tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-146327872012-01-30T06:33:59.342-08:00Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.comBlogger4121100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-29537186372409126262012-01-09T09:23:00.000-08:002012-01-09T09:23:16.766-08:00

  I love that face Cooking up some birthday meals  This weekend was our anniversary celebration and the little dude turned 14 months. He woke up at his usual 5ish but lay in bed with us for an hour or so. Then, we played. Holy cow, did we play. We played so hard he lost his pants. He's such a ham. He thought my phone's flash was hilarious. Every time I tried taking a photo of him with the

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-37898406907459344882012-01-05T07:27:00.000-08:002012-01-05T07:28:46.043-08:00

Let's talk about everything that happened in 2011:We introduced Oli to the beach, and it didn't go well. He didn't care for the waves or the sand. I went back to work and Oli started daycare. I can honestly say that if I had to pick anybody to take care of Oli, besides family members, I could not have asked for a better set of women than the ones he had in his baby room. He and his teacher, Miss

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-88283199419230421552011-12-30T07:30:00.000-08:002011-12-30T07:30:12.646-08:00

6 years. Where does time go? Seems like just a few weeks ago I was waiting in the car fuming because the officiant hadn't shown up and wasn't answering his phone. But, he did. And, we got married. Our marriage isn't perfect. I am not perfect. Jeff's not perfect. But, we are perfect for each other. We know and accept each other's shortcomings. We try and help each other overcome those

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-40084469232466954812011-12-27T13:36:00.001-08:002011-12-27T13:58:37.133-08:00

The following things really helped keep him calm and entertained for most of the flight from CA to MD: his own seat  the CARES harness  the Fisher Price apptivity case  the toy bungees  the gold fish he's stuffing into his mouth  But, nothing could help him with his ears through the landings. Take-offs, he handled without any problems. But, 20 minutes of every landing was a pain filled scream

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-12797992558318631032011-12-13T07:41:00.000-08:002011-12-13T07:57:41.421-08:00

yup, double fisting I will preface anything I say with I am NOT in the camp of "no TV for my toddler at all." Oliver watches his Baby Signing Time DVD at least once every morning. But, in the evenings, when we have limited time at home before his bedtime, we've started keeping the idiot box off. We get home around 4-4:30. I rarely have to cook dinner, since I started doing majority of my

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-26171609231933132912011-12-07T06:40:00.000-08:002011-12-07T06:40:26.340-08:00

Reading intently I discovered books at the tender age of 9 or 10; thanks to my mamu (my mom's younger brother). We were living in Raleigh, N.C. and visiting him and his family in CA. He took me to the local library and I picked up a bunch of books - almost all mystery novels. I had Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, series that had the Five Find-Outers, there were another set of books that had 7 children

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-600603794916978952011-12-06T11:06:00.000-08:002011-12-06T11:06:19.636-08:00

Get home around 4, if not before then. Work on getting dinner ready. Music on the radio. Oli dancing around the kitchen with Jeff and me. He has 4 distinct dance moves now. Butt up and down. Holding hands out, twisting at the waist. Hold index fingers out and bounce arms. And, the latest, stomping both feet on the ground. 5:15 - 5:30, sit down together to eat dinner. Oli feeds some to Smokey.

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-31622155277930053092011-11-08T11:19:00.000-08:002011-11-08T11:22:27.821-08:00

our baby turned 1. We've had him with us for 365 days. We lived without him for roughly 12,045 days. Yet, we would die for him in an instant. My dad used to say something to me, that as a teenager and as an adult, would sometimes embarrass me. He would say that he could not bear to see tears in our eyes and he would get choked up. I understand that sentiment now. I can tell the difference in

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-11648678199451040612011-11-03T11:25:00.000-07:002011-11-03T11:37:37.392-07:00

I cannot believe it's been almost a year already, since we welcomed Oliver into our lives. I had this published online and did not want to lose it, since it took me some searching to find it. Published on August 03, 2011 in Online Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine: I was due November 15, 2010, but our son, Oliver, was breech throughout the entire pregnancy so we had a planned C-section for November

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-43253786407887230982011-11-02T07:30:00.000-07:002011-11-02T07:30:16.115-07:00

A few months ago, I heard about this group, Baking Gals. They bake and ship home made goodies to troops stationed overseas. I joined the group, created a team and was assigned somebody stationed in Afghanistan. I also found out from his wife that his birthday was around the time our team was supposed to ship him goodies. Even better! I got some friends involved; some other people joined my team

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-18604492744872194382011-10-24T07:29:00.000-07:002011-10-24T07:29:36.727-07:00

Since I started WeightWatchers, I've gotten headaches every single day. I think they are withdrawal headaches. Withdrawal from food. Now that I am counting everything I eat, I realize how much I had started snacking at work. I don't think I went a half hour before looking for something to chow down on. Chips and salsa, cookies, 100 calorie bag of something, another 100 calorie bag of something

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-5387051164439256662011-10-14T08:18:00.000-07:002011-10-14T08:18:40.789-07:00

I am late but Oli turned 11 months old on the 7th. I cannot believe it. Here's a song form my shower that goes perfectly with how I feel today: Watching Scotty Grow (don't know who sang the version I have)There he sits with a pen and a yellow pad He's a handsome lad That's my boy B-R-L-F-Q spells Mom and Dad That ain't too bad That's my boy You can have your TV and your nightclubs You can have

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-56695860457888795242011-09-29T07:18:00.000-07:002011-09-29T07:19:33.131-07:00

A song from my baby shower CD that's making me cry as I listen to it: Things We've Handed Down - Marc Cohn Don't know much about you Don't know who you are We've been doin' fine without But we could only go so far Don't know why you chose us Were you watching from above Is there someone there that knows us Said we'd give you all our love. Will you laugh just like your mother Will you sigh

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-11763659153405687702011-09-21T04:32:00.000-07:002011-09-21T04:45:25.305-07:00

Sunday, our little bugaboo woke up feeling warm to me, so I took his temperature and it was a 100. I gave him some Tylenol, and kept him quiet. I called the after hours nurse at his pediatrician's office and was told to not give any more medicine unless the temperature went past 102. Ok. Kept checking his temp, our Braun in-ear thermometer gave us widely fluctuating readings. Around noon, it

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-87824267126408185712011-09-21T04:18:00.000-07:002011-09-21T04:18:33.699-07:00

If I lie down on the floor, he comes screaming, giggling, full speed at me: Then, he gives me "kisses," or more like chews on my cheeks and nose and face:  Then, he tries to climb over me:  How can you not fall in love with that beautiful smiling face? I apologize for the very very low resolution iPhone photos.

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-70240918756316361372011-09-18T04:09:00.000-07:002011-09-18T04:09:00.367-07:00

We have been lucky so far. Oli just brings home the germs and shares with Jeff and me, and we get sick. But, today, my poor little booboo has a fever. So, his first sick time at 10 months, 1 week and 4 days.

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-67354539679227026362011-09-16T15:04:00.001-07:002011-09-16T15:04:52.732-07:00

How to get off the couch backwards!!! Instead of falling offof it face first.

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-35356291937524168742011-09-16T06:46:00.000-07:002011-09-16T06:46:01.262-07:00

I wrote at his 8 month post that he hadn't walked yet. I don't think that's that far away.As you can see from that video, he's trying. It's funny, he'll take off really fast because he doesn't have that great of control yet; then he'll hit somethign and instead of going around it, he'll try to go through it. Doesn't matter if it's a pile of toys, the couch or the wall. He keeps pushing! He's

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-44244617735509719402011-09-12T06:56:00.000-07:002011-09-12T06:56:52.179-07:00

you will not be able to run like you did 3 weeks ago. Where you could do a mile without stopping; a quarter mile will make you gasp for breath like a fish out of water. a creepy old guy will walk into the ladies' locker room and look at you like you have 2 heads. And, when you smile and say "wrong one," he'll say, "I don't think so." I had to walk him out and point to the other door. you will

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-8741129448127869922011-08-19T05:39:00.000-07:002011-08-19T05:39:48.310-07:00

Here's our proud moment: 1st vacation with Oliver that involved a flight across the country and we cloth diapered the whole time :-) I wasn't sure I'd want to deal with that with a flight and somebody else's house. But, we made it work. It was no extra effort at all. On to lessons learned: Bottle or food on take-off and landing. Wake up the baby if he/she's asleep. I didn't do this and he woke

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-26748346485789285622011-08-18T04:35:00.000-07:002011-08-18T04:56:32.121-07:00

was all the way to CA and he did so good!We flew Southwest, and had a layover in Phoenix on the way there. Oli did awesome with both take-offs and the landing at Phoenix. On the landing into Oakland, I forgot to wake him up in time to give him his bottle and his ears started popping while he was asleep, so he was crying for the last 10-15 minutes of the flight. But, otherwise, he flew like a

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-59527356052032914802011-08-09T05:16:00.000-07:002011-08-09T05:16:19.861-07:00

4 days without seeing him. 2 calls a day to my mom. 1 video chat. And, after all that, it was so amazing to come home Monday evening to this: Yay, you are home! Which changed into this after just a few kisses from mommy: Daddy save me! 2 days in Gettysburg, just lounging, taking it easy, sampling some local wines, some microbeers, dinner with great friends, eating at some great

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-65612802355046516042011-08-05T05:47:00.000-07:002011-08-05T05:47:49.879-07:00

Our grandparents did it, our parents did it, I am doing it. I was given the book, What to Expect When You are Expecting ... did I read it? Nope. I was given some other books that I didn't read. I did not read Consumer Reports or the Baby Guide on the Bajillion Things Your Baby Might Need. And, you know what? I survived my pregnancy. I gave birth. And now that my baby is here, I have not read a

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-50592033698846683242011-07-26T18:15:00.001-07:002011-07-26T18:15:24.409-07:00

By somebody saying they're proud of the fact that I worked out 6 days last week? 1. I never asked for external validation for my actions 2. I don't need external motivation for working out. That's why Weight Watchers would never work for me, when it's been widel successful for so man others. The idea of weighing myself in front of other people doesn't faze me. Here, let me share. I'm at 179-181

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-35690853143021627912011-07-19T08:49:00.000-07:002011-07-19T08:49:02.104-07:00

Breastfeeding is not like peeing, I wouldn't feed my toddler or myself in the bathroom so why would I take my infant into one? I see more boobage at the beach than from a nursing mother anywhere. Your kids look curious? They ask a question? Just say she's feeding her baby, this is how I fed you for a while. By making faces, comments or dragging your kids away, you're creating an

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-79587275407130937192011-07-19T06:13:00.000-07:002011-07-19T06:13:28.975-07:00

 So, last Saturday, thanks to a friend, we took Oliver to his first O's game. They were playing the Cleveland Indians, and after a 9 game losing streak, they won. I'd like to say Oli was their lucky charm ;-). We took Oliver to fan services and they gave him a certificate that has his name and the date on it and states that this was his first game. He was so good, he stayed awake till almost

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-40111579910896216092011-07-14T06:50:00.000-07:002011-07-14T06:50:32.192-07:00

Well, our darling 8 month old decided this last weekend he was going to start zooming around the house on all fours. Then, he decided that was boring, and he wanted to stand up. Which, as you can see on the left, he did. And keeps doing using every chair, bar stool, table, toy we have lying around. We've had a few head bumps and a minor amount of crying over the aforementioned head bumps, but

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-77087114913572494992011-07-07T07:09:00.000-07:002011-07-07T07:12:19.264-07:00

Blessed by Elton John (another song from our shower CD)Hey you, you're a child in my head You haven't walked yet Your first words have yet to be said But I swear you'll be blessed I know you're still just a dream your eyes might be green Or the bluest that I've ever seen Anyway you'll be blessed And you, you'll be blessed You'll have the best I promise you that I'll pick a star from

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-73260789437497120962011-07-06T08:36:00.000-07:002011-07-06T08:36:08.828-07:00

According to Merriam-Webster: mis·an·thro·py noun: \mi-ˈsan(t)-thrə-pē\ Definition of MISANTHROPY a hatred, dislike or distrust of humankind First Known Use of MISANTHROPY 1625 Lately, I have been feeling discontent, just generally mad at people. I think I need to do a thankful post so I don't become a permanent misanthrope. I don't think I have ever spoken about the time I was home

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-11635865332722662762011-06-30T05:10:00.000-07:002011-06-30T05:10:50.577-07:00

I was getting dinner ready and Oli had been playing on the living room floor, when he fell on his belly. Usually, he'll try to get up and then get frustrated, start screaming after a couple minutes. He didn't scream so I went out to look at him. He was on his knees and hands, going in circles!!! I started screaming for Jeff to come out and see him, then we are both screaming about where our

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-3911557268047671392011-06-28T04:49:00.000-07:002011-06-28T04:49:40.906-07:00

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-5180732131733779552011-06-17T05:25:00.000-07:002011-06-17T05:25:50.919-07:00

My old cube all packed up There have been a couple of changes around here. The boxes in the photo are mine. I moved from where I sit yesterday. This is very bittersweet. I got a promotion a couple months ago, which takes me away from the team I have worked with ever since I moved to MD in May, 2006. (What's funny is we never got on those duck tours) This is a good move for me, and even for my

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-16006149935391189452011-06-16T04:51:00.000-07:002011-06-16T04:51:41.932-07:00

I am turning 34 next Saturday. Not a major milestone or anything but Jeff asked what I wanted to do and I said I have missed having friends over at our house. We used to have people over once every couple months, nothing fancy, just Rock Band, some DDR, good food, good drinks, great conversation. We had a party for Super Bowl this year but Oli was still pretty young and he puked on my head and

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-53926810542315890762011-06-14T05:18:00.000-07:002011-06-14T05:18:07.637-07:00

Another song from our baby shower CD, by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: You, who are on the road must have a code that you can live by. And so become yourself because the past is just a good bye. Teach your children well, their father's hell did slowly go by, And feed them on your dreams, the one they picked, the one you're known by. Don't you ever ask them why, if they told you you would cry, So

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-73917924561362458762011-06-09T05:14:00.000-07:002011-06-09T05:14:20.552-07:00

 Written by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton and first published in The Ladies' Home Journal in the 1950's: Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth,Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,Hang out the washing and butter the bread,Sew on a button and make up a bed. Where is this mother whose house is so shocking?She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little Boy BlueLullaby,

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-83788070143141896942011-06-08T11:16:00.000-07:002011-06-08T11:16:44.427-07:00

I remember, when Oli was in the NICU, we had such an outpouring of love and support from family and friends all over the world. I remember the heartache and the worry I, and Jeff and our families went through, waiting for Oli to come home. I remember taking some solace from those words of wisdom and stories of experiences that y'all shared. I have a friend who's gotten news about her daughter

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-8989022669990218482011-06-07T04:25:00.000-07:002011-06-07T04:25:55.474-07:00

It doesn't look too bad, now that it's clean and the skin isn't flapping around ;-). Of course, Smokey manages to be in all my photos. One side of the blade went around the finger in a spiral & the other side hit the finger right under the nail. That was the flap of skin that was just flying around

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-57245527724407032882011-06-06T06:15:00.000-07:002011-06-06T06:15:12.785-07:00

Most of you have already heard this via phone, email or Facebook. But, I thought I'd blog about it and then I couldn't decide if it belonged on the cooking blog becuase it did happen while I was cooking. In the end, I decided blood related info belonged here. Looks so harmless, doesn't it? Lost a battle with these blades I was in the middle of making a lasagna, a chicken pot pie, some cake

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-10488960014091065882011-05-23T04:48:00.000-07:002011-05-23T04:48:02.482-07:00

This is this morning and it's only 7:40 a.m. folks: get to daycare and Oli spits up over my shoulder, down the back of my work shirt drop him off, wlak to my building, wait, wait, wait for the elevator, it keeps bypassing the floor we're on. Finally, just gave up and walked up 3 flights in 4 inch heels. walk towards automatic doors, they only open halfway and stop abruptly, smacking me in the

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-53320727720007966812011-05-11T06:38:00.000-07:002011-05-11T06:38:04.841-07:00

This was my Mother's Day gift from Jeff. Not the shoes or the water bottle, but that tiny little white and orange thing atatched to my laces with the Apple and Nike logos on it. It's the Nike+. I wanted this last year when I was training for a 5K, so I could track my runs outside. But, it's no compatible with the iPhone 3, which is what I had then. Now, I have an iPhone 4 and this is compatible

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-56442431365809359072011-05-08T03:58:00.000-07:002011-05-08T04:00:54.858-07:00

A wonderful happy day to mothers old and new You could never be thanked enough for all that you do Unthanked, under appreciated, sometimes unappreciated Today, we stop for a while to celebrate you For all those hugs, kisses and band-aids That helped the pain from all the boo boos fade The smiles, the packed lunches, the washed and folded laundry And the numerous meals you cooked and cookies you

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-81081555702283014232011-05-07T13:21:00.000-07:002011-05-07T13:22:18.086-07:00

My baby is 6 months old today. Look at that face, sweet potatoes and all! Isn't he the cutest?  We went to Pimlico for a little picnic in the sun with him, and we still couldn't get a good family phot. Here's a semi-decent one on the right. He had his 6 month shots yesterday and let me tell you how proud I am of him. He cried when they stuck him and 15 seconds later, no more tears! He's

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-88313099589979378072011-04-12T05:00:00.000-07:002011-04-12T05:00:12.940-07:00

Is it gross that I want to nuzzle that armpit? You know I just whined yesterday about not getting any sleep, and not knowing what was wrong. We had a pattern, it was just a bad pattern. Lay Oli down to sleep, he screams, fights, then sleeps for 1-2 hours, then repeat cycle. Talked to his pediatrician yesterday and she suggested going back to solids at night. We had stopped since it seemed to be

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-30269160825403101972011-04-11T06:53:00.000-07:002011-04-11T06:53:07.815-07:00

that I might possibly be married to the best guy in the entire universe. Before we had a baby, it was well known that Jeff could sleep hours, if allowed. Typically, he needed 9-10 hrs of sleep a night whereas I could get by on 6-8. He also required regular naps whereas I turned into a beast if I napped. Let me tell you that this man has slept less than me in the last few nights and has possibly

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-80532530377297226872011-03-22T07:37:00.000-07:002011-03-22T07:37:36.492-07:00

Right away, let me lay all concerns to rest by saying it was a false alarm. At 7:45 a.m., Oli's daycare called me and the lady says, "Oliver is sleeping right now but he had somewhat of a pink eye." I stated, "I just spoke to his pediatrician yesterday and he has allergies." The lady from the daycare, "Well, we're going to need a note from the doctor." So, I traipsed over to the daycare (

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-90102654639195380742011-03-10T04:21:00.000-08:002011-03-10T04:21:54.116-08:00

today, I peed on a stick and found out I was pregnant. And now 365 days later, we have Oli. Our little man, our perfect little boy. Where did the year go? I was just there sitting shocked in a restaurant bathroom wondering if a faint pink line meant the same as a strong pink line. I remember calling Jeff from work, whispering into the phone, wanting to laugh and cry at the same time, wondering

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-34729363594999056422011-03-08T04:05:00.000-08:002011-03-08T04:05:33.973-08:00

Where oh where is the time going? Oli turned 4 months old yesterday. Which brought with it the 4 month wellness visit to his pediatrician and a couple of shots. I was hoping they wouldn't be a big deal just like his 2 month shots and I was right. He was shocked with the first injection, cried out for a second, was really shocked by the second one and screamed for a couple of minutes with big

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-5066886720043615442011-03-04T05:22:00.000-08:002011-03-04T05:22:41.028-08:00

 So, see the photo on the right? Yeah, we gave him a bit of a banana. Obviously, I did not stick the whole banana into his mouth (I feel like I have to make some things clear so people don't call child protective services on me). I mushed up minute pieces with my fingers and fed them to him. I have photos where he's enjoying it. This photo just makes me laugh ebcause it looks like he's saying, "

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-75834697550318919732011-03-02T05:12:00.000-08:002011-03-02T05:12:27.815-08:00

Not yet but I ought to be. Our work cafeteria has these toasters. I brought my own bagel in yesterday and went downstairs to toast it. It was a yummy cheese bagel with loads of cheese on the top and in the middle. I put it on the top conveyer belt. Guess what? Some of the cheese dripped down and started a fire in the toaster. The guys working there didn't seem too concerned and said it'll put

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-56427248315461125192011-03-01T09:04:00.000-08:002011-03-01T09:04:02.800-08:00

... especially this roasted honey nut super chunky one from Skippy. But, that's not what this post is about. This is about Amazon and the cool things they do. I got this peanut butter - 6 jars of it, for $9 shipped within 2 days to my house because of the following things you can do in Amazon right now: Amazon Prime: You can get an Amazon Prime for Moms/Parents or an Amazon Prime for Students

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-35671944700889032252011-02-28T04:35:00.000-08:002011-02-28T04:35:32.778-08:00

That's how old Oli turned yesterday. That's how long it's been since I did anything to my hair. I went and got a trim right after he was born just so it would remain healthy. But, I wanted to grow it out and it had been a whole year before then since I had done anything to it. Well, it grew some but then starting last month, I started losing it by the clumps. Apparently, it's the 3 month

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-68269729466702259682011-02-24T05:38:00.000-08:002011-02-24T05:38:29.380-08:00

There was a playlist for our baby shower that I put on CDs and we gave to our guests. I found it in my car today and was listening to the songs and this one just struck a nerve: Child of Mine by Carole King. Although you see the world different than me Sometimes I can touch upon the wonders that you see All the new colors and pictures you've designed Oh yes, sweet darling So glad you are a child

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-79377226909372822332011-02-24T05:25:00.000-08:002011-02-24T05:25:51.896-08:00

Just wanted to post these two photos side by side for comparison. My baby boy is getting bigger!  5 weeks old   15 weeks old

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-79788682438284019122011-02-22T07:00:00.000-08:002011-02-22T07:00:25.919-08:00

Well, we got a couple inches of ice and snow last night and my work was delayed by 4 hours. So, I am sitting on the couch, Oli is napping next to me, I've got a mindless action/drama Death Sentence playing on TV where some cops and all of Kevin Bacon's family just got killed when my doorbell rings. I thought it might be UPS or Fedex so I buzzed the door and went outside. It's a Howard County cop

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-49587960134548851152011-02-19T12:19:00.000-08:002011-02-19T12:19:21.795-08:00

Today was Oli's first swim lesson and he did GREAT! He wasn't ecstatic about the experience. He even gave us a few tears at getting water in his ears or over his head, up his nose, down his throat but he didn't cry for more than a few seconds and then just went through his half hour with a furrowed brow. Both Jeff and I got in the water with him and it was so much fun. He was the youngest there

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-15533279886787763152011-02-15T06:00:00.000-08:002011-02-15T09:09:22.856-08:00

 I love you Froggy!   3 nights of the following sleep routine make mommy a very tired, slightly cranky person: go to bed between 8 and 9 wake up between 1 and 2 as usual for a feeding *yawn* only drink 1 - 2 ounces instead of the usual 4 - 5 wake up every hour either wanting the pacifier or another ounce of milk *yawn* I even tried forcing the bottle in Oli's mouth (not hard, just not

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-61187320611792433122011-02-07T06:43:00.000-08:002011-02-07T06:43:55.845-08:00

Oliver turned 3 months old today. Already? Do I sound like a broken record when I say, "where's the time going?" Or do all parents go through this? We had a weight check for him on Friday because Jeff and I are worried he's not eating enough. He weighed in at 12 lbs 4 ounces, which was at the 25th percentile. He was at the 25th at his 2 month check up too. So, he's gaining on his curve, he

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-5438806040459390562011-02-04T05:09:00.000-08:002011-02-04T05:09:13.679-08:00

I love Amazon's Subscribe & Save program. & I love their Amazon Prime for Mom program. Both save you money. With a lot of items, you get 15% for subscribing and then another 15% off for being an Amazon Prime member. Usually, the Prime membership costs $79.99 for the year, I think but they gave out free 1 year memberships to new moms and I signed up. I have also been getting wipes in bulk with

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-17809414187170390282011-01-31T12:29:00.000-08:002011-01-31T12:29:23.604-08:00

Well, Smokey wasn't really sick and that's a broken thermometer that I've thrown away since sticking it in his mouth. The sick day was mine. Sort of. Both Jeff and I are sick. I am recovering from the flu which I haven't had in decades. I mean, I cannot remember the last time I had the flu. And Jeff has his 345 million and 7 hundredth sinus/ear infection. So, they gave him antibiotics and flu

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-24473680113254767122011-01-28T06:19:00.000-08:002011-01-28T06:19:35.452-08:00

What do you think of when you have to mail a package? Let me tell you, till last week, I had visions of long lines, slowly moving, employees trying to sell me additional products and services when all I want to do is mail a package first class without any singing telegrams notifying me when it gets there. So, imagine what was going through my head this morning when I woke up with a scratchy

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-15402968241602952052011-01-23T17:17:00.000-08:002011-01-23T17:17:50.959-08:00

Today involved: An extra hour sleep for mommy, since Jeff got up at 6 with Oli and let me sleep in Meal planning and cooking for the week (homemade sloppy joes, chicken and green beans in green curry sauce and Indian style mixed veggies with paneer) grocery shopping at Costco (we got there before they opened and my goodness, I thought we'd get run over by the mob waiting to get in) laundry done

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-20386744671563633392011-01-22T16:17:00.000-08:002011-01-22T16:17:31.651-08:00

He loves being Superman! And of course, Smokey had to be in the photo! First play date with other moms: I went to a friends' house who has a 2 year old boy, such a cutie. We met up with another friend who has an adorable daughter born a week after Oli. The 2 babies pretty much ate and slept while the 2 year old was so cute, he kept going into our diaper bags and bringing us things for the

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-52844688554342925412011-01-18T13:27:00.000-08:002011-01-19T10:53:52.628-08:00

 Bright eyed and bushy tailed  I was ready at 5:30; Oli was fed, just needed to get his clothes on. His bags were ready, my bags were ready. Found out we had a 4 hr delay; yippee. Decided to just stay up and treat is as a dry run for normal days. Did some grocery shopping at Super Fresh. Cleaned the ice off the car. Got him to his daycare; realised I left his milk bottles at home. Got

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-37693482338127024132011-01-16T11:28:00.000-08:002011-01-16T11:28:50.454-08:00

I believe I shall be saying this a lot. "Where did the time go?" This time last year, we were recovering from our trip to India. This year, we are recovering from adding to the family. And, not only are we trying to recover from the birth, the NICU, the family visits ... it's been 10 weeks since he was born. Holy cow, where DID the time go? Oli's had a busy first 10 weeks of life. In this

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-39596476091294920672011-01-04T03:11:00.000-08:002011-01-04T03:11:30.810-08:00

If Jeff and I had not taken a tour of the daycare at my work and met the women who'll be caring for Oliver day in and day out, I might have chosen some chimpanzees from the local zoo to come watch him in our home instead. Based on my experience with the administrative staff there. Let me recap our experience with le staff at le daycare. And I won't be naming names, though most of you know where I

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-71263849689218070912011-01-02T04:29:00.000-08:002011-01-02T04:29:01.455-08:00

Last year, well last to last year since I mean 2009, we ended the year in India at a grand party at a resort. This year, we ended the year in our house, with our sweet little baby boy. Sleep deprived and not so bushy tailed, we thank the powers that be for sending this little angel faced munchkin to us. We also celebrated 5 years of marriage. Which, you folks, apparently when you have a newborn,

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-29853743269738261322010-12-25T09:11:00.000-08:002010-12-25T09:11:48.534-08:00

So, I am really annoyed by the whole "If you don't say Merry Christmas, you are a terrorist," and other sentiments similar to that being thrown around on Facebook. Not everyone in the darn world is a Christian. On the other hand, I also acknowledge and realize that this holiday exists because Jesus was born today. So, I am also annoyed at the people who get offended if somebody wishes them a

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-72671268335574804102010-12-21T16:05:00.000-08:002010-12-21T16:05:57.556-08:00

See that tuckered out little bubbi? That's what happens after a busy busy day. Today was our first day alone at home; no grandparents around and daddy was at work. So, what did we do all day? Our day started with a doctor's appointment for me. I was worried about taking Oli with me. We got there 10 minutes before my 8:45 appointment. I didn't get seen till 9:50. I wouldn't have blamed Oli for

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-1284280449721990242010-12-07T15:26:00.000-08:002010-12-07T15:26:46.261-08:00

It's been 4 weeks since Oliver was born and we had his 1 month check up. He's doing great, his weight and length gain has been good. He's so much more active. One one hand, it's amazing and hilarious to watch his expressions, his arm lifts, his cycling legs; on the other hand, it makes changing, feeding, calming him down so much more challenging. But, I'll take that challenge just to watch his

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-67185798550174685012010-12-02T13:24:00.000-08:002010-12-02T13:24:32.452-08:00

I bring you a middle of the night pooping after feeding smile photo: I wake up, feed Oliver, change him and pump. Jeff leaves for work. My mom takes him to feed him somedays, I have some tea and breakfast. Every other day, I might take a shower. I might run out for some errands after I pump and leave milk in a bottle for the grandparents to feed him if he gets fussy. I have lunch. I check some

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-15910752487328738802010-11-18T16:36:00.000-08:002010-11-18T16:38:38.665-08:00

Dear Oli, Did I jinx myself by telling everyone how you were on a 3 hr feeding schedule? That you wake up like clockwork and then go to sleep? Or was last night just the first test of many to come? When you fed a gazillion times between 8 and midnight. And you wouldn't stop crying and I didn't know what to do. You finally slept at midnight in your swing and didn't stir till 4:45 and that was in

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-87462759772811789652010-11-17T11:42:00.000-08:002010-11-17T11:42:51.719-08:00

Oliver's been home only 2 nights and there are major changes around the house. I just want to list them before I forget how and when our lives started changing: start trying to eat lunch at 12; be done by 3:30 p.m. jump in the shower and be out quickly (right now my parents watch Oli while we shower but I can see how that's going to need tobe even faster) we figure we need to leave the house by

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-60995929838781707192010-11-16T07:56:00.000-08:002010-11-16T07:57:40.475-08:00

Oliver Gary Williams! That's right, we brought our little baby boy home last night. Yesterday, Jeff decided to go to work because he kept getting urgent calls and emails. I went to the hospital to see Oliver with my parents at 11ish and was informed that he might be going home with us!!! So, we spent the day visiting him, then we picked up Jeff after his work, and went to bring our little

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-13392136691674982582010-10-30T06:29:00.000-07:002010-10-30T06:29:19.772-07:00

I love jewelry, and I absolutely love Celtic jewelry. Here's a giveaway for $50 worth of jewelry from Glencara Celtic Jewelry. You can get multiple entries by following Glencara and the Blogging Mommy on Facebook and by subscribing to The Bragging Mommy via email, Twitter, reader etc. Go check it out.

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-70170038399778065102010-10-18T05:11:00.000-07:002010-10-18T05:11:42.750-07:00

It's been 7 years today since Jeff and I had our first date. Well, 2 dates on the same day. I don't have any photos from that day but we pretty much looked like this. I mean I wore those pants and had long hair. He was bald and he smoked. Someday, I'll post our whole "how we met" story but today I want to try and remember that first date. It was actually supposed to be yesterday, 7 years ago. I

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-58903696934882759622010-10-04T06:38:00.000-07:002010-10-04T06:39:51.534-07:00

Here's something I found somewhere online that illustrates the differenc between "I could care less" and "I couldn't care less."

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-17250999202354378332010-09-16T04:30:00.001-07:002010-09-16T04:35:49.517-07:00

Pretty shoes:Breakfast (Also ate a banana, but that was gone before the photos):Snack:Lunch:Dessert:Dinner:

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-1300935369900265752010-09-02T08:16:00.001-07:002010-09-02T08:16:58.091-07:00

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-61386964898911754052010-09-02T06:32:00.000-07:002010-09-02T06:33:00.974-07:00

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-74131646837654113262010-08-17T10:08:00.000-07:002010-08-17T10:11:19.979-07:00

I think the last step in cutting that cord from an unhealthy (for me) friendship is letting go of expectations.I don't expect anything from this person anymore, I don't expect she'll be there when I need her. I don't expect her to be there when I just want her to be there. I don't expect her to even understand how her actions have hurt me. I don't expect anything from her moving forward.

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-8507314029817264052010-08-04T12:00:00.000-07:002010-08-04T12:12:09.846-07:00

Oh yeah, I am full of deep thoughts today.History repeats itself, right? Unless we learn from it. I learned from mine, trust me and since my mid-20s, I'd say I am doing pretty good. I also believe that unless somebody is willing to make a change themselves, no force around them can make them change. I learned that too in my mid-20s. See the connection? So, once I realized I needed to make a

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-13411143279355498042010-07-21T04:02:00.000-07:002010-07-21T04:03:32.362-07:00

I like my cereal crispy but with milk. I just don't like it mushy. So, I usually don't pour a lot of it into a bowl. I'll pour a few tablespoons worth into the milk, eat it before it gets soggy, then pour some more. This morning, I poured a bowlful of blueberry wheaties and half of them got way too mushy :-(

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-15385187795441563002010-07-15T04:23:00.000-07:002010-07-15T04:33:47.506-07:00

Yesterday, my work celebrated Open Government Day. We had half a day of speakers, including the Deputy CIO from the White House, Beth Noveck. It was interesting to me for a bunch of reasons. I think I am going to talk about this in a bulleted list so I can keep things straight in my head and not forget anything.Firstly, let's get some quotes I wrote down that I foujnd pertinent to this discussion

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-14194821459762827982010-05-05T07:05:00.000-07:002010-05-05T07:07:47.511-07:00

For reasons that'll be clear to everyone soon, I put the 5K training on back burner for almost 8 weeks. I went back to it last week and today, I actually ran. Not the 5.5 mph I was upto 2 months ago, I did a steady 4 mph jog but I was able to do it longer, my heart rate didn't shoot up past 200 and I wasn't dying. I think this might be my best plan of action for now. Slow and steady might not

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-3203532689453673132010-04-30T11:26:00.000-07:002010-04-30T11:34:29.135-07:00

I have great friends in my life right now. Brenda and Anjuli are the best girlfriends one can ask for. Moving sucks because it means leaving friends behind and I am hoping it doesn't happen again, at least for a long time.That doesn't mean I don't get nostalgic for the days of past. Because of recent occurences and reasons, I am really missing friends from childhood and college years this

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-10543047149706762142010-04-15T03:59:00.000-07:002010-04-15T04:02:54.264-07:00

I am not an overly assertive person; maybe overly confident sometimes but not necessarily overly assertive. Specially in certain aspects of my life, mainly work.But, when I am 110% sure I am right and people won't listen to me, I can be an ass. Because after the first half a dozen times, when I've tried explaining politely how I am right, I think I lose the ability to be polite anymore.I'm not

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-85810517987639248912010-04-10T08:23:00.000-07:002010-04-10T08:24:24.808-07:00

No buying any of the following stuff this month:- clothing- shoes- make-up

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-11323405760381814592010-04-01T03:09:00.001-07:002010-04-01T03:19:19.658-07:00

Anjuli's comment on Facebook got me thinking yesterday. Do all my friends think that becuase I like country, I couldn't possibly like any other genre? Then, I got to thinking what do I have on my playlist. So, I wanted to go and play the music on my iPhone and shuffle it to see what I have. Then, I realised I have 3 separate playlists; bollywood, country and everything else. For this experiment,

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-55995754816614136892010-03-18T08:24:00.000-07:002010-03-18T08:37:42.392-07:00

If I am feeling low, all I have to do is plug in my earphones and let my playlist go. My favorite country songs, some dancing Bollywood tunes, some beating hip-hop routines ... and I am bouncing in my seat. I forget why I was upset (at least for the time I am listening to my music).I read when I am bored. Reading takes me away to the world inside the book's pages. Sometimes, people have had to

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-59434980914421565152010-03-11T03:57:00.000-08:002010-03-11T04:03:13.546-08:00

When I set up the donation page for Brenda and my 5K run, we had no idea the kind of response we'd get. I am heartened and amazed by the support our friends and family are showing. I am also a little unsettled by the faith they're putting in us to complete this. What started as a "maybe" is definitely a "definite" now.I think Brenda said it best, "When there was a single $10 donation, getting up

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-10163832007154191092010-03-09T05:29:00.002-08:002010-03-09T05:39:19.198-08:00

As part of the training for the Baltimore Women's Classic 5K on June 27th, my friend Brenda and I have been getting to work at 6 a.m. every day. Every other day, we work out in the morning at the gym here. The first 2 weeks, we just sprt of walked/ran without any plan. and, I got bored. If you know me, I get bored without a plan. Which meant, that any motivation I might have ahd was about to fly

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-35822437958117476252010-03-05T10:40:00.000-08:002010-03-05T10:48:13.730-08:00

I just got 2 tickets to go see Brooks and Dunn on June 19th at the Jiffy Lube Live (formerly known as Nissan Pavilion). I am SO excited. I saw them with Big & Rich in Detroit a few years ago and they were awesome. Every song was a major hit and the crowd was energized and sang with them. I have been telling Jeff how great they were and now we get to go see them.I am also going to start tracking

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-85670378230600134392010-03-03T07:03:00.001-08:002010-03-03T07:03:52.247-08:00

I have never raised funds for anything. So, for the 5K this June, I am going to try my hand for the very first time to raise funds for us. We are only aiming to raise as much as it cost us to participate.http://www.active.com/donate/bwc5k/birthdayraceYay!

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-2223255297144259732010-03-03T05:17:00.000-08:002010-03-03T05:32:08.743-08:00

Man oh man, is this winter wreaking havoc on my poor hands. With this cold streak showing no signs of ending anytime soon, I am going through hand lotions like nobody's business. I have a few that work really well and I have them with me at all times of day.1. Hemp hand protector by the Body Shop: this is probably the best hand lotion I have ever tried and my favorite. It;s also on sale for $10 (

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-293039663850545412010-03-01T11:43:00.000-08:002010-03-01T12:07:03.884-08:00

I love lists. I get work done very quickly and errands run more efficiently if I make a list. I usually have a scrap of paper for everyday with things written down that I need to do. Now, I do have that new fangled piece of technology called the iPhone and I love it. It stores my passwords, it reminds me when I need to buy tickets for Russell Peters (which, by the way, I have tickets for - April

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-40193059713943502132010-02-26T09:59:00.001-08:002010-02-26T10:01:47.899-08:00

I was trying to explain at lunch today how I feel when I am running. I am incredibly bored. When I used to just walk on the treadmill or even run for very short time spans, I would read a book or watch a movie on my iPhone. Can't do that when I am trying to get a mile in at fast speed.Afterwards, there is a great sense of accomplshment. But, while I am running, it's really hard to keep myself

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-90269498279981462262010-02-23T13:54:00.000-08:002010-02-23T14:14:15.011-08:00

I have had some number of jobs in my lifetime. Since moving to the US in 1997, I have never not had a job. All those jobs had managers. Some better than others. Some male, some female. Their genders had nothing to do whether they were good or bad. This is a story about one of those managers.I had this one manager who was always dour. No matter if the manager was given the employees a good review

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-8498655214916734372010-02-22T05:48:00.000-08:002010-02-22T05:52:07.096-08:00

I have to announce it to the world. It can be done. It's possible to do it while still young. And it totally feels like you are flying on top of the world!Jeff and I are, as of today, completely credit card debt free! A few years ago, we had easily 20K between the 2 of us on credit cards. We used consolidation, 0% interest transfer offers, tax refund money and a big chunk of our salary to pay it

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-91203950767519608402010-02-22T05:21:00.001-08:002010-02-22T05:31:19.527-08:00

ClaustrophobiaI didn't realize how irrational it was till my sister started asking me probing questions. Let me back up for a second. My parents had rented a van when we were in India. A typical 6 seater van and Jeff and I got in the very back because I thought I would sleep. Once my mom and sister got in the middle and closed the doors, I felt like the walls were closing in. I couldn't breathe.

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632787.post-37125863581755250252010-02-18T04:36:00.000-08:002010-02-18T04:51:48.983-08:00

I was thinking all day yesterday about Lent and what it means for people. I have seen on Facebook status updates announcing that they are giving up carbs, sweets, money, etc. I don't eat too many carbs so I don't have a lot to give up. I eat sweets sparingly so there goes that. I give money over the year to various police/firemen charities, so that's nothing new. This year, I have decided to give

Sylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01628004948144925047noreply@blogger.com2