Happy Birthday, Taylor!

Happy Happy...

Happy Birthday to me AND Happy Anniversary to us.....a doubly good day.

What's the Most Common Birthday?

I was curious about this answer myself, so I did some research. Lo and behold.....[drum roll, please].....it's TODAY.

From an article I found online:

We found several references to this question on the Web, all pointing to the same source: a survey of 12,576 Americans conducted by Anybirthday.com.

Answers like this one from the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star cite the study's finding of October 5 as the date the most people (in the U.S., anyway) are born. The 2001 report claims approximately 968,000 living Americans entered the world on that date. (The original web page announcing these results is no longer online, but we oh-so-cleverly queried the Internet Archive Wayback Machine and found it.)

So why October 5? Just a random date? Perhaps, but Anybirthday has a theory: To be born on this date, a baby would most likely have been conceived on New Year's Eve.

The survey also found May 22 to be the least common birthday. As yet, no guesses as to what it is that happens in late August (nine months prior to that date) that routinely turns so many people off. Perhaps it's just too darn hot?

Thanks, Honey....

In a few weeks, we will have two special events to celebrate. Our wedding anniversary is the same day as my wife's birthday.

Let me say that again -- our wedding anniversary is the SAME DAY as my wife's birthday. In other words, as a guy, I only have ONE really important day to remember each year instead of two.

This is a GREAT thing, but it could also be a really bad thing....like, what if I forgot it? I don't think I ever would, but if I did....well, I would be forgetting TWO important things, so I'm guessing the wrath that would follow would be twice as bad.....

But since I never plan to forget this date, I'm back to this being a GREAT thing....and it isn't so bad for the wifey either. Frankly, she ends up getting a better gift, because she usually wants one big thing. We just lump the gift giving all together for her.

Last year, it was this fancy iJoy massage chair. This year....well, she'll just have to wait and find out!

Almost One Year!

It's hard to believe that Nicholas will be the big 0-1 on Saturday. I feel like I just gave birth to him!! Where did the last year go? When did he get so BIG? Why didn't I take MORE photos of him??? I feel like I'm forgetting what it was like when he was small and new....

Toys for Tots

In a few weeks, I will officially have a toddler on my hands. Some consider the first birthday to be the milestone -- while others say they have become a toddler when they start walking. For me, it's the birthday. Although I'll always think of Nicholas as my baby, the world will begin to think otherwise after August 25th....

So, what do I get my toddler on the big 0-1? If you are also struggling with what to get my son for his birthday [ha, ha!], I thought this article might help....

Your toddler is really taking off these days — and as you chase her little body down the street, you may miss the days before she learned to use her legs so well. "Active" is an apt way to describe her now, and she likes any toy or game that allows her to throw her whole self into it — balls, swings, and tiny climbing sets, to name a few.

Her hands are becoming more coordinated, too, and she can now use toy sorters more efficiently, build even greater block towers, and scribble a drawing. Her play involves lots of experimentation, like "What happens if I drop this ball?" or "What happens if pull this lever?" She's very interested in the consequences of her actions, and because her memory isn't well developed she won't tire of repetition. Toddlers also like to try out what they see adults doing, so look for toys that imitate daily life.

Large building bricks: These light cardboard bricks are big enough to stack up into a fort or wall, or any other way your toddler wants. But the most satisfying part of the process continues to be the finale — when the walls come tumbling down.

Push and pull toys: Heavily weighted push toys can give your beginner something to lean into as she motors around your home. Wagons can be ideal. Pull toys are for slightly advanced walkers who can look behind them as they move forward.

Give them something to look at: Pull toys that flap, bobble, squeak, or in any other way make a scene are favorites. To find out more about walking and your toddler, click here. [Would the TV be considered a big toy they can look at....? See Nick watching "Finding Nemo" recently....he and his doggy look pretty comfy in his big, gel pillow, huh?]

Sorting and nesting toys: Toddlers love to sort, stack, unsort, unstack, and basically reorganize their lives. Sorting and nesting toys are great fun for those who are trying out their early problem-solving skills.

Climbing gym: A tiny gym can give your toddler a safe place to climb, hide, slide, and practice all her emerging motor skills — over and over again. But these sets can also be pricey and are quickly outgrown. [Do the stairs count as a climbing gym...? No? Okay, just checking....]

Balls: Any ball that's easy to grasp will be a hit with this group — underinflated beach balls, vinyl balls, cloth balls. Stay away from foam balls that could end up as a mouthful. This is the age at which you can introduce your child to "catch." Start slowly — she'll begin to get the back-and-forth rhythm with some practice. [Balls are Nicholas's FAVORITE toy!]

Washable crayons and paper: Let the scribbling begin! Hand your toddler no more than a couple of crayons at a time — you don't want to overwhelm her — and tape the paper to the floor so she can make her mark without dragging the paper along with her.

Ride-on vehicles: This mode of self-locomotion may be even more popular than walking. Many small ride-on toys have models with handles for an adult to push when the child gets tired. Avoid the electronic versions — they're expensive and take away from the fun of getting around under your own power.

Tool bench or toy kitchen: Junior fix-it kids or aspiring chefs will get hours of play out of plastic or wooden models scaled to their size. Sets like these give a child a chance to emulate the things he sees adults doing, and they'll continue to hold his interest for several months as his play gets more sophisticated.

Picture books: Your toddler will enjoy more advanced picture books showing familiar objects and activities. She may also start to take pride in her own library and the chance to pick out a favorite for you to read. For more ideas, see our recommended books for toddlers.

Happy Birthday, Hubby!

Yesterday was my husband's birthday. I won't mention his age -- he'll appreciate that! We didn't really celebrate. We'll do that tonight with the kids. I did buy two very nice bottles of wine and gave Andy his pick between a Merlot or Cab. As I expected, he picked the Merlot. We can save the Cab for another time...

Dinner was nothing special, but we'll make up for it tonight when we dine at Buca di Beppo! We love that place, although you do come out el stink-o! I think it's from the garlic. Your clothes really reek the next morning....

Whenever we go to Buca di Beppo, we try to get the table in the kitchen. That's our favorite. There's only one, and you get to be a part of the kitchen action. The girls love it, and sometimes they will give you free meatballs. The girls love that, too, especially since the meatballs are the size of tennis balls!

My favorite dish is the Chicken Marsala, but it's all good. Andy loves this Shrimp Arrabiata or something like that....it's spicy, and they don't have it very often. Maybe he'll be in luck tonight! The girls love the pasta dishes, especially the cheese Tortelloni. And everybody loves the big dessert with cake and ice cream......like I said, it's all good! I might just skip lunch in preparation.....

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.

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.