New Year Reflections

Screw resolutions. Who realistically follows through? This year I’ve decided to reflect on 2007 instead. Plus, if you highlight your amazing accomplishments from the year past, surely it will help motivate to do better/be better in the coming year, right? Seems to be sound logic.

2007 was nothing short of an amazing year. In fact, 2007 has been the most significant of my life to date, bringing both the greatest challenges and rewards. So, what did I do?
· Stayed overnight (well, week) in the hospital for the first time in my life
· Got to meet Jake!
· Survived having a child in the NICU for 58 days
· Got to bring Jake home and introduce him to his “brothers” and the rest of the world
· Learned how to care for a baby…and became pretty darn good at it I think (or hope for Jake’s sake! LOL)
· Made lots of new friends (among them—Rachel, Arlene & Jen)
· Learned that I really don’t need 9 hours of sleep a night…or 8…or even 7!
· Began to understand my mom and some places in our history much better
· Kept my son on breast milk for the entire year. This is a big one and probably my proudest accomplishment of the year. It was hard…really, really hard…one of the most difficult things I’ve done…but I did it. He turns 1 today (another post entirely) and he is still on breast milk! I’d hate to count the hours I spent over the past year with a breast pump attached to myself!
· Learned to be a working mom…also one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done, but also so very worth it! I think I’m a great lawyer and also think I’m a great mom and think that I’m better at each now because of the other. I’m sure I will always wish I had more time to devote to each thing, but for now I think I’ve been able to find a very nice balance.
· Traveled successfully to several states via both vehicle and plane with baby (and all of baby’s crap!)
· Successfully dined out (nearly weekly) with baby. This seems a bit insignificant, but one that I’m really happy about b/c it was a big concern. Andy and I eat out (or take out) A LOT…I’m so happy that Jake also enjoys it!
· Lost baby weight.
· Lost more than baby weight…got to w/in 10 lbs. of college weight! Also very proud of this one…and feel terrific!
· Learned that I’m still a kick-ass cook. With the help of a great recipe…I made a 6 layer (yes, 6!) carrot cake.
· Oh yeah…turned 30…and realized that I do love my 30’s!
· Finally, and I’m sure I’m leaving lots out, I continued to realize what an amazing marriage I have. We’ve now been married for over 8 years…and have been together for nearly 14 years (nearly ½ of my life!). Wow! Life with Andy continues to be full of such wonderful surprises and I can’t wait to see what 2008 brings.

Happy Halloween

I survived my first trip away from Jake...barely. In 4 short days he learned to clap and also graduated from the commando crawl to a full, on all fours crawl...and I missed it:( Vegas was fun. It was great to see old friends and hang out with some new people. Fantastic food and a great show--Spamalot.

Before I left, Jake went to his first Halloween party and when I got home, he went to his first birthday party...a costume party for Alanna's first birthday (which is actually on Halloween). Here are some pictures from both: (Okay, so there are no pictures below. This draft has been sitting in my account for a few weeks now and I don't currently have access to the photos to post them)

246...

Number of days that Jake has been alive. 188...number of days he's been home. Lately, I've been drifting back to those first 58 days quite often. It seems like a lifetime ago. It often seems like a dream. Did I really deliver my child nearly 3 months early? Was I in the hospital for a week? Did only get to briefly see him and then have to wait until the next day to actually meet my son? Did I then really have to wait a week to finally hold him? A month to bathe him? Two months to take him home?



When Jake was in the hospital, I didn't take time to blog...ha...I didn't have the time to blog. I also didn't have time to write in a journal or otherwise record the experience. So, I thought I'd try to take some time in the next few days (okay, so in reality with me it will likely be weeks) to blog about those 58 days.



Days 1 and 2...


DAY 1, January 10, 2007
I learned the night before that they would be inducing me. Through the night, the doctor on call started to get concerned about a few small episodes of bradycardia and finally decided to speed up the induction by a couple of hours. I don't have fond memories of the 12 hours I was in labor. The very best moment was the moment that Dr. McLees said the magical word that I'd been waiting for...c-section! At last! I was so ready to have the delivery over...mostly because of the drug I was on to prevent me from having seizures--magnesium sulfate. The mag made me beyond lethargic. By the end (I'd been on it for several days), I could barely move or speak. In my head I was participating in conversations, but what actually came out was "buuuuuuuh." Not my best moment.



Andy was with me for the delivery. He was so sweet and so terrified. He wouldn't watch the surgery...the wuss! :) I had an epidural rather than a spinal block because of my blood pressure. I was surprised that I could actually feel a tugging and then feel when they pulled Jake out. It only took a split second for him to cry, but that was honestly one of the longest moments of my life as I closed my eyes and held my breath. They prepared me that it could be up to 3 days before I'd actually see Jake...he would be whisked away to NICU and I would be bedridden and on the mag for up to 3 days to give my kidneys time to recover. Miraculously, his breathing was stable enough for them to bring him right up to my face before taking him away. 3 seconds...that was about all I had. The mag also made my vision terrible--I had double vision, so I had to concentrate really hard and close one eye to get a good look at him. It would be another week before I'd get to kiss him again.



27 minutes...the length of the entire surgery. McLees is a speedy guy...and good...you should see my scar--it's fantastic.



12 hours...the amount of time before I get the best news since learning Jake was healthy...they were stopping the mag...I'd get to see Jake within hours. It was 4am on Day 2--January 11, 2007. My room was ready by 10am and as soon as I moved (and we had a lot to move:), Andy wheeled me to the NICU. I scrubbed in for the first time; he wheeled me through the door, down a row lined with isolettes, turned the corner and Jake was straight ahead. It was so overwhelming. Part of it was also so unfair. Andy and the grandparents had all got to spend time with Jake. They'd toured the NICU. They'd met the nurses, learned the lingo and the procedures...and here I was, his mother, lost and essentially the last to meet my son for the first time. I cried...a lot...I still cry now thinking about it. I could never see how small he really was...how scary he looked (seriously)...all I could see was my Jake. My beautiful Jake...and how he looked just like his daddy.

246 days ago . . . 2 pounds, 9 ounces/ 14 1/2 inches long

Joanie

Joanie told me I needed to update my blog...so, well...no time like the present. Thoughts of/comments on the day:
Michigan---what the hell?! I loathe Michigan, but I don't wish back to back ass whippings like that on anyone...not to mention it just makes the Big 10 look bad!
Notre Dame---hahahaha...okay, so I do wish the ass whipping on them! Glad to see Penn State have such a good game. Silly Irish for giving Charlie Weis that extended contract and all that money.

Tennessee is winning...finally...better go watch...and play with Cate...she's hitting me with her pink Barbie brush...

Today Mid-West, Tomorrow...the South?

Today is generally a good day:
1. The countdown is approaching 24 hours!!! Although, I must report, that sadly, I will likely not get to see my beloved Buckeyes play their opener. *&%$'n Knology isn't carrying The Big Ten Network, so I'm basically *&%$ed!
2. Jake is decked out today in his new TN Jersey....I think he's destined to be a football player...he looks adorable. No picture to share yet...I tried, but he only wanted to play this morning, so all got was a picture of an orange blur!
3. 3 day weekend...enough said!!!!
4. Girls' Night Out...going to the new movie theater downtown for some Superbad with friends tonight.
5. Last, but certainly not least, apparently the Mid-West is starting to come out of the dark ages and join the Northeast. CNN is reporting a ruling from an Iowa judge that same sex couples cannot be denied marriage license under the state's constitution. Iowa! Freakin' fantastic! Of course, I'm sure the next step will be the state legislature pushing to change their constitution b/c apparently, in our country, discriminating against people for their sexual preference is much more important than those other trivial issues facing our country...you know, like fighting poverty, hunger, global warming, crime... Kudos to Judge Robert Hanson for doing what is right and not being clouded by the conservative agenda!

Happy Labor Day Weekend Everyone!

Old Friends

As the countdown continues (2 DAYS TO GO AND COUNTING!), one of my TV obsessions has also returned...College GameDay! I missed my old friends (apologies to Chris Fowler for not including a picture of him):

We really do try to keep Jake from watching too much tv (b/c of overstimulation, ADD, etc.), but an exception must be made on Fall Saturdays...I mean, what kind of mother would I be if I denied him the magic of ESPN and college football?

Fun in the Florida Sun

So, I thought maybe I should post some pictures from our trip to Florida. I only wish we had pictures of Jake in the ocean...he had a blast. Of course, because it was so hot, he only lasted about 1/2 hour, but he was all smiles during that period.

Jake chillin' in the hotel room

View of the beach from our hotel room

Grandma let Jake do his favorite thing--hang out naked...well, he was wearing his hat!

I took some time away from "mommy duties" to hang out with my friends (Amy, Brian & Dan)

Amy and I may have had a bit too much fun by this point in the night!

Jake had his own seat on the flight to Cincinnati...such a big boy!

I love this picture of my two favorite boys in the whole world! It just looks like Jake and Nate are deep in conversation!

This photo-blog wouldn't be complete without this picture--of my very favorite (male) cousin and Jake. As you can see, Jake was mesmerized by Tyler (aka Bubba).

I'll sign off by reminding everyone of the countdown---3 days, 14+ hours and counting until OSU FOOTBALL!!!!!! 3 days, 22+ hours until it's FOOTBALL TIME IN TENNESSEE!!!!!!

Jim Compher (1946-2007)

My uncle Jim passed away last week. He'd been sick, but I think death is never "expected." Sadly, I hadn't seen him in nearly a year. My family seldom gets together...in fact, the only thing planned is Christmas Eve. Since we now spend all of our Christmases in Tennessee, I obviously don't see the Comphers much.

Funerals are certainly never fun. I think this one was a bit different for me... Uncle Jim is the first of his generation in my family to pass. In other words, his death makes me realize that I've now transitioned to the age where I will start losing more and more loved ones. Yep, getting older sucks (aren't I so eloquent?).

One good thing from his passing? Well, it would have to be the fact that Jake made his first trip to Ohio and was able to meet nearly every member of his family (on all sides...even his cousin twice removed, Dave, from MN:). All of those first meetings...and me with no pictures!!! I love TN. My life is in TN....but, sometimes, it's difficult being so far away from your "roots."

Before I sign off...a quick "story" about Uncle Jim. If you'd look up "mumbled speech" in the dictionary, I'm quite certain you'd find a picture of Jim Compher:) Sometimes you'd have to listen particularly closely to understand what he was saying. It's funny, in DUI cases part of my standard cross examination of an officer is to point out that some people have naturally mumbled speech (since it is often listed as a sign of impairment). When I ask that question, I can think of Uncle Jim....and smile.

Post from Court

Just testing the mobile blog feature. This picture was taken on Lake Loudon on Father's Day at sunset. It was a gorgeous night and my very first trip to the lake this summer. Jake (and Kobe) stayed with Grandma and Grandpa, so it was just Andy, Ruben and I.

Affair in Red Square

In 8 years of driving on Neyland Drive, I've often had to stop in the middle of the road and wait for the geese to cross the street. Thursday morning on my way into work there were two dead geese in the road. It breaks my heart.

I took a couple of hours to myself today and joined my friend Kristi at SoHo for a mani/pedi. My feet are now in beach shape and my nails look fabulous! I've also discovered my new favorite color--from the OPI Russian Collection--An Affair in Red Square:




Last week we got to hang out with some old friends and, of course, Jake was a doll! He was also stylin' in his Cincinnati Reds gear (compliments of Grandpa Steve):

Although everyone always says that Jake looks EXACTLY like Andy, I never really saw it, until I saw the picture above on the right! Shauna is right....it's like Andy has a "mini-me."

We leave for Florida this Tuesday. Traveling with a 7 month old and with no car is sure to be an adventure, but I'm really looking forward to all of the time I'll get to spend with Jake.

One last picture before I sign off. Grandma and Grandpa bought this for Jake at Bass Pro Shops (of course) and it finally fits! Look closely, you may not see him:)

Technology

I'm actually posting from my phone...just because I can. Technology is too cool.
JAKE NOW WEIGHS 12 POUNDS, 9 OUNCES!!!! More to follow later...

Boating Fun!

Check out Jake's first trip to the lake!

Jake's Big Weekend

First let me apologize for the second post in a row without a picture or video...I'll strive to do better in the future:) Jake had a very productive weekend with two major developments.

1. He actually CRAWLED! Well, it was a form of crawling at least. On Saturday, Andy turned him over for tummy time and the next thing we know he's scooted/crawled over 2 feet across the floor. It wasn't a full blown crawl b/c he kept his right hand in his mouth the whole time, which brings me to...
2. He's teething. All of my friends are confirming my suspicions. He's been constantly gnawing on everything...his hand, his blanket, toys, clothes, and he's drooling a lot. He also got fussy a few times this weekend without explanation. All of that adds up to the fact that my baby boy must have his first tooth on the way!

Portrait Session

I almost forgot to mention...we had a fabulous photographer come to the house last week to photograph Jake and Mikah. She's posted a few of the pictures of Jake on her blog. He was fantastic...he smiled and laughed for her and then fell asleep and let her mold him into different positions for more pictures. If the rest of the photos are anything like the ones she posted, I'm in for some hard decision making when it comes to choosing which ones to buy!

So far, the favorite of most is the picture of Jake in his red chair. What do you think?

By the way, I would highly recommend Nancy (www.nancyhellsten.com). She has tons of photos posted on her website and blog and are worth checking out!

Lake v. Beach -- Lake Wins

Jake's had an exciting past few weeks. He had both is first trips to the lake and the ocean; he turned 6 months old; and he started daycare!

The Lake--Jake loved it! Well, at least he loved hanging out in the boat with mommy and daddy. He wasn't quite so sure about the water, but really enjoyed floating after he got used to it. We had the best time with him...despite the bumpy beginning to that particular lake trip. Let's just say that I won't be pulling the boat trailer in a crowded parking lot anytime soon!

The Ocean--I think Charleston was just too hot for my poor little guy. He's not a huge fan of sun anyway and even with a baby tent (Thanks Jen!), it was still a little much for him. He was a trooper though--he spent a couple hours on the beach and some more time at the pool. I'll definitely be signing us up for swim classes b/c he really enjoyed the pool.

6 months--Has it really been 6 months?

Daycare--I think this has been much harder on me then Jake. He is such a happy baby! He smiles when I drop him off in the morning and smiles when Andy picks him up. His teachers all comment on what a happy baby he is and how he just smiles all day long! That has helped alleviate my anxiety and mommy guilt. I am so lucky to have such a good baby. The only issue has been his schedule...I think he's still trying to get used to daycare and work out when he wants to eat, nap, sleep. I'm hoping he's not sleeping at noon today, b/c I'm hoping to pop in for a quick visit. Mom is picking him up today and keeping him overnight...I need to visit to avoid massive Jake withdrawals later tonight!

Well, I don't have the beach pictures uploaded yet, but here are some others from the lake:

He was very happy to get out of the life jacket and hang out on the boat deck for awhile!

He preferred just skimming the top of the water.

He sat and entertained up by jabbering and screeching for quite awhile!

His daddy was cracking him up!

He's starting to get the hang of a spoon.

A New Man..um, Baby

We're post-surgery now and all is well. Jake had a great time playing before they took him bak. He especially loved chewing on his hospital gown. He stole the hearts of many! I only had to be apart from him for a little more than an hour. Seeing him post-op was probably one of the worst things I've ever experienced...even worse than the NICU. He was in so much pain and was inconsolable. Once the pain meds kicked in...all was well. After a couple of days of being groggy, he is now back to normal and even now seems to play more than before!

Jake has also learned a new trick....he can roll over on his own! Ugh! So he can make it to his stomach, but I'm not sure he can roll all the way over. He loves to sleep on his stomach...though he always has. Because of tummy aches, he spent a lot of time on his stomach in NICU.

Our Own Personal Bumpkus'

When they moved in several months ago, we joked that the Bumpkus' had moved in. They had tons of cars parked in their driveway and their yard. We also likened him to Frank the Tank, as he not only worked on his cars in his driveway, but always had his classic rock loudly blaring. I put up with all of that, even found it endearing. But, after last night, much like Ralphie's dad, I'm ready to declare war on our Bumpkus'.

2am last night, I'm awoken to the loud sound of a car alarm just outside my window. This honking persists for what seems like hours, but was more likely about 15 minutes. Oh yeah, and providing backup vocals to the horn was every single dog in the neighborhood (save my two angels:). 5 minutes later...alarm (and dogs) AGAIN. Now I'm completely awake and annoyed. After another 15-20 minutes, the alarm is silenced again....for a total of maybe 2 minutes. I try to cover my head with the pillow...doesn't even begin to mute the sound. I proceed to the guest bedroom, where the sound of the alarm is muted, but the sound of the dog chorus is elevated. Ugh! Andy tried to come to my rescue. He got dressed and went to the Bumpkus' house, banging on the door and ringing the doorbell. Either they were not at home, or scared of my Andy:)

Finally, after an hour and a half, God had mercy on me and somehow silenced the alarm. The irony of the incident is that Jake actually slept through the night. I would have had about 6-7 hours of beautiful, uninterrupted sleep but for that *&^% car alarm! I'm even more pissed that I'm too exhausted to confront the jerk when I get home tonight.

Sorry for the rant....and for lack of new Jake picture. Jake IS officially off of the monitor now. His hernia surgery will be scheduled this Thursday. No other updates...he's just as fantastic as ever!!!

More Jake

I haven't had much time to blog lately...very busy week. But, here is a quick Jake update. He's now 10 pounds. He had his sleep study at the hospital yesterday. He hated the medicine they gave him and having all of the wires and probes peeled off of him (can you blame him?), but he was such a trooper. He slept most of the day, so I'm looking forward to this weekend with him. Look for pictures/video next week of Jake's first day on the lake! Also, we should hear from the apnea clinic today whether we can finally "officially" ditch the monitor for good.

Kudos to Lost, To Hell with Grey's

Kudos to Lost. I loved the episode again this week. I have a couple of criticisms, but was very pleased overall. As for Grey's . . . to hell will Grey's. The season finale was the worst episode of the entire series. Nearly everything about this episode pissed me off--in no particular order:

• George/Izzy storyline continues to be ridiculous!


• Callie as chief resident over Bailey? Come on! Earlier this season the Chief was basically telling Miranda that she'd be chief of surgery if she were an attending.


• Meredith--I'm over her character. The writers explain that the episode shows how flawed she is and that she never had a parental example of how to be in a relationship. Boo freakin' hoo! I could now care less if she and Derick ever end up together. I wish she'd drowned and put us all out of OUR misery.


• Burke/Cristina storyline . . . huh? Are you kidding! That was out of left field and it sucked!


• Chief chooses new Chief only to remain Chief. Stupid! And how can he get back together with Adele if he continues to be Chief?


• Alex/Ava . . . does anyone remember Izzy/Denny? Another doctor/patient relationship?


• Speaking of Ava--Griffin as her husband (or was it his twin, aka Pink?)--I love the actor, but what in the hell was on his chin? Terrible.

What did I like? Not much, but here it is:

• George failing...that's what you get, you cheater!


• The moment between Bailey and George.


• The fact that Adele's baby was Richard's.


• Callie...even though she shouldn't be chief resident...she is fantastic. How sad that she's grasping at straws to keep her marriage together.


• Sandra Oh...I hated her storyline, but she is a fantastic actress.

Okay, enough about crappy television. I've been very neglectful in posting any updates on Jake lately. In a nutshell, he is fabulous. He's now 9lbs., 10oz. Here is a video of him enjoying his swing:

Lost Thoughts

Here are my "Lost Thoughts" for this week's episode in no particular order:

1. I called it . . . John Locke's deadbeat dad and Sawyer's "Tom Sawyer" were, in fact, one and the same. This is my second character connection to be verified in the past few weeks...the last was that Jack and Claire were siblings.

2. They are NOT in purgatory. I think the writers are clearly using this theory as a red herring. John's dad didn't die...the main guy playing God (whoever he may be) orchestrated the accident and owned the ambulance that picked him up. I don't yet have an answer to the fact that the plane was found, though the same explanation could hold true. Anyone seen Wag the Dog? If you can fake a war, you can certainly fake the discovery of a plane at the bottom of the ocean. The aforementioned "God" figure obviously wants some of these people to remain on the island and for the island not to be found, so it is plausible that they would fake such a discovery.

3. I'm over Jack. He's been pissing me off for awhile, but when he pulled that crap with Kate this week saying "she's not ready" to learn whatever secret Juliette wanted to share with her...he was doing no more than pulling a Ben. Come on! Of course, I don't feel sorry for Kate because she never should have gone to Jack with that information. I'm guessing though that it was a "you broke my heart and now I want to hurt you by showing you that your friends don't trust you" gesture. Love and heartbreak make us all do stupid things....for this, I forgive her.

4. Sawyer. I love this character. My heart broke for him this week. Obviously, you don't want to think of him as a murderer and even after he kills "Tom Sawyer" with his bare hands, you still don't see him as a murderer...at least I didn't. So, now what? He gets to go back to Kate who is using him while she's in love with Jack. I know he's caused a lot of pain in his past, but he deserves to finally put his past behind him and be happy, right?

5. Locke. Ugh, John Locke. I did love the moment after Sawyer killed his father when Locke simply said "Thank you." I'm also glad to know that he still cares about the camp (giving sawyer the information and evidence against Juliette). I'm not sure what I think of this "I'm on my own journey now" crap. I'm just over his weirdness. The only good thing about him going on this journey is that we will hopefully start to get some answers about this island.

6. Foreshadowing. In 3 nights they will raid the beach. So, the season finale may hold Sun being kidnapped. And, why does Rousseau need the dynamite? Will she confront her daughter before the season ends?

7. Final thoughts. I love Desmond's character and I love the new alliances and friendships. I can't agree with Kristi the Horse that Juliette is fantastic because I frankly can't stand her. Also, I get the impression that no one really likes Ben...why doesn't someone kill him or otherwise put him in his place?

Until next time . . .