Week in Review

Yes it's cliche but.... I "heart" New York. Always have. My dad's birthplace, the city that never sleeps, the center of the fashion/media universe. From St Patrick's Cathedral to Battery Park and of course Central Park..I have walked it all many many times loving every minute of it. This week, I did not one thing outside of work. Not that I couldn't have grabbed my sneakers and run out late at night or really early in the morning as I have done in the past (NOTHING, used to keep me from St Patrick's Cathedral, a few blocks from Mimeo). But this trip, I just couldn't do it.

I arrived at midnight to my hotel on Monday night and crashed for my first night of bad sleep for a few hours before I got up to head to our meeting. First of all, I snapped this picture for you my loyal readers.

This is the back seat of my cab with the TV and GPS for the passenger to watch. Am I getting too old for all this high tech stuff? I mean...shouldn't we all have our eyes looking up at the buildings and the city and gripping the seat for dear life as the cabbie speeds through Manhatten? Also, you can now pay by credit card swiping right there in the cab.

So, our meeting is in Times Square (the silver building in the center of the photo above). Let me tell you, this building was AMAZING. This was not Mimeo's office, but a building we held the meeting in, and the view of the city was breathtaking. Promptly at 9:00am all the ceiling to floor windows were covered with shades and the day of meetings began.

8 hours, 1 Dr Pepper, 5 bottles of water (yes the heat they blast in these rooms make me so dry) and 2 Tylenol later (headache from 8 hours in the dark staring at powerpoint slides) I jumped into the fatal elevator that I got stuck in for 45 minutes. No more need for the detail here, just know for 45 minutes I was suspended between the 4-5 floors coming down from the 42 floor with 12 of my now closest Mimeo friends. Once the doors opened I opted not to take the second bank of elevators with the same people down to the first floor and dragged my sweaty, close to hyperventalating self, down those 5 flights of stairs to rush into the cool January air. New York City air full of car fumes/resturant food was the greatest thing to fill my lungs when I tumbled out the doors onto the street. Praise the LORD! I shouted to the dark sky dimmed by the neon of Times Square.

Mimeo took us to a night of bowling as you saw from the previous post and then Wed I headed into the office to work with my team. Instead of sneaking out to sighstee I had Thai food for lunch and I was off to the airport early...to see my little Coop!

My flight was delayed twice, sat on the plane in front of drunks who spilled beer and were obnoxious the whole flight and I got home at midnight, only to again have the 3rd nights bad sleep in a row. Not sure what's up there. I am heading to bed now but the week feels like it flew by. Superbowl is Sunday, so we are exicted to see Nana and Papa this weekend and fill up on chicken wings and mini meatballs (Mere- I need Danny's recipe please!).

So...sorry I don't have grand stories of seeing celebrities, partying like a rock star or getting on the Today Show like in the old days. This old mommy worked, nursed a hangover from the drinking after the elevator episode and got her butt back on the first plane she could.

Back to this little guy :)

New York New York

So folks, I am still in rainy NYC and even though a lot has happened, the big story is I got stuck on an elevator with 13 people for 45 minutes yesterday! ACK!!!!! Yes, I didn't stop for the bathroom break I needed and I jumped into a crowded elevator, going from the 42nd floor down and the damn thing stopped in between floors. Besides the TIGHT quarters, the heat (as we stripped our scarves, hats etc.) we all did ok, no one had any panic attacks but some cam close. I wanted to bond with my NY colleagues and the management ( who were all in this elevator with me) but not that much.

After our all day meeting we had a party at a bowling alley. After the elevator incident all I did was drink.

More to follow when I get home :)

Saturday fun

My sister took Grant for his first professional photo shoot. Take a look at this darling baby! Don't you just want to reach through the pictures and kiss him? :)

For Cooper and I, we were out the entire day as we lunched and shopped at the Mall at Millenia in Orlando. We met up with my old roommate and her son and spent the day shopping. We even ran into Hope and Jake at Pottery Barn! What a great mall and a great day...both Cooper and Zach were so good, we hit the whole mall.

Kim and Zach at PF Changs

Who can resist this kid?

Thanks for this outfit Nana...we love it!

Crazy Hour

Cooper loves his bath! And more than this bath, he loves his post bath baby rub down we give him. He goes crazy kicking and "talking" away...crazy hour is starting in our house around 7:30pm right before he knocks himself out from the kicking and jumping around and drifts off to sleep. It's amazing he's the same little 5 pound peanut we brought home from the hospital 4 short months ago! As soon as he sees the camera he tends to stop a bit... but I got some of it last night :)

Generations

A very cutting edge woman I know, who now goes by the name "YaYa", sent me this email with the idea of taking pictures of the hands of all your family's generations. I think it's a great idea regardless of how many generations your family has and I thought I'd pass the idea along. It's kind of a long read (as most email forwards are) but I loved the sentiment. GRANDMA'S HANDS Grandma, some ninety plus years, sat feebly on the patio bench. She didn't move, just sat with her head down staring at her hands. When I sat down beside her she didn't acknowledge my presence and the longer I sat I wondered if she was OK. Finally, not really wanting to disturb her but wanting to check on her at the same time, I asked her if she was OK. She raised her head and looked at me and smiled. 'Yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking,' she said in a clear voice strong. 'I didn't mean to disturb you, grandma, but you were just sitting here staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were OK,' I explained to her. 'Have you ever looked at your hands,' she asked. 'I mean really looked at your hand s?' I slowly opened my hands and stared down at them. I turned them over, palms up and then palms down. No, I guess I had never really looked at my hands as I tried to figure out the point she was making. Grandma smiled and related this story: 'Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have served you well throughout your years. These hands, though wrinkled shriveled and weak have been the tools I have used all my life to reach out and grab and embrace life. 'They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler I crashed upon the floor. They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. As a child, my mother taught me to fold them in prayer. They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots. They held my husband and wiped my tears when he went off to war. 'They have been dirty, scraped and raw , swollen and bent. They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son. Decorated with my wedding band they showed the world that I was married and loved someone special They wrote my letters to him and trembled and shook when I buried my parents and spouse. 'They have held my children and grandchildren, consoled neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I didn't understand. They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed the rest of my body. They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw. And to this day when not much of anything else of me works real well these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to fold in prayer. 'These hands are the mark of where I've been and the ruggedness of life. But more importantly it will be these hands that God will reach out and take when he leads me home. And with my hands He will lift me to His side and there I will use these hands to touch the face of Christ.' I will never look at my hands the same again. But I remember God reached out and took my grandma's hands and led her home. When my hands are hurt or sore or when I stroke the face of my children and husband I think of grandma. I know she has been stroked and caressed and held by the hands of God. I, too, want to touch the face of God and feel His hands upon my face. -- Author Unknown PS- The first pic is not my family's hands, it's the one that came with the email :)

Gray day, gray post

Well, it's another rainy day here in the sunshine state. It poured all night and looks like it is about to again now. Thank God, we need the rain.

The continued discussion of death keeps popping up every day in my life and I can't decide if I am just sensitive to it since my dad's passing or if it just comes up more. I, like everyone else, was shocked at Heath Ledger's death, and I obviously don't know him. I wonder about his ex-fiance Michelle Williams and their daughter and how they are doing, if they are in NY yet and how terrible it must be. I guess when you know the hell and shock of losing someone you love, you empathize with others and how traumatized you feel for a while. 5 months later some days I still feel like "I can't believe that happened!" and then I have this terrible anger and jealousy at those who don't know what it's like. I know that is awful but it's true and as I always say "Anger is an emotion we know how to express, the others are harder". Being mad a leukemia or heart disease that took my dad isn't tangible, so I am jealous and mad at others who have their nuclear family still in tack. I am terribly judgemental when I hear people talk about their parents and I think they don't know how lucky they are and that they take it all for granted. I am sure it's part of grieving but just to be honest...that's how I feel.

In other crazy entertainment news...what up with Britney Spears??? Will someone please publicly diagnose her Biopolar with Borderline Personality Disorder and get the girl some hard core drugs! Please..how much more can the public take? She is everywhere with this! I have self diagnosed her with the help of Dr Phil and Dr Drew...I have my MD from TV people!

This is a terrible post and I have almost deleted it twice but I think I'll keep it. It's a gray day, I have gray thoughts and what the hell....the sun will come out...tomorrow.

Sunday snooze

Pop came over to see Cooper today around 2pm, as soon as we got home from church and then lunch out. Cooper was really hungry and just ready to nap but I hate to disappoint Pop so I put them both in the lazy boy and told him to rock him and give Cooper a bottle. I just snapped this picture, it's 3:30pm, the big game is about to start and Pop told me in his raspy but bossy 90 year old voice "LEAVE THIS BOY ALONE". He has no intention of putting Cooper in his crib...he just wants to hold him all day...so....I guess I'll leave them like this for a long as Pop can take it.

Update: I am not done posting this and Pop is also asleep, guess I'll go lay on the couch myself and curl up to watch the Patriots :)

Hip Hop..you don't stop

So, Rob and I went to Hip Hop class this morning at the gym. I got more of a workout laughing then I did working out. I remember the days Meredith and I used to go to step and I swear I just liked it because we used to joke around so much. This was a full on "dance" class that taught you hip hop moves. You heard me, Rob and I learned hip hop moves. I, like always the good pupil, tried to follow the complicated chain of moves they strung together as Justin Timberlake and Rhianna blared on. Rob....made up his own moves. He "spun the record", he "Cabbage Patched", he jumped around like PDiddy trapped in a white man's body. He was so popular that while I was waiting on my smoothie at the cafe (my favorite part of the gym), this old woman, around 85 years old, who was in our hip hop class in a Kayne West t-shirt (yes my friends, she must be a Kayne fan) said "was that your husband? He was the best part of the class!" So, she is a Rob AND a Kayne fan, "i just LOVE that hip hop" she told me.

In a few days we will try spinning and I think I'll hit a yoga class, next time I need a good laugh and not a workout...we'll hit up the hip hop again.

Snow in DC, Sangria and Misc

My sister sent
pictures of Grant in the snow...
doesn't this baby look like my dad?
Weird right?

If the great HB came back into this world through my nephew, my sister will have one heck of a time keeping this kid out of the bars! LOL

Who loves ya baby? as my dad would say.

I went to dinner last night with Hope and Jennifer, had a great night out like a real adult. I had two glasses of Sangria and came home and dropped into bed. What a nice solid sleep I had last night. I do have a bit of regret over the chocolate cake I had with the Sangria but our conversation was tough (CANCER SUCKS!) so I deserved the cake, right?

I am getting myself ready for my work trip to NYC. Rob is happy to have Cooper all to himself I think but I might have some anxiety about leaving my babies (yes that includes Rob) for three days alone. Not that they can't handle it but I do think I am the glue that keeps it all together, I am sure he will prove me wrong :)

Rob has started us on an excercise schedule starting tomorrow (hence the cake and sangria last night). He is already in full swing doing a bootcamp already this week and together we are going to "Hip Hop" tomorrow morning while Cooper goes to Grammie's.

If I can't walk tomorrow, I'll let you know.

Happy Friday!

Myrtle's Mayhem

FINALLY! The lurker of all time has a blog...I am so excited because she is the FUNNIEST girl I know and now she can showcase her cutting edge talent!

Blog on Mere- Blog on!

Check it out!
http://myrtlesmayhem.blogspot.com/

Attack of the Squirrel Monkey

This morning I was awoken by the sweet screechings of a squirrel monkey "talking" in his crib. We can't seem to capture it on video yet but if he takes after his mommy, once he finds his voice, he will never shut up :) Sing on little squirrel monkey, sing on! Update: Caught on video!

Relaxing Weekend

Ribs are simmering in the crock pot, football is on tv, the laundry and grocery shopping are done. Now I can relax. It's nice to have weekends like this :)

Favorite Photos

4 month doctors visit

Cooper turns 4 months on the 19th and his visit today went really well. He is now 14 pounds and he growing like a weed right on schedule! The doctor saw two little tooth buds under the skin(Grammie was right) and he can now have rice cereal 3 times a day. We don't go back until his 6 month check up. Cooper comes from tough stock...he didn't even cry but for 1 minute when we got his shots today but wait until you hear how tough Cooper's oldest cousin Tyler is. Tyler cracked his skull this week in the hockey rink, he is 16 and tough as nails though. He is home and is fine (with no sports/activity for 6 weeks) but I am sure just knowing your skull is fractured is scary enough. Yesterday we were excited to hear that cousin Britany's national gym meet this year is here in Florida. We are really excited to bring Cooper, Pop and the whole family over to watch her this year. Sure beats past trips to the middle of nowhere like Oklahoma and Mississippi!

Baby magic

I swear this kid has me under a spell, I can't get enough of his laughing, smiling and now "talking". He makes noises that sound like a dolphin and loves to swing outside in the porch in his swing. We started giving him rice cereal at night and he seems to really like to eat off the spoon. He's not great at it but he's figuring it out. He has a Drs appointment tomorrow so I'll post then to let you know his weight etc. He is drooling like crazy and I am sure he's too young to get teeth....maybe he is just learning to make drool, we finally see real tears when he crys so I guess it's all starting to work now. He loves the bath and we are getting into a nice regular routine at night, he loves his little baby message we give him when we lotion him down after his bath. Tonight he talked and talked as Rob and I rubbed him down...what a spoiled boy!

Oh and he rolled over, we found him now twice looking up at us in shock that he did that on his own!

Big Trouble for a Little Person

I love "Little People, Big World" on TLC. I have no idea why but I have been watching it from the beginning and Rob and I sit and asked each other questions all day long as we watch. It fascinates us for some reason. We love to watch how they live, what they do, how messy their house is etc. I have been crazy with the little people since my sister met one of the original munchkins from the Wizard of Oz (crazy right?). But come on now...is EVERYONE getting DUIs and then publicity for their trials? Apparently to make it in Hollywood you now have a head shots and a mug shot. I guess it gives the shows ratings or maybe his little head is getting "too big" :)

Baptism and Nona's 90th Birthday

Today we celebrated Cooper's baptism with family as my grandmother, Cooper's Nona, turned 90! We had a really nice day, besides me almost burning down the house with a small fire in the oven :) Thanks to Danny and Aunt Marilyn for saving the day. Cooper wore my christening gown that I wore as a baby but with the warm Florida weather, he didn't like the hat or the shoes so you won't see any pictures of those on him. We are enjoying a wonderful visit from family from Texas, New Hampshire and all over Florida. Cooper is really enjoying his cousins and all the family loving on him!

2008... WE MADE IT!

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times....that is what 2007 was to me. I guess I can now officially call it a new year since it's Jan 1 but I have to admit, I have been pretending my new year started Sept 19th when Cooper was born. As you all know, besides the best thing that ever happened to me (Cooper), 2007 was the worst year of my life. It's strange how such terrible things can happen and then the best thing...all in the first 9 months of a year. While I was able to enjoy a wonderful pregnancy, it got so distracted by the drama that became my life. So, I put behind me: Tampa, Moffitt Cancer Center and all things related to leukemia, ICU, moving, buying and selling a home in today's market, dysfunctional family who continued to be consistently dysfunctional as I dealt with the illness and then death of a parent, the initial shock and early stages of grief of losing my dad, bereavement/mass cards and people coming out of the woodwork to give pity and sympathy. From this year I gained: - a wonderful son, God truly blessed us when he gave us Cooper, I would do it all again and more if I had to in order to have this precious little boy. - a closer relationship with real friends and family who last year I learned will always answer the phone to listen, jump on a plane to see you when you need them the most and cry with you when that's all you can do. - a stronger marriage....what didn't kill us made us stronger and I can't image my life journey without Rob and the many lessons we have learned together. - a nephew :) - about 20 plus pounds that I let myself put on due to the stress and pregnancy that now I can't believe it let myself do when now almost 3 years ago before my wedding I was running 5 miles a day! ACK! So.....good riddance 2007, I made it to 2008!