the big D.

i realize that if everyone were to divorce-proof their marriages, my work life would be a lot less busier.  at any rate, after spending the morning drawing up visitation schedules and joint parenting plans for clients who are paying me to dissolve their marital bonds, i found this article appropriate.  and spot on.

enjoy!

ring around the rosey... UPDATE

in case you've all been sitting on pins and needles since my last post, i figured i'd share the joyous news: i have successfully removed my wedding ring.  it, and my finger, are both intact, though the latter seems a little worse for the wear.  thanks to a lot of dish soap and a little help from gravity, i can now breathe a bit easier.  however, a new dilemma has surfaced.  i am constantly reminded (by waitresses, courthouse clerks, grocery market tellers) that i look approximately 15-20 years old.  at this point in my life (in my third trimester, looking very obviously prego), it would be nice to be able to wear my wedding ring and band as a security blanket that proclaims my real age and "adulthood" to all wandering & judging eyes.  (i mean, i don't necessarily need them thinking the mtv cameras are waiting around the next corner as we film the latest scene from "16 & pregnant.")  but after the rigamarole experienced getting the ring off, i don't think it's wise to attempt to wear them again at least until we're officially on to cooler weather.  i told john our mission tonight is to find a very cheap band in a larger size that i can wear for the duration.  he laughed and asked if this counted as one of my birthday week gifts.  (yes, i get a whole week!)  "yes, that's right, dear.  for my birthday, i'd like the cheapest piece of jewelry you can find that will accomodate my pregnant, sausage-like fingers."  now that, my friends, is what true love & romance is all about!  

ring around the rosey...

yesterday evening, chaos entered the usually (ok, that's a lie) calm interior of the hodge podge lodge.  my wedding ring would not come off my ring finger.  i tried soaking the hand in ice water, using lotion, and spraying it with windex (no, i'm not greek, but i did read about this allegedly "tried and true" remedy on the web).  john tried some tricks with some string, but to no avail.  the thing is stuck on my hand.  while the rational side of me knows that this is probably due to the god awful heat and humidity coupled with the fact that i decided to make homemade spaetzle (so i was stuck in a stifling kitchen for most of the day), i am still panic-stricken.  i am not in any sort of pain and the general concensus among my go-to mommies seems to be to leave the ring until cooler weather.  continuing to fiddle with it will probably only increase the swelling and ensure that someone will have to cut the thing off (which my fragile emotional state could not, at this point, bear).   still, this seems to be some sort of pregnancy milestone about which i'd rather not have to worry.

however, i suppose it'll all be worth it when, soon, i have my very own little man at which to gaze adoringly.  introducing, my new nephew, michael paul.

i know what you're thinking.  "did you steal that picture from some precious baby ad?"  no, in fact, i did not.  my nephew is just ridiculously good-looking.  he's a teeny tiny model (how could he not be?  he takes after his aunt, clearly!)  our family (on my husband's side) has been blessed with this miniature joy... who was born august 13.  he's a little over one week old, but has somehow managed to capture the hearts of everyone he meets.  (imagine the power!  not even awake, but still able to wrap everyone around his little finger!)  i am quite possibly the proudest aunt there ever was.  for real.

the little peanut kept everyone in suspense for a good two weeks, as he hemmed and hawed about making his grand debut.  when we finally got the call that he was on his way, it seemed like the 6 or 7 hours of additional waiting took an eternity.  then the little mister arrived... and we were on our way to meet him.  uncle johnny finally held a real live baby, and i think both of us got just a little bit more excited (if that's even possible) for our own little guy to arrive... soon! 

the arrival of little MPF was also a great end to a week that had started out a bit more somber.  john's grandfather passed away after a long battle with cancer.  it was an honor to have been given the opportunity to say good-bye to a man who so loved his family and set such a wonderful example for us all.  pa always made you feel like you were the most important person in the room.  he would eagerly listen to our stories of new adventures and plans with a contented smile on his face, and when it was his turn to reply, would exclaim "how wonderful!"  he was a precious man, and someone i feel blessed to have had in my life.  we will miss him dearly, and we will treasure the wonderful memories we have of him.  i am sure he's watching over us all, smiling over his adorable new great-grandson. 

the monumental changes of the past few weeks have, of course, impacted my pregnant and emotional self.  i suppose it's just been another big reminder to treasure the times you have with your loved ones and to live loudly in each moment you're given.  hold that bitty baby just a little longer, and squeeze your grandparents just a little tighter.  a wonderful week to each of you,

estephania

paranoia, paranoia, everybody's coming to get ya...

on monday night, i ran over to jc penney on a whim.  i had had a store credit card from there for like, months and months and months, and in the process of cleaning out my purse/wallet, i found it.  i thought maybe, just maybe they might have a few maternity options i could waste the credit on... and it turned out, i was right.  my local jcp was having a major clearance on maternity stuff, and even better, i found some options that were both professional and didn't immediately make me want to vomit.  i found a very cute blue top that had only the slight markings of a maternity shirt and actually looked like something i'd wear pre-pregnancy.  i was ecstatic.

on tuesday, i bounded out of bed, exuberant and excited about the new blue shirt.  (ok, that's a lie.  tuesday was actually the first and only time since my debut into the real world that i turned off my alarm and "overslept" until 7:15 a.m.)  but anyway, i got up, put the blue shirt on, and proceeded to the office.

i returned home for lunch, and while sharing the midday meal with my husband, he remarked, "oh, hey, i like your shirt.  it looks nice on you."  i was immediately suspicious.
"what's wrong with it?" i quizzed him.  "i actually liked this shirt and thought it was nice.  do i look ridiculous?"
"umm, no.  i said, i like it.  it's nice!"  he replied, obviously exasperated.
"why would you say that to me?!?" i moaned.  "now i'm going to be worrying about this for the rest of the day."

upon further reflection over this exchange, i have realized that yes, i am ridiculous.  why is it that we (or at least me) are so hesitant to accept a genuine compliment, but are so quick to believe every negative review of ourselves?  dude, my husband liked the blue shirt.  later, he said it matched my eyes.  he was being sweet.  i was being a paranoid, pregnant you-know-what.

anyway, here's to compliments.  if someone gives one, take it... no strings attached!  happy wednesday, ya'all!

here's where she meets prince charming.... but she won't discover that it's him... til chapter 3!

you know that scene from disney's beauty and the beast where belle discovers the library in the castle?  there are hundreds of thousands of millions of books, and she's overcome with the wonder of having so many treasures right at her fingertips.  well, i totally get that. 

[well, i totally got that before law school came and took the pleasure out of reading.]

anyway, i've always loved to read, and growing up, my christmas wish list was a long list of books i was dying to break into versus hot new toys.  in preparing for the birth of the little bean, john and i have been discussing must-reads to add to our future son's library.  we've had some good laughs remembering our favorites from childhood (john's "elephant and the bad baby" circa 1968 is a must-read, folks!).  we've (okay, i've) also shed a few tears following some of these sessions (can anyone make it through "love you forever" without crying?) 

admittedly, it's been a few years since i've really delved into the world of children's literature.  classics like those wonderfully illustrated jan brett books and shel silverstein gems are on my mind, but i'm thinking that there are probably a lot of really great kid's books out there of which i know nothing.  i'm totally taking a page from my dad's book (pun intended) on this one.  my dad always opened his checkbook for book purchases.  whenever there were book orders or book fairs or any other book-what-have-you's, dad was a big supporter in letting us buy to our hearts' desires.  he thought reading was important, and i am so grateful to him and my mom for this philosophy.  it's something i want to pass on to my little one, too.  however, i'm hitting a roadblock since over the past few years, i've spent any free time (not poring over legal texts) reading about serial killers, new orleans and mobsters.  so... i'm asking for your help.  what childhood books do you remember/love?  what new books are shaking up the kid's literature scene these days?  what books are must-haves for baby bean's soon-to-be expanding library???  lay it on me -- my new amazon credit card is just waiting to be put to good use!