Catching up....

Once again, I have not kept up my end of the bargain and posted regularly! I'll be honest...some days I can't remember that I need to get milk...speaking of which there is a milk jug in the fridge with about a swig left in it. I would say...I forgot to get milk tonight. So, how could I remember to keep my blog going? Well, I don't really...I have to be reminded by my followers that they need some updates from time to time.

Let's Catch Up...

Where should I begin? How about with the main attraction...Zach of course. Well he is now pushing 5 months old. That will happen on 9/4/09 of course. He's turning out to be quite an amazing little creature. He is now rolling over...ALL over that is, and trying like crazy to figure out how to crawl. He's got the knees up idea down but can't quite figure out how to get his arms up. He has a great big belly laugh now and if you get him going to much he actually snorts!! Yeah...like a little piggy. Of course he is cute as ever, although I do feel that I am partial. He isn't eating anything but milk these days, and those pesky teeth still haven't broken through the gum...but they are surely on the way. Last visit to the doctors little Z was 14lbs and 25.5 inches long!! That is quite the change in size from our pint sized 6lb newborn!! I've already forgotten how tiny he was...that is until I see another newborn. Every time he does something new I cry and naturally have to go look at all the pictures from the day he was born. I am really already playing the "remember when" game? Oh, how motherhood changes a woman!!

Elsewhere in the Simpson Universe we just celebrated LD's 17th birthday! 17 - how the heck does that happen? School starts tomorrow!! Junior year. A short rainy summer. A few days in the pool. Now, what I am sure to him seems like an inevitably long school year ahead! If anyone is interested in LD's stats...at his last Dr. appointment he was 5' 8" tall!! He has grown more than 8 inches in 2 years! He hasn't given up the long hair just yet...he might be entertaining the idea. But for now it is the shaggy curly look that he still has going. Here's to a quick and painless Junior year...with out summer school in 2010! Wish us all luck there!!

What else? Well the only other big news is that I will be starting a new job after Labor Day! WOOO HOOO!! Yes after 11 years wi th my company I am leaving. Beginning a new journey. Hopefully to great places. A bit odd, but will be going to a hotel that I used to manage, that my current company sold a few years back. I will be going full circle...almost back to were it all began! Yup...so that leaves the Beetles song as my theme song for the next few weeks. I'm excited and nervous! Mostly excited. Ready for a new adventure!! As per the usually I never spend too long in one hotel. I like to keep things mixed up. Courtyard...here I come...get read y!!

That's the gist of it. Seems as though I should have even more to say given the time between updates. I'm sure there have been several I Love Lucy moments around here that I will have to save for posts of their own. Dave is still grinding concrete everyday...and living on the road....out of a travel bag...and in a hotel room. (Ugh) We never did take a summer vacation or go camping this year. Big BUMMER! But we did have some great parties at home this summer...and of course one more big one to end the summer season is fast approaching.

Here are some new pics! I'll post again soon...you know how soon my soon is these days! As soon as I have a gallon of milk in the fridge with more than a swig left in it...we'll be catching up!Zach's 1st Balloon Rally

Pool Days!!!

Watching Fire Works with Mommy

Chilling on the deck with Daddy

A look back....add on for Grammy post.

Thanks Janie for finding this picture of Jay Jay and me with Grammy! I think this is when we made Grammy her birthday cake in my Easy Bake Oven! How cute!

Grammy...THE GREAT ONE!

I wanted to dedicate this page to my Gram! I don't have any spectacular story to share, just a few words and memories for her.

I don't make it to see you nearly enough and I always wish that Zach and I could be there more. This picture of the two of you on the Fourth of July is great! He just sat and hung out with you with out a care in the world. I know you always look forward to seeing him. It makes me so happy to see how you look at him. I'm glad I FINALLY had a baby and you can enjoy him too.

I think about all the time that Jay Jay and I used to spend with you when we were young. We had so much fun. Remember the Ice Capades in Connecticut with Blanche and Bob? I will never forget playing with that old fashioned shoe shine machine Bob had in their house! We thought that was the funniest thing. How about our trip to California to see Freida? Janie came to and we went everywhere! Disney & Knotts Berry Farm and Sea World! And that crazy cheap motel we stayed in with mirrors on the ceiling! Jay Jay and I thought that was pretty cool...but I can only imagine what the grown ups were thinking!! I know what I think now! I can remember coming to your house to have a sleep over and watch the Wizard of Oz - back in the days that it aired only once a year! Do you remember when Big Jay took Jay Jay and me out on the boat and we went swimming and he lost his keys in the lake? You had to come and get us - or bring us keys. There are so many little things like that - that I remember! Jay Jay and I were with you so much - and you have given us so many memories to hold for a lifetime. I just want you to know how much that all meant to me and that I still remember and am grateful for the time! Above all I am grateful for the time that you get to spend with Zach and the pictures that will last a lifetime! I was hoping that I had a picture loaded on my computer of you with me when I was little - but I don't at the moment. I will track some down and scan them in so we will have them for another day! I will be able to tell him all my memories of you when he is grown up! Thank you - we love you!!

3 Months....

I've been looking at my sweet baby, and wondering where the last 3 month - or should I say 14 weeks has slipped away to. 6 lbs 6 oz to 13 + lbs, a newborn to an infant, a baby cry to a scream...to a laugh! Every moment so precious...that words can not even express the feeling...so I leave you with only photos....

I Love Lucy...

My step-father often refers to living with my Mother being like an I Love Lucy episode. Actually, we have plenty of episodes to air a entire season I'm sure! There are lots of events that have earned her this title. One of my favorites in particular is her lawn mower fire story.

One afternoon she was joyously mowing the lawn (at her old house - not here in Bedford). Some how the lawn mower went up in flames - or the build up of grass under the mower caught on fire. So Lucy did what Lucy would do and ran into the house to locate something to extinguish the fire. I will interject and let you all know that this house and yard was abutted against several other neighbors and a fairly busy road. So, none of this would have gone unnoticed. Once arriving inside the house, she ran through three rooms, past three (yes three) fire extinguishers. Alas, she had found what she needed - a hand made afghan from the couch. Yes that would do. Of course Wayne was watching Lucy - he was in the house - but Lucy didn't ask for help. She just ran away with the afghan. She beat the the lawn mower with the afghan...in front of all the neighbors...until the fire was out. Phew... So, then Lucy drags the lawn mower back into the barn to call it a day, ONLY to turn around and discover that the lawn is now in flames. Never fear! Lucy stomped it out! Jumped up and down and beat those flames out! Good job Lucy!!

These kinds of stories go on and on. There's of course the I dumped over the melted chocolate and Covered the kitchen floor to ceiling, the Oh My God - 1,2,3,4,5 bottles of wine, and so many more that I would need a blog entirely to tell I Love Lucy stories. She really isn't named Lucy - It's Jean or Nannar to many - But I'll use Lucy today for the comedic entertainment it adds!

So here is the build up - The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. So now that my parents live with us in an in-law section of the house, poor Dave and Wayne never know what they are in for. Lucy and I can find our selves in some pretty comical situations. You've heard of some of my I Love Lucy moments. Of course there is Backing into the garage, and most recently I have Turned the pool green. Which leads me to the newest episode of I Love Lucy:

This morning I got up for my normal routine and went into my bathroom to shower. I turned on the shower and talked to my two cats, Romeo and Kitler for a brief minute. I then swung open the shower curtain to get in...and SHREEEEEKKK!! THERE WAS A MOUSE ON THE SHOWER HEAD!! Alright -I'm not a wimp and I am not afraid of mice, but I wasn't expecting this. I've NEVER seen a mouse in my house. So I threw on my robe and was off to find Lucy. She'd know what to do! I found her, but she was busy. Busy dying her hair- you know the Lucy color! I yell, "LUCY! There is a mouse in my shower! How am I gonna get it out?" I hear disbleif in her voice as she exits her own bathroom. Lucy has her hair soaking with her favorite color and her coloring gloves still on her hands. Lucy is ready to catch a mouse in the house!! We're off - we've got a towel and cup! Lucy thinks we might have to kill it -but I disagree, "No Lucy! Its just a tiny scared mouse. We'll catch him and let him go." She agrees.

We arrive back in the bathroom and the mouse that I thought was so small was still on the shower head. Scared of the water - but at a better look we decide he has probably been dining on Romeo and Kitler's catfood quite frequently - and this was our first introduction. So here we are dancing around the bathroom. Rememeber I'm with Lucy and she has in her hair dye and still hasn't removed her gloves, and I am in my robe. I'm convinced it can't be hard. It's a little mouse (ok a little big for a mouse...but little creature). I armed with towel and the big cup and Lucy's directing traffic! I reach up...piece of cake...yup...I...almost....NOPE!! I swear it must have been a baby flying squirel that only resembled a mouse!!! That little sucker jumped...no flew...off the shower head, over the shower curtain rod, and yes right over mine and Lucy's heads!! He somehow safely landed near our feet which caused us to not only scream but to dance around really fast. Even my ferocios (term used very losely) cats scurried away! Cats - they couldn't catch a mouse? This is an "I Love Lucy" episode, not "Tom and Jerry." We scuttled around and tried to find that little sucker but he disappeared underneath the base board heat! I had to go to work...so I don't know if Lucy kept up the good hunt after I was gone of not. Romeo and Kitler did come back and guard the baseboard while I showered but no dead mouse when I got home! I'm renaming my cats due to their current actions. They are now "Dumb and Dumber."

That's life with Lucy! And I feel so lucky to have Lucy as my Mamma! I wish Dave and Wayne had of been home to see us. I'm sure they would have been peeing their pants! My little Zach is going to have so many good stories to tell when he grows up. You never know what you are gonna get - but Lucy always promises entertainment!









Dumb and Dumber shown here on the mouse hunt!

Service? Hospitality? What's That? RANT...

So, I have been back to work for almost two weeks. For those of you that don't know, I manage a Marriott hotel and must live and breath service and hospitality. I will pause a moment and toot my horn and let you all know that my hotel has had platinum level service scores for a year and running! Yes. I walk the walk and talk the talk.

Now I have to wonder what happened to the service and hospitality everywhere else? Are my expectations too high when I am paying for a service? Do I think I deserve more? Is it me? And what about the little guys trying to stay afloat these days? Does anyone notice? Has it really become truly a dog eat dog world and everyone is out for their own self or is Dave right when he says I am a little short fused with people when we are out?

I am really at a loss. The other day Dave and I were in Lowe's looking for a very specific gift for my father. As we walked through the isle two associates were talking to one another and when I said excuse to get by NO ONE moved! Yes, I said "don't bother to move and no we don't need your help BUT thank you for asking!!" I would be EMBARRASSED if something like this happened in my hotel. Its not just Lowe's. It's everywhere. Dare I say it...it tends to be the big names with deep pockets that are the worst!!

The economy is bad folks. There are 100 or more people just waiting for the jobs that we already have...and yet this goes on and no one seems to care.

Which brings me to my next point. The little guys are taking a beating. The small business with a big heart can't survive these days. They don't have deep pockets for advertising and carrying payroll. I am a member of NiniBambini, a maternal wellness center here in Bedford. They provide MAGNIFICENT groups for mom's to be and new mom's. They also have a small retail shop that sell very wonderful products for mom's and babies. They have truly made my transition into motherhood much easier. Nini says she wanted a place that stressed Mom's could come to and say, "ahhhh." She did it. However, in this tough economy she struggles to keep the doors open. These ladies provide a haven for the woman that come there. They go above and beyond to take care of their members. Come anytime they say. Call us if you are crying at work. We'll help!! They don't just want to make money - they love what they do! They serve and care. Why Why Why are there not more people in the world like this? And why are these the ones having the hardest time?

I'm fighting back my friends!! My family lives on a tight budget these days too. I know we all do. However, I am done with the service fight. YOU ARE NOT GETTING MY BUSINESS ANY MORE BAD GUYS!! I believe I (and you) deserve to be treated well when you are paying for a service. If you don't want to do that for me then I won't be back! I encourage all of you to do the same. I am grateful for the job I have and that it is in a hotel brand that leads the world in truly exceptional service. If you visit me...I promise to deliver that to you!

You will have to excuse my RANTING blog for today. This has really been bothering me, and I seem to notice things a lot more now for two reasons:

1. The purse is a little (ok a lot) tighter these days making value very important

2. I have a baby now and I want my son to grow up with manners and respect for others.


And - here is a picture of America's future! Let's teach these babies right!!

I did it...and I'll do it again

So today was my big day. The dreaded day of returning to work after spending 10 wonderful weeks with Zachary. It just went by so quickly and didn't seem quite long enough. I tried so hard over the past couple of days not to think about it and just enjoy the time I had at home.

The inevitable happened as the alarm began to sound this morning. But for some reason Dave and I believed it was a day like any other that we leisurely rose from bed to get ready for work. Some how it had slipped our minds that there was a little 12 pound being that needed to be fed, changed, dressed and packed; in addition to us each having a shower, coffee, and breakfast. Oh, did I mention that Dave also had to pack to leave for his week in Rhode Island. All you pros out there are probably getting a good laugh out of this one. Dave was making a mad dash to the door to beat rush hour traffic as he said to me, "I don't know how you are going to get ready with him." Hmmm...well maybe if you hadn't snoozed the alarm 16 times I would have been up and showered already!!! Well, let me tell you...I did it!! And I'll do it again tomorrow too!

I was okay packing the baby. I was okay driving the car. I was okay thinking the entire was to the sitters that I could do it and I was fine. Then...the pass off came. I carried the car seat and diaper bag into Wendy's house. Seems simple enough. Leave the babe with one of your bestestes and her kiddos and go to work. One might think so. But, I fought back the tears as I told her were the breast milk was and what was in the diaper bag. I kissed my Zach and her two little ones and made a run for it. I feared if I didn't go and go fast I might not make it.
Don't get me wrong I do love what I do. Part of me was so ready to go back to work and feel like professional again. Deep down I actually knew I would enjoy my day at the office. But that was my baby I was handing over. My very own child that I carried for nine months, who I have spent almost every moment with for the last 72 days!




As you can see from the picture - he had an absolutely terrible time today! He looks miserable - just as I supected!! Not really! Look at him. Zach had a great time today hanging with the kids - that kept him very entertained. He was also pooped when he got home. He was down for the count at 9pm and that was after about a 45 minute nap when we got home around 5:30. Nanny Wendy is the best and made sure to send me video and pictures today while I was working. That made all the difference in the world knowing he was happy. Oh look at that face! I just want to kiss him and kiss him and kiss him!

I also had a nice day. It felt good to return to the hotel and see my staff I felt like I was giving a little more than clean diapers and milk on tap! Two other preggos now...it must be in the water there! That is 4 out of 10 in the last year...and the 10 is the entire staff not just the girls!

Tomorrow I will set the alarm just a little earlier, and shed a few less tears. I again I will be thankful for the great hands my son is in. But - when the day is over I will be so happy to see him again.

Today I did it...and tomorrow I'll do it again!

If I only had a brain...

Since giving birth I have mostly felt like Scarecrow from "The Wizard of Oz" and often singing the tune "If I only had a brain." For all of you ladies that told me I would get Mommy brain...you were of course right. But, better yet it isn't really a false statement at all. I did learn last week that a woman's brain shrinks up to 15% when she is pregnant. The good news - they say it comes back. How fast, is the question.

I continually forget things these days and even when I make a list it proves to be completely useless since I normally forget to even bring it with me. My biggest idiot moment recently was backing the car out of the garage with out closing the door. How could I make this mistake given that I do have mirrors? I really do not have an answer to that question. When the insurance company asked what happened the only clear answer I could give them was that I had just had a baby and I must have lost the full 15% of my brain. Well $2500 from insurance and one fat $500 deductible later the door can be repaired, and as mentioned before hopefully my brain can be too!!

So sorry that I haven't updated pictures lately. I would update...but I forgot my camera with a friend. I did plan to pick the camera up and called her to have her put it in her diaper bag for when I saw her. She did! Yes, she also has a small baby and when I did see her...neither of us remembered to exchange the camera!!

I remember the days when I didn't need a note pad or a planner or even a list for the grocery store. I remembered every conversation that I ever had and ever thing on the "to do" list with out the list. The brain shrinkage coupled with the need to take care of a baby and a family has washed away my memory.

I'm fighting the good fight for us ladies. I started taking my Fish Oil and vitamins again, balancing those Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids (good for the breast milk too) I am on a mission to re-grow my brain so that once again everyone can depend on me to do all the things I say I will. I don't want to have to start writing my to do lists on my arm like the teenagers do...see you can't leave your arm in your locker or on your desk...so there is no excuse.

Pool

The new pool was finally installed on Monday. Could it really have been a year since Little David's (LD) mishap? Well pretty close to it. Most of you have heard this story. I'll fill our new friends in and, well here's a refresher for the rest.

Last year in June I was really busy at work opening a new hotel. Most of my days and nights were spent there and Dave and LD often joined me in the night time hours to help out. We had only lived in the house for a couple of months, and were so excited that we were going to have a pool. So Friday the 13th (as luck would have it) my cell phone begins to ring off the hook while I am at work. This was the last day of school for LD by the way. But no one is leaving me a message so I am ingnoring it. Then I realize it could only be my mother (you all know her as Nanar). I call back to hear her sweet voice say "We have a little bit of an emergency at home. Don't be mad...but". Oh yes, and there it was the pool was broken, colapsed, fallen to pieces. "What," I say, "What happened." Well there were really no witnesses because LD was in there by himself. But it would seem that LD pushed off the side of the pool and with his HULK like forces busted the side of the pool. Was he really that worried about the pool? NO. No, you ask? His fear was not that he wouldn't have a pool. It was what his father was going to do to him when he found out. You see they called me first so that I could gentle break the news to Daddy! Lucky me.
I wish I had a picture of that day to share. I was not prepared to see the pool in ruins when I got home. It really was colapsed. It was a miracle that all the water some how did not flood the hours. Although all the grass on the back lawn was flattened out and bent to one side. LD is all of his about 90 lb glory destroyed the pool. The poor kid was hanging on to the pool ladder when the water started to flood out. Hanging on in sheer panic hoping he wasn't going to ge sucked away with the flood. Luckily he did make it in one piece - but will never live it down. NEVER!

So anyway, we now have a new pool. I wish with cement wall, but no. Just our 24 foot above ground 4.5 foot deep pool. Now Dave is ready to host his SimpsonPoloosa this summer. Yes, another party at the Simpson house. You are all invited. No worries we will give out arm floaties in your party favor bag. I also paid for reinforced wall! No joke. I am not taking the chance.

Time

It's been awhile since I have updated. I had very good intentions of blogging every day to keep our family updated. I have to wonder how each day since Zach arrived has passed so quickly to next with out so much as a warning. My life is so very different these days. I forget things now that used to seem so routine, and I have yet more undiscovered admiration for my own mother with each moment that passes.

My maternity leave is drawing to a close at the end of the week, and more time is something I ache for. Monday I will return to my old world, but it will be so very different. I would like my sweet son to know just how much I have enjoyed and embraced ever moment I have spent with him since his birth. I would like him to know what a bitter sweet feeling I have about returning to work. I would like him to know so many things about how he has changed my life and made my world perfectly complete. I promise to make time to write him a letter and thank him for these wonderful 10 short short weeks.

Each day its hard to find time to clean the house, time to do the laundry, or time for many of things that really need to be done around here. What I have found the time to do it love my baby. Time to hug him and kiss him. Time to watch him smile at me, and mimic my sounds. Time to cuddle with him and bond. There will be time for all the chores on another day...but for today...my time is for Zach!

I love you so much my sweet baby.

Zach meets his Great Grandmother!

On March 11th we decided that we would take Zach to meet My Grandmother - His Great-Grandmother! My Gram had a stroke a little over a year ago, leaving her with out much movement in her left side. This makes it difficult for her to travel very far - so we wanted this to be a big surprise. She really wanted to see him! It was the day before Easter - not to mention Zach's birthday will be just 5 days after hers!

We packed up to head to Barnstead and didn't tell anyone we were coming. When we arrived Aunt Jane had taken Grammy out to get her hair done! Perfect! We waited for her to arrive and boy was she absolutely surprised to see us.

We brought the Boppy so that she would be able to hold Zach and not have to worry about her arms. That made her so happy! She told me that she had been thinking about holding him but didn't know how she would do it with her bad arm. Zach hung out on her lap for quite awhile and she was even able to feed him. It was so great!

Above all of that we got some great pictures of Me, Zach, Grammy, and My Mom (Nannar)! Four generations of our family all together! That doesn't happen often and I am so glad that My Son will have those pictures to share with his family someday. I will cherish that moment forever...so thankful that we captured it.

We love you Grammy and Nannar!!


Grammy & Zach 4/11/09

If he looks like Daddy - hopefully he acts like Mommy!

Zachary Wayne

Dave - Daddy Tessie - Mommy

You can judge for yourself, but it seems that little Zach looks a lot like Daddy. Either way we think he is just perfect! Dave and I were pretty cute babies as well. Zach's eyes are starting to lighten up from that dark blue that babies eyes usually are. Dave's eyes are pretty blue and mine are green so we will see what he ends up with. Green? Then he would have one feature of mine!

Thanks for visiting!

Bath Time

Right from the start Zachary has loved bath time. Our nurse Louise gave him his first bath a few hours after he was born. He seemed so content and happy hanging out in the water.










Living the good life letting the ladies take care of him. Not only does he look like Daddy, but I think he's going to act like him too!

We gave Zachary his first bath at home on Wednesday, April 8th! Not much changed...he still loved being submerged in the warm water. He looked like a happy guy that just sunk into a hot tub. Look at those dimples! What handsome little guy! MUAH!!

Zachary Wayne

Our little Zachary is almost three weeks old already. Time flies as you get older, but boy does it really fly once you are taking care of a little baby! I really wanted to get this blog started earlier...but the days seem to go by so quickly that I can't seem to get it all done!

Dave has done this before. However a first for me and the most amazing experience of my life.

Zachary arrived at 3:14 pm on Saturday, April 4, 2009. He weighed 6 lbs 13 oz and was about 20 inches long. I do think they measured his length incorrectly at the hospital because he measure 19. inches and 19 and 3/4 inches at his first 2 doctor's visits. I will work on posting baby pictures of Dave and myself so you can all see once and for all that there is no denying he looks just like his Daddy!! Good thing they are both pretty handsome!

Zach has been sleeping really well. After the first night home he has pretty much slept through the night every night. Usually he wakes up at about 5:30 for a feeding, but occasionally sleeps a 7 or 8 hour stretch. The only exceptions was Dave's first day back to work. I am convinced that Zachary knew he was going back to work and just wanted us to know he wasn't happy about it. Dave was home with us for 2 weeks which was amazing.


DJ was and is so excited to have a little baby brother. He loves to hold him and talk to him. It's so great to see how happy and excited he gets around the baby. Hard to believe that he will be 17 this August. Funny that when Zach is that age DJ will be in his 30's!!!! Zach will be wanting to go to his big brother's house for the weekend I am sure.