2013 New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year from Jane! (I decided because you put
this on Facebook, it was fair game for me to use.)

At midnight Aussie time Jane sent me and many other Deltas (the "loves of [her] life") a happy new year's text from Sydney and asked if we had any resolutions. I can honestly say I hadn't thought one lick about resolutions until 6:39a when I saw that text (and then didn't think about them again until at least 3 hours later when I rolled outta bed).

At first I was thinking 2013 is not the year for taking on new goals and challenges. Won't motherhood and then working motherhood be sufficiently challenging? Can my resolution be to still have a baby by this time next year? For him to be healthier than any of the plants I've tried to maintain?

And while I still think that yes, motherhood, working motherhood and having a baby by end of year 2013 are all very good and important goals, I decided in the shower just now (because that's where all good thinking happens) to have two, more traditional new year's resolutions.

1. Take more pictures. I have a feeling I'll have a very cute subject at my disposal so I must really take advantage of it. Besides, how will y'all know he exists unless I do my due diligence on the photo front?
2. Not to sweat the small things. One time a couple years ago I found myself rearranging the pint glasses in the cabinet because Ross had not put the matching ones together. It was at that moment that I knew I was nuts. I have never rearranged the cups since. I hope in 2013 I can start recognizing the other "cup rearrangements" in my life and just stop doing them. I'm sure I'll be a saner person and better mom and wife for it.

Happy New Year! What are your resolutions for 2013?

Reason #374 I Love Lexi

She sleeps in.

On more than one occasion I've had friends say they aren't ready for a dog in part because they aren't ready for a 6a wake up call to let the pup out. Now I know she's not a pup any more (4 1/2 years old!) but I don't ever remember Lexi needing that; not to say she didn't, I just don't remember it.

"I dunno why you people think it's time to get up."

Our little Lexi pie, Queen of the Puppies as Ross describes her, is the laziest most sleep-in loving puppy I know. On the rare occasions when Ross and I are up and getting ready at roughly the same time, she lays in bed and stares at us with a look that says "what the hell you two? It's early." And if just one of us is up and getting ready for work, she doesn't even flinch. Occasionally you can bribe her out with promises of food but who wakes a sleeping baby?

This morning for instance, Lexi was the last one out of bed (and last night she was the first one in bed). At 9:15, after Ross had been up for 30 minutes and I'd taken my shower, she lazily followed me out of the bedroom.

Oh Lexi, I love your sleeping-in self.

Cooking Quiche

Breakfast for dinner - yum!

Tonight I made my first quiche. It had spinach, mushroom, a little onion and a sprinkling of cheese. I used this recipe and I think the consistency turned out excellently. The only thing I would do different next time is more cheese. Because you can rarely, if ever, have too much cheese.

Holy Wiggley Butternut Squash

At 29 weeks baked, Cade is about 2.5 pounds and 15 inches long. Also known as butternut squash sized.

However he is moving about 10 times more than any butternut squash I've ever seen. Maybe 20x more...since I've never actually see a butternut squash move.

I'm attempting to do work this afternoon, ya know, for my j-o-b but kiddo thinks its play time. Kicks and dance moves and flips and wiggles and you name it, he's doing it.

Other than having a case of the wiggles (which babycenter.com actually notes might be happening), he's developing some rockstar muscles and lungs. His little head is growing to fit that big smart brain he's going to have in it too. And apparently he's demanding lots of calcium. Which reminds me, I forgot to take my calcium supplement with lunch. I guess that means it is snack/calcium time for me.

Life on a Coaster

As you probably know, I'm aiming for a travel theme in my study at the new house (as well as the entryway and half bathroom...so really the whole area near the front door). The feature piece in my study is our family travel map, complete with color-coded pins. It will eventually be flanked by these cool globe mirror things. The curtains, once they get hung, feel kinda global-ish to me with their orange and white print.

Now I'm geekily excited for the latest addition: coasters. Really, I just need 1 coaster in here, to sit on my desk, but since they came in a 4-pack, I have coasters. What's on these coasters that makes them blog post worthy you ask?

Boston.

!!!!

I made my first Etsy purchase and now have a set of 4 coasters, each with a map of a different part of the Boston metro. The one that is featured on my desk is of course the one that includes BU.

The Treatment of Windows

It sounds like it could be a very serious post by the ACLU or something right?

But no, not nearly that serious.

Like fashion, I have the basics of decorating down. Colors should match and/or "go." Looks should be somewhat consistent. Furniture should be puppy/kid friendly (this is decorating for MY house after all).

But also like fashion, going bold or big-ish things stump me. Big-ish including four 34 inch wide windows in my living room.

So I'm crowd-sourcing. What do I do with these? Here are my parameters as I see/know them now.

1. Casual and contemporary: We aren't a very formal family and neither is our home.
2. Natural light: I really love the afternoon light I can have through these windows and would like to retain it. Also Ross loves him a dark cave of a room. If he has heavy lined curtains he can close, our living room will never see the light of day. I want to make turning the living room into a cave difficult to impossible.
3. Big room: The living room is huge. HUGE I tell you. I think we need to use the curtains to make it cozier, not bigger.

OK ready, set, advise.

PS How is it that curtains, fairly easy to replace, scare me but paint does not? It's like how I can't keep a cactus alive but dogs and children seem to be no problem. Bizzare-o-world.