The week in review

It's been a pretty fun week in the Marjen household, what with Dean dazzling us with new skills daily and such. He's been clapping for a while, but this week, he learned to applaud. Which he does ALL THE TIME. He also learned to stick his tongue all the way out and make noises with it. And he FINALLY crawled forward a bit! He's been going backwards, which is pretty adorable. He loooks like a little crab. Possibly the funniest new skill is his ability to blow "zerberts" on my arm. Or my cheek. He only does it to me.

I've seen a lot about those mesh feeders you can get for babies and we've had one sitting in a drawer for a while, but I was pretty grossed out by the idea of it, so I never used it. Then Eva over at Surprised Suburban Wife blogged about the mesh feeder helping her daughter on a bad teething day, so I broke ours out. WOW. Dean has been enjoying slices of frozen peaches over the past several day. He LOVES that thing! Marcus does not love it so much, as Dean kept smacking it on his hand last night, covering him in chewed-up peach pulp. Haha, don't you wish he'd just zerbert YOUR arm? I don't want to hear it. (See yesterday's post about baby vomit ON ME.)

I got some great news on Friday: Next semester, I'll be joining the Theatre Dept. at Montevallo as an Adjunct Professor, teaching Theatre Management and Stage Management! I'm so excited to get back into the classroom and can't wait to get started. I've already been re-working my syllabus from the last time I taught theatre management and I'm working on a semester-long project for my students.

So, I gave Dean a popsicle the other day. I know he didn't need the high-fructose corn syrup, but I was having one for my sore throat and thought he might enjoy one, too. Truth be told, he maybe took 3 licks. He mostly played with it. It was still pretty precious.















Dean has also learned the fine art of getting more food ON him than IN him.



















Good times there! Shout out to my mom for the awesome baby feeding smock. It cleams up easily and keeps his bibs from getting stained.

I'm officially hacked off at the WalMart. We found the perfect Halloween costume for Dean the other day (guess what it was!?!?), but the smallest one they had was a 2T, which would swallow him. I went to the OTHER WalMart today, but they didn't have a single one. Oh, what to do? What are your kids going to be for Halloween?

Everyone have a great week!

My morning thus far

It is 8:42 am. I woke up around 7:45 (wow, we slept late) to the sweet sounds of Dean cooing in his room, then the knocking of his binky as he banged it against the headboard. I went in, lifted him up, got a great hug, then changed his diaper, which involved BIG POOP. This is the second time this week he's woken up with poopy pants. I'm hoping he does it after he wakes up and that he's not sleeping with it for hours. Anyway, enough about poop. We went downstairs, made coffee and started breakfast. I'd bought a jar of "stage 3" oatmeal w/pears. The jar is really big, but his appetite is increasing, so I figured he could handle it. Well, he LOVED it. He ate the entire jar. About halfway through feeding him, Marcus came down and started making our breakfast. Rewind for a moment to last night when I went to make Dean a bedtime bottle and, out of the corner of my eye, saw a lizard run across our kitchen. I squealed, but Marcus assured me this was a good thing...they eat bugs. Ok. The lizard may stay, but it had better not touch me. Back to breakfast today. Dean and I are singing and making faces at each other between bites, when all of a sudden I see the lizard out of the orner of my eye again, except it's tail's awfully skinny to be a lizard and that is fur and OH MY GAWD THAT IS A MOUSE! Marcus had to jump over the thing as it disappeared into a hole under our cabinet. (Nice.) So we added mousetraps to our shopping list. (Just what I want to deal with.) Dean finished his breakfast and I clapped for him, telling him what a big boy he was for finishing that WHOLE JAR of oatmeal! I picked him up, started telling him about our plans to go downstairs and play, when all of a sudden I heard it. And felt it. Baby vomit. SPLAT on my floor. BLECH on my sleeve, pants leg and ARM. All I could do was scream for help and wait for Marcus to come and take him so I could get cleaned up. Fortunately, I didn't vomit. I thought about it though.

How's YOUR morning going!?!?

Just call me Little Miss Muffett

So, the other day, Dean was ready for his afternoon snack, which usually consists of some type of home-made fruit puree. We sit at the table, like at mealtimes, and enjoy our snack together. (I usually have a soy yogurt or some dried fruit.) On this particular day, the weather was GORGEOUS. It was about 80 degrees with a nice, cool breeze. I decided it would be nice to turn the AC off and open the back door while Dean and I sat and had our snack so he could look out at the yard. Well, I got him set up in his highchair, pulled back the curtain, opened the door and came face to, uh, legs with this:














This photo does not do it justice. This was the biggest, ugliest, scariest spider I have EVER seen. (And growing up in the deep south, I've seen a LOT of spiders.) Y'all, it had HAIR. And big pincher teethy things. I flipped out, closed the door and stood there marveling at the size of the web, wondering if the thing would stay put until Marcus got home to kill it. Then I did what any genteel southern woman would do...I called my daddy. Only my mom answered the phone.
Here's how the conversation would have gone if DAD had answered:
JEN: Daddy, there's a BIG, HAIRY, ICKY spider outside my door and I'm sure he's going to eat Dean and me.
DAD: Oh, poooooooooor giiiiiiiiiiiirl. Call Marcus right now and tell him to come home! You're far too pretty to kill a big, hairy spider! If he can't get there soon enough, I'LL come get it for you! (which, ok, would never happen, because he hates spiders, too, but go with me here.)
JEN: Thanks, Daddy, you're the best!
DAD: And you're pretty! Tell Deano his Papa loves him!

Here's the conversation between my mom and me:
JEN: Mom, there's a BIG, HAIRY, ICKY spider outside my door and I'm sure he's going to eat Dean and me.
MOM: (emotionless) Kill it.
JEN: Did you hear me? It's BIG and HAIRY. It might eat us. I'm pretty sure it will. ME and DEAN.
MOM: So kill it.
JEN: ??????
MOM: Don't you have some bug spray? You ARE back in the south, you know.
JEN: Um, yeah, I think so.
MOM: Then grab it and kill the thing!
JEN: But I can't leave the baby alone. I'll just wait til Marcus gets home.
MOM: It's right outside the door. You can still see the baby. Put the phone on speaker and I'll talk to Dean and you KILL THE SPIDER.
JEN: Fine.
Jen puts phone on speaker. Grammy starts to sing "Baa Baa Blacksheep" to Dean. They giggle together. Jen glares at them, bug spray in hand. Jen opens door, realizes that she cannot close it AND get out without hitting spider web face first. Tells mom this. Is told to go around. Wishes Marcus would miraculously come home early, even though he has no transportation. Goes around, sees spider, squeals, sprays the EVER-LOVING HECK out of spider and web. Spider scurries up to outdoor light fixture. Jen blasts fixture with spray. Spider's movements get slower and it starts to turn a funky gray color. Jen squeals again, all the way back inside.
MOM: Did you kill it?
JEN: I think so. It turned gray when I sprayed it.
MOM: You'd better knock it down with a broom and step on it.
JEN : What if it has babies!?!? Remember that time I killed one on our porch and baby spiders shot out of it? That was gross!
MOM: Get the broom and knock it down and step on it. Then knock the web down.
JEN: Woops, gotta go, Dean needs his snack.
MOM: Knock the web down.
JEN: Will do, thanks a lot! Love ya! Bye!

Ok, so maybe that's a TAD exaggerated, but you get the picture. Anywho, Marcus came home and we went out to check on the thing. IT WAS STILL ALIVE. So he, at my mother's urging, knocked it down with a broom and stepped on it.















NASTY.

Post-script: In my defense, I feel I should point out that I'm not always this girly. Almost never, in fact. Remember the time I moved all the way to NY? Or the time I had a baby? Or built things with tools? Yeah. Keep that in mind. ;)

I've obviously inhaled too many Clorox fumes today..and why rose-colored glasses should be taken off the shelves

Look at this hilarious website I found: www.yearbookyourself.com. You put in a picture of yourself and it turns you into a yearbook photo for every even-numbered year from 1950-2000! This was my favorite, from 1988.



















The ones of Marcus from the 80s were surprisingly accurate, according to his REAL yearbook photos!



















And we learned that Dean would look hot with an afro!




















Ok, enough goofiness.
We have spent today cleaning like mad people and putting a few finishing touches on the house. It's nowhere near finished, but we do have towel bars now. (How did I not notice in our walk-through that there were no towel bars or toilet paper holders!?!? My word, that would've been a deal breaker! Ok, that's not true.) Anyway, we're pooped now. Dean had to go to the doctor yesterday for an ear infection and is now taking amoxil, which makes him sleepy, so we got a lot done while he napped today. Poor guy.

I've started an entry for today about 11 times and deleted it each time. I know what I want to say, but am not sure how to A. make it brief enough for my blog and B. start writing on this topic. So, I'll just dive right in. A little backstory first, so you know where this is coming from. I read a lot of blogs. By a lot, I mean that I religiously follow about 6 and I have 3 or 4 others that I check pretty regularly. If folks leave me a comment on my blog, I visit theirs and try to reciprocate, especially if their blog is about something that interests me. I enjoy reading about other folks with kids. I also often visit the blogs of folks who leave interesting comments on the other blogs I read. (Here I go again, saying BLOG a lot...) ANYWHO, just this week on three of the blogs I follow closely, the authors have felt as though they needed to apologize for something they were saying or were scolded by readers for their content. One of the blogs I like a lot on Parents.com, "Not That You Asked," is written by a woman named Emily who has a toddler and one on the way. What I like about her writing is that she is a REAL person talking about REAL things that happen in the life of a parent. A reader left the first comment on a post of hers recently scolding her for "complaining" so much in her blog and telling her she should suck it up and stop taking her life for granted. This led to her loyal readers sounding off about why they like her blog (for the reasons I explained above) and telling her not to change a thing. On my very favorite blog, Parental Discretion Advised, Bree, the author, revealed that she's having a little boy. We were all thrilled, but one reader felt the need to immediately hop on the soapbox about "genital integrity" while another made a snarky comment about her grammar. Amalah, whose son struggles with some social issues, felt like she needed to preface her blog about her son's breakthrough at school with an apology. These women are all strong, independent, hard-working moms who should not have to apologize for what they write ON THEIR BLOGS. Who would want to read about your wonderful life with your precious, perfect, clean children who frolic in meadows and never throw sweet potatoes in your hair and your immaculate house and wonderful husband every single day!?!? Life is sticky and stinky and downright funky sometimes, folks, and what I like about blogs like these is that they remind me I'm not the only one out there spending half her day helping an 8 month old blow his nose.

Wow, it felt really good to say all that, and I hope you followed at least some of it! If you know me, you know I'm an over-achiever and I try to be the best all the time. I will now admit that there are days when motherhood is kicking my tail. I love it so much, even more than I could have ever imagined, but y'all, some days I would give anything to be able to take a shower whenever the desire hit me. I adore my little family and am extremely thankful that Marcus and I were able to have a baby so quickly and that he's so amazing, but I don't ever want to sugar-coat my life for my blog.
I'll give you the good and the bad, because sometimes at the end of MY day, reading about YOUR kid throwing a tantrum in McDonald's makes me feel just a little more normal.

So write on, fellow bloggers, and have a great weekend!

Miles of Milestones

Yesterday was a big day in the Lane home. Dean FINALLY learned to clap his hands! He's been doing the "muted clap" for a while, where he almost brings them together, but stops just short of them meeting. But yesterday, he got it. Boy, did he get it! He's excited to be able to join in on his own when we sing "If You're Happy And You Know It." He also surprised the heck out of Marcus and me by standing up on his own last night! We'd been playing on the floor (Translation: rolling around trying to wear the baby out before bed time) when suddenly he grabbed the side of his exersaucer and pulled himself to standing. Then he looked over his shoulder and smiled at us like "Betcha didn't know I could do THAT!" I seriously think he may be one of those babies who just walks instead of crawling. He still scoots, but no real progress on the crawling. He rolls to get to where he needs to be.

In other news, I've been walking with my aunt. We're headed that way soon. It makes me feel good and having a walking buddy give me the motivation to get up and go. The social contact's nice, too.

Yesterday, Marcus and I killed the biggest spider I've ever seen. So big, in fact, that it deserves its own post with pictures, pictures which the camera is currently holding hostage. Tune in later for said post. You won't believe the size of this thing.

Baby asleep by 7:45...leaves Mommy with idle time on her hands!

Well this is weird. Dean, who has had a BAD teething day (still no teeth, though), finally settled down and fell asleep on me at 7:45. So we put him to bed. Even though he needed a bath. Because there is food in his hair. Oh, well. Anyway, I don't have a specific topic for a post, but let's review some things that have happened this weekend, shall we?

*We went to Tuscaloosa yesterday for tailgating. Not the game, just tailgating. Each year, a lot of theatre alumni come in for one game and this was it. We got to introduce Dean to our old teachers and friends and we got to see how much the campus has changed. Which is a LOT. The student health center, which used to be a small room in a scary building, is now a huge complex on the other side of campus. And there is a water slide on campus. A WATER SLIDE. When I was in college, we once made a slip and slide out of a garbage bag. Looks like college has gotten a lot cooler since I was there, kids.

*We didn't eat anything at the tailgating party, which is unlike both Marcus and me. Dean was hungry, so we fed him and visited with friends and just never got around to eating. Which we made up for on the way home. There is now a Five Guys Burgers in Tuscaloosa! If you've never had one, they are wonderful! We always go when we're in DC visiting Marcus's folks. YUM. And when we were done there, the HOT NOW sign was flashing at Krispy Kreme, so you know we had to stop.

*Krispy Kremes, cheeseburgers and fries are counter-productive when trying to lose baby weight.

*On the flip side, I started walking with my aunt and her friend in the mornings. We did three miles on Friday. Up hills. Pushing Dean in his stroller. I still have shin splints.

*We went to the lovely Kate's second birthday party today. It was a trip, as most children's birthay parties are. There was chili cheese dip.

*Anyone else have a new "McCafe" at the McDonald's in their town? They have been advertising it here and I picked up a coupon for a chicken biscuit with purchase of an espresso coffee. Dean and I will have to check it out this week. Again with the not helping to lose the baby weight!

*This weekend, my grandma and my parents are coming to visit! My cousin Heather is also coming up to meet Dean for the first time. (Shout out to Heather's new blog! Check her out if you have time.) We are very excited to see the fam and show them the house. We are also excited that Grammy and Papa will be taking care of Dean on Sunday afternoon so we can FINALLY unpack some boxes! Or nap. The jury's still out on that one.

*Meredith, if you don't come visit me soon, I will cry. CRYYYYYY. No pressure.

*Dean peed on me today. Twice. Then he laughed. A lot.

*I really think I'm going to bed now. At 8:30. Because my child will probably wake up ready to party at 4am. And, chances are, he'll pee on me.

Everyone have a great week!

The grand tour...well, kinda

Ok, ok! I hear you! You want to see pictures of the house! Well, these will have to do for now. The house is still kind of an unorganized disaster, and is likely to stay that way until Grammy and Papa come next weekend and can take care of Dean for a couple of hours while Marcus and I make sense of the clutter. But here are some pictures to tide you over. As I write this, by the way, Dean is snoozing on the big bed between 2 pillows. He would NOT sleep in his crib or his pack and play. He really wanted to sleep on ME, but I needed to do laundry, so I just kind of slid him off of me and onto the bed. Poor guy. He's still got the cold and has all but lost his voice. Ever hear a hoarse baby? It's pretty pitiful. :(

Ok, here we go. I'm gonna try to get Blogger to help a sister out and drag the pictures where I want them to be. Yeah.

















Here's one of the family in front of the new abode. (Don't look at my hair. That's what happens when I dont use the straightener.) Our plans for the future include staining this deck, then knocking it down to build a cool porch.























This is the new sofa. We had wanted it to be chocolate brown, but this was all they had and they promised that the micro-fiber was easy to clean for when little fingers start getting stickier. Or when little mouths spit entire doses of Tylenol on it. They call the color "Cafe" and we actually like it a lot. And it's REAAAAALLLLY comfy!














Marcus is so happy he can't stand it.














About our giant new flat-screen tv, that is. Which we totally didn't need. But totally love. Epsecially the HD channels. And the football package. ( People are often surprised to find out I'm as big a football fan as Marcus. I grew up around SEC schools adn my dad is a die-hard Ole Miss fan, so it's in my blood. Alabama is my team now, since I graduated from there. Roll Tide!)














Here's the dinette set. It's smaller than we'd planned to get, but we loved the details and the leather chairs. It fills the space in our Eat-In kitchen nicely. And to answer the next question, Dean's booster seat lives on one of our folding chairs that goes with our card table, NOT one of these babies!














And now a brief pause in our tour of the Marjen house to show you the tackiest yard I've seen so far! We were out exploring the other day and came across this. The picture doesn't really do the yard justice. This is about 1/4 of the yard, but was my favorite as far as decorations go. I'm definitely swinging back by at Christmas. Can you even imagine? Ok, back to the tour!














This is the snazzy new bed we got for our room. It's super cozy and sooooo pretty! Note matching end tables. There is also a dresser, but the one they brought is dinged, so we're getting a new one Tuesday.

That'll have to do for now. Next post...big boy bed! The big boy is giving me a hoarse little whine right now, so I've gotta run!

So that's what a REM cycle feels like

Dean slept ALL NIGHT LONG. It's the first time he's ever slept ALL NIGHT LONG. Did not wake up once for a bottle or anything. 9 1/2 glorious hours of sleep. Three cheers for the big boy bed!
Now if we could just ditch the cold...

Big Boy Bed

Dean is spending his first night in his big boy crib. In his own room. With a monkey motif. Not 3 feet from my head. I'm going to cry now.

8 months already

How did he get to be 8 months old!?!!? It seems like yesterday he was driving his foot into my ribcage and making me crave hot chocolate. Now he can laugh, babble, blow cereal all over the kitchen, roll all around, almost crawl (so close!), give open-mouthed kisses, take off his own diaper (not charming) an hold his own bottle. And he's really ticklish behind his knees. I love him whole much. :)

A big dose of local culture AND I walked off the hot wings I ate yesterday

Today was a busy day for the Marjen household! (Marjen, by the way, is our combined celebrity name, like Brangelina or Bennifer.) We left home a little after 8 this morning to hit some yard sales. We racked up at one yesterday, finding the exact crib mattress we were about to shell out 70 bucks for at Target on sale (and brand new!) for only $15!!! We also bought 5 boxes of Christmas lights. I see that Marcus is coming around to my way of thinking. This will make the holidays happier for all of us. ;) This morning, we picked up some fun new books for Dean, a cool set of wooden blocks and a neat plastic rhino for our nephew. (His daddy collects rhinos and he thinks they are neat, so we snatch them up when we see them!) Once we'd hit all the ones that we had highlighted in the paper, we headed to an estate sale. Marcus loves them. I had never been to one...and I will probably not be going to another one. It creeped me out. Never mind the fact that we were in a house that had not been updated since the late 60's, never mind the strong smell of mothballs (and bacon!?!??) in the air, let's focus on the fact that you are DIGGIN THROUGH A DEAD PERSON'S CLOSET! There is something so wrong about that. Sure, they don't need their mop or their sassy collection of cardigan sweaters or their 39 baskets of needlepoint supplies anymore, but something about it just creeped me out a bit. I told Marcus I felt like we should say a prayer or something. Bleh.

Anyway, after that, I was actually still hungry, so we ate at Cracker Barrel, then headed to the Bessemer Flea Market. Uh, ghetto. I mean, how much need is there in Bessemer, AL, for 17 booths of cell phone clips (yes, I counted), 9 sock merchants and a print of the Last Supper on a piece of tin? Like the estate sale, I think this was my first and last trip to that particular flea market.

From there, though, our day got pretty awesome. We happened to notice in the paper yesterday that this weekend was the annual Birmingham Art Walk. More than 100 artists from the area gather once a year in downtown B'ham to exhibit their work, including sculptures, jewelry, photography, paintings, crafts and multi-media work. There's also live music, food and kids' activities. (I really wanted to paint a flamingo at the DaVinci Gallery. I'm just sayin'.) Anyway, we hit the jackpot! We got 3 great photographs and an AMAZING print of a painting for our house! We have decided to do our "formal" living room in a New York theme, using some cool photos or paintings of New York, stuff we bought there, our Broadway posters and perhaps a neat coffee table book, to decorate. This is a painting of the top of the Chrysler Building and the colors will work perfectly in our living room. The artist is making another trip to NYC soon and will be doing a painting of the Flatiron Building, which we hope to buy at next year's Art Walk.

I think this is my favorite day since we've moved. The three of us were together all day, Dean was an angel (he loves being around people and seeing new sights) and we got to do something really fun and local. I can't wait to find more things like this to do around our new hometown.

I forgot this part

The part of small-town southern life, that is, that moves s-l-o-w-l-y. Don't get me wrong, half the reason we left NYC was to slow things down. I'm talking about things like the delivery company Babies R Us told me to call to deliver Dean's crib telling me they didn't return my call yesterday because they decided to close early to go to their daughter's house for dinner and they can't book me for delivery until NEXT WEEKEND. Uh, we'll borrow a truck, thanks. Or the furniture company bringing our living room sofa and love seat (which are great, by the way), but not having the coffee table or end tables in stock. They hope to have them by Wednesday. Rooms To Go also has to bring us a new dresser because the one in our bedroom has a big ding in the corner. But they left the dinged one. Because "Oh, we don't take the bad one, ma'am." Uh, ok. And the Chinese food is pretty bad.

On the other hand, we were able to snag an appointment for Dean at our top-choice pediatrician the same day we called last week to get his cough checked out. (he had a cold) And it takes Marcus a mere 10 minutes (if that) to get to and from work...a welcome change from his 90-plus minute commute from Queens to Brooklyn. And our grocery store ROCKS.

Dean has a date this evening. It's kind of a blind date. One of Marcus's colleagues is bringing her daughter over to play. She's an older woman--she'll be 2 later this month. We, the parents, have been really excited for the two of them to meet. I'm sure good times will ensue, so I'll be sure to snap some pictures to post.

Before I go, I wanted to send good wishes to Molly over at "Lost A Sock." She'll be checking into the hospital in the morning to deliver her third child and first daughter. Good vibes and wishes for a great delivery!

I have to go take pictures of Dean now. He's standing in his exersauces beating the tar out of the little plastic dog that sings "Do You Know The Muffin Man?". What a charmer.

He does actually eat things that aren't green, too.

Check me out. I just made baby food. Yep. It's true. I got a new Cuisinart food processor at the Linens N Things closeout sale and I made baby food! The green goo in the pink bowl is avacado (Dean loves it!) and the green goo in the Gerber jar (may as well recycle while I'm at it!) is peas. I'm so excited. I'm going to do fruit later. JEEZ this will save money AND get rid of leftovers! Thanks to Eva, another blogger who posted a link to a cool site with baby food recipes, and to Frema, whose husband makes food for their daughter, for inspiring me to do this. There are 4 of those little plastic Gerber containers in my freezer full of love and green foods. Yee haw.

If they saved us any more money, we'd be broke.

Oh, Labor Day and its sales! Thank goodness, but fie on it just the same! This weekend, we have become the proud new owners of a 5 piece dinette set, lifetime crib, changing table/dresser combo, 7 piece bedroom suit from Rooms to Go, tons of clearance items from a Linens n Things store that's going out of business, and a brand new Hoover vacuum cleaner. Glad we had some money saved up for this move, y'all.

Needless to say, things are coming together in the Lane home. We even bought groceries yesterday. It was a great time to shop because we hit a killer sale on baby food! Dean even seems to be falling into some new rhythms and that's good. Small town life is nice. Next week, between furniture deliveries, of course, we are going to pop over to the county library to check and see if there's a story time. If not, I may volunteer to start one. I do want Dean to be around other children as soon as possible. He did so well this summer around everyone at the theatre that we want to make sure and keep him very social.

I have to go clip coupons and balance the checkbook now. :P

How come...

Dean is fussy all night long, then this morning, after I've had 2 cups of coffee, he sleeps like an angel? When I can't nap? Because of the 2 cups of coffee!!!!!! Oh, well. I got a lot of work done around the house...

I've gone room by room and scribbled down ideas about color and what we need to fill and organize each space. This is gonna be fun! I think we have to get a hutch for the kitchen, just to store dishes or odds and ends. I miss my baker's rack, but there was no way it was moving from NYC. We are going to do the kitchen and dining room in red. I'm pretty jazzed about it. It'll look nice year-round and be especially fun to accessorize at CHRISTMAS!!!!!! Oh, I can't wait for Christmas. I'm going to hang a million lights on the house and maybe get one of those inflatable snow-globes for the front yard. (yes, I'm that person. And I shake presents.) When I told Marcus of these plans, he reminded me that Dean will still be too young to care. I reminded him that I wasn't really doing it for Dean. haha

Our neighborhood is really quiet. I like that there is a police officer who lives across the street and that people walk their dogs. I do wish there was a sidewalk, but the through traffic is so sparse that we should be able to stroll down the road without fear of dying. I imagine Dean and I will go up to the university and take walks once we settle in a bit. There's also an amazing-looking YMCA a couple of miles down the road that I plan to check out. Maybe they have a class that Dean and I can take together.

By the way, I totally could have taken a shower while Mr. Nappy McSleepy-Pants snoozed. Oh, well. I needed to check my email. ;P

Sweet Home Alabama!

We're here!!!!!! We don't have a stick of furniture and the house needs to be cleaned, but we're here!!!!!!!!! The weather is beautiful, our house is a blank slate just waiting to be filled however we want, and we are SO happy to be in the deep south! My mom and dad left this morning to go home to Oxford. They very graciously came to WV to fetch Dean and me and were a HUGE help over the past few days. Marcus's mom and dad are driving from DC tomorrow (!) with our stuff that has been in their basement all summer. They'll get to stay the weekend and see the house and the town for the first time. We are so very lucky to have such wonderful parents!

Dean is doing great. He's currently playing in his newest toy, the exersaucer. I love the exersaucer. Marcus and I played some scratch-off lottery tickets this summer (and got lucky) and ended up with enough money to purchase said exersaucer. Dean took right to it, especially the parts that play music. I think he'll be crawling any minute. He's got the position down, he just hasn't quite figured out how to throw his momentum forward to get moving. We also purchased bedding for Dean's new room. It's adorable--sage green with, you guessed it, MONKEYS! (Dean's really, really into monkeys.) We'll get his crib and dresser in a couple of weeks, then his room will be all set.

Coming from NYC, we don't have any furniture, so this weekend is about getting at least a couch, dining table and chairs and bed for the master bedroom. I am ridiculously in love with the shower, as I knew I would be. With the stone tiles and cozy set-up, it feels like a spa. YAY. We're still deciding on colors for all the rooms, but it's going to be FUN to fix the house up how we want it! And the washer/dryer? As good as I expected. Maybe better. It dries clothes in 35 minutes. A full load. In 35 minutes. :) I washed a load in my dishwasher last night. Oh, what a miraculous thing to have a dishwasher! I also bought Dean a sippy cup (we went with a Dr. Brown's since we liked his bottles so much). Mom friends, when did your little ones start with sippy cups? We haven't tried it quite yet.

Most importantly, though, the three of us are in a place of our own in a town we will certainly grow to love in no time. Dean and I are heading out for a Walmart/Target adventure later to start our nesting. (And to get some food. When we got here ,Marcus had a jar of olives and a 24-pack of pudding in the fridge. And that's all.) It's so good to be home!

Bring on the grass stains!

I, my friends, am the new owner of a Whirlpool Stackable Front-Loading Energy Efficient washer and dryer!!!!!!!!!!!! My darling husband, who said we could neeeeeeeever afford these units, went out and bought them yesterday and they were delivered to our new home this morning. WOO HOO! Between those two babies and the brand-spankin' new dishwasher, stove, microwave and fridge, I will be in domestic bliss for weeks to come.

Marcus made it to Montevallo safely on Saturday. He starts work today with a faculty meeting, then goes through 3 days of new-faculty orientation. Dean and I are (obviously) sitting out the company white-water rafting trip today, but will be meeting up with the company tonight at Pies and Pints for some tasty pizza.

Dean is REALLY into the Olympics. He seems to favor the Chinese team. We're pretty sure it's because they wear red uniforms. I dressed him in his 4th of July outfit today hoping to inspire a little patriotism for the good ol' USA. He's had a big week--he's learned to sit up (from lying down) all on his own, has learned to wave (at himself--it's kinda adorable), and has started giving fabulously wet open-mouthed kisses. He also learned to take off his diaper. I could do without that one. We're looking forward to our last week in WV and finally getting home next Monday.

To Do

As a stage manager, I love a good "To Do" list. I recently read a magazine article about a young woman who took care of her terminally ill sister at the end of her life. The sister had a Lifetime To Do list, half of which she had already completed by the time she was diagnosed with cancer. By the time she passed away three years later, she had completed all but 4 of the items on the list. This prompted me to make a lifetime to do list, which you can see if you scroll down to your right. Some things are kind of goofy, others really important. What would be on your list?

And now, some pictures!

It annoys me that blogger won't let you write captions directly under your pictures! If anyone knows how to do that, please share. Here are captions.

1. Dean and his cousin Adam had themselves quite a pool party!
2. The ADORABLE lion towel Aunt Ginger brought.
3. Dean discovers the exersaucer. Good times.
4. Daphne the cow and her newborn calf, Keith. He was born just an hour before this photo was taken at the "Mooternity Ward" at the WV State Fair.
5. Dean gets in a couple of rounds of mini golf.
6. Dean and G-Mama at the Exhibition Coal Mine.
7. On the Pontoon boat...before it poured. (Dean says "I look like a turtle in this life vest!")
8. Beautiful Sandstone Falls, part of the New River Gorge National River.
9. Adam--18 months old. (!)
10. Me and the Chik Fil A cow. I was SO excited to see him that I abandoned Marcus and Dean and ran over like an idiot to hug him.
11. Me at TWV's annual Ladies' Night. This year's theme was pajama party. Don't know where the pigtails came from, but they worked.

The Simple Life

I'm looking forward to living it. Marcus leaves on Friday for Alabama and Dean and I (accompanied by my parents) will join him the 25th. I cannot wait to be in our house in our new town starting our life in the south. I have a feeling Marcus is going to love his new job and I am so excited to start putting down some roots in Montevallo.

Last week, the Lanes from Virginia, as well as Aunt Ginger and Kevin from Florida, visited us. We stayed in the same cabins as last year, only this year we got the big lodge on the lake. It was a fun, eventful week. I"m going to post another blog immediately after this one of just pictures.

Ok, were getting a new car. Well, new to us. It'll probably be "gently used." I want something higher-up so it's easier to get Dean in and out of the carseat. And with my new role as stay at home mom, it will need room for baby stroller, lots of groceries and probably some bulk items from Sam's. We have been driving the Theatre's van this summer and we LOVE it (It's a Ford Windstar). We'll probably go the SUV route, maybe something along the lines of a Honda CRV, which is what Marcus's mom drives. Anyone have suggestions? Lots of space and good gas mileage are a must.

I promise to blog more often, y'all. I miss it so much. Lately, I've barely even had time to read the blogs I like to follow, much less update my own. But soon the "simple" life (is it ever simple, though?) I've been looking forward to will give me more free time. You know, between washing bibs...

397,839

That is the approximate number of mosquito bites on my body right now, including one on the inside of my right index finger. Avon Skin So Soft bug repellent, why have you failed me!?!? Oh, the glory of outdoor drama!

Today is the day we live for every summer here at TWV...the last show opens tonight! :) This year, it's High School Musical. It's been a stressful summer, to say the least, so we were all a little down about having to go into tech again this weekend. But it turned out to be the best weekend we've had working! This show is a blast. The kids (all 60 of them) are having a wonderful time and it's so much fun to watch things through their eyes. For most of them, it's their first big show and they are having the time of their lives. The tech staff is, too. Marcus (my darling husband, also the director) requested confetti shoot out onto the stage at the end of the "Mega Mix." I pulled out our industrial fans and started cutting up colored tissue paper right away. We tested the fans. They were cool...but not quite cool enough. 'Amir and Josh, our technical directors, got that little glimmer in their eyes and disappeared to Lowe's for about 3 hours. When they got back, construction began on the confetti guns. WE HAVE CONFETTI GUNS! Tonight we'll have 6 of them. They use air pressure to shoot the confetti out over the audience. And it's AWESOME! Meanwhile, I'm backstage with 3 other folks throwing confetti in front of the fans so it blows onto the stage from the sides. The effect is cool and making confetti and guns to shoot it from has been our sanity this weekend. I really do love my job.

Physical Therapy--not for the weak!

Or "PT" as those on the inside call it. YOWZA! I had my second PT appointment today and my shoulder actually hurts worse than when I went in! Johnny the physical therapist is a lot of fun, though, and he explains everything he's doing and has quite a gentle touch. I'm so grateful to him for working me in. We'll be spending even more time together next week. The whiplash is still around. While my lower back is feeling much better, the left side of my neck and shoulder are KILLING me! (I'm sure lifting my near-20-pound child doesn't help!) Johnny the physical therapist suggested I take a full day off work and lay flat on my back in bed. Yeah, like that's gonna happen. He then added "Since that's not going to happen..." and showed me a few exercises I can do between cues at work and gave me some disposable ice packs. I have a feeling I"ll be partaking in a Skelaxin tonight!

MANY thanks to all who emailed and commented about my last post. It's good to hear that all moms seem to go through this big re-adjustment period. I expected to go through a lot of changes, just not quite this many at once. We've had a heck of a six-month period, what with organ transplants, birth, major abdominal surgery, moving twice (ugh!), new jobs, etc. I'm happy to hear your stories and even happier to realize I'm not losing my mind!

This weekend, we head into tech for High School Musical. Marcus (he's directing) and his stage manager, Sarah, were at the theatre til about 3:30 this morning setting lights with the crew. I covered the morning rehearsal for them so they could sleep in. Oh, y'all. 57 middle and young high schoolers is A LOT. A WHOLE lot. Fortunately, some of our older (college-aged) company members are also in the show, so they provide a nice break from the insanity. The show is looking good, though, and the set is fantastic. (It's our GREASE set from last summer with a new coat of paint and some snazzy new bleachers!) The show is selling like hotcakes and should be a really good time.

Dean had breakfast in his booster seat for the first time this morning. He went nuts over the toy tray that snaps over the eating tray. His little eyes almost crossed from the excitement! I was able to take my time fixing his cereal and my coffee while he played happily. I tried putting the bowl on his eating tray, but soon he learned that he could splat his hand in it, so I had to move it. Then he figured out that, since he's higher up, he can reach the coffee table if he leans over the side of his chair. We had to do several readjustments and repositions, but I think we've found a place for the chair where he's safely out of range of anything that could potentially damage him (or vice versa!). Solid food continue to go down well. And out--he pooped 4 times yesterday.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!

I could eat candy and watch HGTV, but that would be counter-productive.

Ok. Scroll down to yesterday's entry with the pictures. Look at the 4th one. (Dean sacked out) That has been our day. He took an hour-long nap this morning and is currently down for the count again! I look at these naps as God's little gifts to me. It's my first day at home alone with the little guy since the wreck. (whiplash doing better, thanks. Haven't had a muscle relaxer since Sunday. Thank you, Lord, for rapid-release Tylenol!) We've had a full day involving pureed apples and butternut squash, a bath with brand-new bath toys, several storybooks and some time with our new giraffe ring stacker. I even got to eat lunch while he snoozed. I ordered a booster seat for Dean yesterday (Rainforest collection, of course) and am looking forward to its arrival. We've been feeding him in his bouncy chair and it's KILLING my back!

So now comes the time when Jen reaches out to her internet friends. Tell me, moms of all ages, how long did it take you to feel like yourself again after the arrival of your bambino(s)? I have not felt like myself lately, and this accident on Friday was kind of the tip of the iceberg. Marcus keeps telling me it's hormones and stress and to give myself a break. My mom friends tell me that it's learning to re-prioritize things now that I'm a mom. I'm having a rough time separating work from home, no doubt because of the insane hours we keep and the fact that I work with my husband. (and Dean is with us at work some nights) I know Dean is healthy and happy. He loves being around lots of people. He's the life of the party. I, however, feel like I'm hanging on by a thread most days. There has been a LOT of stress at work this season, more than I think any of us expected. We joke a lot among the production staff that we sometimes feel like we spend more time dealing with off-stage drama than we do dealing with the shows. And that takes its toll on you when it's your job to mediate the drama, help solve the problems and keep the peace.

If you've been there, tell me how you coped with life "on and off stage!"

Picture pages, picture pages

Here are some pictures of a cute little six-month old guy for your entertainment!!

Be careful what you wish for...

Remember how in my last post I said I could use a little rest and an extra day off? Well, both of those have been granted, due to a nasty case of whiplash. I was leaving Chili's last night, after dining with Marcus, Dean and four friends of ours. I was the first one to leave, as I needed to get to work to figure out how to cover two cast members who were sick and missing last night's show. I pulled to a red light behind a green Ford van. Suddenly, the car behind me slammed into the back of me, forcing me into the green van. Then the guy who hit me sped by us both in the margain and took off down the road. A lady in the turn lane got his plate number and we gave it to the dispatcher when we called 911, along with a description of the car, a maroon Dodge Stratus. The police officer who came to do the accident report had called in the license plate and it came up as registered to a white Ford Taurus from Charelston. (Guess that explains the hit and run, huh?) The folks in the green van had their three young kids with them, including an 8 month old. (Cue tears from Jen, thinking Oh, My God, what if Dean had been with me?) Marcus was not far from the scene and showed up quickly. (Dean was asleep in his carset by this time and completely uninterested in the events.) As we filled out the report, my neck and shoulders started getting tight. Marcus recommended I go to the ER and get checked out. I really wanted to go to work. We had two people out and it was a sold-out show of Cinderella. But he convinced me to go to the hospital (but not before I convinced HIM to take me by the theatre to talk Katy, my assistant, through calling the show. Haha!). It ended up being the right call--I've got a wicked case of whiplash. I hurt from my ears to my hips. The doctor prescribed Skelaxin, which I've taken twice. It makes me goofy and very sleepy. I can't believe how badly this hurts. Needless to say, I'm not going to work tonight. I can't even pick Dean up. I'm feeling pretty worthless right now, especially since I was just reminded that I have 2 understudies going on tonight and my director is back in town to watch the show for the first time since opening. But if I did go in, I'd probably hurt myself worse, so to bed with my Skelaxin I go. Wah, wah.

Remember me?

Wow. I can't believe it's been so long since I posted. This summer is kicking my tail, y'all. I love my job, but I'm struggling with parts of it this summer. Let me tell you a little about what I do. (Several people have asked--thanks for being interested!) I'm currently in my summer gig at Theatre West Virginia, where I am Production Stage Manager (PSM). In a nutshell, it's my job to make sure everything runs smoothly, both on and off stage. I am a mother-hen, disciplinarian, drill sergeant, confidante, teacher, leader, and many other things. I love my job. LOVE it. It's the only thing I've ever found that allows me to use all of my brain. I get to use my problem-solving skills, personality, people-skills, organization, trouble-shooting, creativity and so many other things. I get to dabble in all parts of the production, not just one. I get to be there from start to finish on a project. During rehearsal, the stage manager takes down blocking, which is every move the actors make. We track all the props, set pieces and costumes, then when we tech the show, all the light and sound cues and put them together in what's called a prompt book. The stage manager calls the show during performances, meaning nothing goes until the stage manager says GO. We sit on a headset in a booth with the sound and light board operators and call every cue in the show, including scenery shifts, etc. SO, it's a big job, but so much fun. I adore it. (most days) Part of being PSM is also dealing with the day-to-day issues that arise and supervising the technical staff. This summer has been a bit trying. Without going into specifics, I'll just tell you that there have been more issues than usual and we've added a fourth show to our season, so figuring out the Jenga-game that is scheduling has been rough on all of us. On top of all this, I'm juggling motherhood for the first time, and Dean is absolutely my top priority. I am emotionally and physically pretty drained right now. Cinderella (the third of our four shows) opened on Tuesday and the weekend leading up to opening was quite demanding. We did three dress runs on Monday, our last ending at 1:30am. I was so hyped up on coffee at the end of it that I stuck around the theatre and helped out in the costume shop for a while before heading home. I FINALLY learned to use a sewing machine! Fun times.

Cinderella opening was a good night, which I needed. It's easy to get discouraged when things get really hard, especially when you have so many balls in the air. I was about ready to throw in the towel, then something happened during the show that reminded me why I do what I do. There's a part in Cinderella where the Godmother makes the house disappear, turns two mice into a coachman and a footman, turns a pumpkin into a golden carriage and turns Cinderella into a beautiful princess. We use a body double so Cinderella's quick change is instantaneous. Well, when that golden carriage rolled onto the stage, about 300 little girls in princess costumes stood up and squealed and clapped and got the most amazed looks on their faces...and it was magical. It's so easy to get wrapped up in the little things and daily grind that you forget that magical feeling you once felt that made you want to do this for the rest of your life. I remembered why I do theatre and why I love it so much. I am so thankful to have had that moment to remind me.

Dean is doing wonderfully. He loves being the company baby and getting passed around all the time. When he's with us on show nights, the girls all line up to kiss him for luck before they go onstage. One day last week, he fell asleep with about 20 lipstick marks on his face. At his six-month checkup last week, he weighed in at a whopping 18 1/2 lbs! (no wonder our backs hurt all the time!) He started solids, which has been very entertaining. So far, we love everything except green beans. I'll post pictures of the horrid messes we have made very soon. Right now I have to go scrub sweet potato puree off the couch. ;)

Mental Health Day

Everyone needs one every now and again and today is my day. I am especially fried right now. Running a 4-show rep season and being a full-time mommy with no child care (except me and full-time Dad) is taking its toll. This has been an incredibly stressful week, so the opportunity to relax a bit was quite welcome. Marcus and I spent the morning playing with Dean. Dean and I even took a little nap together. We had baby bath time (see adorable picture), worked on sitting up, played with some new toys, read some new books and had lunch at Cracker Barrell. Dean continues to amaze Marcus and me. His personality is the sweetest little ray of sunshine. I couldn't imagine a better baby. He is so happy and easy-going. He loves almost everyone, a blessing when we bring him to the theatre with us. The company has been amazing. Everyone has accepted Dean with open arms and people are starting to make reservations for "Dean time."

Our housemate, Donald, is gone for 4 weeks to do a job out of town. We miss him, but not as much as his kitty cat, Dil, misses him. Dil is currently sitting on the desk staring at me and purring. He and I had a nap together yesterday morning from 5:30-7 when a coughing fit sent me to Donald's room so I wouldn't wake up Dean and Marcus. (Did I mention I think I'm allergic to Dil? Yeah.)

This summer has already taught me a lot of things. Part of me is so, so happy to be back at work. It's filling a void that was definitely there in the early post-partum days. However, I'm still having a hard time balancing work and motherhood. I feel guilty when I can't be with Dean, though if he isn't with me, he's usually with Marcus. We have some wonderful friends here who beg for time with him, so finding a sitter is easy if we need one. I keep reminding myself of what I said when I was pregnant, that my work life is a big part of who I am and I want Dean to get to know that part of his mom. I assume it will get easier once all the shows are up, but that seems like a very distant dream at this point. Being the mother hen, disciplinarian, teacher and many more things at work have just taken their toll on me this week. Hopefully by Tuesday, my batteries will have re-charged. I miss blogging regularly, but let me outline my typical day for you and you shall see why I'm not around much:

5:30am Dean cries for bottle. Feed him, then put him in the bed with us, cuddling him until he falls back to sleep. (we hope)
7:15am Get up. Shower. Drink coffee. Play with baby. Wake Marcus up. Dress baby. Wake Marcus up again. Make bottles. Tell Marcus he HAS to get up.
9:00am (if we're lucky) Leave to pick up fast-food breakfast.
9:30am Arrive at rehearsal
10am-4pm Rehearse (with Dean in-tow)
4:00pm Dinner
5:30pm Arrive at theatre for pre-show set-up, warm-ups, fight call, any small rehearsals we need, company meeting, prep time.
8:15pm Show
11:00pm Leave theatre, drive home, fall into bed

Crazy, huh? But I love it. Always have. We're just trying to figure out how to do it all with a baby who is, naturally, now our top priority.

On another note, I love being Production Stage Manager here and will blog about that soon. It's always been a goal of mine to be a PSM and I'm enjoying figuring out how to make it work for this company. It helps that I have two phenomenal assistants. (Thank you, merciful Jesus!)

Hope everyone's having a good weekend. Will write more soon.

still kickin'

We're still alive. Today was rough. I'll try to find more time to talk about it later, but now I have to go to bed. I did, however, want to check in, tell everyone that I still love them, and that I will someday return to my regularly scheduled blogging. It's been quite hard to juggle 4 shows, a baby, and about a thousand little incidentals that seem to pop up every day.

I do, however, think you all need to know that I got 7 INCHES cut off my hair. Pick your jaws up off the floor. It was supposed to be a 3 inch trim, but the dude got happy scissors. It was horrible when I left the salon, but I came home and wet it down and fixed it myself with a little mousse and I'm starting to like it. Pictures soon.

Back in Blacks

Stage blacks, that is. Which is why I haven't blogged in FOREVER! I've missed it. Anyway, our first two shows are open and we're in rehearsals for High School Musical right now. We start rehearsing Cinderella on Friday. No rest for the weary. Things have been good, though a little more interesting than I'd have preferred in some cases. Here's what's been up:

*Tech rehearsals and opening for our first 2 shows went well. There were some very late nights and some moments of "Wow, I want to pull my hair out," but all went well.
*I've already had understudies go on. It's super early in the season for that, but they did a nice job.
*I can't give any details on this, but it's my blog and I want to mention that I had my first experience with terminating an employee last week. I hope I never, ever, EVER have to do that again.
*I am wearing a High School Musical t-shirt right now. HOT.
*I finally got to make a surprise appearance in Honey in the Rock. There's a scene called Guinea Station, which takes place in a hospital camp during the Civil War. I put on a Confederate uniform the other night and went on as a wounded soldier. Marcus was already onstage laying on the ground, so I spooned him (We were waaaaaaaay upstage out of the light.). Quite fun.
*Dean Lane started cereal! He's like "MOOOOOOOOM! Where has this been all my little life!?!?!" He's so cute with his little cereal beard. Pictures to be posted soon.
*We had Fiesta Night last night with our pals, the Hights. There was an absolutely obscene amount of food, including Marcus tacos, Lola Fajitas and Lee salsa. MMMMMMMMMMM. There was also a pinata, as there should be at all fiesta experiences.

That's kind of what's up in our neck of the woods. Check back soon to hear all about the cool package I received all the way from Hong Kong as a part of the Bloggy Friend Swap.

Scattered Thoughts from a West Virginia Stage Manager

1. I am craving Taco Bell something fierce right now.

2. In rehearsal today we have killed 3 McCoys, 1 Hatfield, beaten another Hatfield, impregnated 1 McCoy, sung 1 Christmas Carol and argued over ownership of a pig. Good times there.

3. When killing the Hatfield, we didn't have rehearsal knives, so we used sharpies. Hot.

4. I should not be allowed to drive. Ever. It took me 5 tries to park the van today when returning from the bank at lunch break.

5. I may eat Chik-Fil-A every day this summer. I had honestly forgotten how good it is.

6. If Berkshire's Frozen Custard doesn't have peach as the flavor of the week pretty soon, I'm gonna cry. I mean, really, who eats Maple Walnut custard?????

7. We move to the park a week from today and open in 2 1/2 weeks. Someone hold me.

8. I got to go home and kiss my baby at dinner break, so the day wasn't a total wash. :)

3 cheers for David!

I am quite thrilled to report that my Idol boyfriend, David Cook, WON! I was shocked and I think he was, too. I really thought Archuletta had it in the bag, especially given the fact that all teenage girls are in luuuuuuuuuv with him. But they gave it to the rocker. Sweet. I really may have to buy tickets to the tour this year...

All continues to be well in WV. Deano is hanging out with his Grammy, unless I bring him to work with me. He came to rehearsal last night and charmed everyone for a while before passing out on one of our ASMs. We get done early this evening, so we actually get to go out to dinner! Counting the days til Marcus arrives...

My mom said I'd better blog

...and I'm not one to disobey! Deano and I are wrapping up our first week in WV. It's fun to be back and good to be working again. The administrative and tech staff have already fallen in love with Dean as he charms him daily with his ways. Today he decided to show us how well he could poop. It was ALL THE WAY up his back. And when I turned my head for a second to get a baby wipe (or 8), I turned back to see him waving at me with a handfull of poop. EW. One of the costumers and I had to wash him in the bathroom sink. Oh, good times, good times. Being a "single mom" is HARD and I don't think I could have made it through this week without the amazing support of the lovely folks at TWV. We're living with one of our favorite members of the dance company and he's a rock star with Dean. He also has a 25 pound cat. THE CAT WEIGHS 25 POUNDS! And he's sitting on me right now. My feet are asleep.

Speaking of sleep, Dean is doing it like a champ! He went to bed at 7:30 last night, stirred at 1 for a bottle, then slept on til 6:45 this morning! YAAAAY! I'm so glad he's such an adaptable little guy. I've been feeling really guilty that he has to sit in his bouncy seat a lot at work (you know, the 20 minutes a day when someone's not holding him?) since he's used to having my undivided attention all day long. Tonight we came home and had some quality bonding time. He had a bath to wash off any remnants of the big poop, then we cuddled up for some songs and story books. He passed out at 7. I'm not sure whether or not I'll see him again this evening...but I may be in for an early morning.

I miss Marcus terribly. He will join us on June 7, when he's done with his finals in NY. Being apart is always hard, but now that Dean's here, it's even harder. But my mom comes on Sunday, so that will be wonderful, and as busy as we're both going to be, the time should fly.

Next Thursday will mark a year since I discovered I was pregnant with Dean. It's a little nostalgic being back here, since we were just starting at TWV when we found out. (You know, I see a bathroom and go "oh, I threw up there." :) ) Prep week's been good so far. One of my assistant stage managers started with me this week and we are having a blast working together. Company members are starting to arrive and everyone's excited to get going. It's shaping up to be a great summer!

PS. I left my camera in NYC. I know. Marcus will bring it. In the meantime, I'll go get a disposable one soon because we need Dean pictures!

PS2: I'm wearing makeup daily for the first time since Dean was born and my pores are NOT happy! I have a pimple approximately the size of Mt. Olympus on my chin. EW.

Oh, Mama

I enjoyed my Mother's Day gift from my mother in law yesterday (a bit early, I know). She treated me to a one-hour Swedish massage at a glitzy spa in the DC area. Can you say "heaven?" The room was cool--lots of pretty blue tiles and nooks and crannies bearing fun displays of seashells, figurines and flowers. (I love a good nook and cranny, don't you?) My favorite feature was the twinkle-light ceiling! It was like looking up into a starry sky. (not that I had my eyes open that often) The best part was that the massage therapist didn't try to talk to me. I hate it when you're getting a massage, usually to escape from the reality of your life, and the person wants to ask all kinds of questions about your job and such. Jen does not want to talk to you about her job. She loves her job, but is currently trying to let her mind turn to mush and enjoy the lovliness of hot towels wrapped around her shoulders. SSSSHHHH! Anyway, Elizabeth, yesterday's massage therapist, was quite lovely and quiet. Yee haw.

Shameless plug time: If you have never had an HERBAL WRAP, schedule one for yourself NOW. (unless you're claustrophobic. Then it might freak you out.) When I worked at Cornell, I received an amazing gift package from a local spa as an opening night gift. The herbal wrap intrigued me, so I scheduled one. Oh. My. Lord. They put you on a table covered with a huge, soft, fluffy body towel. Then they proceed to cover your entire body with steamy, warm towels which have been soaked in essential oils and smell like ripe grapefruit (or the scent of your choice if citrus ain't your thang). THEN they wrap you in this foil thingy (that's the claustrophobic part) and bake you under some sassy heat lamps (no UV rays, just warmth). The best one I've ever had involved the massage therapist sitting at my head continuously rubbing my scalp and keeping warm towels on my face. It's best if you can have a massage after the wrap because you're all loose and relaxed already. Then you have to go home and go to bed because you are officially jello for the rest of the day.

So if you're still looking for a mother's day gift, birthday gift, gift because it's Saturday, or spiffy splurge for yourself (or would like to drop some subtle hints to the man in your life), there ya go. You will thank me.

Shake it up, baby

So, I experienced my first earthquake today! Its epicenter was in Northern Virginia, not far from where Marcus's parents live. Dean and I were here in their house, I was reading my blogs, he was enjoying a THREE HOUR NAP (it's hard to be a baby, ok?) when I suddenly felt a little BOOM! I honestly thought the moving truck that had been parked across the street had backed up into the garage. I glanced out the window and all was as it should be, then checked the pantry to see if something had fallen and quickly forgot about the boom. Dean never moved. Then the 5 o'clock news tells me it was an earthquake measuring 1.8 on the Richter Scale! Hm. Who knew? Never a dull minute.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

And happy 4 month birthday, baby Dean! It kind of seems like he's always been here. But on the other hand, it seems like yesterday we found out we were expecting. He is celebrating the day by napping in his ridiculously cute Elmo overalls.

On a totally unrelated note, I discovered last week that the Super Wal Mart in Alabama where I will do a lot of my shopping carries JELLO PUDDING POPS!! And banana popsicles. The search is over. Hallelujah.

Here goes nothin'

The relocation has started. Dean and I are nestled comfortably in DC at Marcus's parents' house where we'll spend this week on our way to WV. Marcus left this morning to go back to NYC to open his show. (We miss him A LOT.) I feel like I'm in limbo. Living out of a suitcase isn't my favorite thing to do, but it'll be ok for a week. It's weird to be between homes. My main concern right now is Dean's comfort. He's just started sleeping through the night (more or less) and I'd hate to screw that up by changing his environment every week. Fortunately, he seems comfortable here at his grandparents' place and is eating like a champ. Either he's growing or preparing for a career as a competitive eater. Marcus and I said a surprisingly tearful goodbye this morning. We'll see each other again in early June when we meet in Alabama to close on our house. Then he'll come to WV to join us for the summer. He has so much to do to finish out the school year in NYC that the time should fly by for him. (2, count 'em 2 shows to open in 3 weeks!) It's never been fun to be separated from him, but now that we're a family of 3, it's really tough. But soon we'll all be together in WV, then in our new home!

Speaking of our new home, I just realized I haven't posted an update. Remember that cute yellow house we were gonna get? (Go ahead...scroll down to a few posts ago and refresh your memory. Ready? Ok.) It fell through. We were able to have our inspection done while we were still in AL last week and we found quite a few things that needed a lot of attention (furnace, HVAC, etc.--all big ticket items). Long story short, it wasn't worth it. So, on to #2 we have moved! Truth be told, we're starting to like this house better anyway. It's not as big (3 beds 2 baths, formal living room, huge den, eat in kitchen, DECK!), but it's move-in ready and everything from the appliances to the paint to the carpet is brand spankin' new! The same inspector will check it out on Tuesday and assuming all goes well, we'll close on June 2. I have officially made us superstitious now, so I will wait to post a picture of it until we have the keys in our hot little hands. (You understand, right? Besides the suspense will make sure you come back!)

In the meantime, I've got a rep season to get ready for! On Saturday, my dear in-laws will drive Deano and me to WV and we'll get set up in our house there. I start pre-production week on Monday, then rehearsals start the next week. I'm looking forward to going back to work, though I'm sure it's going to be a crazy adjustment after being home for so long. My mom and her new kidney are coming for 3 weeks until Marcus gets there to take care of Dean while I work. (Oooooooooh, thank you thank you Bradley for giving my mom her life back so she can come and take care of her grandbaby...and her daughter!) I am hopeful there will be round steak and gravy and possibly a chicken rotel casserole at some point during her stay. (hint, hint, Mom:) )