The Longest 2 Days EVER!

I don't often do things just because I want to. I usually have a reason. Something to gain. It usually has a purpose. I spend much of my time working. At work, at home, sometimes even Jack is work. It's easy to lose yourself in the daily grind.

I also have many regrets in my 33 years. Things I wished I'd done. I don't want to keep accumulating them.

Ever since I was a little girl I've wanted to go to NYC. I remember playing with my Day & Night Barbie and imagining I was her. I would live in the city and be a business lady by day and turn my skirt around and party by night. I have not done that. In fact, I have never even been to New York.

But that is about to change.

My awesome sister-in-law is the founder of the Triple W Forum. It's a working woman's workshop that helps women going through life changes to integrate work with their home lives and to identify and achieve their goals. She recently launched her first workshop here in Chicago this past fall and it was HUGELY successful. Having just had Jack I was unable to go and I was very disappointed, but I told her that I would try to go to the next one. Well, the next one is in New York! With my surgery and the complications and crap I wasn't sure if I should go. I mean, it's expensive. I would have to take a day off work and I used up all my PTO with medical stuff. There were a million reasons not to go.

Basically, I talked myself out of going. Last Sunday after having a totally craptastic week at work I decided to call my sister-in-law. "Is it too late to sign up?" I asked her. She said no. I then talked to Spiderman and he said if I wanted to I should just do it. He encouraged me to book it right then before I changed my mind.

So I did.

This Thursday evening, after I get off work, I am flying to New York. I CAN HARDLY STAND IT!!!!! The workshop is going to be Awesome. I'm going to meet some fabulous women and hopefully learn some things from them. Plus? I'm going to get the chance to do some sight-seeing before I come home on Sunday. While I'm going to miss my boys terribly I have to admit this is going to be Wonderful! To want to do something and just do it? It feels so decadent!

So my question is: If you were going to New York for the first time what would you HAVE to see?

I'm officially an asshole

We had a few nice days last week so Spiderman and I took Jack to the park on St. Patrick's day to use the baby swings. While we're there swinging another couple comes up with their little girl. She's really teeny and cute and they start pushing her on the swing next to us.

All of us new parents are taking pictures and making faces and the kids are looking at times like tiny hostages of the paparazzi. The father of the little girl was very chatty and asked us how old Jack was. I told him 7 months and thought "Oh, no" by the expression on the couples faces. I hate when parents get into the developmental Olympics. "How old is your little one?" I asked. "Nine months", they replied. Their little girl was half Jack's size.

This happens a lot.
Jack is babyzilla.

I told them that Jack is in the 95th percentile in both height and weight and that he's just huge. I was hoping that this would be a comfort to them, but Spiderman said it just sounded like I was bragging. I didn't want to seem like I was bragging so I told them how my sister was really petite when she was little. That the dr's used to measure her every time my mom took her to the dr and they thought she was going to be a midget, but she eventually caught up. I thought I was being reassuring and the more I kept talking the more I was digging myself into a hole. Diarrhea of the mouth if you will.

Eventually the couple took their little girl and went on the slides. I wanted to call after them "Really, I'm a nice person!" "I have friends!"
But it was too late. I can't really say that I blame them.

I'm officially an asshole.

Trouble and a Half

So what's new with me? I've been reading my Kindle like crazy. I discovered The Hunger Games and obsessively read them all one right after the other. Seriously good books! Now I'm trying to deal with the depression and withdrawl that comes with finishing a good series. Those of you readers know what I'm talking about.

Also? As of tonight Spiderman and I are officially in trouble.

Proud Mama

Partially because I'm lazy and partially because I want to have a nice, happy, not-about-me-being-sick post I'm going to talk about Jackson.
He's gotten SO big and such a little personality. He sits up really well now and is *this* close to crawling. He gets up on all fours and rocks, eventually pushing himself into a sitting position. He still rolls everywhere though and gets into Everything. And everything goes into his mouth.
Isn't he the cutest almost 7 month old ever? He's always chattering away and he's very "busy". Always moving and looking around. Once he figures out the crawling thing we're in trouble. He's very smiley and giggly and loves his jumperoo. I call it maniacal jumping. Today he jumped for 45 minutes straight flailing his arms and squealing the whole time.

He is Spiderman's and my joy. How can you have a bad day when you see this happy little guy?

A Gift Horse

I think the last post jinxed me. That evening I made a trip to the ER doubled over in pain. They sent me home with pain meds, and the next day my pee turned the color of tea.
I followed up with my Dr and after several tests and another trip to the ER they figure that a stone got out of my gallbladder before they removed it and is in the common bile duct blocking off my liver.
So that was keeping me busy for the last two weeks.
Tomorrow I go in to have them try to remove it.
Hopefully after this I will be back to normal......whatever that is.

Grateful

Just like anyone else I've had crappy things happen in my life. Things that were hard to deal with. Things that majorly sucked. Lately, I've had a real run of good fortune and for that I feel grateful.
Things that I'm grateful for right this moment?

• Spiderman's new job which has allowed me to stop worrying all the time about him getting fired and us living in a box.
• The extra money that the above mentioned job has provided us with that helps us to afford not living in a box.
• Since having my gallbladder removed I've become very aware of how lucky we all are to be healthy.
• Spiderman and I were able to hire a sitter for Jack and went to a movie to spend some quality time with each other. (as new parents that's quite a feat!)
• I'm eternally grateful that I have a wonderful hubby, son, family, and friends to share my life with.
• When I was at Walgreens today I noticed that Easter candy has officially hit the shelves. (hey it can't all be deep)
  

I finally cracked.

Anyone who's read this blog knows that I have an addiction to books. I want to read absolutely everything in an obsessive kind of way. In the past I've debated whether my combined love of reading and gadgets was enough to justify getting a Kindle. I never really came to a decision until recently. A coworker of mine got a Kindle for Christmas. I played around with hers a bit and then my mother got one too. She LOVES hers so when my birthday came around she asked if I'd like one. I told her of course I would. I think it was something that I wouldn't buy for myself, but would use if it was given to me.

The timing couldn't have been better since I was getting ready to have my surgery and would have time to read. I had to finish the hard copy of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo that I was currently reading and then last night I went onto Amazon and started looking for books to download. I got the sequel to Dragon Tattoo and The Hunger Games (two books I've been meaning to get.)

When Jack was new I barely had time to shower much less read. When I went back to work I had even less time. Lately though, he's developed his own little routine of going to bed every night between 7:30 and 8:30. This leaves me evenings open to relax, spend some time with Spiderman, and READ again.

I have a feeling I'm going to love my Kindle. It's pretty easy to use, it downloads quickly, and omygoshtheyhavefreeand99centbooks! So if you'll excuse me, I have some reading to do...