The Pink Pen Blog

A Reflection on the Preschooler's Cheeks

2012-01-25T19:05:00.001-08:00

My son has the cutest cheeks ever. I realized this as we were getting out of the car to check the mail today. The sweetest curve, the smoothest skin, the nibbliest texture. No day is so bad that it can't be fixed by watching those cheeks bunch up into a great big smile. Even if his cheeks are damp and sweaty for a hard day of playing, or even a bit gritty and dirty from said day, they are still kissable and soothing. Even when he pulls that perfect roundness flat with an I-Don't-Want-To frown, they are perfect and sweet (although slightly less endearing). <3

You Can't Make This Up ...

2012-01-12T17:50:00.001-08:00

The past year has been ... interesting. I've embraced that old saying that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I tell jokes that I could have my own daytime soap opera (except there'd be a lot less sex). And I have a lot of people telling me I should write a book. Seeing as I am a writer, writing a book is obviously something that appeals to me. It could be cathartic, and I'm pretty sure that most people would find it pretty funny ... and make them thankful that they're not me!

But I'm not sure where to begin. My 1,000+ mile move? My divorce? Or back further, to my wedding reception, where my bouquet ended up in the chandelier and several of the table decorations burst into flames? Or back even further, to my childhood in an underground house and naked rubber chicken show-and-tell escapades?

Getting Organized ... the Saga

2012-01-08T18:40:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had that conversation about the ways you don't want to die? You know, after watching something like Titanic. Drowning? Nah, that would suck. Freezing to death? Might be better than drowning, but still, I'll pass. Pretty much anything short of passing peacefully in my sleep is not high on my list.

Death by paperwork is, again, pretty far down on the list of ways I'd like to die. So that's one of the many reasons why I'm trying to reign in my home's paper tide before it becomes a tsunami. The boy probably wouldn't mind so much: while his current obsession is cars, before cars, it was paper. Anything made out of paper. And he's convinced that yours truly can make anything out of paper. He seriously tested my origami abilities. I'm enjoying this cars respite, but I know paper is in our future. He's dependable, my boy.

So building my life raft (not out of paper!) is my first goal for the new year. I've moved an old microwave cart into my foyer to help corral all the paper as it comes in. And while I fully intend to deal with the paper as soon as it crosses my threshold, I'm also designating Monday and Thursday evenings as Paperwork Party (ie, shred, toss and file nights). I live a wild life, let me tell you. Meh, it's better than drowning! My last step is making a convenient, easily accessible home for those pieces I need to keep. Any suggestions?

Welcome 2012!

2011-12-31T16:10:00.000-08:00

2012 is going to be my year. I'm ready to shake the dust of 2011 from my toes and start dancing in 2012. So, in honor of the new year, here are the goals I'm setting for myself:

Get Organized

As a newly single mom, I have learned that there just isn't enough time in the day to get everything done. To get as much done as humanly possible, I need to be smart about my time and and my expectations, and I need to get all the help I can by putting the things I need a fingertip away every time. So, first things first:

Time study. For one week, I'm going to track my time to see how I spend each waking minute. I've actually set a tentative daily, weekly and monthly routine for myself, but now I want to fine tune them to see where I can cram in a few more to-dos.
Reevaluate. My internal Southern Living editor and I are going to have a heart-to-heart on exactly how neat I keep my home. Yes, I would love to have a magazine-ready home, but between a full-time job, a very active preschooler and a limited amount of space, I'm not sure how feasible that goal is. So we're going to do a little giving and taking here.
Invest. If there is a tool out there that will help me get and keep my home and life organized, I am going to save my money and buy it. And use it. And tell you all about it! : )

Get Healthy

One of the reasons I want to get organized is so I can find more time to take care of myself (which makes staying organized easier ... it's a lovely symbiotic relationship I've got going on here). Another one of the reasons? A lovely, smart and very active preschooler who is challenging mom to keep up. Challenge accepted!

Eat better. I will find easy-to-make, quick, healthy dinners that the boy will actually eat. (And they will not be the same three meals over and over and over.) We will have a fruit and/or vegetable with every meal. Every single meal and snacks too!
Drink more water. I am going to use the next quarter to wean myself off of Diet Coke. I like Diet Coke. But water is better for me, and it's free.
Do something active every day. Even if it's only 10 push-ups in the morning, I will do something active every day. Ideally, the boy and I will do it together, but "ideal" is rarely a word that describes my life, so we're going to figure it out!

Have Fun!

Fun is not a word that figured into my life a lot in 2011. I was simply trying to struggle through, keep my head above water and grieve for my marriage (it's amazing how hard and sad even the right decision can be). This year I want to add a little more fun in there. I like smiling. I feel better when I laugh. And I want the boy to see a mom who is healthy and happy.

I will take the time to do one thing a month just for fun, just for me.
I will call my friends and family often to laugh and chat and listen and not talk about me the entire time.
I will revisit the things I used to enjoy doing to find out if I still enjoy them.
I will find a way to make music part of my life again.
I will invest in glitter. Glitter makes everything better!

So what do you think? Feel like coming along for the ride? I hope so — see you in 2012!

You Know You're a Mom When ...

2011-11-19T13:43:00.000-08:00

This story is about underwear. About finding a pair of my underwear in the center console of my car ...

With that kind of an introduction, you would think this story involves entirely too much fun: maybe too much alcohol, almost definitely one of those guys you know is just such a bad idea. But that would be if you had a free-wheeling, single life. So I can tell you right now, my story is much less exciting but probably much more amusing.

So here goes.

The reason a pair of my underwear is lurking in my center console is because my 3-year-old son has almost conquered potty training. Potty training — for those parents who've not yet gone through it and for those who are far enough away to be able to laugh at those messy, messy memories — is both messy and unpredictable. The boy and I are in the latter stages of potty training. We've gotten the hang of going on the potty. Really! It's the aiming/wiping bit that we still struggle with. I say "we" because when he has a mishap, guess who gets to clean up? Oh yeah, that'd be me.

Being the overly prepared parent that I try to be, I go everywhere — restaurants, grocery stores and play dates — with extra clothes. I was getting us ready for church (yes, the story about my underwear involves church. And yes, I do realize how very, very wrong that is.) and throwing everything into my purse: toys, clothes for the boy, snacks for the boy, a drink for the boy who gets thirsty after eating his snacks, wipes for messes on the boy, paper towels for messes made by the boy, a plastic bag for clothes that get peed on, my tithe from two weeks ago (which is a whole other blog post) ... pretty much everything I think I might possibly need and a few extras for good measure.

It wasn't until we got to church that I realized, wrapped up in the boy's clothes, was a pair of my own undies. Rather than take those into church and pop out at a really inconvenient time (just imagine ... or, rather, don't), I tossed them into my center console.

So simple. So not exciting. But they're STILL THERE. I rediscovered them the other night as I was meeting a few friends out for dinner and immediately threw them back into the console. Story told, story laughed at, story forgotten. And the undies are, again, STILL THERE. Maybe it's because I'm hoping to run into that such-a-bad-idea guy one day. Or maybe (and more likely) it's because I'm juggling the boy, a pack with enough supplies to last us through the next blizzard (or potty training mishap, whichever comes first), groceries and a never-ending to-do list to prepare for my next adventure in mommy-dom. Yeah, I'm thinking that last bit might be it.

Blog Tinkering

2011-11-13T19:15:00.001-08:00

I'm a tinkerer. I love to fiddle with things: to tweak, revise, adjust until I get it just right ... for a while, and then I start tinkering again. Sometimes that's a good thing, and sometimes things go slightly amiss. As is the case with my blog. I did some tinkering a few days ago that may have killed about a year's worth of posts. We'll see. I'm going to do some more tinkering to see if I can't get them back. In the meantime, here's hoping this batch of tinkering works!

Identity Crisis

2010-02-19T18:42:00.000-08:00

Last year, I got serious about starting my freelance writing biz. I've been fortunate to have contract work that's been keeping us fed, clothed, housed and all that good stuff, but I realized that relying on one client was short-sighted, especially since I would prefer to continue working from home. So, I got serious.
I incorporated my biz (SZC Communications), started some marketing stuff, reached out to former colleagues, joined professional groups, hit the social media sphere (blogging included, although I know I've been neglecting this one. The good stuff is at The Pink Pen Blog!), all the stuff that you're supposed to do. And I started reading. Lots and lots of reading.
And I keep reading, "Find and own your niche." My niche. What on earth is my niche? I've been a specialist in being a generalist for almost a decade now! What do I write about? Senior health, Alzheimer's disease, personal finance, marketing, adventure vacations, gardening, communications, publishing, social media, science, environmental issues... see my drift?
I like the variety. I like being the Queen of Random Trivia (because yes, after all those years writing about all those topics, I am the Queen of Random Trivia. Ask my husband).
So drilling down to find my niche has been hard. I do sometimes feel as though I'm going through an identity crisis. Which me is the most marketable? Sigh. I guess I'll figure it out one of these days!

Thanksgiving 09

2009-12-06T19:16:00.000-08:00

N's first real Thanksgiving (as in, he could actually eat the food) went over very well. This was the year my mom's whole family gets together, and even though sickness kept a few folks away, it was so good to see everyone again. N enjoy spending time with the cousins (always a sucker for a rapt audience, my boy), and I had fun catching up with everyone. It was a crazy week, and N got completely off schedule, but he was such a trooper.
We're getting him ready for Christmas too! He doesn't really understand who Santa is just yet, but he's fascinated by the tree. We've had to move all our glass ornaments up to the top of the tree, because he kept pulling the balls off. So our tree's a little unbalanced until we get a few more durable ornaments up there.
This year his nativity set is taking center stage in the foyer, while my glass one gets relegated to the dining room table. N is enjoying taking the sheep and shepherds for tours of his garage, so the scene is never quite finished. It may be rather empty by the time Jesus makes his appearance, but I don't think He'll mind much!

Falling in Love

2009-11-04T17:02:00.001-08:00

I love fall. Always have. The cool weather, the spectacular palette, the smell of wood smoke on the breeze. Fall, I think, is my favorite season.
But I've been able to fall in love with fall all over again, thanks to N.
Everything is, of course, new to him, and the way he enjoys it and experiences it helps me see it again from a new perspective.
He loves crunching through the fallen leaves, and he loves picking them up to examine them too. He's an equal opportunity leaf-lover. He goes for the brilliant red leaves that have fallen from our crepe myrtles, but he also tries to pick up the leaves so worn and brittle they look more like spider webs than leaves. He loves to pick up acorns and carry them around; I imagine he likes the hard, smooth texture in his tight little fist.
Hooray for fall!

Been a While!

2009-10-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

Wow. It's been a while since I updated!
We're looking forward to Halloween tomorrow. N is going as Yoda. Ought to be interesting, since he's not a big fan of hats. We'll see how long it lasts! Hopefully at least long enough for me to snap a few pictures.
Other than that, life has been pretty tame. N is officially a toddler. He spends most of his time walking/running around. He LOVES to play outside. He also loves our kitty, who still won't go anywhere near him. So sad. Definitely a love-hate relationship there.
I received my belated anniversary present last week: we hired a cleaning service. Ah the joy of having a clean house that I didn't have to do the work for! Although it did present me with a bit of a conundrum; I so badly wanted to clean the house before they came! I hate for anyone to see my house dirty. I just had to remind myself that I was paying them to do it, and I managed to not vacuum.

Is It Possible to Sprain Your Nose?

2009-09-27T10:26:00.000-07:00

We were playing the other day, and he basically fell on my face. Some part of his head cracked my nose; not sure which of him hit me as my eyes were too full of tears to actually see. Poor guy was wailing as much as I wanted to, but at least he got over it quickly!

I, however, still feel like I broke my nose. I didn't. No blood, no bruises, no marks to show that my nose is now an ever-present, painful part of my face, as opposed to my ears, eyes, chin, cheeks and lips which are perfectly content to continue their pain-free, unconscious existence.

It was so sad. As I was putting him down for his nap today, he was giving me baby hugs. I love those! Except when he bangs his head into my nose AGAIN. Ow, ow, ow ow owwwwwww.

The hazards of mommyhood, I guess! Someday, I will look back on this and laugh...

Zoo-bilations!

2009-09-06T08:21:00.001-07:00

This weekend, we took our first trip to the zoo. I thought for sure, as excited as N. gets around animals, that he would be twisting and turning his head like the Exorcist baby trying to see everything. Not so much.
He had great fun, of course, but he was much more interested in the people and children around us than in the animals! He did occasionally notice an animal. He had a nice staring contest with the lion who apparently thought N. and I looked like lunch. And he had a painfully high-pitched conversation with the squirrel monkeys, who were apparently excited to find someone who spoke their language. The star of show, by far, was the goat in the petting zoo at the very end.
In other news, he's started taking independent steps now, and each day his walks get a little longer. My days are numbered. I had to pause in writing this to move all my plants out of the foyer and into the dining room (which is still blocked off for him; it's my temporary office and resting place for all things N. doesn't need to get in to), because his reach has apparently stretched just enough... !

Welcome to The Pink Pen Blog!

2009-09-02T14:46:00.000-07:00

Be on the lookout for fun basics brushing-up posts, hall of shame posts and just about anything and everything that strikes our writing fancy!

Walking.... Almost!

2009-09-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

I feel like we are setting N. up for injury. He's recently started taking his first non-supported steps — hands held high over head, torso leaning forward so he can fall on his face after 4-6 steps. That's because we get so excited and cheer him on, but the cheering is usually happening when he's falling. So I think he's getting the idea that he's landed in a family of sadists who enjoy seeing him fall on his nose! At least he takes his falls very well. He laughs, pulls himself up and wants to do it all over again!
Thank goodness he's a generally happy baby, because he is working on all four of his molars and his two lower incisors. The drool is amazing. Prolific. Abundant. Omnipresent.
Poor guy, though, had an interesting morning yesterday. Our upstairs air has been out, and when we put him down Sunday night, it was warm enough that we put him down in just a diaper (you know where this is going).
Big, big, big mistake.
By the time I got to him Monday morning, the damage had been done.
Poop everywhere.
All over his face, caked in his hair & eyebrows, all over the crib, ground into his sheet... ugh! None of us had a good morning that day! Fortunately, he seems to have recovered well, and I'm not holding the poo-incident against him. We were the dummies, after all, who put him down in just a diaper!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2009-08-26T10:52:00.000-07:00

Wow! Has this month been busy!
My husband has now officially gone back to school — teaching and taking. So N. and I are once again adjusting our schedules to try to juggle fun, work, eating, work, writing and working out. Yikes! Give us another week, and we'll be in the swing of things, but right now it feels a little crazy.
However, we do progress. I've finished my first Web site design. It's still very much a work in progress!
N. is doing well. Still not walking, but my days are numbered. I think he learns a new word every day. "No," sadly, is his favorite right now. I think he's trying to cut a few new teeth; his lower jaw is just a mass of knots. It doesn't seem to bother him much, though, so we're just going with the flow!

And He Walks

2009-08-10T18:15:00.000-07:00

Behind his push car, but he's walking!
Today was the first day my mom has come back to watch him while I work, and of course, he previewed his new skill for her while I was upstairs working. Fortunately, he's not at all shy about sharing his new skill. In fact, when Daddy got home (and was duly impressed!), Daddy asked him to, "Show me how you walk." He crawled right over to his push car, stood up and started walking around!
Yay, N!

Long Time, No Post

2009-08-04T19:24:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's been a while.
In News of The Boy:
• He had his one-year-check up and, as expected, he's doing just fine! He had to have some blood work done for this visit, and he was such a trooper. Screamed bloody murder, of course, but it was all for being held still while they tried to find his vein. Actual needle stick? No problem, man.
• He's still just cruising, but we're coming up on the age that Mommy started walking (14 months), so I'm holding my breath. Of course, Daddy didn't walk until he was 17 months, so I may have a few more months to go. Whatever and whenever, I'm both ready and not ready.
• He is talking up a storm! In addition to Mama, Dada and baba (bottle), he says "nana" (banana, which sadly, he doesn't get to eat as much as he would like; one a week is plenty!), "kitty" (although he glosses over the "t"s), "meow" (what does a kitty say?), "doggie," "Mimi" (his Mimi C. is so excited) and "caca." I think he means cup when he says caca, but Daddy has also been trying to teach him "Cocky" (I realize it's a mascot, but really, is that such a great word to be teaching him?), so it's a toss-up. We're working on "please," although he doesn't really get the concept, he'll say it if I ask him "what do you say?" And, of course, there's just the general vocalisations that mean something to him, but that I'm just not so hot at deciphering.
In other news:
• I finished my blog-a-thon. Go me! It was harder than I thought it would be, but I had fun, and I'm committed to doing it again next year.
• I'm teaching myself Dreamweaver so I can redesign my Web site. The current live version is the template version the company provided me, so don't hold it against me. I'm having a lot of fun, because I'm a big, fat nerd. : )
• I am very much looking forward to my baby-less vacation. The hubby and baby are staying home while mommy goes to have fun, sleep in and enjoy a glass or two of wine with my sister.

Greeting Cards Are Moving!

2009-07-18T11:51:00.000-07:00

Yay! I got my final illustrations on Friday, so I'm getting my card ready to go to the printers on Monday. I am PSYCHED!

Nothing Exciting

2009-07-14T17:46:00.000-07:00

I'm proud of myself: I have not missed a day in my blog-a-thon. This week, I'm doing something really, really scary. I'm publishing unedited, unrevised posts. Yikes! It's all part of my master plan, but still, kind of freaky to put blatantly bad writing on my professional blog.
And I approved the second illustration for my first snarky greeting card today. Yay! I'm meeting with the illustrator Friday (hopefully) to exchange files and get cranking on card #2. Keep an eye on your mail... I'm planning to send out first draft copies for comments and input! So if you're not sure whether I have your snail mail, send me a note or comment (not to worry; I don't publish comments with personal info).
Other than that, life here has been pretty tame. Working, trying to juggle all of my projects, playing with N (who gets harder to resist every day; no wait staff, day care worker or grocery bagger is immune to his charm) and discovering that the secret to happiness is coffee in the morning and a glass of wine after dinner. Or a bloody mary, whichever happens to be available.
PS: Blogger's spell checker is completely weird. It trips over words I've spelled correctly, and then suggests the spelling that I'm already using. Am I confused? Missing something? (Can't be too much alcohol, b/c I haven't had a drink yet!)

May Be a While

2009-07-06T08:53:00.001-07:00

I've decided to get on the ball with my freelance writing (just because I don't have enough projects going on right now!). So in honor of that resolution, I'm doing a blog-a-thon on my professional blog (sarahzcordell.wordpress.com). My plan is to update it every day (yikes! nothing like being ambitious). So that means I might be a little (OK, a lot) neglectful of my personal blog this month. You'll see my updates on Twitter (just added that widget yesterday — yay!) when I publish a new post, so feel free to check me out and let me know what you think. Thanks!

Playing Ball

2009-07-02T18:18:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we head down to Atlanta, and I am nervous, nervous, nervous. It's not the first time we've traveled with N (far from it!), but it's the first time all three of us will share a hotel room. This could get verrrrry interesting.
I think N is currently working on more teeth. He's drooling like a St. Bernard, and his fingers are constantly in his mouth. Although he's also figured out that his fingers are good for pointing to things, too. He prefers to pick what he eats now (go figure, his favorites are fruit and puffs), he asks for his "ba-ba" (bottle) when he wants a drink and today he started playing "ball" with me! We'd been rolling an old soccer ball of D's back and forth, but today he started "dribbling" (drop it, pick it up, drop it, pick it up, etc.), "passing" the ball to me (putting it in front of me on the couch), "stealing" it (pushing it away from me) and doing some "fancy" hand work (rolling that puppy like a Powerball). We had a blast!
And we did finally get a hair cut. Yay! N didn't mind the cutting, but the trimmer was another matter entirely. However, he came out of it unscathed, although now he officially looks like a little boy and not a baby. Kind of sad for Mommy.
I think I've mentioned that I'm working on my snarky greeting card line. I've approved the sketch of my spokes-cartoon, Bebe W. Jones. Wink Publications now has its own Facebook page (you can find it on my Facebook page) and Bebe has her own Twitter account, too. Eventually, I'll start a blog for her, but I've got enough on my plate right now without adding an alter ego to the mix. However, I'm very excited to be this far. I'm hoping to get my second sketch soon so that I can get some samples and the word out!
I'm going to try to upload a few of N's one year portraits. Becky McClellan (of McClellan Photography — www.McClellanPhotography.com), a former coworker of mine, took these shots up at Furman, and they all turned out SO WELL. Becky rocks!

First Birthday!

2009-06-25T18:07:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe that it has been a year already. My baby is a year old! My weekly "Your baby's development" e-mail has now switched over to "Your toddler's development." Yikes! So far, N still isn't toddling, but that hasn't kept him from getting into everything. Oddly enough, he's currently progressing from the army crawl to a traditional crawl. I assumed we'd probably skip the traditional crawl, since he got around just fine (thank you very much) scooting on his tummy, but that just goes to show how much I know about it!

We had a very nice party with lots of family. N had a BLAST. He loved all the people and trying new foods (hot dogs and cake). He was more interested in playing in the cake than actually eating it. He got icing EVERYWHERE!!! Almost a week later, and I'm still finding bits of icing on the floor, the high chair, the walls, the doorframe... let's just say he was enthusiastic and leave it at that!

We were planning to go to the zoo on Father's Day, but between the rain and the 90+ temperatures, we're delaying that plan indefinitely.

New Post on the Professional Blog

2009-06-11T11:33:00.000-07:00

I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth the effort of maintaining a professional and personal blog. Now that I work from home, my professional and personal lives blur so much that I'm beginning to think maintaining a cyber-distinction is a waste of my time. However, since I haven't completely decided this, I'm going to post a teaser here... Check it out if you're interested, and feel free to weigh in on my dilemma! You can find the rest at sarahzcordell.wordpress.com.

Assigning Articles 101

Posted on June 11, 2009 by sarahzcordell | Edit

The whole point of working with a freelance writer is to save time, right?

Right. But don’t check that project off your to-do list just yet.

As the assigning “editor” — even if you couldn’t find the subject of a diagrammed sentence — you have to ensure that the final piece meets your needs. If you don’t answer the following questions before you assign your project, you’re setting yourself up for lots of revisions, frustration and wasted time before you arrive at that final piece.

Almost a Year

2009-06-09T19:18:00.001-07:00

It's been an embarrassingly long time since I posted, but I'm tired, so this will be quick...

N news:
• Cruising, and his reach has expanded exponentially. Things are now being stacked higher and higher on the few surfaces that are still out of reach.
• More teeth! He cut his two top front and one top incisor (canine? whichever is right next to your front teeth) at the same time. Only two sleepless nights while that was going on. Now he's working on the other incisor (canine?), and I'm trying to convince him that his teething ring, not Mom, is great for chewing on. Still trying to get a pic of the new ones.
• 1st birthday is coming up! Holy cow, lots of planning to be done...

My news:
• Finally getting my snarky greeting card line rolling! I have my quote from the printer, and I met with the illustrator this evening for dinner. I'm excited!
• Officially kicked the cat out. Can't take the whining any more. He spends his days outside and his nights in the garage. He's adapting well (seriously, that's not sarcasm).

From Belly to Butt

2009-04-30T18:39:00.000-07:00

Quick update on the N front — he's learned how to get from lying on his tummy to sitting up. Yay! He's also working on some new teeth; from the looks of it, we may end up with two front teeth and an incisor soon. That means he's been pretty miserable the last few days. Even climbing Mount Mom (he's desperate to get at my hair, which is usually pulled back, so he's trying to climb over my shoulder to get at it) doesn't make him as happy as it usually does.

He's still trying to figure out how to stand up. Right now, he ends up in Downward Facing Dog a lot, on tip-toe, no less!

Waiting for Words

2009-04-26T19:14:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know, it's entirely too early for him to be talking yet. But I so wish that he would! I would love it if he could say, "Mommy, I had a bad dream" or "Mommy, my ear aches" or "I just wanted you to come here, Mommy."

I want to know what's going on. Just when I feel as if I've gotten a hang of this whole motherhood thing, he throws me for another loop. Tonight, for example, he went to sleep early because he missed his morning nap and it showed. About 30 minutes after he went down, however, he woke up. And he didn't just wake up, he woke up squealing.

We've struggled with sleeping for a while, but this seemed different than normal. So I went in to check on him. Was he warm from crying or was he running a fever? D brought the thermometer. Of course, the battery was dying. It took a good two minutes to get up to 98 degrees, and then it stuck there. So we're assuming that he doesn't have a fever. We had a little more bottle and then put him back to bed. He went straight to sleep and hasn't woken up since (even when I went in to check on him).

It's probably nothing. Or if it is something, it's an ear infection and we'll have to go back to the doctor. But it's so frustrating not knowing if I'm supposed to be worrying or not. My default setting is, of course, worrying, and I have a tendency to worry myself into a neurotic mess (just ask D).

I want an owner's manual for my baby! At the very least, I want instructions, even if they're shouted at the top of his baby lungs (which are quite capable, thank you very much).

So I'm waiting for words. I guess, as a parent, you're always waiting for something (sleep, words, walking, potty training, curfew…)!

Easter and a Few Extras

2009-04-21T17:43:00.000-07:00

What a month it's been! I'm starting with the most recent and progressing backward. I'm also going to try to upload a video (here's hoping!).

So the big news in N Land, he's cruising! Yes, he's learned to pull himself up on the hearth without banging his chin (Mommy tacking down the child-proof bumper helped!), and now he's walking along it in a desperate attempt to get to the tiny rocks in the actual fireplace. As you can see from the videos, we've got a ton of stuff piled up in front of that as we try to keep him out. I think it's a losing battle. (Side note on the videos: the first one is just funny, because he is fascinated by the camera! The second one has no narration from me because I didn't want him chasing the camera again!)

I think he learned this new skills from WS, with whom we had our first play date recently. I say first, because this is the first time he's been old enough to interact with his play mate! Granted, most of the interaction consisted of taking toys away from each other, but still! The boys had fun, and WS's mommy and I had fun catching up.

I'm also uploading a few Easter photos. He looked very cute in his outfit, and although he was TIRED by the end of the day, he was such a good baby all day long. And bonus! A photo of Grandpa with N and one of N's first attempt at finger foods (potatoes). Still working on the hand-to-mouth thing.

To-Do Lists

2009-04-06T17:27:00.000-07:00

I'm a list nerd. I have work to-dos, household to-dos, home improvement to-dos, personal professional to-dos… they help keep me on track. Sadly, lists are a double-edged sword. They remind me of all the things I need to do, and all the things I can't manage to get done in a given day. I'm trying to determine if their usefulness outweighs the depressing nature of the carry-over to-dos. I'll let you know what I decide…

The Write Time

2009-04-05T19:14:00.001-07:00

I'm a little nervous about this month. My mom usually comes up Mondays & Tuesdays each week to keep an eye on N while I get some work (ie, paycheck work, not household work) done. This month, however, she's going to be gone for two weeks. I can't begrudge her time away. For one thing, I'm not paying her! For another, one of those weeks away she and Daddy will be in Europe. I can be insanely jealous, but I can't begrudge her.

However, that's two whole weeks that I'm going to have to find time to write around N. And now that he's mobile, that's even more challenging than it used to be! We had some friends over Saturday night, and I spent all day cleaning up and chasing him. He was either getting into something he shouldn't or making a mess in the room I'd just cleaned up. I know, I know: shades of things to come.

It wouldn't be that bad, except that N thinks Mommy's computer is a big, cool toy. I've tried sitting in the floor with him, me on the laptop, him with his blocks (music thing-y, books, rattles, car thing-y, etc.), but that's not lasting very long these days.

In the hopes of trying to get as much done as humanly possible, I've mapped out my month. I will definitely be taking advantage of the Mommy's Morning Out offered at my gym. I plan on being very productive on Thursday mornings! How is it possible that the days get shorter the longer they get?

Switching Hats

2009-04-02T17:11:00.000-07:00

I've been playing around on Twitter, a micro-blogging site (140 characters or less; when I say micro, I mean micro!). But I can't seem to decide if I'm going to post my professional or personal blog in my Twitter profile. My indecision is probably a reflection of trying to figure out how I really identify myself now. Am I a stay-at-home mom who also happens to write for a living, or am I a writer who also happens to be a stay-at-home mom?

Right now, I guess I'm leaning toward a stay-at-home mom who's also a writer, since I've linked to this blog on my site. So in the spirit of being mom and a writer, I'm so excited with how things went today.

First, N finally slept through the night again (yay!). That's two nights in a row that I've gotten a decent amount of uninterrupted sleep. I feel moderately human again.

Second, N has started crawling. It's an army crawl, but he has no problems getting where he wants to go. I would upload my video, but it takes FOREVER.

Third, N is trying to go straight from crawling to standing. He keeps planting his feet and trying to push up with his hands. (I didn't say he was going about it the right way, but he is trying).

And lastly, I finally took advantage of the mommy's morning out at the gym — three whole hours of uninterrupted mommy time! I used it to interview Stephanie Henderson at Me Salon and Day Spa. I'm doing an article on if/how the recession is affecting small businesses in Simpsonville that I'm going to post on a friend's blog: upstatestories.wordpress.com. It was a good day!

Forward Motion

2009-03-31T17:43:00.001-07:00

And it's the beginning of the end. While we were visiting with friends this weekend, N discovered the art of forward movement. It's not a crawl, but it's a tip-toe creep. Very funny to watch, although this means his reach has just expanded exponentially. One paranoid call to poison control taught mommy that even if I think something is out of his reach, I need to move it anyways. He's fine (and I knew he was fine), but I'm slightly obsessive over not killing my son!

Watching him learn and change from day to day is just amazing. Sometimes it's slow, and nothing much seems to be happening. And then all of a sudden, you turn around and he's creeping and standing and trying to pull up on things…

He's gotten much more interested in his books. Granted, it's all from a taste perspective. Right now, his favorite is the Spanish Made Fun and Easy I bought for myself about 10 years ago. We might not ever get to learn Spanish; N plays hard with his books!

In non-baby news, D ran his first half-marathon this weekend. He was very pleased with his time (2:05, right on his target time), but he is hurting now! He's still planning to do a full marathon in October, so obviously it hasn't dissuaded him from the idea of more pain over a longer period of time. I haven't grasped the allure of long-distance running.

It's Amazing What Happens in a Month

2009-03-23T16:20:00.000-07:00

WOW! Has March been busy!

N changes so much from week to week. He went from staying pretty much in one spot — in one position, even — to wiggling, worming and squirming his way all around our living room. He's still not quite crawling, but that doesn't seem to limit his reach that much. He babbles "mama" constantly, much to Mama's delight and Daddy's chagrin (N seems to have forgotten how to say "Dada," or at least "Mama" is much more interesting these days!). He's perfectly content to practice standing by leaning against the ottoman or his music thing (I have no idea what to call it). Some days when I look at him, I think he may skip crawling entirely and go right on to walking. And I'm usually not entirely sure if I'm happy about that!

We had our first snow; how convenient was it that we get a decent snow for our first baby? N was unperturbed by the flakes when we took him out for the actual snow. He wasn't nearly as impressed the next day, however, when I laid him on a jacket in the snow. Of course, that could have been because I put him in about 14 million layers, mostly because we didn't have anything that was waterproof. The one piece of him that wasn't cover in a million layers (his hands; I was having a blond-mommy moment) was the first thing that went in the snow, and I think the cold was off-putting for him.

He's also the biggest flirt I know. He's got beautiful long lashes, and he's not a bit shy about using them! It seems like every time we go out, someone comments on how beautiful he is (and yes, we get a lot of "He's too pretty to be a boy!"). He smiles at everyone and even hides his face sometimes (while peeking out and smiling, of course). Here's hoping that his beautiful temperament lasts, and we skip the proverbial terrible twos!

I, meanwhile, have been keeping busy with work. In addition to the contract work I do for the company that bought CCM, I also offered to help my next door neighbor with some marketing collateral. He's opening the very first 9Round franchise (9Round is a boxing and kick boxing circuit gym). It was lots of fun getting to work that side of my brain again, but combined with everything else I had going on, I felt very overwhelmed! Fortunately, he was pleased with my efforts, even though I felt a little frazzled.

Social Networking

2009-02-23T13:31:00.000-08:00

I think I'm becoming addicted to social networking. I used to be solely a Facebookophile. While I have managed to gain some control over myself there (I log in only once or twice a day versus nine or ten or twenty), I've replaced my incessant Facebooking with dips into LinkedIn, updates to my blog and posts to my Twitter account. Fortunately, because I spread out my visits, it doesn't look like I'm too addicted to any one thing. Finding the time to feed my addiction is sometimes a challenge; my husband often threatens to throw my laptop out the window. I need to find a way to link them all together so I can get everything done at once. I need to become a Social Networking Multi-Tasking Queen.

And I Missed It!

2009-02-21T17:38:00.000-08:00

We celebrated N's eight-month birthday this week. Wow! It's hard to believe how much he's changed in such a short time. Every time I turn around, he's doing something different and new. If I blink, I miss something! Today, while I was outside trimming the bushes, D said he started pulling himself up on the end table in the library. And I missed it!

Bath Time for Baby and Mommy

2009-02-12T16:54:00.000-08:00

Despite an initial negative reaction to being bathed, N has decided that he likes bath time so much he wants to share it. This evening while we were doing bath time, he splashed his legs so hard that Mommy (who was doing the bathing) and Daddy (who was keeping us company) both got a shower! He's also gotten enough hair that Mommy can do fun things to it when it's wet.

I'm uploading a blurry photo because, despite being out-of-focus, you can really see the two bottom teeth that he's very fond of using. Sadly, his favorite chew toy happens to be Mommy, despite my best efforts to nip that habit in the bud. He hasn't bitten my hard yet (thank goodness!), so here's hoping we can break this habit before he gets any more teeth.

I've started doing a little childproofing, even though he's not quite mobile yet. He's pretty good about moving around in one spot, and he's recently started scooting backward and sideways, so I figured now is probably a good time! I keep telling Jester that his days are numbered; N LOVES Jester. Every time he sees the cat, he smiles and laughs and starts wiggling all over. Jester is still fairly stand-offish when it comes to N, although he did let N grab a few handfuls of skin while he was sleeping (still not much in the way of fur, although it's coming back). N's not really close to talking yet (occasional "mamas" and "dadas" notwithstanding — they're not really associated with us, yet), but he will burst out with a "keee!" sometimes when he sees Jester. I think "kitty" may well be his first word!

Bottle That Baby!

2009-02-10T19:23:00.000-08:00

I love listening to N laugh! And fortunately for me, he loves to laugh. For some reason, watching someone follow us upstairs is just hysterical for him. Giggles and laughter and bouncing (now I know why they call them bouncing baby boys!) abound. I've decided that the pharmaceutical company that learns how to bottle baby giggles will make a gazillion dollars and beat out all the other anti-depressant producers.

And fortunately for Jester, the not-so-bald feline (still odd looking, but the fur is coming back) is one of N's favorite toys. Every time that cat moves, N laughs. N is pretty much Jester's only fan these days. That old cat is back to his cantankerous ways: biting the hand that feeds him, crying as soon as the baby is somewhat asleep, trying to trip you up as you go up/down the stairs.... generally making a nuisance of himself. He's used up all of his nine lives, as far as I'm concerned.

Gardening and Growing

2009-02-02T12:17:00.000-08:00

One of the things I love about my job is being able to research and write about topics I find interesting…

This year I'm taking back my beds. The first year we lived here, I wanted to let things go to see what came back and how it came back before I started whacking away. Last year, I was pregnant, losing my job and miserable. I wasn't going anywhere near those beds!

So this year, the beds are in desperate need of loving attention. And silly me, when my parents got their seed catalogs, I borrowed one and ordered $30 worth of seeds. Three gardening books and way too many seeds later, I have great hopes and plans for my beds. Because I am an avid over-achiever and like saving money, I decided to start composting.

But I'd never done it before, so I needed to learn more. Enter the need for articles targeting homeowners, and you have the happy marriage of personal interest and professional work. Now that's what I call multi-tasking!

All I'm waiting for is N to get a few years on him so I can put him to work weeding. : )

Working Out and Working Hard

2009-01-22T11:04:00.000-08:00

I am very proud of myself right now. I've made it to all of the gym classes that I said I was going to — except yoga, but that's the working hard part of this post — and I got a TON of work done on Tuesday.

So my new fitness plan involves going to Body Step & Pump classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Pilates on Wednesday & Friday (conveniently right after the Body Pump classes), Yoga on Thursday and running on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. I've finally figured out a way to make sure that I actually go. Gym time is now me-time. I can drop N off in the day care and, provided that he's not screaming he head off, have one-two hours of uninterrupted time to think and plan. Don't get me wrong; I love my baby. I thank God for him every day. But at the same time, it's nice to get away from him sometimes. So going to the gym accomplishes two things for me: I get fit (lose weight) and get some me time.

I didn't make it to yoga on Tuesday because that was my deadline for turning in events, and I missed it. I grossly underestimated the time it would take me to double-check all my info. While I hated missing my deadline, it was nice to know that, if I need to, I really can get a lot of work done with N here. Granted, D handled most of the day, but I still managed to get a bunch done while I was "on." I feel pretty good about getting a "schedule" worked out. I say "schedule" loosely, because schedules and babies don't often go hand-in-hand. We used to have a schedule, but he's pretty much given up on napping. I think his teeth are bothering him — it feels as if his two bottom teeth are getting ready to pop through and, Lord knows, he's been fussy enough lately.

New Car, Bald Kitty and Crazy, Crazy Days

2009-01-17T12:02:00.000-08:00

I finally broke down and bought a new car: an Acura RDX. As I was trying to haul all 17.4 pounds of N in and out of the backseat of my 2-door '97 Honda Civic, I decided that yes, the time had come. It was hard to trade in no car payment for a healthy back, but my back won. I figure this is a cost-saving measure, because surgery would be much more expensive! I think N is enjoying the new ride, too, although I'm sure Mommy is much less colorful during the installation and removal phases. I love my new car. I love having four doors on my new car!

In the spirit of more good news, we found out that Jester is, in fact, completely healthy. We'd started worrying because he'd quit grooming himself, looked as though he'd lost weight and had an out-of-litter box incident. Several hundred dollars and one lion cut later, though, we've learned that he's probably just stressed. Maybe I should share my meds with the cat; it would be cheaper. It was all worth it, though. Watching my cat stroll around almost completely bald has been endlessly entertaining. And the experience seems to have done wonders for his temperament.

Finally, I've decided to really — seriously — get my line of smarmy greeting cards going. I recently attended a WINOS (women in need of sanity) event at a wine store a few miles down the road. The founder explained how this WINOS gig got started, and I thought, "If she can do it, so can I." So here we go. Stay tuned, because I'll be enlisting lots of help to get the word out once I get them finalized and printed!

First Solid Food Experience (Belated Post)

2009-01-06T17:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas dinner was held at our house this year. Sounds complicated, but it really wasn't. We did a potluck, so it was lots of fun.

But the evening's main entertainment was, of course, N's first meal. We used homemade apple sauce, and he LOVED it. No faces, no fussing and no crying. He opened his mouth for more and kept grabbing the spoon to try to get more in faster. We all had a good laugh.

Since then, he's taken very well to eating solids. He's not as crazy about the store-bought version, but I like how much easier it is!

Time to Write?

2009-01-06T11:06:00.000-08:00

I am thankful that I lead a full life, even when that full life means I don't have as much time for the things I enjoy.

Between baby, work and trying to lose that last bit of baby bulge (plus a few bulges I have to blame on myself!), finding the time to write for myself is tough. Right now, the baby is sleeping upstairs after a somewhat brutal doctor's appointment this morning. He has a little bit of an ear infection (to do: pick up prescription), and between that and his shots, he had a rough morning! I should be taking advantage of his nap to get a little bit of work done, but I'm feeling virtuous for getting some done this morning, so I'm writing for myself now.

I used to be able to write whenever the inspiration hit me. Now I'm trying to harness inspiration, and let me tell you, that is one tough beast to tame. I spend more time planning my articles than I used to. While planning makes my articles better, they sometimes lack the pizazz they used to have: that clever turn of phrase that took them from to-the-point to fresh and inventive. I'd like to be able to combine the two, the deliberate and the creative, to elevate my writing.

I think I just gave myself another New Year's resolution to work on!

Sarah Cordell 101

2009-01-02T20:48:00.000-08:00

OK, so I've started a blog. Here's the million dollar question: what do I have to blog about?

I'm a 30-plus mother of one. Married for longer than five years. Trying to figure out the balance between being a stay-at-home mom and a stay-at-home writer.

Being at home with my baby is wonderful. Being at home with my baby is hard.

I miss the structure of going in to an office. I miss seeing the friends you make among the cubicles. I miss being able to bounce around ideas or to chat at the coffee maker or to hear the latest customer horror story.

But I love the quiet in front of my computer. I love being able to take a break to nurse my baby. I love the freedom to work by my schedule, whatever that schedule may be.

I love my life.

I've made many resolutions in the past, and I'll continue to make them (I have quite a few for this year already!). But my biggest resolution, the one at which I want to succeed above all others, is finding something to be grateful for each day. I have been so blessed in my life, but I easily overlook those blessings and focus instead on the things I don't have.

In 2009, I resolve to spend more time giving thanks. Here's to 2009!