My OWN bed

It's calling my name. Yes, it's not even 8 p.m., but I could seriously lay down and fall asleep right now. My excuse could be that I've been on Eastern time for the last four days. Or my excuse could be a mixture of the Boy already being in bed and going down just as easily as he always does (Can't even put in to words how excited he was about his own crib tonight!), it being cold outside and the three glasses of wine I had because it's the last night of vacation (that is, until next weekend). But I don't care if I have an excuse ... I'm tired, and I get to sleep in my own bed tonight! If there had been clean sheets, I would be skipping the blog post for tonight, for sure!

Before Christmas, I envisioned this post-celebration blog post being mostly pictures with captions, outlining all of the fun we had. But I'm not the best camera gal. I see others get out their cameras, and my mind immediately thinks, "No need to get up. They're getting all of the photos you want, and they'll share." Plus, it's just annoying at times to have to hold up the same present or hold the same pose with relatives for six different cameras! The problem is, some folks aren't good about sharing photos. I can sometimes get my sisters to share photos, but that's only because I copy and save them off of their Facebook albums. My step mom is a camera queen and has ALL of the photos I want, but she only does hard copy prints through the mail. (Although she says this time my dad will plug the camera in to the computer with the USB cord and email me photos ... fingers SERIOUSLY crossed!) She even got a good photo of the Hubs, the Boy and me!

I definitely need to quit being lazy when it comes to photo ops, and needless to say, this blog won't be the photo essay recapping our entire holiday trip that I had originally envisioned. Besides a few cell phone photos here and there, I only broke out the camera once ... for the Boy's first experience in the snow. But I'll post what I've got! Please cross your fingers along with me that at some point (soon) folks that usually don't share photos electronically will share and that I can add more photos.

The Boy annoyed that I'm taking his photo while he's sleeping on the overnight road trip up to Michigan

The Hubs got a cute cell phone picture of the Boy while they were hanging in the back of Sunday morning church because the Boy couldn't remain quiet any longer

Ummmm, I got a new bill-paying calculator for only $1.60 at B & G Discount!

He loved the sledding and snow experience from the very beginning! (I loved that he looked like a little marshmallow man...)

Sledding with Aunt Lizzy

Got to get a photo with Dad!

Sledding with Aunt Hilary

Loving it!

The Boy was the best passenger on the drive home that we could ask for!

Good passengers are rewarded with Qdoba. It was actually the Boy's first time eating a full meal off of the menu. Made Mom proud ... he loved it!

To wrap up (and to get in some random thoughts), I love my sisters. I wish we lived closer and that I could be more a part of their lives! I chipped my tooth (in the tiniest way) tonight on a plate. (Don't ask!) I need advice ... do I need to do anything about it? And we're glad to be home with our sweet girl kitty kitty, Princess. Speaking of which, she's already waiting for me in bed (MY OWN BED!!!), so GOOD NIGHT.

Christmas, the Boy's first birthday, family, friends, fun, OH MY!

As my friend Cindy says, this post is going to be in true "Mommy blog" style. There's bound to be one every now and then, right? At least some of my Mommy-style rambling will be broken up with pictures... (Thanks for sharing your photos, Mother!)

Last weekend was busy, busy, busy and yet fun, fun, fun. It started with my mom (Mother, as I call her) and step-dad coming to town on Thursday. To us, the dates on the calendar don't matter; it's more about the act of getting together and celebrating, so Thursday evening was Christmas for us. Mother always spoils us, and this Christmas was no different. I got lots of cool things, but I'm really excited about getting two new pairs of jeans. I have about 25 more pounds to lose to get back to pre-baby weight, and the new jeans fit perfectly and hug in all the right places. WOO HOO! I also got an external hard drive, which is even more exciting! We have so many irreplaceable memories of the Boy saved on the computer, and I have hard-core anxiety that our computer is going to crash and we're going to lose everything. But now, problem solved!

The Boy reading books, waiting to get the Christmas show on the road

Too sleepy to care too much about Christmas presents

Friday was the big day--the Boy's first birthday!!! We spent the day running errands and doing party prep, and one of my best-ever friend's, Marlo, flew in to help us celebrate. Unbelievably, I forgot to take a picture of my completed party spread before we dug in. Bummer!



The Boy is an eater, and he loved his taco fixins'!



After the tacos, came the presents...

He didn't want to get off of his super cool new trike! And how snazzy is his jacket?!?

The big "kids" were REALLY excited about putting together the train!

One of his favorite gifts was his alphabet train. Even a week later, he hasn't been able to get enough of it!

Then came cake time...

The cake was pretty darn close to the picture!

I have to tell you. The Boy is an eater. I know I've already said that, but I feel the need to reiterate it. He eats anything and everything. I've bombarded him with every fruit and veggie I can find, and he eats it all, along with any other type of morsel we put in front of him! But there's one thing he doesn't enjoy, and apparently that's birthday cake.



He seemed quite interested...

And he dug right in when we gave him the chance.

But he did NOT like it! I know you can't tell from the pictures, but he would NOT eat it. We tried to give him a bite on the fork, and he spit it right out and made awful gagging noises. I must admit ... I was a little proud. He definitely didn't get that from his mama though!

The Boy got sleepy, went down with ease (as always), and the rest of us continued to celebrate his first birthday into the night with various adult beverages and of course a rousing game of Catch Phrase. Yes, the boys won this time, but that never happens! (And it won't be happening again anytime soon!)

Saturday was filled with laid back visiting time with Marlo, Mother and my step-dad. That evening, after a nice dinner out, Grandma and Grandpa came home with the Boy, and Marlo and I pretended we were young again and visited lots of old friends downtown. Tons of fun, and we even drove through McDonald's on the cab ride home! We took a bunch of pictures to be sure we'd have good ones to share, but Marlo took them home on her camera, and she hasn't shared with ME yet...

Sunday was the day things were scheduled to "return to normal," but then the snow started to fall. We got about two inches, which for Tennessee, is pretty significant. Mother and my step-dad made it home, but it turns out their flight was the last to leave Nashville. After sitting at the airport for several hours, Marlo found out her flight was canceled, and she wouldn't be getting home until Tuesday morning. Well, we HAD said we wouldn't wait two years to see each other like we had last time...

After a couple of bonus days with Marlo on our couch, things did return to normal. I've been procrastinating on getting this post up, because I knew there was so much I wanted to include that it wasn't going to be a quickie. (Thanks to the Boy for going down early and the one motivating orange vodka and Sprite I consumed, I finally sat down to do it!) I am so thankful for all of our loving family and friends. I am blown away that so many folks went out of their way and spent so much money to help make the Boy's first birthday a perfect, memorable celebration. I feel so blessed to have so many special people in my life not only during the holidays and times of special celebrations, but ALL THE TIME.

And I really can't say it enough, but I can keep trying. THANK YOU.

Belmont. "Progressive university." REALLY?

Early this month, after women's soccer coach Lisa Howe disclosed that she and her partner were expecting a baby, Belmont University forced her out. This is a coach that has a winning record over the course of her six seasons at the school, and last year she led the team to an Atlantic Sun conference title. According to USA Today, as a place that thrives on its connections with Nashville's music industry and has even hosted one of the 2008 presidential debates, "Belmont is seen as a progressive university that had been affiliated with Southern Baptists until it broke away in 2007, wanting to bring greater Christian diversity to its board of trustees." Progressive? Well, they just took a BIG step backwards! After hearing this news, I was livid. Admittedly I am a person with extremely liberal beliefs and an advocate for equal rights for all, but even if you're not, in today's culture, this should not be happening! Are we on our way back to racial segregation and pre-women's suffrage?

As Sports Illustrated puts it:
A good coach has lost her job because she's about to become a mother.

A good university has lost its reputation for the same reason.

Lisa Howe took the high road in all of this and, through a news release distributed by her attorney, gave thanks to all who have supported her and notes that this is an educational experience for all involved. She closed with "respectfully ask[ing] members of the media to turn their attention away from me and toward the broader issues at stake that affect so many people in the Belmont community--such as what it means to be a diverse Christian community and how we can support and respect each other despite our differences." So well said!

Mike Curb, a music industry executive, emeritus member of the board of trustees and most importantly, major Belmont donor, made bold statements on Howe's behalf, saying "Belmont has to decide whether they want to be a national recognized university--particularly with their school of music business--or they want to be a church." According to Curb, Belmont President Bob Fisher asked that he hold off on making any further statements to give him an opportunity to resolve these issues so that this type of injustice can never happen again. Curb promised that "if the matter is not resolved, I will continue speaking out about this the rest of my life." (Way to go, Mike!) Even though I am in disbelief over this, I was sort of in holding mode, waiting to see if Fisher would actually do anything to resolve the issues.

I'm finding it hard to remain in that "holding mode" after reading an article today in the Nashville Scene, in which Belmont students, faculty members and former job candidates suggest that Howe's treatment was not an isolated incident. Despite Belmont recently revising its student honor code to remove "homosexual activity" from the list of punishable offenses, a student-formed group Bridge Builders, which seeks to promote understanding between gay and straight students, has been repeatedly denied official student organization recognition by the university. Last year after finishing her doctoral work at Vanderbilt, published Shakespeare scholar Rebecca Chapman, who was very open in the interview process about having a same-sex partner and inquired about health benefits for their family, was offered a tenure-track position at Belmont that, after seeing the offer in writing, she happily accepted. A month later, she was notified that her contract was being changed from tenure-track to a one-year contract ending in termination at the school year's end. Even though she had passed on her other job opportunities and knew that she and her partner would barely be able to make rent, let alone keep the house they were in the process of buying, Chapman chose to resign instead of  "finish[ing] out a bogus contract under the scrutiny of an obviously unsupportive administration." She has previously not spoken out about her ordeal but due to a recurring pattern, silence is no longer an option.

So now that I've bombarded you with links and background on the story, I want to hear from you. How do you feel about all of this? Do you believe in equal rights for all? Should we be doing something to ensure injustices like this don't continue to happen? In response to a letter sent by the Tennessee Equality Project (a statewide organization dedicated to advancing and protecting the civil rights of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community), the Metro Nashville City Council will get involved in the controversy by evaluating their relationship with Belmont University, including park leases Metro has with Belmont. Should we do something to show support for the city council as they do this evaluation?

With all of the recent media attention on hate, bullying and discrimination, is silence really an option? For me, the answer is a definite no.

A quick message as I continue to procrastinate on the "awesome first birthday weekend" post

Yes, we had an absolutely fabulous weekend! We celebrated Christmas with my mom and step-dad. I had one of my best-ever friends come to town to visit. And the Boy turned one. My sweet, loving little baby is now a big boy. I have pictures and stories to share, but I am continuing to procrastinate on that post. It will come ... eventually.

In the mean time, I wanted to share some quick news on a current Qdoba contest. I am a BIG Qdoba fan. I am such a VIP that I've won lots of free food, lower level Nickelback concert tickets, free passes to a local corn maze and was even invited to one of their new stores VIP pre-grand opening celebrations. They have just announced a new contest, and it's not to be missed.

Here are the details:

From Dec. 16 to Dec. 21, swipe your registered Qdoba card at any Nashville area location for a chance to win a Music City Bowl ultimate fan package! Package includes two lower or club level tickets (your choice!) to the Tennessee vs. North Carolina game, a parking pass, two passes to the MusicFest/Battle of the Bands VIP party and two passes to the General Jackson pre-game tailgate party. There will be one winner at each of the four Nashville area locations, and three of the fan packages will contain two invitations to the coaches luncheon.

So get out there and eat some Qdoba! (Too bad the contest doesn't start until tomorrow, and I've already got plans to go today for my eat-out-once-a-week lunch.)

It's been fun, but it's time for you to go

Yes, I'm talking about my breast pump. I carried one bag in to work with me today--just my purse--and only a woman who has spent a chunk of every day for the past year expressing breast milk can understand what a big deal that is. The Hubs, my friends, my coworkers ... they've all (lovingly, of course) referred to me as the bag lady for the past months. I've been in constant tow of my breast pump bag (filled with several empty milk bottles, all of the pump parts, pump cleaning wipes and of course my trusty PumpEase band) and a cooler bag (filled with my lunch and ice packs in the morning and breast milk and ice packs in the afternoon) ever since I've returned to work when the Boy was 10 weeks old.

I have pretty strong opinions about breastfeeding. So strong that I frequently piss folks off when expressing them, but since this is MY blog, I feel no need to hold back. La Leche League, feel free to look me up. All the time you hear that breastfeeding is a choice, blah, blah, blah. Well, I feel that having a baby is a choice. I didn't get pregnant until I was ready for a child. My mom taught me all about the birds and the bees, and I took precautions to keep myself not in a child way until the Hubs and I made the decision we wanted to change that. It's really not that hard people! So in my opinion, the choice to be made is whether or not to have a child ... once you make that choice, breastfeeding is a responsibility. I know ... there are lots of you out there gasping, choking on your coffee and doughnut because you're so angry about what I just said. But again, this is MY blog.

Back in the summer, there was a big media controversy because famous supermodel (and new mom) Gisele Bundchen made some comments to Harper's Bazaar UK about her thinking that breastfeeding should be a worldwide law for the first six months of a baby's life. Oh the uproar! I went to Gisele's blog and left a comment of support noting my belief that having a baby is the choice, and that breastfeeding that baby is a mother's responsibility. Needless to say, my comment was apparently a little too unpolitically correct and it was deleted by the blog moderators. I guess they don't have the same beliefs of not holding back in one's personal blog...

Breastfeeding is hard work. It takes time and an intense commitment. But the benefits are many for baby and mom. I understand there are a few situations out there where it is not the right choice (ex. mother has AIDS), but other than those very few instances, I truly believe that it is a mother's duty to commit herself to working at it until she is successful. I believe most moms give up too quickly. I am proud to say that I put in the hard work and gave the Boy the best start possible. I will definitely miss that sweet bonding time we have when he strokes my face, hair and neck while he nurses, but it will be nice to not have to worry about pumping (and dumping) when the Hubs and I have scored a babysitter and get home late at night after a few (sometimes a few too many) drinks. Two days until the Boy's first birthday, and then cow's milk, here we come!

But what am I going to do with this newly found freezer space now that it's not filled with a back stock of "liquid gold?"

Must read: Enjoying the Small Things

You must read this. I read it a couple weeks ago, and I can't get it off my mind. This blog is one I read soon after officially starting my own blog, and now I follow it religiously. Checking to see if sweet Kelle has posted a new entry is one of the first things I do on the computer each day. I used to think of Grey's Anatomy as my outlet for one of those good cries where you feel surprisingly happy while sopping up the big puddle of tears that just streamed down your face, but not any more. Kelle writes with such beauty and passion and truth, and her photography is unbelievable. I am envious of the way she is able to craft words, and I am thankful for the thoughts and considerations that her blog has provoked in my own life on love, family and the things that really matter. And the tears ... the tears flow with every new post! It doesn't matter if it's a birth story like the post I've linked to above or just chronicling her most recent vacation, I cry. And I love it.

So be prepared for tears, be prepared to be completely moved, and be prepared that you might have something to add to your daily computer to-do list.

Four more days

That's how long I have a baby. After that, I'm going to have a big boy. Yep, the Boy turns one on Friday. (Deep breath, Katie) I just about finished up the party preparations this weekend. Saturday was filled with  Sam's AND grocery store shopping sprees, and I spent (way) more money at both than I had anticipated. (I'm not including amounts, since the Hubs reads this...) Doesn't Sam's always get you? It's okay though. I made absolute sure not to let myself be tempted into anything when I didn't actually need the feed-an-army size package, and I got some REALLY good deals. Thank goodness for my sister-in-law tagging along and keeping the Boy entertained on the Sam's trip. As far as birthday party preparations go, all that's left is getting the Boy a first birthday shirt for Friday (which the Hubs is handling--whew!) and the stuff that will be done that day like getting balloons and picking up the cake. I know so many of our friends and family members are going out of their way to do something special for the Boy's birthday, and I'm thinking of this party as a way to show them how much we love and appreciate all of their support. It might be a first birthday party, but beer or a margarita anyone? (I've got juice boxes, milk and water, too.)

Today was a fun day. It was my father-in-law's first time to babysit the Boy. He arrived 30 minutes early, which was great. My sister-in-law came too, which was even greater. Although I know he would never do it if he was alone with the Boy, my father-in-law needed a mid-morning snooze, so it was wonderful that my lovely sister-in-law was there to cover. Babysitters for Brady meant we got to go tailgate with friends before the Titans game. (And I got to use my frosting thingy again when filling the deviled eggs that I made to share.) We didn't go to the game--chose to watch it on our warm couch at home instead--but we had a blast with our tailgate group! (As for the Titans game, what a disappointment. But I'm still on the Coach Fisher bandwagon, and I really hope he'll be back next year. Read more about that here.)

The tailgate gang

Now I'm off to watch what I'm hoping is a new episode of Desperate Housewives. As I type, the Boy is coughing (and coughing) in his bed. He has also developed a runny nose today. Keep your fingers crossed that he doesn't get sick...apparently the sick fairy doesn't know what happens in four days!