Miller gets a B+

Today we went for Miller's 1 month check-up at the pediatrician's office. I was a little worried about her being fussy, seeing as our appointment fell between meals and I was sure she would start getting hungry. But alas, amongst the doors and doors of wailing children, M was quiet as could be. I even think I saw her scoff when one especially noisy child started screaming his head off. I know that today was just a good day and I'm sure there are bad to be had, but I couldn't help feeling so proud as our pedi poked and prodded her and she just laid there smiling. Even after her Hep B vaccination she just turned red, shed a few tears, then perked up like a coffeemaker and gave Dr. Mehrotra a big giggle.

Like we thought, she has grown considerably. It's only been 3 weeks since our last visit and she has grown over an inch and put on about 2 1/2 pounds. No wonder those dipes are starting to get a little bit tight. This puts her at about the 89th percentile of females, which I consider a solid B+.

Serendipatiousness

There are two things that got my mind rolling this weekend about all of the strange coincidences that have occurred in my life.

First, I happened to catch one of my favorite movies: Serendipity with John Cusack and Kate Beckinsdale. I love this movie even though watching it now (and not in HD) makes me remember exactly how old I am. Over the years I've become a total believer in "fortunate accidents."


Second, D's longtime friend Tony came to visit for the weekend. As I listened to them swap stories about their glory days playing for the Thundercats in Knoxville, I realized another strange parallel in our lives. If I had happened to hang out with a few younger, more catty group of "kittens" in my sorority in college I might have met him or his friends years ago. And this isn't even the start of it! The following are some more of the "serendipitous" parts of our lives that ended in our eventual meeting:

1) D was swimming for a country club in Knoxville when I was swimming for a country club in Nashville. His Dad and my Mom were both meet officials. Though D eventually quit swimming to play football, I continued on. When I moved to East Tennessee I swam in meets at Oak Ridge High School, where his Dad was the swim coach.

2) My swim team used to work the Vanderbilt football games to raise money for our booster club. I was probably filling drinks and counting change in the concession stands when D was out on the field playing ball.

3)When I was a senior in college, I interviewed for 2 jobs for after I graduated. One was a position with Gallo where I had the chance to go to either Oklahoma, Texas, or South Florida. I chose South Florida and accepted their offer. The other job was working in Knoxville...for D's Dad's company. Just weird.

4) Little known fact: I actually met D at a bar in Deerfield Beach the week I moved to Florida...a week before we started working for the same company, in the same division. (Little-er known fact: we both caught each other's eyes because we were the only two people in our office that could see each other over the cubicle walls!)

5) And the most "fortunate" accident of all...Hurricane Frances. If our company hadn't had a late meeting the night Broward/Palm Beach counties were evacuated, D and I may not have become so close. You see, I had no gas and by the time we got out, there was none to be had. So I was forced to hitch a ride with whomever I could. 24 hours later we were still in the car evacuating. Needless to say, we then became quite good friends.

So as you can see, I feel like the stars aligned after several missed encounters. It's funny how life goes sometimes, isn't it?

Catching up...

So there have been so many things that I've had the urge to blog about lately, all of which are lost on the way to actually sitting down at the computer. Between bottles, visitors, changing my and baby's clothes 10 times a day from all the spit up (and consequently doing a bazillion loads of laundry a day) it seems my brain has become accustomed to thinking about the same 5 things over and over. It's turning into Jell-O. I need to blog like a senior citizen needs to do his crossword puzzles. So I'm going to cram all the random things I've thought about this week into one Blog O' Mini-Blogs. Here goes:

1. Banana Bread. I made it with chocolate chips this week. Simple but brilliant addition that I recommend you try next time you have bananas lying brown and stinking on your counter because you don't have time to eat anymore. Thanks D for holding our child for ten seconds while I could bake.

2. Champagne. (Excuse me, rather "California Sparkling")
I don't get to indulge as often as I used to, but when I do I make sure it counts. My lovely friend Hector with Freixenet sent me a bottle of their new sparkling from Gloria Ferrer called 'Va de Vi'. In one word: REFRESHING! Probably one of the most satisfying sparklers I've had in a while. It tasted like a fuzzy navel sno-cone from BeachHut smelled, bringing back great memories from high school. (Kingsport ladies give a holla!)

3. Speaking of High School. Found my old scrapbook from Mr. Eggleston's 12th grade AP English class. Laughed like hell when I turned to the "Likes and Dislikes" portion of the project. I liked "Black Mercury Cougars" and disliked "Paying $1.50 for Gas." My how times have changed. I think at some point I will have to scan some of those pages and write a whole post about how fat I thought I was back then. Jesus.

4. Fall. Both as the season and the verb. I love this time of year. I hate when D leaves the swing in the middle of the bedroom floor when I have to get up in the middle of the night. Let's just say I'm glad I didn't use many of my post-partum painkillers when Miller was born because I'm needing them for my jacked up knee now.

5. My friend Heather. I could kiss her for all the comic relief she brought to my life this week. (Not to mention all the diaper changes I didn't have to do because she was so excited to 'take care' of Millie.) Here's just a tid-bit: "Hey, isn't that the guy from the Red Stripes?" she shouts loudly as Jack White sits down at the table next to us for dinner. Good thing Chrissy was light on her feet and started talking about Jamaican beers. I'm still laughing about it now.

Ok, so I think that's all I have time for today. Hopefully I can be a little better in the future about finding a few minutes to blog-as-I-go during the week. (And so my brain doesn't turn to mush like those bananas on my counter.)

**she says as she stuffs her face with chocolate banana bread, yum**

Miller makes the funniest faces....

....that I can't even imagine trying to capture on camera. So here's the closest I thought I could get to illustrating her funny looks for you all:



I see each of these grumpy looks about 20 times a day. What a silly, silly little girl! If I can manage to get this on digital, I will edit this post when I do!

Happy Birthday to me!

I never really subscribed to the whole "astrology" thing until my friend Lindsay gave me a book called 'The Secret Language of Relationships' that blew my socks off. I never realized that all of my closest friends are either Cancers, Scorpios, or Pisces. Ironically, all water signs. (And D's birthday just happens to be 180 days from mine...a perfect trine in the astrological calendar.) Don't get me wrong, I don't live my life by the laughable blurbs in the Horoscope section of the newspaper. But it is nice to read the following as I forge into year 28 of my life. Geez, when did I get so old!



The Year Ahead: Forecast for November 2009 to November 2010

If You Were Born Today, November 5: You possess a rare balance between introspection and extroversion. You are able to look within for answers, and often do, yet reaching out to others and making social connections also comes fairly easily to you. You are quietly ambitious, and a strong sense that you will achieve can carry you far. You have an aptitude for the written word and/or you are able to charm others through your words. You are more adaptable than most Scorpios, yet you are determined in whatever ignites your passions. You perhaps appear to be more versatile than you actually are. You possess your own unique vision, and you are not a conformist. Driven by a quiet sense of a personal mission, if you follow your intuition, success is almost guaranteed. Famous people born today: Roy Rogers, Tatum O'Neal, Art Garfunkel, Bryan Adams, Vivien Leigh.

Your Birthday Year Forecast: The Sun conjuncts Mercury and squares Mars in your Solar Return chart. Your energy levels run high this year, but you should watch for hasty or impetuous behavior. Remember that "haste makes waste". This year is likely to be especially busy. You could be rather willful and impassioned, and it would be best to channel excess energy into healthy physical outlets. Others might find you temperamental. You feel a great need for action, but if you don't know where you're headed, you might take the wrong turn. As long as you channel the excess energy constructively, instead of wasting your time arguing or getting yourself into conflicts with others, you can accomplish much.

This can be a year when bursts of restlessness, rebellion, and impatience figure prominently. You have a tendency to take risks and to act on sudden impulses without considering consequences. You assert your will and individuality powerfully, and you are ready to fight for freedom. There may be changes in work schedules, or life's circumstances could challenge you in such a way that you need to change your goals or actions. This can also be a time when you tend to resist others and challenge them if they are trying to hold you back. Energy fluctuates this year. If you aren't too rash or impulsive, you might be able to free yourself from restrictive circumstances. You could also have more courage than usual to do things that break the routine, and confrontations engaged in this year could clear the air and help you to move forward.

Venus trines Neptune and Chiron, and you are likely to find yourself more accepting and understanding of your friends and lovers. Contentedness in love is likely to figure and to attract positive circumstances (and people) into your life this year. You are more imaginative and attuned to the world of beauty and romance this year. Gentleness with others is the best way to harness this energy and to attract what you want into your life. Social opportunities might increase, and a boost in your personal popularity and magnetism is also likely. Others are looking on you favorably, particularly friends and lovers. You'll have a chance to heal old wounds with regards to love this year. You're also bound to find new ways of making money.

Realistic optimism is your main avenue to success, while impatience or succumbing to tension and stress are potential downfalls. Social opportunities increase and an expansive, faithful attitude brings many rewards.


2009 is a Number Nine year for you. Ruled by Mars. This is a year of completion and transition. It is a time when we need to let go of things that no longer serve their purpose, and hold on to things that have a future. It is a time of cleaning out dead wood, not necessarily for new beginnings. It can be a time when a burden has been taken off your shoulders, and it can be a year of giving of yourself. Advice - let go of things that are holding you back, give of yourself and express your sympathetic, compassionate side.

2010 will be a Number One year for you. Ruled by the Sun. This is a year of action. The seeds you plant now, you will reap later. Others might find you less sociable, as you are busier than ever and you focus on your activities and your needs. Still, you are outgoing and your initiative is stronger than ever. Advice - Stand alone, take action, start fresh, express independence.