amount of clothes/shoes I own. They are beautiful and fashionable and I can't wear any of them. I have had to buy a few pieces here and there (which is not in the new budget). The problem is that I'm in sizes that force me to wear "mom clothes". Yes, I am a mother, but no I'm not prepared for mom clothes - you all know what I mean. Those jean's your mom wears that have little or no pockets that make their rear ends look huge and have waists that travel up to your boobs. It is a tragic fashion phenomenon that I may have to conquer one day, but that is for another post.

I just started pilates, but in order to fit that into my busy schedule I must do it at 730AM on Saturday mornings. Gone are the days of sleeping in and relaxing, but then again so are the days of my insane metabolism.

I have several problems with a workout routine and most of it can be attributed to two friends that I have now made. Please let me introduce you to Mr. Lack of Time and Mrs. Extreme Exhaustion.

Moms can you please explain to me how you clean your house, cook meals, go grocery shopping, do laundry, take care of your children (that number includes your husband because let's face it they are helpless) and find time to tone your physique!?!

Looks like I'll have to pass on the cookies and try my luck at crunches. Hopefully that removes the "I'm 5 months preggo" look that I have going on right now :)

Phew...It's Been A While

It's been a couple weeks since my last post. I've been busy keeping up with Chase Man - we are now up to eating cereal and sweet potatoes, work and extracurricular activities. I definitely feel like the month of September has been packed full of events. We've had weddings, bridal showers, surprise birthday parties, wine tours, work functions and kickball games.

Thank goodness I have wonderful parents who are willing to watch Chase for a couple of hours here and there, although this month the visits seem more frequent! It has been a tough road with Hubbie coaching soccer. I definitely feel like a single parent sometimes, but I know the role will reverse when bball season comes around. I am actually looking forward to February when we both have time to spend together with Chase!

Food is going well, although my son seems to think sneezing sweet potatoes all over mommy in the morning is the most HILARIOUS thing ever. Never does it with cereal, only colored food :) I had an ingenious idea to introduce new foods on Fridays when my mom watches him. That way she gets all the new poop flavors. P.S. I started sweet potatoes last Friday and have yet to have a poopy diaper - daycare, my mom and husband have had that pleasure though!

I'm thinking sweet peas for this Friday. I know, I'm evil.

A Weekend of Firsts

Mommy and Chase Man are ready to go!

This was a very exciting weekend for Chase Man. He had his first overnight visit with Gigi & Pee Paw while Mommy and Daddy went to a wedding, he watched his first steelers game and ate his first cereal. Yea for the big boy!!!

Gooey Face, but he likes it

Here We Go!

It's Mom's Job

So I have fully embraced the thought that I was meant to live a generation of Women's Lib. No, I'm not a feminist although some may view it that way, but I do believe in some instances a woman and a man should share responsibilities.

For instance, I work. Yes although it may still be taboo - I say it aloud, "I am a working (gulp) mom!" My mom was a working mom and her mom before that. I come from a long line of strong, independent women, something I'm tremendously proud of. That said, I do still believe in some antiquated traditions that make me an oxymoron of sort.

I believe the man should pay - at least on the first date - and I believe that a man should ask a woman for her hand in marriage not the other way around.

But the new phenomenon that has me all befuddled is "It's mom's job". The first question I want answered is who in the H-E-double hockey sticks decided what jobs were only suited for the mom. I'm assuming it was a man because all those jobs seem to be the ones no one wants to do.

For all you moms out there, you know what I'm talking about. For those moms-to-be, you soon will, and for any man brave enough to read my blog, you have probably been clueless until now so let me educate you on my personal favorites:

1. Moms are the sole caretakers of kids' cracks and crevices: this includes boogie picking, earwax collecting, toe jam retracting...gee how wonderful

2. Only moms are equipped with "midnight" feeding parts - I think 9 months of carrying children should be enough and the man should have had the pleasure of feeding his children.

3. When the kids are bad, they suddenly belong to you "Do you know what your son/daughter did today.", but in times of joy and elation Dad screams, "That's my boy!" or "My little girl made me proud"

4. Women care for their children where as the men "babysit" them - Yo, you produced this child too, so when I need to go out, I shouldn't have to see if you are busy and can make time to "watch" the kids! Nor should you assume that I'm never busy and continue on with your life as it used to be with little communication

5. My personal favorite - mom's never get a hot meal. For the foodie in me and anyone who knows me can attest to my insane obsession with food, I hate that someone decided that mom's eat last, after feeding everyone else, after everything is cold and doesn't taste the way its intended.

Yes, we have the wonderful pleasure of carrying and bonding with our child for 9 months (really 10) before their birth, but that doesn't mean we should be punished for those many years thereafter.  But, the feminist in me says bring it on. Mom can do any job!

Happy 4 month Bday!

Four months ago, my angel came into the world. Happy 4 months Chase Man! Love you!!!

This Pix Message Came from Daycare today too - 1st time in the Bouncy Exer-Saucer

Uh oh - The First Call from Daycare

Just 1 day shy of a month of being at daycare, I get the first phone call. I am just getting over a cold, so I thought for sure that's what they were calling me about yesterday, but it was not. I got a call around 4pm - I was at work - telling me that EVERYTHING is fine. (If everything is fine, I'm sure you wouldn't have taken the time to look up my number and then dial it, but ok). Chase Man was inconsolable all day and they just wanted to let me know. I didn't need to come get him but they just wanted to make me aware that they thought he had gas and it was causing him to be very fussy.

Soo, what to do....what to do...what to do...Of course, I immediately packed up my belongings and did a b-line to my car to go pick up my kid. Clearly, something needs to be done. 

So I walk off the elevator to the floor daycare is on and I immediately hear my kid screaming. I'm not talking that little fussy fussy cry, I'm talking purple-faced, no breathing, screaming at the top of his little lungs. I was like uh-oh, we are in for an interesting evening. 

The poor daycare lady was in there with 2 other babies. She is always the one that rounds out the day and always seems to have some type of craziness going on. She was leaning over Chase in his bouncy chair, trying everything in her power to calm him down, but it wasn't working. The other two children were milling around Chase looking at her wondering what in the world was going on. This kid is NUTS! 

Not only was he bawling, but he had a different outfit on than the one we put him in. I looked at his bunny gram - the daily report on dirty/wet diapers, naps and feedings - and all it said at 9:25 was BM - BLOWOUT! Yes, B-L-O-W-O-U-T was reported. Obviously, things were moving ok in the intestinal region, but that wasn't stopping the horrific wailing! 

I quickly scooped him up which pacified him at least until we were able to get over to my parents house. There we sat for an hour while he descended back into crazy baby - my husband has so aptly named our son's alter ego, "Reginald, Reg, Randy or Randall" it all depends on how bad the tantrum is. Randy is the worst of them all and we were in full RANDY mode. Nothing calmed him, not me, not Gigi, not PeePaw (who usually is the saving grace to us all), no bottle, no bink, no totally awesome water world bouncy chair - this chair resides at Gigi and Peepaw's house and is way better than the other two I bought him...go figure! 

So I proceeded to dump my child on my mom (Gigi) and jump into my car and race for CVS for those gas relief drops for babies. To this point, I had yet to buy them although my other mommy friends warned me that they were the one thing you couldn't live without. Don't ask me why, but I'm not a big medication person and am not really into giving things to my kid, but I was desperate now. So, I bought them, raced back home and gave them to him. 

What do you know? He calmed down, fell asleep and we never heard a peep from him until 2am - why did i not get these things sooner!! 

So mom's who are skeptical about these things - BUY THEM! They WILL save your sanity!!!! And hopefully prevent another call from daycare :)

First Day Back to Work

I started my first day back to work on Monday, August 9 - but this is not the beginning of the story. No the beginning would be about a week prior to this date when I started to hold onto my kid for dear life because I knew that someone else would be "taking care" of him soon and I was not prepared to let go.

I started the hyperventilating, and extreme crying on the previous Thursday and proceeded to continue until Chase Man had completed his first week there. Jeff, in his panic due to inability to comfort me, offered to let me be a stay at home mom. We both knew that one of us (meaning him) would not make it if I did that because I would probably become violent sooner or later! (not really, well....maybe)

First Day of School Picture

Monday morning, I woke up at 6am and took a long walk to my coffee shop in hopes of getting all the tears out before my husband and child saw them - that did not work. All it did was attract attention from those commuters on their way to work that morning. They probably thought a crazy woman was on the loose!

When I got home, Chase began to stir (yes he was sleeping the whole night) and I got him up, changed, dressed and ready for his first day of school. I carried him and his bouncy chair with me to every room while I got ready, not wanting to be away from him for 1 second!

Finally, it was time for Jeff and I to take him to "school" as we were calling it. We loaded him and all his gear - yes we had sheets, blankets, diapers, bink, joey the giraffe, swaddle, pre-filled bottles, clothes, bibs, bouncy chair and boppy in hand. If you have a preemie baby, they highly suggest bringing your own bouncy chair/boppy to prevent spread of germies!

We arrived and settled him in. He was smiling and loving the kids crawling every where. We put away all his belongings and kissed him 1000 times and finally left. My husband, who up to this point made fun of me for my weepy disposition because "he'll be fine", started to cry as well. It was the hardest thing either of us had to do to that point.

I only made it until 11:30 before I made my way back to give him hugs/kisses and feed him his lunch time bottle. Each day following was easier - although I made Jeff do drop off for the rest of the week!

Now - 4 weeks later, we love daycare. We wish daycare was open on weekends some times! Just kidding...almost :)

Preparing to go back to work - The Daycare Nightmare

As I was nearing the end of my 3 month maternity leave (which I highly recommend), I had to force myself to think about daycare. We almost avoided that "scary" task as my dad contemplated retirement and the thought of being my son's "au pair". Sadly, it was not time for PeePaw to retire, so we had the task of selecting the "right" daycare from the hundreds of options in the area. 

I searched for various locations in the immediate area, researched the Keystone Starts Program, and called the Department of Public Welfare to get the skinny on the violations (if any) my final choices had. A friend of mine who works in the Department gave me great advice, "It may look good on paper, but if it doesn't feel right, it isn't."

I narrowed my choices to 3 locations. My first visit was horrific. The infant room was small, dirty and reminded me of baby prison. It was an accredited daycare and participated in the Keystone Stars Program, but it was NOT even an option for me. I left that place bawling, grasping my child for dear life and vowing that I would never, EVER send him to daycare!

Luckily, my next visit was the complete opposite. I got nothing but positive vibes from the atmosphere, the director and the staff and I'm happy to report that my little Chase Man is enrolled there. Moms - definitely trust your instincts. They are always right! 

So hear is my advice to you moms who are looking for daycare:

1. Research all the places in your area (DPW can give you a list)

2. Narrow your choices

3. Call DPW for the history/violations

4. Ask if they are verified violations - meaning not just some whiny parent who wanted to make a stink out of nothing

5. Take tours of your selections

6. Show up early so you can see how things "really" are and not just prepared for your visit

7. Do a follow up visit

8. Look for a part-time daycare if you have grandparents/great grandparents who are willing to watch kids 1-2 days a week (we are saving a boat load of $ with this)

9. No question is dumb - ask whatever comes to your mind

10. Look at the other kids there - if they are happy, your did will be too

Things No One Tells You - Pt II

So in having quite a few convos with my "child ready" friends, I'd like to offer you the things no one tells you  after pregnancy.

1. During pregnancy your hair gets THICK and luscious, 3 - 7 months after birth it all falls out, in clumps, all the time!
2. A Milk Fever - when your milk comes in you get severe chills and your breathe is like ice, don't panic if you don't have a "real fever", its called a milk fever - thanks for the heads up people
3. Acne - thought your teen years were bad, they have nothing on the pregnancy/post pregnancy time. Good news is you can play connect the dot on your face :)
4. Baby weight doesn't miraculously disappear - don't be ashamed if you can't wear you own jeans home, hell 4 months later I still eye up those maternity pants
5. Swelling - 2-7 days after birth you look like you have elephantitis of the legs/feet. All that fluid has no where to go but pool in your lower extremeties. Drink lots of water, you lose the fluid in your pee
6. Post Baby Bladder - welcome to the world of incontinence, where if you sneeze or laugh you pee (and yes you will still pee more often than before baby, that bladder don't shrink either)
7. People will ask if you if you are pregnant post baby because you do look like it for a while. Resist the urge to club them over the head with a baseball bat. Those dumb morons are always men and they don't know any better!
8. Scary belly button - it will never look the same again. Sorry, but it won't
9. Stretch marks - you are better off to be a little squishy before giving birth otherwise stretch marks find their way right at the end of your pregnancy and never leave. those unwelcomed inhabitors of your body will remind you of their presence every time you look in the mirror. Mederma just fades them...sorry about your luck
10. Hormones - tell your husband/boyfriend/significant other to mind their Ps and Qs because your raging hormones do not "automatically regulate" themselves post birth. In fact, they get WORSE...better off they stay out of your way and only speak to say, "Honey, do you need anything?", "What can I do for you?", "Don't worry I'll get up with the baby this time."

Why People Get Divorced

I have a pretty wonderful husband and relationship and could never imagine what would ever make us fight - we don't...ever! But, after having a baby, I now know why people have issues.

#1 - You are both sleep deprived and therefore punchy 100% of the time
#2 - Neither of you are the people in the wedding photos - well rested, groomed, showered, etc
#3 - The casseroles/pre-made dinners stop coming at some point and you are forced to feed on whatever takeout is close which makes getting baby weight off near impossible
#4 - One of you goes back to work and asks one of two forbidden questions: What did you do all day? Can you get up with the baby because I have to go to work?

What do you mean what did I do all day? I know that you cannot tell from the house that looks like an episode of Hoarders or from the take out boxes from this week's dinners, but I WORKED ALL DAY! I fed, changed, pumped, changed, fed, changed....your baby all day. So sorry I didn't put myself together and walk out of the door, but I worked. And another thing - "No! I can't take a nap, so don't even think you aren't getting up in the middle of the night!".

I love my husband, but he knew those two questions would be the end of him, yet he was compelled to ask them anyway. I may or may not have given him the silent treatment as his penance, although he would probably tell you that was a welcomed break for him :)

The Things No One Tells You

So on May 23rd my lovely little boy was discharged from the hospital...now begins the fun part. What the heck do I do with this child now that I have no help?

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to finally be done with trips to the hospital 6 times a day, but now Jeff and I are responsible for all these tasks with a baby who was just released from the NICU...scary stuff.

Not only that but I'm a roller coaster of emotions. One minute I'm euphoric over being a mother the next minute I'm sobbing over my coffee because I just watched the coffee commercial where the daughter tells her dad she is getting married - I thought those hormones were done with!

I'm so stoked to finally be able to eat what I want to, but all the things that I love make my kid have gas....so back to a bland diet because after 1 week of being home, I was making my kid a bloated mess through my breast milk. Not to mention that my bladder shot so every time I sneeze or laugh I pee myself.

You also hear these stories about how women wear their own jeans home after giving birth...BS! I was still in maternity pants and about 2 sizes bigger than my pre-pregnancy body. While visiting the hospital, several people asked me when I was delivering and if I was having twins...You know what people? I don't have a rubber band body and it doesn't bounce right back. Keep your yap shut!

Chase wasn't able to get nursing down because of the feeding issues we had, so I was pumping to a bottle. Nothing is hotter than a mom pumping herself with two cones on her chest 8 hours out of the day. My poor husband continually asked, "Where is that woman in the wedding pictures" because all he saw was a sleep-deprived human cow...but I love my son so I did what I had to do. I pumped for 2 months until there was really nothing left to pump. I tried and I failed at something that is supposed to be so "natural"...I felt bad for a while, but nature just wasn't on my side for that one, so all you mom's who have trouble. Try to let yourself off the hook, although it will be tough for you.

NICU

For moms and dads who have had children in the NICU - you understand when I say that its both a curse and a blessing. My little man had an 15 day stay but it seemed like a year. Everyday in and out of that place holding your breath as alarms sounded wondering what they meant and when can you take your baby home.

Chase alarmed just after they started thinking about discharging him and starting to do all the things necessary to process him out. The alarm was a mandatory 7 day stay. Although that news was like a punch in the gut, I knew that he needed to be there.

The nurses love those babies like they are their own and they comfort parents when they cry hysterically. You form bonds with the other parents because unless you experience watching your child hooked up to all those machines/wires and struggling to do things that come naturally to full-term babies, you truly have no idea how heart-wrenching it is.

I was discharged the Wednesday following Chase's birth. I was barely able to walk because my limbs were so out of practice. Although I was beside myself when the couple in front of us in the parking line was taking home their newborn, I was thankful that when I came turn for Chase to be released, I was ready to fully take care of him. I don't know that I would have been able to otherwise.

We had a lot of firsts in the NICU - the first bath, the first bottle, the first time the grandparents got to hold him. It wasn't the ideal location for these firsts, but they were joyous nonetheless.

So NICU staff - thank you for the love, support and compassion you showed to me and my family. I cannot thank you enough for all you did.

"Baby Day"

So back to my story. "Baby Day" as it was so named by my OB started at 6:20am. I sprung my 7th leak (must be my lucky number) and the docs thought that it was no good to wait any longer and I was simply a "ticking time bomb". So around 8 am they started to prep me for surgery and move me out of my room that had been my home for 5 weeks.

At 9 am I was wheeled to the c-section operating room. No one prepares you for that experience. I watch my fair share of medical shows and all the ORs seem to be intimate, dim and somewhat non-threatening. That is false! The room was huge, with crazy fluorescent lights and tons of masked people running around like crazy people.

I had an anesthesiologist, nurse anesthetist, OB nurse, a resident, my OB, the NICU nurse practitioner and nurse all huddled around me. The room was frigid and I was scared. Then they tell me I have to calm down for my spinal - haha yea right. I managed to keep my sobs to a minimum while they hunched me over and numbed me up. Jeff was not able to be in the room until they were about to make the incision so I'm there with all these eyeballs and no comforting faces.

So I'm  numbed, they lay me down, put up the curtain - which is literally right under your chin...awkward. They bring Jeff in then in his hazmat suit and set him down next to my outstretched (and bound) arms. They start poking me with a pin to see if I can feel anything. I can't...yet.

In the meantime, my anesthesiologist comes back in the room (he was whisked away previously by a page) and says "Let's get you your spinal." - Oopsy there is a problem. All the sudden he starts yelling at my nurse anesthetist right behind my head. I'm strapped down, freezing cold, can't feel half of my body and these two wonderful humans start a cat fight. Now I'm wondering who screwed up and will I feel my feet again! I ask what's up - as I begin to bawl terribly out of fear - and they reply that everything is peachy. Right, like I don't have ears.

So they make the incision, I was like this is a piece of cake. Well then they got their hands all up in there and that's when me and my nurse anesthetist became friends. I felt A LOT! The poor guy had to listen to me yelp over and over, but the nice man gave me quite a bit of drugs to top me off. God bless him!

Then I hear my doctor trying to coax my little bundle out of my body, with "C'mon Chase..." not feeling very good about that. Finally, we hear crying. At 9:46am on May 8 my baby boy was born! He came out with a full head of hair and peeing all over himself. They whisked him away to the bin where they started working on him. My poor little guy (we would find out later) was born with a partially collapsed lung, a PFO and another P acronym that I can't remember. They had to start him on oxygen immediately. I never got to hold my baby when he came into the world.

So off to the NICU goes Chase and they still have to stitch me up. I could have really done without that, but on top of not knowing what was going on with my kid, I was a mess. I still had an hour in the recovery room ahead of me before I could see my sweet baby.

Surgery goes well, and the recovery room is my least favorite place. They come in and press down (hard) on your abdomen several times to make sure your uterus is shrinking back. Well mine was saying get the hell away from me at that point. But at least the baby boy was holding his own!

Chase - from the Beginning

So like I stated in my earlier post, I have some catching up to do to introduce you to my son Chase. I found out that I was pregnant on October 9, 2009. Jeff and I were married less than 5 months, but we were ready to start a family. Our new baby was set to arrive in June 2010.

The first 20 or so weeks of my pregnancy were flawless. No throwing up, no nausea, just got fat pretty much from the start! I am a high school basketball coach at my alma mater and made it through the entire season kicking and screaming at officials!

My 20 week ultrasound revealed a marginal placenta previa - where your placenta lays close to the opening of your cervix (as well as having a baby boy). All was still good as like 95% of cases clear up naturally before birth. Alternative was C-Section...YIKES!

The next couple of weeks were pretty uneventful except for a 26 week follow up ultrasound that showed no progress on the movement of my placenta - the c-section was looking more and more likely, but hey I thought as long as everyone's healthy who gives a hoot.

In late March - as I was really looking rotund, I went to Washington, DC for a business meeting. That night I sprung a leak and was hospitalized. That pesky placenta was refusing to cooperate and was now completely lying over my cervix. Doc told me I was a freak of nature - exactly what a hormonal, crazy, fat pregnant lady wants to hear while she is in a strange city in the hospital by herself!

I was there for 2 days and they finally released me to strict bedrest at home. I was 27 weeks so that meant I had 12 weeks of being a couch potato ahead of me. Oh wait, the best part is that 2 days later I found out that I had gestational diabetes so no doughnuts, cake, bread - oh wait all the things I love - for 13 weeks. Awesome! Can't move, can't eat, and yet still watched myself get fatter by the minute.

12 days of home bedrest down and a interesting low-carb Easter dinner in my belly - I spring another leak. This one lands me in the hospital for the duration of my pregnancy. GREEEATTTT! 10 + weeks of hospital diet food, no DVR and pesky nurses poking at me at all hours of the night.

Needless to say, it was not a relaxing vacation. I sprung 5 more leaks until it was all said and done. My doctors told me to keep baking the little man, and I was trying, but he was just ready to enter the world. So, even though they were holding out for a 36 week C-Section. Chase decided on the morning of May 8th, that he had enough of his cramped quarters. At 6 am, I sprung leak lucky #7 and the doc said its "Baby Day".

Uh oh, I'm a blogger

I'm not the most technologically savvy person in the world, nor am I the most creative wordsmith, but I have now embarked in the world of blogging.

I'm a new mommy as of May. My son, Chase, was born on May 8, 2010, and figured although I am slow at getting started, now was as good a time as any to start to track my life as a mom, a wife, and a professional.

Things will probably start to get hairy around here soon, since I just came back to work this week, but I'm excited to see how things go.

So fasten your seatbelts and enjoy reading about my ride.