You Inspire Me

Many times, when I'm talking about a new design, somebody will ask, "Where do you come up with these ideas???" Wow, there is no one answer for that. I get ideas from all over the place. Some make sense, and some are O-D-D. Many happen in the shower when I go into auto pilot and have nothing else to think about......

For example, I might get an idea from something I read or a TV show. Some character will say something funny, and it will trigger an idea. Or somebody I know will say something, and it will trigger an idea. Or I'll see a design used in another context. I am always trying to keep myself open to ideas, because you never know where the next one will come from and how you can use it.

Whenever I release a new design, I'm always excited to see it sell. And sometimes, I'll only sell one which is okay. But it's nice to see many sales -- especially when it's a design I really like or found particularly funny. I like to see other's with my odd sense of humor.

My daddy designs have been my big sellers, so I've been trying to think of some new options there. I'm really having to put my creative thinking cap on here.....so, I'll be curious to see if I've done well and if any of the new designs start to sell. The latest are about baseball. Sports and producing child seem to somehow relate.....He Shoots. He Scores.......Got One Past the Goalie.....Got One Through the Uprights....and now we have Hit a Homer and Homerun. I suppose I have all the major sports covered!

Obviously, Mommy Puts Out

I'm not sure where this design idea came from -- or what inspired me. But it's been a big seller for us this month! Obviously, Mommy Puts Out. How funny is that? I need to order one for my baby, so he can wear it to day care. I wonder how the ladies there will react!!

Been a crazy weekend. There's this tiny chance that I'm pregnant again [because this mommy obviously puts out!]. My husband will absolutely FREAK. We decided only one baby, and that's what we had -- Nicholas. I'm still not sure when I got pregnant with him, because we weren't even trying yet! Some swimmers must have gotten loose or something. All I know is that I was more shocked than anybody when the ept test showed a big, ole plus sign.

I took another ept test on Saturday. However, it was an older one -- from the "pair" of tests that I got when I checked to see if I was preggers with Nick Knack. I have no idea if it was still good, and I had to go online to make sure I was reading it correctly. Of course, DUH, how difficult is it to tell the difference between the + [positive] and -- [negative]?

Well, it was a definite -- [i.e. NO BABY on board], so I am guessing that I am not carrying a little bro or sis for Nick. Sometimes, I secretly want another baby, and sometimes I'm just fine and dandy with Mr. Nick. I'm be happy with whatever direction my life takes me....

Slave Labor

Yesterday, I went to visit my parents and brother and his wife. We had a great visit! I got to see the new house my brother and his wife bought. It's got so much potential -- and lots of fireplaces. They've got some nice land to work with, too. It's going to take some work to get the house the way they want, but I can't wait to see what they do with the place! Like I said, it's got lots of potential.

What I found amusing is that their new house has two strange things in common with their old house -- a pink bathtub and toilet in the master bath and a creepy bathroom in the basement! The house I live in now has some funny commonalities with my previous house, too. Is it possible that we gravitate towards these weird features? Like pink bathtubs or bathrooms without doors....?

So, my brother is so cute with Nick Knack. The joke is that you better get your "Nick time" before Scott shows up, because he'll take over from there. He was showing Nick around the house and kissing him. It was really sweet!

Then, he said the funniest thing -- that he would be over 70 when Nick could legally have his first drink!! WHOA! That really threw me.....that's about how old our dad is now......then, I had to do the math, and DAMN, I'll be almost 60!!! I suddenly feel really, really old.....

Anyway, I was talking to my dad about got baby! and how I've got the entire family working for me as slave labor! Sounds like he might be my latest victim.....I mean, "volunteer." I told him I need a good Marketing man to help me do some research on ways to advertise our sites, and I might be able to eventually pay him for helping out. Right now, I'm afraid his "pay" would be a visit to the Chinese buffet for lunch when I come to visit [although, Dad loves Chinese buffets, so I don't think he'd mind this deal].

Prior to retirement, my dad managed department stores. I think he's kinda bored. He tried to work at the local Whole Foods, but his knees couldn't take a full day on concrete. He does a lot of charitable work and was sending care packages to the troops for awhile. They were really busy over the holidays and raised something like $10,000 to send these boxes. I can't remember how many hundreds of boxes they sent out.

Lately, he's been busy with his college fraternity, but it sounds like he's got some free time. I don't want to take advantage of him, but if he's bored and looking for something to do.....plus, if the company meeting in Hawaii ever happens....well, we'll be sure to take him along!

Visit the 'Rents

This weekend, my husband is in Seattle visiting his mom. Nick-Knack and I are home alone, so I decided that we would also make a visit to the 'rents. Mom is always asking when she'll see him, and they are only an hour and a half away. It's a trip I should really make more often....

Since Nicholas is hitting six months tomorrow and allowed to start riding forward facing [not to mention that he's almost too big for the carrier], I decided to make the switch to his "big boy" car seat. We were lucky enough to win a Britax car seat from a local store, so I attempted to install it this morning and replace the carrier we've been using.

The carrier we have is by Chicco and was part of a travel system. I have to say that I love it. It's served us well, and I would highly recommend it to anyone. In fact, I just happen to have one for sale.....ha, ha.

Anyway, after a few trials and errors, I did manage to install the Britax car seat using the latches. It was a serious pain in the butt to get the latches to "click" properly, but I finally got it all hooked in. Then, I packed up some diapers and formula, grabbed Nicholas, and we were off!

I'm not sure if he likes this new car seat. He kept looking around like he didn't know where the HELL he was. I also didn't get the usual smiles out of him. He just kept looking at me with this perplexed look on his face.

As usual, he fell asleep on the ride home, and his poor little head was slumped forward. It did not look comfortable. It did give me an idea for a possible new invention, though! I'm sure somebody has already thought of it, so it might save me the hassle of making a prototype.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see if Nick takes to this new car seat. It seems very comfortable, and I do like it. I hope he adapts and decides that being able to see out the windows and look at Mommy are pluses. And that change is good.

Happy Birthday, Curt!

Today is my younger brother's birthday. He is 37....which makes me.....older. I'm actually not that much older. Mom was 40 when she had me, so she was running out of time to have anymore babies. My dad, her second husband, now had three girls with the addition of me, so they gave it one more try for the boy he always wanted. Voila! Curt was born sixteen months after me, and then Mom was D-O-N-E.

What is interesting is that if my mom had an easy pregnancy, then the kid has been easy. And the deliveries were also somewhat indicative of how the child turned out.

If that's the case, then Nicholas will be a SAINT! The pregnancy was pretty easy, as far as pregnancies go. I did have a bad month when he was pinching my Sciatic Nerve.....THAT was hell.

During this "phase", I went on a trip. Of course, my terminal was the very last one, so I had the farthest to walk to get to baggage claim. I took my time, but I was still sobbing by the time I reached baggage claim. My husband was circling the airport and ended up parking and coming inside to help me! It was bad.....

So, besides the pinched nerve, the pregnancy was pretty easy....in hindsight. I didn't feel that way when every bad pregnancy symptom hit at once! The delivery was really easy....again, as far as deliveries go! I had a brief period of time, pre-epidural, when I was suffering the worst pain of my life! But that didn't last too long, and I was in heaven after the epidural.

And so far, Nicholas has been a good baby....I mean GOOD. He was sleeping through the night by 11 weeks. He rarely cries -- even after FOUR shots at the doctor's! I really hope he doesn't turn out to be a demon child at some point, because so far, he's been a dream.

Happy Baby = Happy Mom

Yesterday, when I picked my son up at day care, I was told by one of the women who works in the infant room that I have a very happy baby.

A very happy baby. Ah, music to my ears! I mean, I know I have a happy baby, but it's nice to hear that my kid isn't a screaming brat when I'm not around.....

She said she loves to take care of him, because he's so happy and that he was amusing her earlier in the day with his silly laugh.

He does have a silly laugh. It's just so funny to get him going, too! He's cracking up, and then you're cracking up. It's just one of those contagious laughs. Of course, I usually start crying, because he's so cute, and I love him so much, and I am suddenly overwhelmed by that love....but I digress.....

I'm not sure if we just got very, VERY lucky....or if we had something to do with this incredibly happy baby. I mean, I already know we got very, VERY lucky, but it's possible that it wasn't ALL luck....or that luck only played a part of it. Of course, I would LIKE to think he's so happy, because I read tons of baby books and tried to follow any advice that sounded good or made sense! I would like to think that I contributed to this baby's happiness.

For example, I read that you really shouldn't let the baby get too upset and start whaling. Now, maybe that can't always be helped, but I have done my best to make sure that Nicholas isn't throwing a fit before he gets one of his basic needs met. Whatever I read said that this makes for happier, more confident babies.

I think my husband felt like I was "spoiling" Nicholas by soothing him or attending to his needs so quickly. Again, I read something that said you can't really "spoil" the baby until they are 6+ months, because they don't really understand that crying = mommy's attention! Or that you'll come running as soon as they utter a peep.

It's possible that the above behavior on our part has contributed to our sweet, good natured baby. He is very happy, and he rarely cries. In fact, he will lay in his crib in the morning for a good 20-30 minutes, patiently waiting for one of us to come get him while he entertains himself. Lately, he seems to enjoy scraping his fingers against the material of the baby bumpers -- probably because of the "zipff-zipffff" noise it makes. At other times, he will look upward and sing and talk to his fish mobile. The funniest is when he practices his raspberry.

When we do go get him, he greets us with the biggest, brightest smile and proceeds to jabber away and coo. Maybe he's trying to tell us about the wonderful dreams he had the night before of endless formula and mommy kisses. And he will show us how good he's getting at doing a raspberry! He definitely is my little ray of sunshine every morning.

The only time he gets really upset is when he's hungry. Then, his entire little body will shake. He definitely knows when it's "bottle time" and is starting to try and grab or hold the bottle. However, if you take him into the kitchen and show him that you are, indeed, making a bottle, then he will patiently wait for it.....within reason, of course. He might yell out one time to "encourage" you to speed it up, but that's about it.

You know, I also think it's possible that the reason we have such a happy baby is that Nicholas knows he's loved. Maybe he doesn't know-know in any sort of concrete terms, but he knows, and I can't explain it. I see the love in his eyes, the pure happiness in his eyes when he looks at me, and I know he can tell that he's safe and loved, and we'll do our best to give him a good start in life and take care of him and all that mushy, wonderful stuff....

Damn, did I mention we are very, VERY lucky???

Sales, Glorious Sales!

Today was a good CP [Cafepress] day. I sold a few new designs for the first time, and that always gives me a warm glow.....especially, if I really like the design! It makes me happy when somebody else likes it enough to buy it. I know, I'm a geek....

So, I started my widget article. I've got an idea for another article, too. Just don't have the time to write them all since they both require some research! The hubby went out of town until Monday and being alone with the bambino always takes it toll. I'm pretty convinced that I would have gone insane doing the single parent gig, so I have A LOT of respect for anyone taking care of a kid or two [or three or four] by themselves! You are my hero!

Got an interesting e-mail today. I may have the opportunity to be an "expert" and help people with various design, Marketing, PR, etc. issues. It sounds really interesting! I love helping people....and Lord, if I could get paid???? We'll see if it goes anywhere. Might cut into my blog time, but since I don't have a following of 400,000 yet.....I don't see this being a problem! I'd be thrilled with a following of 400....or even 40! I'm working on it.....

Nicholas hits the big six months on Sunday. Daddy won't be here, so we'll be celebrating alone. Unfortunately, Daddy's business trips have cut into many holidays, but we're hoping it will all pay off, and he'll be getting the promotion he deserves! Then, maybe he won't have to travel so much.

Luckily, I haven't been traveling much [if at all!], so we haven't run into conflicts with Nick. However, that could change.....and without family in town, we may have some major issues if we both have to go out of town at the same time....I suppose we will deal with that if/when it happens!

I have decided that "Lost" is just on too late, so I will have to DVR it and watch it on Thursdays. Those dumb asses at ABC! Seriously, what were you thinking??? 10:00?!?!?!? Half my department at work watches the stupid show, and we're all OLD! We need our sleep!!! Why would you do this to us???? Sigh.....

I am soooooooooooooooo......

...........tired! It's been a long weekend. I was really busy with got baby! stuff. So, this is SHORT and sweet....good night, Gracie.....

Ooops! I'll Program Again....

My college degree is in Marketing, although I haven't used it as much as I would have liked. However, I can and do think like a Marketing person. This has helped with trying to grow our little business, as I am always looking for new and different ways to market got baby!

Lately, I've been experimenting with widgets -- which are SO cool. Yesterday, I spent several hours trying to get my widget to have a gradient background using just CSS. It started, because I was checking site traffic and came across an unfamiliar URL. When I checked it out, I saw that somebody had installed one of my widgets to sell Cafepress stuff.

Well....it looked AWFUL.....which was MY fault, not the blog owner's. I didn't realize that most blogs only allow about 170 pixels on their sidebars, and my widget is for 220+ due to the background image. Ooops! I'll program again......I just hope that they keep the widget once I update it.....

I am thinking I need to create some more customization with my widgets. Currently, they only offer someone the ability to add their Cafepress PID and maybe change the size. My latest widget features gifts for the new dad and dad-to-be, and it gives you the ability to change the background fade colors, font sizes, link colors, etc. I think I'll take it one step farther and give users the ability to add some of their own URLs. This might increase the number of installs.

So, I reorganized my store yesterday and didn't think about the possible fall-out! I had to change all the links on got baby! Then, I had to deactivate my Google Base feed. My husband purchased some software yesterday that is supposed to import everything into Google Base, so he's taking over that task -- thank GOD! Creating those spreadsheets was a PAIN.

My widgets are all updated now. I just worry about anyone linking to old product pages....oh well, it's not like there were THAT many! Thankfully, I am doing this now when we don't have tons and tons of traffic.

Oh Lord, that just reminded me of several other places that need links updated....CRAP. I know what I'm doing for the rest of the day!

And We're Back!

I'm back to daily posting, I think. Now that we have adapted to the Great Freeze of 2007. No more hiccups in power or Internet access, so that's good! I'm curious as to when the Great THAW of 2007 will begin and how much flooding we might have....

So last night, we went to a wedding reception. The lovely couple didn't invite us to the actual wedding, thank God. I have no issue attending a reception, but weddings can be so boring. I'm guessing they only invited family and close friends, and we are neither. This woman reported to my husband at one time, so that was our connection.

The reception was held in this German "club." I don't know how else to describe it. I have been there before with an ex-boyfriend who was into German festivals. We went for an Oktoberfest and some other event where the men shoot at this wooden eagle until it's all gone. It's called Schützenfest.

It was an okay reception. The food was so-so, but there was an open bar, so I can't complain too much! And I got to do the Electric Slide, one of my favorite guilty pleasures. At my own reception, I told the DJ that I only wanted one line dance, and it was the Electric Slide.

I digress. Anyway, the reception was nice. The couple is a little older, maybe in their late 40's....? I only say this, because the groom's grown son got up and gave a speech. Now, he might be in his late teens, but I'm guessing more like 21 or 22.

So, he gives this speech....oh, I forgot to mention that when he was introduced, he walked out wearing these big, 1980s, porn star sunglasses. What a tool. Then, he gives this stupid speech which went on and on and mentioned that his dad owed him a bass boat or something. And he made some stupid cracks that had me wondering if he liked his new step mom or not....? Andy, my husband, agreed with me -- take the microphone away from this idiot and tell him to sit down! I'm guessing alcohol might have been the creative fuel behind his speech.....

Thankfully, we didn't have anyone making stupid speeches or toasts at our reception. I was in tears during most of the speeches, especially when my dad spoke. He did bring up some odd memory, but that's okay. For the most part, we had a truly spectacular wedding and reception -- what I had always wanted and dreamt it would be, so I have zero complaints.

Oh, The Weather Outside is Frightful....

I haven't had a chance to type in my blog for a few days. We've had some crazy weather here with ice and snow and more ice and more snow. It got so bad that many people were without power including my two stepdaughters at their mom's house. Fortunately, the baby and I were nice and toasty warm. The power flicked off and then on twice, but it never actually went out.

We did lose our Internet and cable feed for almost two days, and that alone was sheer torture! I finally had to call my dad to check my e-mail! This was Wednesday night, and I was worried that I would miss Lost at 10:00. God FORBID....people were without power and freezing, and I was concerned about my weekly Lost fix. Tisk-tisk.

Because our Internet was out, I went ahead and took a sick day and worked on Cafepress designs all day. You could say I was a "Busy Little Bee" which is one of my new designs. My absolute favorite new design, though, is "Freshly Squeezed." It just cracks me up!

My lucky husband was in California on business during all of this, so he missed all the "fun." I told him about all the branches that had snapped. With the weight of the ice, many trees were hanging lower than usual. One rather large tree outside our bedroom and living room was now scraping against the roof in the wind. Sounded like a large animal running up and down the roof all night!

I will say that all the ice on the trees is quite gorgeous. In the right light, the trees look like they are made of glass or even diamonds. They sparkle and shimmer.

This morning, we awoke to more snow, though. So, the ice on the trees now has a layer of snow on them. I hope the added weight doesn't cause anymore limbs to break -- especially on the Magnolia and Japanese Dogwood. I would hate to lose those trees or even change the overall look of them. They are both quite spectacular when they bloom.

When I lived in Atlanta, we used to get ice storms like this. I remember everything being covered in ice and shimmering. In our backyard, we had several very tall pine trees -- the Southern kind that grow tall with very bare trunks and all the branches and needles up near the top. I did a Google search and came up with Longleaf Pine as a possibility.

Anyway, one of these very tall trees got so heavy with ice that it bowed over....and then froze to the roof of our house! Our RANCH, I should mention, so you get an idea of what this might have looked like....one of those tall trees with its thin trunk.....yeah, my parents were pretty freaked out over what might happen!

I believe my dad climbed onto the roof and cut small branches off until he could free the tree. Being in Georgia, it didn't take long for the temperatures to warm up, and as they did, the tree went upright. Luckily, it never snapped, and no other trees bowed or snapped.

A few months later, when the Winter was over, and the weather had warmed up.....my parents hired some men to cut that tree down! They made sure it never had a chance to freeze to our roof again.

No Internet....Just Cut Off My Right Arm!

We got an ice storm, and THANK GOD, we didn't lose power. BUT we lost Internet access and cable. I shouldn't complain, I know, because this weather has caused some bad things. But it's been torture without Internet!! I finally had to call my dad tonight and ask him to check my e-mail! How pathetic is that???

Needless to say....I've been stressed and pulling my hair out. Now, I'm beat, so this is truly a short and sweet entry. I'll definitely have to write more tomorrow, but for now -- I'm outta here! Happy Heart Day!

A Cry in the Night

Don't you wonder what goes on in those little bald heads of theirs.....? Especially when they are sleeping? I do. I watch Nicholas sleep, and I wonder if he's dreaming and about what. Does he dream about his bottle or his toys or me or his dad or the dog? What???

Sometimes, he'll be sound asleep, and he'll suddenly start laughing. It's the cutest thing. Little baby giggles in the middle of the night. Or he'll talk.....like the time he said "hello!" twice, very loudly and very clearly.

Tonight, though, he suddenly started to cry in his sleep. I mean, he let out a howl and started to gear himself up for a major crying jag. Then, about five seconds into it, he stopped and was silent. He's actually done this once or twice before.

The first time, I was flying up the stairs the moment I heard him start to wail. By the time I reached his room, all was well. Very odd, I thought. What was THAT all about....?

The second time, I waited a few seconds. This time, he kept crying, so I ran upstairs to comfort him. He was making such an awful noise -- I had never heard him cry like that. Something in his dream had obviously scared or upset him. But I rocked him and kissed his soft forehead and sang "Let it Snow" quietly.

See, I don't know all the words to too many songs, so that's why I sing Christmas carols many times. He seems to especially like "Let it Snow", and I have altered the lyrics, so it goes like this:

Oh, the weather outside is frightful....

But my baby, he's so delightful.

And since we've no place to go.....

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Anyway, I'm not sure what scared him tonight, but it was THANKFULLY over in five seconds.

Home Alone

My husband left for a business trip this afternoon, so I am solo with the kidd-o. It's very tiring to be alone with the baby. No breaks. Mommy 24/7. Gives me an idea of what it would have been like to be a single parent.....if I had gone with Plan B.

I've only had three really serious relationships in my life. The first, Brian, was a disaster. We started dating when I was very young, and I had never been in love or anything. He was almost ten years older and really did a number on me. Drove me to obsession about my weight. Cheated on me. Lied to me. Ruined my ability to trust men for a long time. Uh, we broke up and got back together about one hundred times, and it really messed me up. Took YEARS to heal, and I ended up moving to another city to fully recover and start over.

Relationship #2 was Bill. Don't get me wrong -- I went on lots of dates and had a very active social life. I was always the good girl, though, and never slept around or anything like that. When I met Bill, I really thought he might be "the one", and things moved pretty quickly for us.

Unfortunately, Bill was recently divorced and although he swore he was "over it".....well, he wasn't! He had his own emotional damage to recover from and still hadn't. At the one year mark, things really went sour, and we called it quits. More emotional recovery....and the declaration that I was never going to find the right man!

It was at this time that I decided that I would just have a child on my own if I wasn't married by the time I was 35. I wanted a baby badly enough and refused to give up on that dream.

Thirty-five came a few years later, still no man worth marrying, but my fear of giving birth was overwhelming. Plus, I didn't feel "old enough" to be a mom. I decided to wait until I was 38 instead! Then, if I were still single, I would have a child on my own and do the single parent gig.

Thank GOD my Plan B was never needed. I met my husband, Andy, in July 2005, a few months prior to my 36th birthday in October. We were married on my 37th birthday, and Nicholas arrived the following August in 2006.

The hubby is gone for four days. These little "tastes" of being a single parent make me very thankful for my husband and stepchildren. "Free" moments to shop or get a massage or sleep in are precious as gold. I take full advantage of them even though I miss my little cutie pie every second we're apart.

Did the Baby Say Something.....?

The progressive dinner in our neighborhood is tonight. We're supposed to be at the first house at 7:00. New babysitter shows up at 6:30. Since I still need to get dressed and ready, this entry will be another short one.

So, Nicholas is teetering on the edge of rolling over. He's SO close. At almost six months, I have wondered......"is this normal?" As a new parent, you ask yourself that a lot. Is this normal? Is this when he SHOULD be doing this? Or is he early [yeah, my kid rocks!]? Or is he late [uhhhh....is there something wrong with my kid?????]. It's a daily Q&A.

What is worse is when you go to social situations....like progressive dinners.....and you end up in a competition over whose kid did this first and so on. I'm sure there will be somebody at this dinner who has a kid who was rolling over at two weeks! There's always somebody who has an over achiever at home and likes to announce it to those of us with "normal" children.....

I have been told that I was talking by six months. The family joke is that I have never shut up since then! Yeah, ha, ha everybody..... Granted, I wasn't quoting Shakespeare or even making compound sentences. But I certainly knew who my "dada" was and greeted him as such. Very soon after that, I learned "papa" [for my grandfather, Papa John.....who is NOT the pizza guy] and "cott" for my older brother, Scott. I finally got around to learning "mama" after that. Seems I've been boy crazy since a very early age.....

I swear Nicholas spoke his first word around three months. However, it happened during his sleep, so I'm not sure if it counts! He was still sleeping in our room, and he was sound asleep and obviously dreaming. It was about 3:30 a.m.

Now, I am a very light sleeper to begin with and having a baby has made me a SUPER light sleeper. I'm not sure if I ever really GO to sleep -- because the slightest sound from the baby has me fully awake and ready to dart upstairs and make sure he's okay.

So, it's 3:30 a.m., and I'm in my semi-sleep state. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Nicholas proclaims, "Hello!" A few seconds later, it's followed by another, louder "HELLO!" Then, he giggles and is quiet, the only sound his breathing.....and my laughing!

See, I tend to greet Nicholas with "hello!" or "hi!" Usually, I say it several times and am rewarded with smiles and laughs....or at least some wide eyes. I suppose that my silly baby was having a dream about me greeting him with my usual hello, and he responded quite clearly with a sweet and very distinctive "hello" in response.

If you are a parent or doctor or supposed "baby expert", then I'm sure you are poo-pooing the fact that my 3-month-old newborn said anything at all. But I will go to my grave swearing that he said "hello" twice in his sleep at 3:30 a.m. sometime before Thanksgiving 2006. I know it was before Thanksgiving, because that was the sad day we moved him to his room.....and mommy had a minor meltdown......

What can he say when he's awake, you might be wondering......? Well.....I've heard "ma" and even "mom" in reference to me and maybe "okay" once or twice. He often will greet me with "hi", but I haven't heard another crystal clear "hello."

Doesn't matter when he REALLY starts talking.....just as long as he says "mama" BEFORE he learns "dada"......

This One is Going to Be Short and Sweet

All day, I meant to take ten minutes and write in my blog....but I got busy with work. So, I kept forgetting to start an entry.....and here it is, 9:40 p.m., and I'm finally getting to it before I am off to bed.

Tonight, I did, however, get my Excel spreadsheet updated with my products for Froogle. I just keep running into issues with my bulk upload....oh, what fun! I should just splurge on the script that uploads your products from Cafepress...would make life easier.

I'm so brain dead today. It's just been one of those days where I'm tired and feeling oh-so-uncreative and blah and ick and.....if I could type the raspberry sound, it would go here.

Plus, I'm already dreading next week and dealing with the not so nice people......Calgon, take me away!

Tomorrow night, we are trying a new sitter for Nick, our baby. There's a progressive dinner in our neighborhood, and we are planning on attending. We are required to make a dessert, so I'm going to whip up some of my infamous Tiramisu. It's not really MY Tiramisu, and it's not really "infamous", but this stuff ROCKS nonetheless. If I think of it, I'll post the recipe tomorrow or Sunday, and you can decide for yourself.

Anyway, our babysitter is named Jennifer, and she's in high school. She sounded nice on the phone and comes highly recommended by our good friends and neighbors [who will also be at the dinner]. I really just don't trust anybody with Nick -- unless Taylor is here. If Taylor is here, then we're okay with somebody else watching Nick, because hubby and I know Taylor will take care of him. Otherwise, I get nervous......

This was going to be short and sweet, and I feel myself teetering on the edge of a major topic that will have to wait until another time....a time when I am not so tired!

Good night, sleep tight!

Visit to the Dentist

I'm not real good about flossing. Just seems like such a pain in the butt. I know I should do it, but I have been blessed with good teeth and strong enamel....so, it hasn't always been necessary.

Well, unfortunately, the gums have been receding for years now. It's made my toothy grin even toothier! And exposed a little root here and there. Thus, I had to make an extra visit to the dentist to have some enamel added to an area. I really don't know how to explain what I had done, so bear with me.

Had NO idea they were going to numb my mouth. It's been sooooo many years since I had a numb face.....I forgot what it was like! I ended up spitting water in an arc when I tried to rinse. I was laughing so hard after it happened that I spit some more water.

It's been about four hours since the shot that numbed my face.....and whoa, it's wearing off. That area is definitely feeling a little sore......and weird.....SO unexpected!

While I could still talk without drooling on myself, we were discussing epidurals and childbirth. My dentist, who is a male, had to weigh in on the subject....which, OF COURSE, had the women rolling.

After my appointment, I chatted with one of the women who works there. Her husband, ironically, works for my company, and she just had a baby in December. And her son's middle name is Nicholas, so will the similarities never stop??? I hope I gave her some good advice. I realize that so many moms have gone before me, but I would like to think that I have one or two tidbits of gold to share....

1. I had a big baby -- 9 lbs. 6 oz. He was, is and will be a healthy eater. Breast milk didn't hold him, especially at night. So, I switched to formula. That worked better, but he still woke at 4:30 a.m. like clockwork for a "midnight" feeding.

Then, I discovered Enfamil Lipil A.R. It's meant for babies who spit up, so there's rice cereal added to it. Hmmmm.....rice cereal......maybe this "heavier" formula would stick with my kid longer, and he'd sleep longer....hmmmm......sleep deprived wheels are churning......

So, I tried it, and BINGO! The kid was sleeping about ten hours a night around 10-11 weeks. As he's gotten bigger/older, we've had to add a solid food feeding before bedtime, but the bambino is snoozing from 8:00 p.m.ish until 7:00 a.m.ish, and we are enjoying a full nights sleep.

2. Pack and Plays/Playpens/Play Yards.....whatever you want to call them. The one we got is from Chicco, and we love it. It's very versatile. Nicholas slept in the "bassinet" part of it until he moved to his crib in his room. But the base/bottom of it was SO hard....how was a baby supposed to sleep on this slab of concrete?

The solution? We bought one of those memory foam mattress toppers. We got one for a twin bed at Target for about $19 and cut it down to size. What a DIFFERENCE! Made his little bassinet so much more comfortable. You know, this little "fix" might have also contributed to Nicholas being such a good sleeper.

3. When you have a baby, you MUST buy some things.....a carrier, clothes, bottles, diapers....you know, the ABSOLUTE necessities. There's no debating these things.

Then there are the "nice to have" things or the "you don't really need these things, but it's your first kid, so what do you know?" items.....the ones that aren't REALLY necessary....or, you could buy cheaper, less fancy versions. Like, do you REALLY need one of those wipe warmers? Do the wipes actually get SO cold that you need to warm them up first? My kid just seems happy to have the poop wiped off his back -- he doesn't seem to mind the room temperature wipe.

Anywho, I would include "video baby monitor" on the "nice to have" list. I think a monitor is necessary, but a video one with a 2.5" screen [which is a wide screen in the world of video monitors] might not be a "must have."

However, I love, love, LOVE my video monitor and consider the $165 we spent on it to be WELL WORTH the price. I have such peace of mind knowing that, with the click of a button, I can see my baby. I hear a whimper and CLICK. I hear a cough and CLICK. I hear a fart and CLICK.....wait, was that my husband.....? I can make sure that the baby is okay without running up a flight of stairs.

Plus, it's so much fun to watch him flailing around in his crib while he sings to his fishy mobile. Lately, he's been rubbing his fingernails against the cloth crib bumpers. He seems to enjoy the sound it makes. And he's been practicing the "raspberry" sound I taught him. Watching him entertain himself is far more amusing than the best of the worst of "American Idol."

The monitor we got is by Summer. The 2.5" screen, 900 mHZ one. It doesn't interfere with our wireless Internet nor any of our 5.8 mHZ cordless phones. All coexist in peace and harmony.

You know.......I would probably lose more of this baby fat if I were running up that flight of stairs every time I heard a whimper, cough or fart......but I still recommend the monitor! I'll get plenty of exercise chasing after Nicholas in a few more months.....

Wild for Widgets!

Yesterday, I discovered widgets. I was reading an article in one of the many SEO/techie e-mail newsletters I get, and I clicked on the link to this widget Web site. Oh my GOD, they are SO cool. I really get excited by wickedly cool technology.....

My first widget was for my blog. It lists my recents posts. I added it to my got baby! Web site as a way to link to my blog. I was just going to do some boring [yawn!] graphical link, but this is SO much cooler.....

Anyway, it got me thinking......which can be a scary thing at times......but I put my Marketing guru hat on and thought, "Now, is there some way to use widgets to sell my stuff on Cafepress???" And the answer was YES!

I got busy creating a widget to link to my maternity items. In the middle of it, the site went down for some sort of maintenance, so that was a pain. But I finally got it all done.....and here is the REALLY cool thing about it....if you are a Cafepress Affiliate, then you can enter your PID into the widget. It will automatically be added to the link URL, and you will earn commission off the sales I make. How cool is THAT?

And if you aren't an affiliate, then sign up using the link above and start earning moolah by doing NOTHING. You can earn several dollars per sale, and all you need to do is add some code to your Web site. It's pretty easy money, if you ask me.....not that you did ask me, but I still had my Marketing guru hat on......

I can be SUCH a geek about this stuff......I feel like a kid on Christmas morning! I used to get this excited in my early days of Web designing......some little snippet of code would have me dancing in my cube.....

Okay, shameless self-promotion moment here before I toss the Marketing guru cap into the closet!

You can get my widgets here:

Widget to the got baby! Blog:


Widget to Sell Maternity Items:


Widget to Sell Baby Items:


We got a lot of snow yesterday.....something like 6-7". It was rather pretty, and I quite enjoyed it....especially since Nicholas and I were warm and cozy inside the house. My poor husband didn't fare so well. He missed his flight to Baltimore and ended up driving around for something like seven hours when it was all said and done! Thankfully, he got home safely.....

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it....You Get it....

So, when they predict snow, they mean SNOW. The flakes started falling around noon and haven't let up in over 6.5 hours! I haven't seen this much snow in a looooooong time....and for once, I ain't complaining! To me, no snow is a good thing.

See, I'm not really a snow person. Or a cold weather person. It's pretty and all, but I hate driving in it. It freaks me out. So, if I can stay inside and not go anywhere, then I'm all for the white stuff.

I worked from home today, because I feared this crazy snow. Two years ago, we got a lot of snow, and my 30 minute drive home took almost three hours. No way was I going through that again. Plus, the hubby was supposed to fly out to Baltimore, so if anything happened to me, then there was no Plan B for picking up the bambino. No thank you, I'll stay close to home and work remotely. Ain't technology grand?

Speaking of the hubby -- it took him something like four hours to get to the airport in Dayton, and he missed his flight. He's currently on his way home in this mess. I suspect we'll see him sometime before Nicholas heads off for college....

This is actually our second noteworthy snow this Winter [although the first snow was a dusting compared to this one]. I introduced Nicholas to the cold, white, wet stuff last time it came down. We went outside, and I took his little, precious hand and placed it into some snow on a tree branch. I thought, for sure, he'd stick a handful of snow in his mouth.

Nope! He had no interest then, and I suspect he'll have no interest this time. I plan to try again....for fun. See if he's curious about the white stuff.

So, "Lost" is one of my favorite shows. I've been having withdrawal, but it is starting up again tomorrow. Can someone answer me this....what NUMB NUT at ABC thought it would be a good idea to move "Lost" from the 9:00 p.m. slot to the 10:00????? Thank God for DVR....but really, who made that bonehead decision and why do they still have a job.....?

Did I mention we got some snow......?

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Oh my GOD, it's cold! My car tells me how cold it is, and it said 1 this morning. ONE! ONE DEGREE. If this wasn't a "PG" blog, I'd probably throw in some colorful language between the "ONE" and "DEGREE." It felt like it, too. And yes, I'm aware that I live in OHIO, not HAWAII, and this sort of weather is to be expected in FEBRUARY. But STILL....that doesn't mean I'm not going to complain about it!

So, de Bears lost yesterday.....speaking of complaining! Oh well, I guess I should have expected it. And a Colts fan I dislike is celebrating, I'm sure. Blah, blah, blah, phooey. I'm in a mood. I'm sure it's due to the evil Phlegm Beast that kept me coughing last night and this BLASTED COLD WEATHER.

I packed lunches for the girls last night. I've never done that before. Pathetic, I know. Their mother packs lunches, but we usually just buy the school lunch for them. I should mention that I have two step daughters named Taylor [10] and Sarah [soon to be 6]. They are from my husband's previous marriage.

Anyway, I thought I would surprise the girls by packing a fun lunch. I made some fettuccine with a garlic and basil tomato sauce and organic, free range, hormone-free meatballs. Sounds good doesn't it? I should be in Marketing.....wait.....I AM in Marketing.

And, you know, that sentence makes it sound like there are free range meatballs out there, roaming the prairies or something! As usual, I digress with my odd sense of humor....

In addition to this fabulous pasta and meat mixture, I packed cinnamon applesauce, chocolate pudding, a bag of those fishy crackers [which I personally think are nasty!], a piece of buttered garlic bread and some candy. I made sure to include plastic spoons and forks and a cute little blue gingham napkin. I'm such a domestic Goddess.....when I try!

Hopefully, they enjoy their cold pasta. I made sure to include a lovely variety of food items....so, I am sure they won't starve! The girls are good eaters, and I know they often complain of being hungry during the day at school. Honestly, I think they were both the most excited about the candy I packed! Truth be known.....Twizzlers has a powerful hold on Taylor.....

I did forget the "I hope you have a wonderful day, and I love you to pieces" note, though. :( Next time! I'll remember it next time. After all, I am new to this lunch packing gig.

Lazy Sunday

Today has been one of those lazy Sundays. You know the kind -- you hang out in your jammies or sweats and spend much of the day on the couch watching movies. Taylor, my ten-year-old SD, has had a stomach ache since yesterday, and Nicholas and I are both fighting the evil Phlegm Beast. So, a lazy day sounded like a good idea...

Anyway, we've seen "Aquamarine" on HBO, "Cheaper by the Dozen 2" and parts of three other movies. Right now, we're watching "Shallow Hal." Slim pickings on TV....later, I'm sure we'll catch bits of "Legally Blonde" and "Stepford Wives"....and OF COURSE, the Super Bowl.

Fortunately, I can manage to be "lazy" and appear to sit on my butt all day but still crank out a bunch of new designs! And that's what I did. I added several "New Mom" and "New Dad" designs. Some funny Valentine's Day items. I especially like the "Fill 'Er Up" and "Thrice As Nice" for triplets.

I confess uploading and adding these to my shop can be a pain. I hate the part where I have to tag the images with keywords....and be creative and unique. I mean, come on, how many people have used "new baby" with their image??? Oh well, a necessary evil! But, as I said, the theme for today is being lazy....

I'm proud of myself for writing in my blog three days in a row. Woo hoo! Good for me. I'm working on making it a habit.

Speaking of habits....my new thing is to go to Clubmom.com and post pictures of my kids and see how many votes I get! 15 is the most, but I do love the comments. I really need to return the favor....and vote on their kids.

I started this blog this morning, and I'm finally finishing it up. So now, we're watching the Super Bowl....."Shallow Hal" ended hours ago. I'm rooting for the French team, De Bears. [I'm probably the only one who thinks that was funny!] I hope they whoop some Colt butt.

GO BEARS!!!!! And GO FUNNY COMMERCIALS! I loved the Doritios one. And, of course, Bud Light. Those are always a hoot!

Baby Fingernails Can Do Evil

During my pregnancy, I purchased a massage gift certificate at a discount. A local radio station was offering $50 gift certificates for only $25. Such a deal! So, I bought one with plans to use it once the baby arrived and pamper myself.

Anyway, I noticed it was about to expire on 2/9/07, so I booked my appointment for this weekend. Although I'm still fighting the evil phlegm beast, I thought I would go and make the best of it.

Well, the massage was GREAT! It was at this place called Cincy Massage, and I had Patricia. If you live in Cincinnati, check them out. I'll definitely be going back to see her! She did a regular massage and used some of the hot stones at the end, and that was a new treat for me. I felt so good after my massage!

Ran a few more errands afterwards -- heck, the girls had two friends over, so I thought I would spare myself the house full of kids and let the massage glow continue as long as possible. Plus, I was in dire need of black shoes anyway. I had worn my favorite two pairs to the point that they were squeaking!

After another two hours of running around, I got home. After unloading my buys, I went to greet my baby....ACK!!!!! WHY DID HE HAVE BIG, RED GASHES ON HIS POOR LITTLE HEAD??!?!?!?!??!?!??!?!???

Turns out, his little fingernails were in need of a serious trim, and he had scratched himself pretty badly right in the middle of his forehead. I swear, I cut his nails almost every other day, but those suckers grow FAST, and they can obviously cause great damage to such an adorable face.

I have learned my lesson. I will cut his nails daily, if I must, in order to prevent such injury to my poor, sweet baby. Thankfully, he's a trooper....the kid can take four shots in a row and barely cry. I guess a gouge to the forehead isn't going to stop him. Doesn't mean I don't feel like the worst mom right now......

Welcome to the got baby! Blog

So, I'm finally starting my blog! Woo hoo! It's 10:10 p.m. on a Friday night, and I was laying in bed, thinking to myself, "I'm not tired....why am I just laying here? I should start my blog! And is it 'laying' or 'lying' in bed.....?"

Okay, so maybe it didn't go exactly like that....see, I'm suffering from the miserable phlegm beast once again. I made the mistake of taking a short nap with my infant son this afternoon, and now I'm paying the price! Of course, HE is upstairs snoozing away in his incredibly cute skull cap while I sit here typing at the computer.

I don't mind. It's nice having a moment to myself. Don't get me wrong -- I LOVE being a new mom and step mom and having my sweet, little family. But I was single, career girl for so long, and most Friday nights were just getting started at 10:10!

I digress. So, got baby! Yes, I've got baby! And a cute one at that! He was born in August 2006, and my life is forever changed. In a GOOD way, of course. I'm still trying to work off the baby fat....and who, by the way, said that breastfeeding would cause the pounds to FLY off?!?!?!??? RIGHT! Liar, liar, pants on fire!

So, a little about myself....I have a lengthy background in Graphic Design and Web Design/Development. I think I may have finally found a good use for some of my skills! Thankfully, a friend turned me onto Cafepress a little over a year ago, and I've been having fun with my shop and designs ever since then. I specialize in maternity and baby -- my own pregnancy being my obvious "inspiration."

Anyway, I think I secretly want to be a writer, too, so here is my outlet. They won't be making a major motion picture out of this anytime soon, but it's something to do at 10:10 p.m. while the rest of the house snoozes away.....

If you read this far, then you MUST check out my shops! ;) Here they are:

got baby! at Cafepress -- http://www.cafepress.com/c2gdesigns/
c2g Designs: Everything Else -- http://www.cafepress.com/c2gdesigns2/

Good night for now -- I plan to actually keep this up and write [almost!] daily. And if you keep reading and coming back, then you rock!