Round Up!

Okay my dear internet cosmos, I'm gonna pick up the beat here a little. After the last couple weeks of what can only be described as "trudging", it's time to move on. Here are a few things that have gotten me excited lately:

6 Tools to Help Predict How Long You'll Live. According to the "sit test", I'm not gonna make it to 50. Fantastic.

Mother Nature Network

An Upbeat Emotion That's Surprisingly Good For You. This makes my overly-emotional, completely irrational, over-analytical, snowball-inducing-avalanche-of-love-and-wonder-and-joy heart just go nuts! Things like this make me feel so much more sure about the goodness of life. (Found via Refinery29)

New York Times

These are just too good.

Hello Giggles

"...then something that feels like it's in the diarrhea family, then ones I'll call the hammer and sickle, then the mortar and pestle, and the ones with teeth." Completely hilarious, and totally beautiful.

NY Mag

And if you are able and interested, please consider supporting the 2nd Annual Nationwide Miracle Milk Stroll that will be taking place around the US & Canada on May 2.  Their purpose is "to raise funds, educate, and raise appreciation for the life-saving power of human milk".  Find a location near you and get to strolling!

Best for Babes

Ahh now don't you feel better? Hope you all have a wondrous Easter weekend.

--mel

On Weaning

I've gone back and forth about whether I would write about this. It's been such a whirlwind of emotions--what was my greatest hurdle, and yet my greatest triumph, has come to an end.

Many won't understand the emotions associated with weaning after a long run of nursing a baby. In our case, 19 months. But tonight, I'm writing for the many who do understand. Who have fought and gave and struggled and persevered and raged to be able to nurse their child, for however long they were able, and then one day, had to say goodbye. 

And I'm sure there are many nursing mamas who still won't understand these feelings, because we are all completely different. Our bodies, our minds, our hearts, our pain, our victories--they are all uniquely ours. 

The past several days have been hard. NC decided that she was content not nursing for a few days in a row and on the third night when I went to put her to sleep and she didn't do so much as bat an eye in interest to nurse, as we have every night for her entire life thus far, I knew it was over. A couple days later, she decided that she had changed her mind, at least in the moment, and my heart broke all over again. The thought of scooping her up and staring into her eyes, her heart against mine, and my entire self comforting her again, completely slayed me. I couldn't bear the thought of again in a day or two, maybe a week, maybe a month, that she'd decide she was done again. So I said no. To spare me the pain that I'd already begun to grieve, already mourned the loss of, already began to say goodbye to.

Tonight I received a message from a friend that offered exactly the comfort I needed in this moment. She told me how she wrote a letter to her daughter explaining their nursing journey and that really helped give her some closure (and a good cry).  A love letter of sorts, explaining the breaking heart of a mama who is watching time go by with no way to stop it.

So I figured this could be my version of an ode to my daughter, and the life-changing opportunity she gave me when she let me feed her and hold her and comfort her and grow her with my own body. It is a part of me I will always treasure and look back on with deep gratitude and with a reverence for all that is mysterious and good and beautiful in life. 

Here's to the mamas and the babies who have held each other in endless embrace and who have given each other the strength and quiet solitude that the other did not even know she was missing.

(Photo from The Library of Congress archives)

**written at 9:45 pm on 3/25/15, laying in the dark on the floor by my daughter's crib, holding her hand as she falls asleep.

want | need | wear | read : BABY

Today's WNWR-er is another sweet friend from college, Anna, who makes some of the most precious baby gear for her Etsy shop, Moshi Moshi. (Yeah, I dug into the Rhodes College alumni files for this series.  They should pay me for making it look like everyone who goes to Rhodes is as cool as we are.  That's right.  Humility.)  In addition to making other babies look adorable, she does a pretty good job of keeping her own little baby Lucy looking enviably precious too.  That's why her list of gifts for baby are so spot on.  So without further ado, I'll let her her take it away! 

want:  Lucy already has several things that she loves to ride on, but none are quite big or sturdy enough for future trips to the park.  We live up a steep drive (just steep, not fancy) so the park will be where we learn to bike ride.  I will be keeping an eye out for one of these bad boys at yard sales and consignment stores.  I read somewhere that kiddies outgrow these kind of quickly so a cheaper option is the way to go for me!

 

need:  We are taking a trip to Japan this winter to celebrate my grandmother’s 100^th birthday!  What?!  And her birthday is also New Year’s in Japan!  One of the country’s biggest celebrations.  Double what?!  Japan is a country of people that love and aren't afraid of walking and even though it will be chilly chilly cold, we will probably do a good bit of it.  So Lucy is going to need some good warm boots.  I’ll readily admit that there are probably cuter, more Instagram-worthy boots out there, but I trust Stride Rite and their shoes have been good to Lucy’s feet so far. Practical choices here we come.

wear:  Lucy started snoozing in the infant version of this sleep sack at about six months after another mom recommended it to me.  This particular brand has a hefty price for basically a wearable blanket, but it goes from age 0-2 so it lasts a good while.  Lucy has just about grown too long for hers at 18 months but she’s a tall one.  That’s why this toddler size one (ages 2-4) is on our wear list! The arm holes have a snap to adjust for smaller babes, there is a place to put the car seat buckle (the crotch one..what is that actually called?) so that you can transfer peacefully sleeping kiddos from crib to car and vice versa (Yeah right, snort snort. Oh, your kid can do that? Not mine.)  It’s all season, all weather, and all around awesome.  It is a critical part of our nap and bedtime routine…Lucy sees the sleep sack coming and knows I’m not playing around. It’s time to sleep, baby.

read:  My dad read these books to me when I was younger and I loved them.  Loved reading them to myself even as I got older.  Loved them in college and still love them.  Love the movies as they come out too (but I have a problem with people who love the movies but haven’t read the books –give the books a chance!).  I had a box set growing up (I use the past tense because I might have misplaced one of them freshman year while trying to show how cultured and “CS Lewis in the know” I was –sorry, Dad.) and I would love for Lucy to have her own.  She doesn’t have the attention span to get past a page full of words being read to her, but like most things in babydom I’m learning, change happens quickly.  So I want to be armed and ready with these books for when her book-attention-span develops into something longer than my rap version of 'Itsy Bitsy Spider'.  

Thanks so much, Anna!  Can I just also note that I would pay to have a recorded version of your rap version of 'Itsy Bitsy Spider'?!?  It's pretty much NC's favorite song and I think she would become your biggest fan pretty quickly.

I've got one more WNWR list for you on Monday, compiled by yours truly.  If you have any last minute gifts you still need to get for someone special in your life, all of my picks are procrastinator-friendly.

xoxo-

mel

blabla

NC has a favorite doll from Blabla (Clochette the fairy!) that she has been sleeping with pretty much every night since she was just a couple months old.  We used to not know exactly if she liked her doll or not because of the frequency of which she would chuck said doll out of her crib while laughing maniacally.  We thought for a while she might have had it out for her.

Luckily, over the past month or so, she has started to snuggle up to her doll when we lay her in her crib and when we go in after she has woken up, she is sitting there holding up her doll, so excited to show us her sweet friend.  (Thank god she outgrew the 'doll-murderer' phase.)

I'm so glad she has taken to her Blabla doll because I think it is just about the cutest thing I've ever seen.  Blabla dolls are so soft and whimsical and they wear really well too (just don't put it in the dryer!).  So I was so very pleasantly surprised to find out that Blabla also has a precious line of bedding, play mats, rattles, and other fun accessories, all just as adorable as their knitted dolls.

Pointelle Blanket (mist), Coverlet (bunny lagoon), Crib Sheet (little sleepy grey), 

Bunny/Stars pillow (grey), Fleur the bunny

Bunny/Stars traveling play pad (grey), Suzette the fox, Pillow (apple grey),

Oh So Sleepy traveling play pad (grey)

Pom the apple, Crib Sheet (ruffle pink/orange), Coverlet (suzette pink)

Pretzel Rattle (orange)

Would you judge me if I bought one of their sweet knitted dolls for myself??  Yeah, good idea, let's just ignore that.

xoxo

--mel

Big + Little: Back to School

Well, folks, summer is officially over.  Finito.  Donzo.  Gone with the wind.

Not only does Labor Day usher out the sweaty sunny days of summer, but it also has always represented the official beginning of school for me.  Even if we hadn't started classes again quite yet. Or if we had already started classes, it always seemed a little ridiculous because we'd go to school for a few days and then get a day off for Labor Day.

"Wait, we've only been at it for like 4 days and already we're getting another vacation?!?"

You know that feeling I'm talking about, right?

Anyway, as crazy as it seems, a little part of me still wishes that I was heading back to new classes this time of year again.  Buying new supplies for all the dozens of papers I would spend hours researching and all the sleepless nights spent banging away in practice rooms and all the weekends I would spend partying excessively instead of studying like I should have been.  Or as a line taken from an old favorite movie most perfectly describes it:  "Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address…"  Man, what I wouldn't give for some pencil dust right about now.

Even though neither my daughter nor myself are heading off to school this year, there's no reason we can't enjoy the perks of getting some new supplies to see us through whatever learning adventures this new year will bring.

BIG:  Chris Van Veghel minimal rucksack / Public-Supply notebooks / 

Zuzii womens suede oxford / Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger   

LITTLE:  Duluth Pack child's envelope pack / Etch A Sketch / 

Zuzii kids suede oxford / An Awesome Book of Love! by Dallas Clayton

The big ONE

So, NC turns 1 in a couple weeks.  

(Dramatic pause.)

That's right.  A whole year.  365 days.  8,765.81 hours.  I could go all "RENT" on you and continue this pattern but it seems in fact that there are 525,949 minutes in a year so really we need to stop supporting the lie.  

Anyway, NC is turning a year old and we're gonna party.  I'm assuming she won't really know what the hell is going on, so we're getting a lot of sweets, a lot of beer, and a lot of yard games for the adults to celebrate.  

Since she's not exactly of age yet and won't really be partying all that hard this year, a whole bunch of presents that she will be able to enjoy for the next year of her life will just have to suffice.  Here are a few things that NC would love this year:

1- Balancing Tree.  This set of balancing blocks would pull double duty since one of my Mr.'s favorite things to do is try and build the most epic stacked up pile of blocks ever, and one of NC's favorite things to do is knock it down.  

2- Shopping Cart.  NC is gonna be walking sooner than we'd all like her to so no use in fighting it.  This would not only help stabilize her in her early wobbling phase, but she would be able to take all of her toys around the house with her, and perhaps even clean up after herself when she's finished (don't crush my dreams here, people).

3- Family Dolls.  NC has a somewhat terrifying habit of chucking all of her stuffed animals over the side of her crib to their untimely deaths, laughing maniacally as they fall to the ground.  One of the millions of sleep books we read said we should encourage the use of a "lovie"--something that she could use to soothe and comfort her when she is in her crib alone.  I know she loves us, so maybe if we had these amazing dolls done up to look just like us, there would be less casualties in her bedroom. 

4- Stacking Toy.  Again, the stacks of things are a big hit in this house.  Plus, NC loves to put things inside of and on top of other things (and then of course, knock them all down).  Maybe this will help to curb her need for destruction.

5- Floral Romper.  Okay, so maybe this is more for me than for NC.  She doesn't give a damn what she wears so far as we can tell, but this would make mama so very happy. 

6- Exclamatory! Shirt.  A shirt with NC's favorite word on it!  Perfect. 

7- Classical Music for Kids.  As you all probably know by now, one of my life's goals is to show the world that classical music is cool and completely relevant.  I use NC as my guinea pig to try out as many different tactics as I can in hopes that she will fall in love with it as I have.  So far, it's working pretty well.  I think this book would be a good addition to my master plan.   

8- Rocking Moose.  Every child needs a rocking horse, and we live in CO.  Enough said.

Talking about all these presents has me in the mood to go start drinking celebrating early!

xoxo-

mel  

Father's Day DIY

I have to say, this year, my Mr. hit the jackpot with his Father's Day gifts.  

First, he got a spot in an "Artificial Rock Climbing Anchors" class with REI.  This was a sort of 'olive branch' if you will, and he knew it.  In my attempt to be the bigger person, I think I still managed to lay it on a little too thick, so I decided the Mr. also needed a less-heavy more-fun Father's Day gift to kind of take the edge off.

(Note: if you have no idea what I'm talking about here, that's okay.  Just keep reading because the important part is coming up.)

So, I decided to go the DIY route.  I feel like Father's Day kind of always warrants some sort of DIY--a popsicle stick bookmark, a finger-painted coffee mug, a scribbled portrait of dad dressed up as a superhero.  Of course, this year, NC is barely old enough to hold a crayon so I had to take the reins.

I was inspired by this project on Jordan's blog because it was fast, easy, cheap, and way more original than the typical "painted handprint and poem".

Overall, I'd say this tutorial was pretty straightforward, but I found myself having to make a few extra tweaks that ensured success.

Here's what I did:

Happy Mother's Day

If I should have a daughter…“Instead of “Mom”, she’s gonna call me “Point B.” Because that way, she knows that no matter what happens, at least she can always find her way to me. And I’m going to paint the solar system on the back of her hands so that she has to learn the entire universe before she can say “Oh, I know that like the back of my hand.”

She’s gonna learn that this life will hit you, hard, in the face, wait for you to get back up so it can kick you in the stomach. But getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air. There is hurt, here, that cannot be fixed by band-aids or poetry, so the first time she realizes that Wonder-woman isn’t coming, I’ll make sure she knows she doesn’t have to wear the cape all by herself. Because no matter how wide you stretch your fingers, your hands will always be too small to catch all the pain you want to heal. Believe me, I’ve tried.

And “Baby,” I’ll tell her “don’t keep your nose up in the air like that, I know that trick, you’re just smelling for smoke so you can follow the trail back to a burning house so you can find the boy who lost everything in the fire to see if you can save him. Or else, find the boy who lit the fire in the first place to see if you can change him.”

But I know that she will anyway, so instead I’ll always keep an extra supply of chocolate and rain boats nearby, ‘cause there is no heartbreak that chocolate can’t fix. Okay, there’s a few heartbreaks chocolate can’t fix. But that’s what the rain boots are for, because rain will wash away everything if you let it.

I want her to see the world through the underside of a glass bottom boat, to look through a magnifying glass at the galaxies that exist on the pin point of a human mind. Because that’s how my mom taught me. That there’ll be days like this, “There’ll be days like this my momma said” when you open your hands to catch and wind up with only blisters and bruises. When you step out of the phone booth and try to fly and the very people you wanna save are the ones standing on your cape. When your boots will fill with rain and you’ll be up to your knees in disappointment and those are the very days you have all the more reason to say “thank you,” ‘cause there is nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline no matter how many times it’s sent away.

You will put the “wind” in win some lose some, you will put the “star” in starting over and over, and no matter how many land mines erupt in a minute be sure your mind lands on the beauty of this funny place called life.

And yes, on a scale from one to over-trusting I am pretty damn naive but I want her to know that this world is made out of sugar. It can crumble so easily but don’t be afraid to stick your tongue out and taste it.

“Baby,” I’ll tell her “remember your mama is a worrier but your papa is a warrior and you are the girl with small hands and big eyes who never stops asking for more.”

Remember that good things come in threes and so do bad things and always apologize when you’ve done something wrong but don’t you ever apologize for the way your eyes refuse to stop shining.

Your voice is small but don’t ever stop singing and when they finally hand you heartbreak, slip hatred and war under your doorstep and hand you hand-outs on street corners of cynicism and defeat, you tell them that they really ought to meet your mother.

--"B" by Sarah Kay

Hear Sarah's TED talk here.  Found via Clementine Daily.

Teething Style + moshi moshi Discount!

So, NC is teething.  

The thing about teething, at least in our case, is that it is never ending.  Our child has had white, bumpy, lumpy, sensitive gums for at least two months.  Every morning we wake up and think, "Okay, today is the day we go into her nursery and we find Gary Busey in the crib."  But it just never happens.

Anyway, teething is not fun.  So the only thing we can do is continue to let NC put whatever she damn well pleases into her mouth to help ease the pain.  Thankfully, we have some pretty stylish options for her.

I jumped right in when she was only a few months old and bought NC a raw amber necklace to wear to help with any inflammation that may be causing her pain.  I don't have any hard data to support the success or failure of said amber necklace, but it doesn't seem to be doing any harm, and NC is a super happy baby most of the time so I'll keep it on.  Plus, she looks so cute wearing it.  Case in point:  

My friend from college also sent us an adorable teething necklace for NC to wear so she can pick it up and chomp on it herself.  NC LOVES it.  And of course, she looks so cute wearing it.  Again--case in point:

While I of course know that when it comes to teething, the priority is that whatever you are using to help with the situation has to WORK, I also want my life to remain somewhat enjoyable to look at and not completely filled with merely functional baby gear.  Thank god there are others that feel the same way:

(clockwise from top) Quinn and Lane Hazelwood Necklace / Kangaroo Care Teething Necklace / 

My Natural Baby Silicone Teething Necklace / moshi moshi Wooden Ball Teething Necklace / 

Kangaroo Care Modern Mama Teething Necklace / nihama Teething Necklace

Do you have a teething baby on your hands too? Just need some new gems for your little one or even yourself?  You're in luck:  

My friend Anna from moshi moshi is giving Suggestion readers 15% off now through May 12

(Use code MEL15)  

Her necklaces really are amazing and every teething baby will love them.  And even if you don't have a teething baby, I may or may not have worn NC's myself because I think it's so cute, so buy one for you or someone special!  With Mother's Day coming up, Anna's necklaces will make perfect gifts.   

If you need further incentive to buy a moshi moshi necklace, here's another dose of cuteness.  As if you haven't already had enough.  What?  I'm not ashamed.

xoxo

--mel

    

Spring/Winter Wardrobe 201

Last year around this time, I posted about how Spring had sprung "in theory", but certainly not "in practice".  Well, whaddya know, it's doing it again this year.  This weekend it was both a balmy 70 degrees and a snowy 25.  This, my friends, does not a happy dresser make.

I was hoping I wouldn't need to combine my winter woolens with my new fresh airy Spring wardrobe AGAIN, but alas, here we are.

Which brings me to today's lecture:  "How to combine Spring and Winter wardrobes:  Part 2"

Lesson 1: "It's sunny and snowing…does this mean the devil is beating his…??"  I'll stop you right there.  Yes, you may have thought this was impossible, but in CO, anything is possible, and it happens more often than you may think.  Throw on your favorite jeans with a cheery painterly cardigan and a sunny yellow coat.  All this bright color will make you less depressed to put on your snow boots for one last run (hopefully) of the season.

Lesson 2: "I have a hot date tonight…and I'm freezing.  Can I wear my sweats?"  Answer: no, you can't.  You spent the money on that amazing maxi dress with the flirty jeweled plunging neckline, and you're gonna wear it.  This is where the perfect mix of "hard + soft" will work wonders--pair it with a warm leather moto jacket, nude suede booties, and a precious minaudière, and you're good to go.

Lesson 3: "It's a beautiful Spring weekend, but the whipping wind is bitter cold!  Don't make me put on the wool coat again…"  You're right.  For your sanity, put away that wool coat!  Instead, keep your warm cozy wool scarf on, but pair with your new floral moto jacket, preppy striped trousers, and your trusty leather ankle boots.  Just the right amount of winter gear to shield you from the icy breeze.

EXTRA CREDIT--Lesson 4: "I bought my 8 month old a ton of adorable spring dresses but I may get child protective services called on me if I let her out in only these.  Help me not go to prison!"  Okay, calm down.  Layer her warm winter tights under her new happy dress to keep her legs warm.  Throw her lined coat on top to keep her body toasty, and her leather booties on bottom to keep her toe-ies warm (because these are the ONLY SHOES that will stay on her feet).  Precious.

Hopefully, I never have to give this lecture again.  Come on Spring, you can do it!  

--mel

how to feed a baby

Congratulations, you had a baby!  Planning on breastfeeding?  Perfect!  It's the most natural form of feeding your newborn!  Your body knows just what to do!  Your baby knows exactly how to do it!  Your milk will come when it's called!  Hallelujah, you got through labor and now you're smooth sailing through infancy as your perfect body perfectly perfects the perfect art of perfect food for your perfect baby who is perfectly able to tell you when he/she needs your perfect food for their perfect life!

Ahem.

For those mamas out there who experienced breastfeeding like the above explanation, I envy you, because that is certainly not how it happened for me.  And for the first few weeks after I had NC, I had convinced myself that I was the only new mama in the world who had trouble breastfeeding and that for some reason, I was just ill-equipped.

As I briefly mentioned in my last post, I want this to be a safe place for us to discuss the real issues facing us as human beings, and today, as new mamas.  Not all of my posts will be this "graphic", but today, that's just how the cookie crumbled.  

So without further ado…How to Feed a Baby in 5 Easy Steps

Do or Don't: Push Present

It seems the tradition of a "push present" hasn't really been around for very long, and is probably more prevalent in some circles than others (read: first world problems).  However, it is none the less intriguing.  I don't remember the first time I heard about a "push present", but I do recall a number of different instances when friends have brought it up.  And I suppose now is the time to educate those of you who have no freaking clue what I'm talking about...according to trusty 'ole Wikipedia, a "push present" is:

a present a father gives to the mother to mark the occasion of her giving birth to their child. In practice the present may be given before or after the birth, or even in the delivery room. The giving of push presents has supposedly grown in the United States in recent years. ^[1] A push gift is any type of present loved ones give to a woman who has recently given birth to a child.^[2] The name push gift although indicative of a vaginal delivery does not exclude those women who have given birth through a C-section."

(link)

Okay, back to the task at hand.  I came across an interesting NY Times article on the subject and I was intrigued to read the differing viewpoints.  I think the title of the article intrinsically states the opinion of the author:  "A Bundle of Joy Isn't Enough?"  Another opinion from a mom in the article:  “It’s a way to honor a mother giving her emotions, body and hormones over to a baby for nine months, culminating in an experience which, when done naturally, redefines the meaning of pain. And when not done naturally, it’s still an act of sacrifice."  And yet another opinion:  “I do not think that because a woman has had a baby she requires a Tiffany & Company item. She requires help, love and emotional support."  How about one more...:  “I wear those rings every day,” Ms. Allen said. “They symbolize my kids. There’s something about them that’s even more weighty than my wedding band.”

Anyway, my Mr. & I have certainly never been one to follow "tradition" and jewels and bling and big shiny objects of material affection have never really had much part in my vocabulary.  But I suppose I can understand wanting to commemorate such a special day with a little memorial charm or trinket, something to remind you always of the birth of your child.  Another consideration:  how different (or the same, for that matter) is this than the idea of an engagement ring or wedding band?

So, I wanna know:  what are your thoughts on "push presents"?  Is there a "right" and a "wrong" way to do it?  Never a good idea?  Sometimes a good idea?  Something that you secretly judge your friends for wanting?  Something you totally understand?

P.S.  I think something like this would be a sweet (and super chic) reminder of the day of a child's birth.  Or any other special occasion--weddings, birthdays, engagements, etc.  

Soft Gold Studio

 

The Return of Inspiration

I'm not going to lie, the last several weeks have been hard.  In the midst of trying to tie up approximately 14 billion loose ends at work and home before baby arrives, my Mr. went and broke his ankle, leaving us one leg down.  So with just the normal craziness that accompanies any self-employed business owner who is trying to make sure things are covered during her absence, I learned the very hard lesson of just how unbelievably valuable my Mr.'s second leg is.

I hear that the last couple months of pregnancy are supposed to be for turning inward, focusing on connecting with the creature who is about to rock your world forever, learning to quiet your mind and your spirit in preparation for the greatest most life-altering experience of all time.  However, I admit I've spent most of mine in the throws of panic and stress, slowing down every once in a while to come back above water and remind myself of just how blessed I am.  But for the sake of honesty, I'd be lying if I said I didn't go back to swimming around in the great "woe is me" for the better part of it all.

Anyway, my point is:  I'M BACK.  I don't know what happened but yesterday I woke up and I was finally excited to see the beauty and inspiration that I have found for so long in this great thing--my dear internet cosmos.  There's no explaining it.  Maybe I just had enough of this whole self-pity crap.  Maybe I realized that I have less than a month before the curtain rises (supposedly) and holy shit, that's a huge of load of reality!  Time to get back into the beauty.

So, how about a round-up of a few things that have helped to remind me of who I really am.  In no particular order of importance:

1.)  Peaches--all day, every day.

Chilled Tomato & Peach Soup

Peach & Raspberry Crumble

The famous Palisade Peaches

2.) Petra Borner drawings--I want to tattoo these all over my body. (found via Jessica Comingore)

3.) Cursing, and trying to figure out how to make that work with virgin ears coming my way.

Miss Phies Boutique

4.)  Dexter--I may or may not have watched all seven seasons and got up to date to the current season 8 in approximately 2.7 weeks.  Don't judge me.

5.) My boys.

*DISCLAIMER: the below photo of my Mr. was taken in more innocent times, times before the reality of rock climbing injuries and the always present probability possibility that one will indeed bust their ass on an outcropping and send said climber straight to the surgeon's table and into the "non-weight bearing" oblivion of 8-12 weeks.*

**DISCLAIMER TWO:  if you were drenched by disdain from my previous disclaimer, please forgive me.  I'm working through it.

Beer

For someone who really loves beer, Colorado is a great state to live in.  The New Yorker recently published an article in which they literally mapped the rise and abundance of craft breweries in the U.S.  Colorado ranked #3 for total number of craft breweries in the state and for total barrels of beer produced in 2012.  They also came in #5 for having 15 craft breweries for every 500,000 people in the state.  Not too shabby.

And because I know I have such adept and meticulous readers, I'll go ahead and jump ahead of the curve and assess the fact that yes, I am indeed writing a post about beer on a Monday morning while 30  weeks pregnant.  No need to worry, my dear internet cosmos, I am still firmly planted on the wagon.  

On a side note, I may or may not have already asked my Dr. if it's acceptable to crack open a beer right after delivery in the hospital.  And being that we live in CO, she may or may not have responded in support of the matter.

Check out the full interactive map here.  How'd your state do?

Mother's Day

Usually Mother's Day is a pretty uneventful holiday for me.  Of course, it usually includes flowers or cards or calls to all of my favorites mothers.  But there's a feeling that accompanies a holiday that you only celebrate from "the outside looking in".  Like when you learn about the holidays celebrated in other cultures and religions and you go to parties and festivals to watch how they celebrate their own.  And sometimes you may eat a latke or run through plumes of chalky colors.  But you're still just observing--standing on the outside looking through the glass at the wonders of the many celebrations that are not your own.

I hadn't really thought much about this Mother's Day and how it relates to me until yesterday I received a card in the mail from a friend that said "Happy Mother's Day".  I had to pause for a minute to wonder if she sent it to the wrong person.  But then, as if she knew exactly what I was thinking, I felt a little squirm in my stomach and remembered that Motherhood is upon me.  Inside me.  Slowly peaking it's little light above the horizon.

So this year I feel slightly different about Mother's Day.  I feel like I've picked a new religion or been reborn in another country.  I feel like this year, I'm celebrating a whole new holiday:  one in which we honor the ones who carry life.  One measly little tiny second of eternity, nowhere near adequate enough, where we stop to say thanks to the person who birthed us, who carried us inside of her, who gave up wine and caffeine and wine and sky diving and wine and yoga inversions and wine for us.  The one who, at one time, had her own heart, and also yours, beating inside of her one body.

This year, as I feel this little one inside of me--another heart, another brain, another set of lungs, another pair of ears and eyes--growing and dancing and exploring, I am so very humbled and so extremely honored to be inducted into this new culture, the culture of mothers.

This Mother's Day, the most I can give to my own Mother and to the many mothers I love and admire, is my promise that I will spend every day of the rest of my life trying to live up to the amazing examples that you have set for me.  And continue to take at least a second of every day to stop and look around and remember what a mystery this all is, and how utterly miraculous that I, and everyone else wandering around here, came to be.

Have a wondrous weekend,
MEL

P.S. That's me today, about 26 weeks into the wild blue yonder.