The Joy

Have you ever commented that something is a lot of work and someone quipped “Everything worth doing is.” And you had admit, “True.”

Thus the grand mantra of parenting… and I’ve only just begun.

Just when I was finishing my 8th feeding of the day and cleaning bottles for the 9th, there was a little moment that stopped me cold, “So THAT’S what they’re talking about!”

I stood in the kitchen holding Victoria with my left arm, taking a few pics of her peaceful face with my right, when I caught a truly priceless moment of being a mom:

A Little Venting

Wow… where does the time go? Somewhere between Christmas, a new baby, visiting in-laws, and working off this baby weight, I have no time to write.

I miss it.

Of course, just as I sat down and logged on someone realized she was wet and decided she was hungry. So here I sit: pathetically poured into a pair of pre-prego jeans (I can’t bear to wear maternity stuff anymore) eating a Zone bar (no time for anything else), left arm wrapped around Victoria, right arm pointing, clicking and typing. I seem to always be doing two things at once but never get anything done. Sound familiar?

Moving on…

I wasn’t very Christmas-y this year – strange to me that it’s already come and gone. I’m in a funk and I’m sure how to snap out of it. May I vent?

I’m bitter. I’m bitter over what happened to me with the awful radio station that shall not be named. It dawned on me while I roamed the mall last week - I’m still bitter. I had this great job that I loved and I made pretty good money. Plus I had the pleasure of sharing my beloved showtunes every week. Then a new boss rolls into town and without knowing anything about me or even giving me half a chance, he cans me. The old “new direction,” “starting fresh” line. Ever been “new directioned?” Not fun. He didn’t even thank me for my hard work, he didn’t say he was sorry, nor did he even act remorseful. The whole stupid firing was a whopping 9 seconds long.

All of that aside, I’m really in a bind now. Do you think when bosses fire people they ever give thought to what this truly does to a person? I’m sure some do – they’re still human, right? My job was going to be perfect for having a new baby as the hours would have allowed me to be home at 11 or so - long before Mark leaves for work. But now I have this beautiful baby girl and I do not want to put her in daycare. What do I do? I’m really limited now. I either have to find a job with super-early hours, one where I can work from home or a part-time job somewhere. I sit and feed my bright-eyed baby and worry about my future employment… just not sure what’s out there.

I’m also bitter because I feel like they ruined what should have been a really fun time in my life. How often is someone 7 months pregnant? Not very. My last few months of pregnancy were stressful and taxing. I was also looking forward to sharing the pregnancy and birth with listeners. I’d gotten so many e-mails and well-wishes from so many listeners/friends and then nothing. I was just sort of cut-off while the new pregnant host gets my listener support and full paid maternity leave. Life, as they say, is not fair.

Whew!

That feels better, thank you. I’m trying to be optimistic. I’m trying to be positive and I’m trying to remember that I have so many reasons to be thankful. My loved ones are well, I have a warm roof over my head and I’ve been blessed with a gorgeous and healthy baby girl who smiles more and more everyday. But I can’t but think it would all be a lot more enjoyable had I been able to share it, wasn’t involved in a job hunt and didn’t have to worry about how I was going to keep diapers on her cute, little bum.

A Very Broadway Christmas!

So, Showtune fans, we’re getting very close to Christmas now. What have you gotten for the Showtune fan on your list? I’m sure over the years you’ve beefed up their CD collection, gotten the requisite Phantom of the Opera beach towel and perhaps tickets to a touring show were thrown in there too.

Now what?

Well, I have the answers for you. Make sure you check out the Broadway Cares Equity Fights Aids website: http://www.broadwaycares.org
They have MANY Broadway related items from which to choose – they even have greeting cards designed by Sutton Foster!

How can you go wrong with a Broadway snow globe? That’s one of my favorites! The only problem is you’ll start feeling a need to get the latest one every year. That can get a tad pricey, not to mention where on earth would you store 25 snow globes that are mostly the same?

I like to check their website for myself from time to time. I bought a fabulous Broadway bracelet that has logos from all the current Broadway shows, most of which I’ve been lucky enough to see. But even you haven’t seen any of the musicals, you still have the CD, know the music and it’s a great conversation-starter!

If you remember last year – while Showtune Saturday Night was still mine – I played some Christmas songs as done by Broadway casts. It was great fun and I had a wonderful response to the songs. The Broadway Cares website is where you can get your hands on all of those fun recordings. And remember, a portion of everything purchased at the website goes to AIDS research.

So hurry! You may still have time to peruse the site, get something for that fan in your life and maybe throw a little Christmas cheer your way too!

Merry Christmas!

There's No Wrong Way

I always wait about 30 minutes too long. I’ll be visiting my folks and suddenly hear the preliminary squawk of a baby getting ready to eat her 1,000th meal of the day. I frantically glance at the clock and realize it’s past time and my choices are to a) Hang out for another 45 minutes – therefore putting me home too late for Ginger’s bladder or b) Fly out the house RIGHT NOW to begin the 10 minute drive home while the meltdown begins.

This past time I opted for the latter. My mom helped me gather the baby detritus lying about the kitchen while I tossed everything chaotically into the diaper bag (I’ll organize it later!) and grabbed a handful of Hershey’s Kisses. Mom lovingly swung the car seat back and forth trying to calm Victoria who apparently has never eaten before in her life and the injustice of it all results of wails of furor and pain.

Off we go. Victoria, her powerful lungs and me.

When my attempts to calm her en-route fail, I become absorbed in my Kisses. I steer with the outside of my palm while prying the foil away from the chocolate nugget. The only difficulty is not being able to see the miniscule chocolate specs that inevitably fall from a freshly opened Kiss. You Kiss eaters know what I’m talking about. At any rate, I realize at this point, I’ve created the perfect method for eating the all-American chocolate. You open the foil, stick your tongue out and tip your head back therefore all specs will either stick to your tongue or fall in your mouth. Then I like to take the point of the Kiss and feel it in between my two front teeth. But you may have your own method.

Against a backdrop of caterwaulering from the backseat, I had the thought that we all probably have our methods for eating just about any food. How do we compare?

Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups: I peel back the brown wax paper, eat around the pointy edges until I have an island of peanut butter sitting atop my thumb, then I begin biting. Usually three bites worth.

Hostess Cupcakes: I dump the package upside down and let my cupcake sit on its lovely frosted top. I pluck the cake off the bottom and eat that. Then I pick up the glorious top piece and slowly eat that. Best piece for last you see!

Banana Bread: After lightly buttering a fat piece of B-bread, I eat the side edges and then the bottom edge saving the middle and super-moist top edge for the last bites since they are, of course, the best. (Mark toasts his banana bread. I believe the toasted flavor gets in the way of the banana flavor).

Cake: I tip the piece over on its side so I can easier access the cake portion, therefore saving the frosted top for last. Are you sensing a system yet?

French Fries: Fry Sauce – always. If none is available, I’ll eat the Fries plain. Everything else desecrates the purity of the fried potato.
Twix: A steady, even, straight-forward biting while holding the opposite end carefully ensconced in the wrapper so as not to soil my fingers.

Hmm…. Thus far, I sound slightly like I might have a sweet tooth… Or perhaps sweet foods are more fun to use creative eating methods?...

At any rate, once at home, my Kiss foils are crumpled into tiny balls resting in the bottom of my pocket and I’m continually amazed that the quiet-inducing power of a bottle!

New Discoveries

My sis came to town this week. I told her not to come down anymore. Every time Jamie shows up, my regular life stops. I quit cooking for Mark, I didn’t do any laundry, I barely even got my precious TV shows watched. Keep in mind, she stays with my mom. So it’s not like she’s crashing at my place keeping me from my other tasks. You might be asking what is it that I do when Jamie is here… good question. We mostly sit around and talk. Really. That’s pretty much it and that’s just the way we like it. We hash out everything, several times over, and then we get together the next day and do it again. We sprinkle in a few baked goods for nostalgia sake (and because we’re dough-eaters) and we talk and I love it. Luckily, Jamie lives fairly close and we get to see her regularly. She leaves Monday and I’m already looking forward to Christmas!

Will you take that as any type of justification for not blogging all week? I don’t even know if I buy it, but it’s all that I’ve got.

My question for you:
When is that last time you listened to music? I mean really listened, while not doing anything else. I’d imagine we have it on all the time, but we’re always multi-tasking; getting ready for work, driving around town, cleaning the house.

Earlier this week I was doing Victoria’s brunch feeding, 9ish or so, and we sat here at the table by my ipod all plugged into its speaker. I sat here with my beautiful daughter (still sounds weird to say that) and we thumbed through my ipod and its offerings. Carefully balancing her bottle against my chin, I moved my thumb around the dial. Aren’t ipods great, by the way? Amazing to sit here with my entire CD collection in this little device. But I digress…

I thumbed past my recording of 1940s Radio Hour (a fabulous musical I was in), 70s disco, Back in Black (AC/DC… only for working out), Dirty Dancing, Garth Brooks, Les Miserables, My Best Friends Wedding soundtrack, Patsy Cline anthology, The Sound of Music etc. Victoria and I sat here enjoying her brunch and music. She loved it and so did I, though she’s a much slower eater to some tunes!

I sat here by the fire, looking out at the snowy blanket lying over the empty bird feeder and I rediscovered many fabulous songs and found a lot of new ones too!

If you’re interested in adding a few new tunes to your ipod, I thought I’d share a few little-known gems that really put a smile on my face (and none of them are showtunes. I’d hate for you to think I was totally one-track minded… let me know anytime you want to talk showtunes!)

In the Jazz realm:
Robin McKelle – A fabulously throaty voice and marvelous big-band arrangement of the Great American songbook. Would kill to sound like that!

Stacey Kent – A tiny, pixie of a woman, with a soft, delicate touch on the same songbook. She sings with a tiny ensemble with her cute hub on saxophone. By the way, she comes to SLC fairly regularly!

Justin Hayford – He’s a cabaret singer from Chicago who loves to find long lost songs from our Great American Songbook. It’s wonderful! I love hearing some old Cole Porter, Frank Loesser, and Comden & Green that I’ve never heard before. Worth checking out.

Country:
Cornell Hurd: I LOVE this band. I went to Austin, TX a few years back with a girlfriend. We went to some honky-tonks at night to do a little Texas two-steppin’ and we were lucky enough to catch the Cornell Hurd band. They’re the perfect example of two-step tunes which always cheer me up.

Okay, okay… for your showtune folks:
Anthony Warlow: He’s an Australian fellow who, for some reason, doesn’t want to perform anywhere else. He did Jekyll & Hyde which I think is the best recording. He’s absolutely phenomenal and he also does some jazz standards as well. It takes a little searching but he’s well worth it.

Well, my new daily ritual seems to be over for now. Mark is awake, Victoria needs a little more food, Ginger needs to go outside, the TV just got turned up… the daily grind has begun. But, I look forward to tomorrow morning when I can get lost for a minute or two in my ipod and a few more discoveries.

1 Month Update

Thank you to those of you who asked about Victoria and wanted an update.

As you know, we had her over a month ago now… can you believe that?! She’s a month and 4 days old!

At her 3 week check-up, she was already tipping the scales at 8+ pounds which seemed to surprise her doc. That’s a pretty hefty gain for a little lady.

The best part is, this past week we got up to 5 ½ - 6 hours of sleep at night! We’re feeling like a million bucks. Other than the fact that the same night Victoria went 6 hours, Ginger got some sort of stomach thing and needed to go outside every hour to take care of her business. So we’re trying to get everyone on the same page.

I know that every single mom you talk to will tell you the same thing, but gosh, Victoria sure is pretty. She really is such a beautiful baby. Perhaps it’s a survival thing for them? The cuter they are, the less likely you are to have your own melt-down while they’re having theirs? Either way, I could stare are her for hours.

The strike is over!! The strike is over!!

I've been utterly heartsick about all the folks who finally made their big trip to the Big Apple only to find a mostly-dark Broadway. Can you imagine? New York City is an expensive venture and it's not something most of us can turn around and repeat. So, you've saved, you've anticipated you're finally there and then a strike?!?!?! Awful. I'd be in tears.

Plus I was also sad for Broadway. Lots of people who aren't normally theatre-goers see their first play in NYC. Many of them probably go home and realize theatre is a wonderful way to spend the evening and continue to support the art form. How many folks were gypped that moment? So BRAVO to anyone involved in ending the strike. Bravo!!

In other Broadway news...

Last week I talked about the Broadway stars who are in current TV shows and it brought me to Ugly Betty.

Did you see the episode where Betty and some others went to Wicked? If you didn't, pay attention because it'll be on again.

When Mark and I were dating, I wanted him to see the movie that brought us together: “Up Close and Personal.” I was a Marketing student ready to graduate, not liking the job descriptions for which I was interviewing and I saw Up Close and Personal. It's a romantic comedy with an up-and-coming TV reporter Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert Redford, the News Director who discovers her.

I realized I'd always wanted to go into Broadcasting and so I stayed in school another year. Long story short... that movie is the reason Mark and I met at Channel 4 oh-so-many years ago.

Well Mark, an award-winning news photographer hated the movie. He just couldn't get past all the errors. “THAT would never happen!” “I'd love to be able to do a live shot without any cables!” “Where's their batteries?” “We don't hold the cameras that way.” etc. etc. I didn't understand why he just couldn't look past that and enjoy the movie. Now I understand.

Fast forward 10 years...

Ugly Betty goes to Wicked. I was initially SO excited about the episode. I'd seen the commercials, I love Wicked and I settled in for what was going to be a great show.

I'm first highly annoyed that Betty and her friend text messaged each other throughout the show. Keep in mind, the actual musical is on stage, they're singing “Popular,” but Betty and her friend and busy texting “When you hear soemone cough it's me saying hello.”

EXCUSE ME?! Text messaging during a play? Absolutely NOT. I've scolded people for that very thing. It's distracting, it's rude and it shouldn't be allowed. Period. They go through a long series of this... not to mention the whispering and arguing back and forth.

The other bothersome thing is everyone in the audience is smiling as though they're completely unaware that someone is rudely talking through a Broadway musical for which they've paid $100+. Clearly they weren't sitting by me!

Here's the real rub though... Betty and her boyfriend go for a walk – in the MIDDLE OF THE SHOW!!! (Again, why pay 100+ for a show if you're going to talk about your relationship out in the lobby?) Anyway, while they're roaming about they suddenly find themselves backstage.

I shout out “That would NEVER happen! There is NO WAY they'd let two random people wander into the backstage area!” Mark just smirked. Then they just happen to climb inside Glinda's bubble. Again, “That would NEVER happen!! What is this?!?!”

Come on, show tune folks... let's be honest... Broadway houses, Union shops no less, do NOT let anyone - even cast members - climb around set pieces when it's not the proper time. Period.

Here's the worst part though... Elphaba and Glinda are singing “For Good” - such a glorious moment in the show. Then Glinda's bubble randomly comes floating out onstage with Betty and her boyfriend standing inside. “That would NEVER happen!! COME ON!!! There's NO WAY a professional stage manager is going to call the bubble cue this late in the show. There is NO WAY that would EVER happen. Period!! This is stupid. This is totally stupid!!!”

Mark smirked and said “NOW you know why I hated Up Close and Personal.”

Point well made. Point well made.

Did you see the show? What did you think of it?

Send your thoughts to: Showtune.erica@hotmail.com

Charlie Brown and Me

I’m not sure if it’s a sign that yes, I actually am getting older, but my right eye seems a touch fuzzy. Hope it’s just lack of sleep…

I’m trying to have ‘tummy time’ with Victoria, scratch Ginger with my right foot, and eat a cheese stick with my right hand - A true master of multi-tasking. But, I’m drawn to A Charlie Brown Christmas on TV. I’m not watching it, it’s just on.

I don’t get it.

This is going to be a very unpopular thought on a beloved staple of Americana – perhaps even un-American… but I don’t get it. And truthfully, I never have. Oh sure, as a kid I remember thinking I liked it. I remember getting excited when I saw that it was on, but I think that’s mostly because that’s what I thought I should do…it was a cartoon so it must be good, right?

Well, between you and me, I don’t think it is.

I guess for me, it’s just a show of a bunch of mean little kids. I know that Charles Shultz was making a social commentary portrayed through the eyes of children. But they’re mean.

Let’s take a look:

The ‘hero’ of the show, Charlie Brown, is an utter loser. No one sees Charlie Brown’s redeeming qualities, other than his cute round head. No one likes him, even Man’s Best Friend, Snoopy, laughs at him. His own dog?!?! How sad is that?! Charlie tries hard. He’s friendly, he tries to participate, he tries to be involved, he tries to make friends; even at the risk of trusting the wrong people, and he always gets dumped on.

As I look down at Victoria, I find myself thinking. “If she turned out like Charlie Brown I’d be SO disappointed!” Who wants a child who can’t stand up for themselves, can’t even see their own self worth and whose sis and dog won’t even back you up? Not me.

Of the whole cast of little characters, one of the most popular is Lucy. Why? Why do all the other little kids like her?... or maybe they’re just afraid of her? She’s awful! She’s mean to basically everyone. She’s shallow, she’s narcissistic, she’s a know-it-all, she’s selfish and she’s mean, mean, mean. Again, a great disappointment if Victoria or my nieces turned out like Lucy.

I’ve always thought this about Charlie Brown. So tonight I watched it with fresh eyes to see if I’ve been wrong all these years. Turns out, I haven’t been.

Here’s my biggest beef: No one redeems themselves at the end of the story. Charlie Brown goes and gets the littlest, scrawniest Christmas tree – the only character who can see any good in the ‘underdog,’ the ‘weakest link.’ Of course the chorus of “Geez Charlie you suck!” begins. They all talk about how lame Charlie is, he agrees and leaves.

Only when he’s not around do they decide they’ll take a second look at the tree and decorate it. They never apologize for being so mean, they never tell Charlie to his face that he’s alright after all, he never tells them to buzz off and no one ever tells Lucy to SHUT UP!!

The Grinch has a change of heart at the end. We all learn something and the lesson is uplifting. Same with Rudolph - We learn not to judge, to love everyone and especially those who are different from us.

Not so with Charlie Brown. Everyone just goes on being the same crummy person they were in the beginning of the show.

So I’m sorry Mr. Shultz, and I’m sorry America, I just don’t get the love affair and I never have.

But I love apple pie and… well I don’t really love baseball either. But I love figure skating, that’s American, right?

Showtuners In Primetime

Hey Showtune fans!


Have you been watching primetime TV this season? Some of our Broadway faves are making a great showing!

Of course, the lovely and very talented Sara Ramirez has been gracing the Seattle Grace Hospital on Grey's Anatomy for a while now (still waiting for a karaoke night though). She's great in the show, but it always takes me back to seeing her in Spamalot from the 3rd row. Sara was utterly captivating! Her stage presence was unparalleled and that is something that, sadly, a TV camera can't capture. Alas, I enjoy watching her.


How about Pushing Daisies? It's a quirky, new show on ABC (Wednesday night at 7p). They're swimming in Broadway folks which is great for us geeks. Kristin Chenoweth steals her scenes, for starters. She plays Olive – a slightly less-than-bright, innocently sexy server in a pie shop with a crush on her boss. She is wonderful! Again, I'm always sad to see outstanding singers doing something in which they're not singing... but I'm sure the money is a hard thing to turn down. And, it's great to see her up close and personal!


But the show boasts other Broadway folks as well. Imagine my delight when Raul Esparza walked into the pie shop a few weeks ago. I sat there with Mark and shrieked “That's Raul!”



“Raul who?”




“Raul Esparza!”



"Who's that?"



*exasperated sigh*



He was a traveling salesman of sorts peddling homeopathic mood lifters. Such a treat to watch Raul and Kristin have witty banter with each other... with a sort of a flirtatious undertone. I'm hoping they bring that character back – they left the story line open for such a return and I'm anxiously waiting!


Then Mark spotted Ellen Greene on the show. I know, I know, the name didn't ring a bell with me either. But she was none other than Audrey in the Steve Martin movie version of Little Shop Of Horrors. Mark was sure of it. It had been so long since I'd seen the show that I wasn't quite sure. We looked it up that night and sure enough, it was! She played that role on Broadway also for a few years. Again, in another non-singing role. She plays Vivian Charles a very eccentric former water ballerina (would that be the proper verbage?).


Tony Award winning Swoosie Kurtz is also in Pushing Daisies. She's the twin sister of Ellen Greene's character. Though not a musical gal, she's graced the Great White Way and is doing a great job in Pushing Daisies.


Taye Diggs is walking around, looking quite nice in his very-fitted shirts, in LA starring in the new Grey's Anatomy spin-off Private Practice (ABC Wednesday, 8p). Don't you think they really should write some type of singing thing for these stars? He's a doctor in Private Practice and he's great. Of course, any time he smiles he absolutely steals the scene!! More Taye, more smiling and a some singing would be good too!


Then there's Ugly Betty. I have some thoughts on a recent episode where the lead couple went to Wicked. Yes, I have some issues with it and we'll talk about that next week.


In meantime, tune in and support our Broadway stars. I know, we'd all rather have them on Broadway. But, since we're all interested in making a paycheck and hopefully it'll allow them the opportunity to grace the stage again, we should support them in their TV shows too! Besides, at least we still get to see them perform!!

Baby & Ginger & Stuff

Hey gang!

I know it’s been a while. I’m continually amazed at where the time goes. I mean really…. Does changing diapers and feeding a 6 pound infant REALLY take THAT much time?

Answer: yes. Yes it does.

Not to mention the continual changes of her outfit, my outfits (not because we’re fashion plates, but because we hate smelling like milk). Plus changing of the cover of her changing table, the constant search for burp cloths that are never where I want them to be, and the constant battle of binky, no binky, binky, no binky, binky, no binky. She loves the binky and wants the binky, but she’s really good at spitting it out and not so good at putting it back in (and when she can put it back in, I suppose it’s time to get rid of them!). Ugh. That’s where my blogging time has gone. Oh, and I still try to get a good cuddle or two in with Ginger.

Ging has done really well with the change but I think it’s been tough for her. She’s very gentle with Victoria and for the most part is uninterested in all the goings-on (except for the dirty diapers…. She’s VERY interested in those!). But I think she’s sad. The stroller takes up half of her car space which leaves her looking concerned and whimpering while we’re out and about. She has less cuddle-time. Initially I thought our cuddle-times were more for me than her, but I’ve changed my mind. Now when we cuddle she really cozies right up and nestles in to get as much out of it as she can. I guess my dog-voice and my baby-voice are about the same which leads to much confusion for Ging. But I think we’re adjusting.

Anyway, the good news for me is: I can finally drive!! They told me not to after having surgery and I was going a little stir crazy. It’s amazing how being able to take a trip to the grocery store can boost your spirits – it’s the little things. So, now we’re two gals about town which should be remarkably better than two gals still sitting on the couch!

New discoveries:

Victoria gets better and better at holding her head up. It’s cute to watch because her little head finally gets SO heavy it crashes back on my shoulder in utter exhaustion.

She’s also focusing more on different objects and faces.

And, her cord fell off! Rather startling for this first-time mom, but it’s gone. She’s a big girl now!!

Thanksgiving 2007

So, I’m not sure how long you’ve been reading my blog but if you’ve been around for longer than a year, you may remember reading about my last Thanksgiving.

Quick recap: I was assigned rolls and, as an afterthought, and appetizer. I wasn’t smart or organized enough to show up early with the stupid appetizer, so they were fairly useless (the rolls were great). But I was completely shown-up by my LITTLE sister!! So much so, that I walked away deciding to make some Thanksgiving Resolutions that included:

(Taken directly from last year’s blog!) "I hereby resolve:

1. To learn a new dish or two – something OTHER than cookies.
2. Show up at Thanksgiving with a little more than I was asked to bring.
3. Figure out a treat NOW to show the young-‘uns how it’s done at the summer BBQ."

Well, come one, was I REALLY expected to remember, let alone ACT on said resolutions? How many of you have truly kept your resolutions? That’s what I thought.

Needless to say, I completely forgot about what happened last year. But in my defense, my life is slightly different this year: I’m a new mom of an infant who did NOT want to sleep the night before the big feast leaving both Mark and I quite bleary-eyed. I’m still unemployed and in preparation to move (which we were planning to do before I got fired) but a good chunk of our belongings (including some pots and pans) have been boxed up and moved to storage. I feel like we’re newlyweds all over again.

At any rate, I was assigned the very difficult task of Stove Top stuffing (perhaps Mom knows I’m not able to offer up much?) True to Erica fashion, I waited until Thanksgiving morning to dash to Albertson’s to pick up said boxes of stuffing. Luckily they store still had some AND they were on sale. Mom said I could make them up at her house (another cop-out on my part). We arrived and everyone was sitting around waiting for us. I kept thinking…. Technically I still have 8 minutes before designated time. 8 minutes is GOBS of time to whip up this fabulous stuffing!

I got the water and block of butter boiling and started opening the packages. Imagine my slight, or great, embarrassment when the pot boils over, water splashes all over the burner and smoke fills the kitchen so rapidly that soon we’re listening to the ear-piercing wails of my dad’s new fancy smoke detectors. My mom’s running around opening windows and the kitchen fills with even more commotion.

My little sister, on the other hand, arrived early and prepared some fabulous yams topped with some type of wonderfully crunchy crust. And, she also did a homemade, fresh, cranberry sauce. UGH!! Again, I was shown up again by my little sister. We sat down at the table and I looked at her and it all came back to me, “I blogged about you and your contribution last year, as I recall.”

I became the butt of many jokes – again – around the Hansen feast. Everyone especially getting a big kick at my lighting water on fire, except my Dad who was actually really glad I tested his new detectors.

I promise THIS time, I’ll remember my resolutions. I would really like to show up with something real to serve.

Thanksgiving 2008 is MINE!!

First Week

I’ve been a Mom for one week now. One week and 10 hours, to be exact.

I never expected newborns to really do much, and truthfully, they don’t. Victoria basically sleeps most of the day, until her hunger gets so severe it overwhelms her and catapults her from a state of deep sleep to a state of agony – wails, and tears until she tastes the milk. She blissfully eats, burps, poops, gets her diaper changed and starts all over again. That’s her day in a nutshell.

But, I’ve had some great moments of discovery already.

- She seems to recognize my singing!! My first evening with her, after everyone left, I sat in the bed with my baby and talked to her. As soon as I started singing, her eyes opened up and looked at me. Every time I sang to her that night, her eyes opened. How amazing!! That brought tears to my eyes… my little girl seems to recognize my voice, my singing and the songs I love.

-I still love staring at her sweet face. I stare at her for very long periods of time. She pulls the most wonderful little faces while she sleeps. I think it’s an insight into what her expressions will be like once she starts using them. I think she’ll have a killer smile, be able to raise one eyebrow and be able to do an Elvis-like lip snarl.

- Mark is great with her! He’s wonderful with jumping in to help feed, change and comfort her. I love watching him with her – especially when he makes up words to songs since he doesn’t know the real words.

- I love how smitten the grandparents are with her. They just coo, cuddle, stare and marvel at her as much as I do. Plus, I love watching my folks as grandparents – it’s a new role and it’s a pleasure to sit back and watch.

- I’m amazed how quickly time goes. Just when I think we’re going to be ready to actually do something on time, I look at the clock and am just stunned at how much time such a little person can take. At least Mark can’t blame ALL of our lateness on me!

- After I feed Victoria, she purses her little lips together in the most beautiful little pucker. She already seems totally proper, dignified… it’s such a distinguished little pucker. As if to say, “Mom, will you please wipe my mouth?... I’d hate to be seen like this.” I watch for it every time I feed her.

- When newborns rest, they seem to practice their facial expressions, flexing their muscles. Sunday night while visiting the fam, my Mom and I were staring at her. Suddenly her face just lit up in the most beautiful, wonderfully, big smile. Her whole face was alive with the biggest, gummy, happy grin I’ve ever seen. It was beautiful and again, brought tears to my eyes. I know she doesn’t know that she’s smiling yet, but if that’s any indication – are we in for a treat!!

- Last night she did a really strong grip for the first time. My Father-in-law was holding her and she reached out and cupped her little hand around his thumb – like his thumb was a stick-shift. She gripped it like that for quite a while and of course, we were all abuzz with her progress!

- I think she has my eyebrows. Can’t tell for sure, but they seem to be the same shape. Weird, huh?... fun too!

What a busy week, 10+ hours we’ve had!

Hospital

I read a lot of books and magazines about labor and birth long before I got there. I’d heard the warnings - that your emotions can really do a roller coaster. They even cautioned me NOT to worry if I didn’t feel like I loved my new baby. That sometimes that can take time - Time to get to know one another, time to build a relationship. That made perfect sense to me. I was prepared to not be upset if I wasn’t blown away with love - which, as you read in my last posting, luckily I was.

I was surprised with how happy I felt. I was really happy in the hospital. I felt on top of the world. I didn’t mind the pain, for the most part (as long as we stayed up on the serving-time - Another story for another entry).

I woke up the morning after and had a smile on my face. I felt calm, relaxes, relieved, and ultimately happy.

Some women talk about how they couldn’t get out of the hospital fast enough. I was just the opposite. I loved my stay – is that weird? My sis was the same way so we’re either somewhat normal and our weirdness runs in the family.

I basically just laid in bed and held my baby all day. What could beat that?! Mark was there all day so he was super-helpful with feedings and changings. The Nursery would take Victoria at night so I could get a good-night’s sleep which was a tremendous gift (since now we’re not getting that at all!) Mark and I chatted, watched our TV shows and walked our ‘laps’ around the floor for my exercise. His folks would stop by, my family would visit - It was just a really fun time.

I sort of felt sad when I had to go home. I think a lot of that was knowing that I didn’t have a floor full of experts at the push of a button. How nice to have them to ask about my health issues and my baby’s. It was great peace of mind. Now it’s just us. A truly daunting task but so far, so good!

My Real Moment (sort of)

I talked earlier about not having that ‘moment’ in the delivery room.

Victoria was born at 4:41pm and by 6p, 6:15p, 6:30p, I still hadn’t seen my baby girl. I’d finally mostly stopped shivering and had been wheeled up to recovery and I was waiting.

How strange to nurture something in your belly for 9 months, it’s taken from you and then you’re the only one who hasn’t seen it.

Mark went to find out when we’d get her and was gone for a while. I sat in the recovery room by myself thinking ‘this seems odd…. Shouldn’t someone be here?’ I talked to my folks and Mark’s folks and they were on their way. They’d been there earlier for the birth and were told it’d be an hour or so before I’d be able to visit so they took off for a bite.

Mark finally came back and happily told me he got to bathe our daughter. I’m SO glad that he happened in the nursery when he did. What a wonderful experience for him to be the first to clean her sweet, little body. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. I’m sure he’ll always remember that moment.

So together we sat… waiting for our daughter. Mark, who was very diligent about posting pictures and blog updates was eager to get the birth pics posted. He was told she’d be in soon and she still wasn’t. He was convinced he could get them posted so off he went (just down the hall for the internet connection). There I sat.

I had so many questions, was she pretty? Did she have hair? Eyebrows? My ears? My thumbs? (Not my favorite features) What does she look like?

My folks got there. It was good to see them – I was in such lousy shape last time I saw them as I was being wheeled into surgery. I was glad they were there.

Then the door opened, the sound of a bassinet rattled into the room and from my bed I could see a little bundled dob of a baby with a striped cap on. The nurse scooped her up, brought her to me and I finally laid eyes on my new daughter.

I’ve never felt anything like I did that moment. I looked down at this creature who’d been growing inside me for months and I finally got to see her sweet face. I was completely overwhelmed. I burst into tears and only remember saying “She’s so pretty!” I touched her pink cheek, her hairy head, looked at her perfect lips and I wept. I openly wept, along with my parents, at this amazing miracle. This truly was my moment. I hope to always remember the complete awe I felt at that moment, the overwhelming gratitude and disbelief that I’d done anything so right in my life to be blessed with such an angel. She was perfect and she was mine. I did that, I made that, I was part of such an amazing creation. THAT was the moment.

Mark came in shortly after that having missed the first introduction but he was there in time to still see tears - Buckets of tears rolling over my cheeks as I held our sweet little girl for the first time. I’m sure I said other things. But I have no idea what they were. I was completely lost in this moment.

Except for the fact that the nurse was still standing there rattling off all my instructions for having her in there. How many times to feed her, how much to feed her, where the supplies were, blah, blah, blah. I didn’t hear a word she said. She talked through my tears, my excitement, my awe, my moment.

I should have asked her to come back later – funny she didn’t just decide to do that on her own.

But who cares? I had in my arms, the most amazing thing I’d ever done. And she was breathtaking.

The Big Moment

Perhaps everyone is like this, perhaps it’s just me. But I always envisioned ‘the moment’ of childbirth. You know, the moment the kid is pulled out and a grand exclamation is made “IT’S A GIRL!!” I’m weeping with joy, my husband is crying too and kissing me on the forehead for this miraculous gift I’ve just given him.

Turns out, life isn’t like the movies.

My first disappointment came at finding out we had to have a C-section. It’s not quite what I bargained for, and not what I was prepared for. Who wants major surgery if they can avoid it? In fact, I couldn’t have been more stunned to hear the doctor suggest that would be the best way to go. But our little girl wasn’t budging on her own, and her little heart rate was having a hard time climbing back up after each time I pushed. So, why risk it?

Okay. C-section isn’t the end of the world. I know many, many women who’ve had them – no big deal. Mark can still be in there and I’ll be awake to hear things and see her.

Here is my second disappointment. I guess I’m a tad sensitive to the epidural – which is what they give you for a C-section so you don't feel the pain. The goal is to numb you from the chest down and your arms, shoulders, head will all be awake. The anesthesiologist didn’t seem too concerned when I first said “Should I be feeling this in my hands?” He suggested that I may have been sleeping on my arms and they were asleep. I kept saying “But they’re really numb… both of them.” But it was when I finally said “I can’t breathe” that got his attention. He quickly moved into high gear, checking me out and realizing that I’m a touch more sensitive than most. So, off we went to the Operating Room.

I felt terrible! I truly couldn’t breathe and thought I was going to die. I knew I was in good hands and I had Mark by my side the whole time, but I just knew I was going to die. I had to focus ALL energy on “Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale…” That’s all I could think about, that’s all I could do. I spent the whole surgery focusing on breathing and barely remember hearing a cry, I barely remember Mark saying something to make the doctors laugh, I vaguely remember them bringing my brand new baby girl over by my head and letting me look at her. But I was miserable looking at her: I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think of anything other then ‘inhale, exhale’ and didn’t even get to look at Mark when he saw her for the first time. Talk about major disappointment.

What happened to my moment?

Then I got to thinking… What if I had waited to find out what we were having? I originally wanted to wait to find out, you know, for the moment. I would have been lying there in a stupor while they announced what I had and I’d have to wait for the meds to wear off before I’d find out.

I guess expectations can always get the best of us. They surely did me.

I sat there after surgery, shivering uncontrollably – which I’ve heard can be normal after birth and especially after a C-section. I had the most violent chills of anything I’d ever experienced. Again, thinking I was dying, I asked the nurses for help. They brought me some warm blankets and wrapped one around my head. I was dopey, uncomfortable, still shivering uncontrollably and still hadn’t seem my baby.

What happened to my moment? I’m sure others have similar stories.

I guess it’s best to do what my birthing class instructor told us to: Be open!! Be open to having anything happen – anything at all. Child birth is never ‘the norm’ and can really take many interesting twists and turns so be ready to roll with the punches – all of them.

Why don’t we ever see THAT in the movies?

Labor Thoughts

It’s Saturday morning and I’m sitting in the hospital bed. The nursery has taken my baby to assess her and I’m watching the Karate Kid on TV. There really isn’t much to watch on Saturday morning. Luckily, I had Victoria at the beginning of the week so we had better viewing options.

Wow…. What a difference week makes, huh? Last week at this time we were sitting around moaning that we still hadn’t had the baby and today I’ve joined the ranks of women with stories to tell of labor pains, epdiurals, pushing, c-sections etc. Today, I’m a mom.

There are so many places to start. So many things I want to share, so many observations, so many thoughts. I don’t even know where to begin.

What I think I’ll do, since the Karate Kid is about to meet Mr. Miyagi, I’ll give a few major thoughts and go into more depth in the upcoming week. I love that so many of you have been checking in with the blog for updates – thank you!

My quick thoughts:

1. Labor isn’t that much fun.

2. But, it’s exciting.

3. Hospital gowns are as bad as they’ve ever been – but now they have “Please wash your hands” printed on the left breast.

4. Nurses sure bustle through the hallways at break-neck speed. If you’re out there walking, say nursing an incision in your gut, it’s unsettling.

5. St. Mark’s has a great staff and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience… you know for a hospital stay.

Alright then. I’ll be home soon and I surmise, I’ll have more to update then. Please keep checking back!

And you can always contact me at showtune.erica@hotmail.com

We Have A Name!!!!!

We're not lame!!

The Name Conundrum

We are lame.

There is no name for our baby. She has been here for 48 hours now. We've known she has been on the way for months. We can't decide. I think it is such a daunting task to give someone something that will be stuck with them for the rest of their life. I think it is also because we are both afraid to pull the trigger and make a decision. It once took us 2 months to name a dog and then we gave it away.

So here are our choices so far - but they may change.

Grace

Scarlett

Lexi

Victoria

Deborah

Pamela

Birth Day + 1

It's nearly 24 hours after they pulled the little squirt out and everything is still going well. She's healthy and pink and squishy. Just like babies should be. She has been quiet most of the day and chooses sleeping over eating for now.

I can imagine her experience was just as harrowing (or more) as Erica's. The day started fine, warm and comfortable. Then it got real tight and cold. Then someone started squeezing the heck out of her. Then they tried for an hour to squeeze her head through a tiny little tube. Then they pulled her out into this cold, bright, uncomfortably quiet place and started sticking things into her. Anyway, the baby is exhausted also but handling things well.

You can check out some pictures at my webshots album.

Enjoy...

Mark's Baby Pics

6 pounds 11 ounces!

I think I may have even of cried a little bit when they showed her to me.

I sat behind the little screen in the operating room next to the anesthesiologist and Erica's head. I would sneak glances at the surgery in the reflection of some glass. I'll tell you, it is really hard to look at someone slicing into your wife and pulling things out of her. But using the reflection, it distorted what was going on and it wasn't too traumatic for me.

Anyway, welcome unnamed Girl Baby to the world.

New Update - No Video

After Erica dilated fully, she pushed and pushed and pushed and our stubborn little girl decided she wasn't going anywhere. She (the baby) also got tired and her heart rate dropped. So in an unexpected turn we will be getting a C-section.

Thanks for the text Omer. We were right in the middle of some intense pushing and Erica refused to let me text you back.

The Baby Comes - Vlog 11

On Her Way ?

She's moving!

The Baby Comes - Vlog 10

The Delivery Room

Where we are.

The Baby Comes - Vlog 9

The Magic of the Epidural

Makes quite a bit of difference, wouldn't you say.

The Baby Comes - Vlog 8

Noontime

The Baby Comes - Vlog 7

The Morning For Erica

Very Uncomfortable

The Baby Comes - Vlog 6

Tuesday Morning - 1st Thing (for Mark)

The Baby Comes - Vlog 6

The Baby Comes - Vlog 5

Contraction #2

Isn't she beautiful?

The Baby Comes - Vlog 4

Our Hospital Stay Begins

We arrive and get settled and start the medication.

These two entries start off identically because they were takes 2 & 3 but they both end up delightfully interesting in such different ways.

The Baby Comes - Vlog 3

The Drive

Not my car, not my fault.

The Baby Comes - Vlog 2

The Departure

We've showered, I've eaten, bags are packed...

The Baby Comes - Vlog 1

The Afternoon Before

The doctor advised us that we should induce labor because Erica's blood pressure was a little high. It had been that way for a couple of weeks and nothing was changing so it was decided that it was better for everyone to make it happen tonight.

So we had the day to sit around and think about that. We went about our normal routine as best that we could. Only our emotions vacillated from excited to nervous and back again. - Mark

Tonight's The Night

So, it’s Monday evening, Ginger is resting against me on the couch, "King Of The Hill" is on TV and I’m going to have a baby tomorrow morning! YIKES!!!! How crazy is that?!

We went to the Doc this morning and he doesn’t want to wait any longer (neither do I). But now that the decision has been made – it feels so final.

There’s something so strange about choosing your ‘last meal.’ I’ve been told not to eat after 2p and to go out for a “nice lunch.” So, off we went to Famous Dave’s. A little BBQ before birth has got to good, right? That was the choice because not only do I love it, we figured it would stick with me the longest.

So, tomorrow at this time, it’ll all be over. All the anticipation, reading and worrying will be a thing of the past. Unless of course, it’s a miserable labor then I guess I could still be at it. Please keep your fingers crossed for being all done by this time tomorrow night. Please.

I feel mostly calm about the whole thing. But I get hit with moments of wanting to cry. I’m not sure what I’m crying about. I’m excited about making this step and I’m pretty sure we’re ready for it. This is silly, but I get sad for Ginger. I know she knows something is up and I think she knows it’s not going to be a good thing. So I’m sad for her – which made Mark chuckle a bit and lovingly reassure me that she’ll be okay.

I’m also sad at losing the life we have now. Not the freedom part, but our cozy little threesome. We have our threesome and our routine and we’ve been really happy. I guess that’s leaving me a little sad. We take our morning walks, Ging hops up on the bed while we’re waking up and the three of us like to pile on the couch for ‘family time’ and TV watching. The logical part of me knows that it will really be the same… We’ll just have an extra - the more the merrier, right?

So, it’s 5:30p. We call the hospital in an hour and will be checked in shortly after that. I guess I’ll go finish my bag o’ goodies and take my last fairly normal shower; take my last sip of water and give Ging a final goodbye hug and kiss…. From here on out, it’s the new frontier…

OVERDUE

Well, we’ve passed our due date and I’m still pregnant. I know, I know it’s normal. But that doesn’t make it any more fun. I’ve read that only 20% of babies arrive on time, but I was really hoping to be one of the rare few who deliver on time. Alas…

On the other hand, I’m also told to be careful what I wish for and that I should really be enjoying this time. So that’s what I’m trying to do. My in-laws are in town and so far are doing a great job not letting me do anything while they cook us great meals. That’s not a bad gig, huh?

We’re back to the doc on Monday morning so hopefully we’ll have more info then.

In the meantime, we wait…

But I have had a few other thoughts while I wait that actually have nothing to do with babies – weird huh?

1) The Elvis Lives museum is closing. The owner is selling it and has long maintained that The King is still alive and in the witness protection program. I got to thinking, I hope so. I hope The King is still alive. Just think what a treat it would be to sit back and see your name on top of all the Dead Celebrity lists and be reminded of all you’ve accomplished and the joy you’ve brought to people. I hope that he is here to see it – not necessarily while hanging out at a convenience store though… as is usually the location of the sightings.

2) Ginger caught scent of something while out on the Jordan River Parkway yesterday which, as you know if you’ve read this blog, is NEVER a good thing. At any rate, the next time we saw her, she had no collar. So, not sure if you’re ever at the Parkway, but if you are… it’s a pretty red, Hawaiian flower collar with a very scraped-up tag saying ‘Ginger.’

3) I’ve decided to always try the ‘Seasonal Special’ at restaurants. Whether it be a fancy dessert, beverage or anything really. I’ve decided that provided there are no raisins, I’m going to try it. So far, I’ve found I’ve been very happy with my decision.

4) If dogs are so eager to lick – EVERYTHING, why can’t they lick up the hair that they shed?

5) It’s hard to hide your enthusiasm for chocolate when your in-laws are in town. Don’t get me wrong, they’d never say anything and mostly we’d just laugh about my daily need for a little dose of the dark stuff. But, I still hate looking utterly pathetic. So, the stash is hidden as are all the wrappers!

See, I’ve had a few non-baby thoughts. Though most of my spare time is spent thinking about how my life will be a month from now, wondering how the whole labor-thing will be, trying to finally decide what to name the little gal, hoping Ginger will be a good big-sister, wondering when I’ll have time to read a non baby-rearing book again, anticipating when I won’t have to make bathroom trips every 45 minutes, looking forward to watching Mark as a Daddy….

It’s such a strange time; having prepared for nine months, feeling mostly ready and then just waiting for something THIS big to happen. Everything feels normal now but I know better.

It’s amazing I’ve had any coherent thoughts at all.

Keep checking – we’ll post pictures as soon as we have them which will be, hopefully, soon!

Baby Update

Well, here I sit.

Today’s blog entry HAS to be all about the baby since we’re 2 days away. What do you do when you’re 2 days away? I hope you’ve checked out Mark’s Daddy blog – he talks about the calm before the storm. He’s right. Have you seen Jaws? You know those moments before the shark appears where the men are sitting around yapping. They seem relaxed but there’s something in the air… they KNOW that something big is about to happen… soon. That’s where we are. We try to act like everything is status quo but we know better. I’m not really sure what to expect.

Here we are…

Waiting…

Mark’s folks are rolling into town Thursday. I hope the baby shows up mostly on time (which would be Friday). Otherwise, I’m worried it’ll be his folks and me sitting around looking at each other… waiting.

Wouldn’t it be nice if it could always be a set date? Like it is with a scheduled C-section… The worst part is I could still be over a week away. Yikes! I don’t think baby and I can hang on that long. She’s not comfortable in there anymore and I want my body back. This sharing thing is no longer mutually beneficial.

So here’s the update: Everything at the doc’s still checks out and nothing has changed. The one thing he is concerned about is my blood pressure, which has crept up a little bit. I go back in on Friday. I’ve been told to take is easy this week. Which, let’s face it, is fairly easy to do for an unemployed gal 9 months pregnant. I suppose if my blood pressure continues to go up they could take the baby this weekend. But, the doc is hoping to buy me a little bit of time. So, I’m just taking it easy.

I went to the dermatologist today. The nurse came in and was going over my info and said “So, you’re taking pre-natal vitamins?”

“Yeah”

“Are you trying to get pregnant now?”

WHAT? Surely I at least look a LITTLE bit pregnant, right? I mean, I have this belly. I looked at her blankly and said “Well, I’m due any minute now.”

And then we stared at each other; both in disbelief of the other. Not sure what that was all about.

So, thank you to those of you who have asked me how the pregnancy is going. I’m feeling all sorts of emotions… tonight I’m mostly worried. Worried… hopeful that everything will turn out okay. Perhaps her movement right now is a sign that everything will be fine?

Legally Blonde

Hey Showtune fans!

My Saturday nights just aren't the same anymore. But, I do still have the big urge to share some Showtune related tidbits with those of you who are checking in (by the way, thanks for stopping by).

Last June my Hub and I went to NYC and had the privilege of seeing the new musical, Legally Blonde starring Laura Bell Bundy.

Honestly, I'm having some writers block... let's take a break. I'm here at my mom's visiting with my sis who is in town (with my niece!) and my other sis - here with her 1 week old. Not to mention, the whole Hansen gang is around and my mom broke out her Halloween candy. So, I've decided a Reese's is the key to breaking the writer's block (apparently, the Butterfinger, Snickers and 2nd Butterfinger didn't do the trick). Anyway, Reese's in left hand, typing with right hand, 2 yol Katie yelling through the house... needless to say, it's not the most conducive to writing about Legally Blonde. Nevertheless, I feel like sharing.

LB was on MTV last weekend and it was delightful. Of course, something shot for TV is never quite as magical as seeing a show live. I can't imagine that there's any way anyone can capture the magic of a live musical production. But, MTV did a great job.

I'm excited and hopeful that they'll start doing this more often. It's so important to bring musical theatre to a younger audience, to keep the art alive. I was really pleased.

LB was the perfect musical to show since it's so up, fun and a story most young folks already know. What was great about it was it was like watching an NBA game on TV – we actually get to see their faces! Sometimes we theatre-lovers are stuck up a little higher in the rafters than we'd like so it's such a treat to see the emotion the actors bring to their roles.

My suggestions for MTV: Hire me to host backstage! Actually, hire anyone to host the backstage stuff - it'd be better than what they had. They had 3 gals, early 20s perhaps, who were terrible. They didn't know anything about the musical (but seemed to know plenty about the movie), they only looked at the camera when they weren't talking, and when it was their turn to talk they were clearly looking off camera at their cue-cards. Very distracting. But, they did a few really neat behind-the-scenes stuff such as showing us a little bit about the quick-changes. I would have loved to see more of that.

Well, those are my thoughts on the first-ever broadcast of LB on TV. Thank you, MTV, for sharing and bringing a little big of Broadway to SLC.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on LB if you saw it: Showtune.erica@hotmail.com

By the way, if you'd like to see some of the behind-the-scenes stuff click here: http://www.mtv.com/ontv/dyn/legally_blonde_the_musical/series.jhtml

Little Girls, Little Girls

I’ve got two blogs - This one about my regular (or irregular) thoughts and happenings and then the baby blog (see Baby Central). My thinking was not everyone is interested in baby stuff, in fact it irritates some, so I’d create two and then you could read as much or as little as you’d like.

But, when you’re unemployed and 1 ½ weeks from giving birth that tends to be what consumes you… as least me.

By the way, GO READ MARK’S BABY BLOG!!!! He actually posted some video of us at the gym the other day so you can see my mad basketball skills – even while being prego! (Click on Daddy’s perspective on the left side of the screen).

So I have baby news but its different baby news. My sister had her baby!!! On Friday she had a beautiful baby girl. We all trotted up to the hospital to take a look. She’s gorgeous. 7 lbs and 13 oz and pink, pink, pink. Both mom and baby are doing really well. They’re home from the hospital now and my other little niece is starting to figure out what this infamous ‘baby sister’ is all about – she’s heard us talking about it for months.

To keep track: My older sis now has two little girls. I’m having a girl in a week or so. My other older sis already has a girl and is pregnant again. So, the Hansens continue our girl-streak thus far (remember I’m one of 6 kids – 5 girls, 1 lone boy). The big question now is will Jamie be the first to break the all-girl streak and have a boy this February? Or will we have 5 little girl cousins running around?

Ellen And I Are Disappointed

So, you've seen the Ellen Degeneres clip haven't you?



It stopped me in my tracks seeing Ellen sobbing like that. She's usually so perky – something was amiss. The whole dog saga aside – frankly, I don't know how ANYONE went into a home with 2 young girls and ripped a little dog out of their arms... but anyway...



I imagine that would be the day I ended up with tickets to Ellen's show. I would have made the trek out there with my sisters, spent hours deciding and talking about what to wear, waited in line, excitedly found our seats and sat there in anticipation of dancing with Ellen and maybe walking away with a freebie or two.



Then that.



Can you imagine? The story is heartbreaking and I feel badly for Ellen – who clearly feels awful. But I know I'd be sitting there looking around thinking 'Are we going to dance today?' 'Umm... Ellen... after commercials can we dance?'



I was lucky enough to go to Oprah once. I had a girlfriend living in Chicago and she had friends who worked for the 'Queen.' So they got us some tickets and off we went. It was great – a ton of fun and so neat to see how it all worked. But, as I sat there before the show anticipating an 'Oprah's Favorite Things' episode, imagine my disappointment when the topic was how to talk to your teenage kids. This was almost 10 years ago – I was years away from having kids or caring if I could relate to them. Though the experience was neat, it certainly wasn't as much fun as the episodes I watch from my couch.



So if you were at Ellen that day, I guess it's two-fold: 1) You were there on quite a big day. Everyone will know they day you went to Ellen. Or 2) I'm sorry. How disappointing you didn't get to dance with Ellen.



Hmm... I hope I'm not the only one who would be disappointed by that.



Would love to hear your thoughts!

Showtune.erica@Hotmail.com

Lawrence Welk

I miss Showtunes!! I really do.

But my Saturday nights are horribly lonely… and empty. Even worse, I can’t even listen to the show I was instrumental in creating as it’s just too painful.

So, here I sit with my laptop and Lawrence Welk on the TV.

I love Lawrence Welk – did you watch it growing up? We sure did. I’m one of 5 girls and we loved it (though my 1 bro didn’t seem quite as fond of it). We sisters would get all bathed and cleaned up at the end of the week, hair in curlers, PJs on, and settle in front of Lawrence Welk. We’d watch the ladies and their sparkly, shiny lips. They were so pretty and their costumes were so elegant! Now I chuckle a bit at their hairdos and makeup… but we sure wanted to be them when we grew up. We had our ‘favorite girls’ and we’d pretend to be them while they sing.

If it was just an instrumental number, we’d dance to it, sometimes conduct them. And during the dance numbers, we sit riveted. Especially when the tap dancer came on – even now, I’ll stop what I’m doing to watch and listen to the sounds that man can make. Amazing!

We watched Lawrence Welk at Grandma’s too. After the baths and a bowl of ice cream, Grandma would sit and pin-curl her hair and we’d do our usual dancing, conducting and ‘calling’ to be our favorite girl. Grandpa just sat amused – sometimes giving us ideas of better ways we could pretend we were them.

Even still, its great music and those performers truly were talented.

So, yes I’m missing Showtunes – greatly – but at least I’m in good company! Lawrence Welk, his gang of performers and my good, good memories!

By the way, I’d love to hear from you!!

Showtune.erica@Hotmail.com

Aging Like A Fine Wine?

Perhaps I’m getting old. I hope not. I try not to lose my patience, but I seem to more and more.

I really don’t like stupid people. Or, perhaps to state more correctly, I don’t like people who act stupidly.

Picture, if you will, a crowded IHOP at breakfast time. I look across the restaurant and see a big, tall teenage son shoulder-butting his big dad. The first one didn’t bother me – a sign of affection. No big deal. Then he did it again and soon the dad was doing it in return. Bear in mind that others are trying to eat their breakfasts at the same time these two ‘grown’ buffoons are doing whatever ritual they’ve dubbed this. Would anyone else have been bugged or am I getting crabby?

What about at Albertson’s check-out. I’m waiting patiently with my jug of milk, bananas, and Clorox and the two college-aged kids think it’s funny to try to swipe their backpacks. Excuse me? Do I look I have time to sit here through your asinine ‘fun and games?’ Put down your stupid bags and scan your groceries – PLEASE! The WalMart self check-out is worse. There they have a limit, 20 items or less. Am I the only one irritated when a slack-jawed man and his look-alike son stand over their brimming cart trying – SLOWLY – to find the bar code and getting it to read? COME ON!!!!

Don’t even get me started on teenagers at the movies, the sample tables at CostCo and anyone loudly blowing their nose at the table in a restaurant.

I do really try to be patient and I hope this isn’t a sign of me growing into a curmudgeonly old coot. Surely you’ve had similar experiences, right?... Right? Please drop me a line and let me know I’m not alone in this!


Showtune.erica@hotmail.com

And You Thought I Did Nothing All Day

So far today, I’ve fallen down AND been yelled at by a hot-head in a truck. Not bad for an unemployed pregnant gal huh?

I’ve read that clumsiness is a common problem for pregos. Our bodies are kickin’ out a hormone called Relaxin (or something like that) which helps everything loosen up for the big day. But, on the other hand, it loosens up all your ligaments BEFORE the big day. Therefore… I seem to be falling a lot.

I’m walking through the parking lot at Trolley Square and I noticed the uneven pavement on the way into the mall, but I guess I didn’t see it on the way out. I was calling Mark before he left for work and wasn’t looking – I know, I know, lesson learned on walking and dialing – and down I went. (Luckily not on a nationally televised program while trying to look graceful.) Phone grinding against the black top, my right foot folded under itself scraping my arch along the ground, should have gotten a hole in the knee of these jeans and got dirt under my finger nail. Not to mention, horrid embarrassment. I hopped into the car before I assessed my damage. Not much to speak of except a scraped up phone and a slightly sore neck. Bleh.

After getting my bean burrito for lunch, I headed out to my folks to use their MUCH faster internet service. On the way there, a guy was backing out of his driveway in a big red truck. He didn’t look at all, he just charged out. Obviously, I was concerned that he didn’t see me, so I beeped the horn. BIG MISTAKE!!! He gunned his big truck and rode my behind all the way through the neighborhood. When we finally came up to a T-turn, he gunned his truck again and pulled up right alongside me almost stopping me from moving on. So, I rolled my window down, ‘this ought to be goo

d’ I thought. Boy did I get an earful.

He couldn’t BELIEVE that I would honk at him and he watched me and I had plenty of room to just go around. I kept saying “I didn’t know if you saw me or not” “OH I SAW YOU!!!!” He was wildly waving his arms around, pulling hideous faces at me. Then I thought I’d use the sympathy card “Do you always go around yelling at women who are 8 months pregnant? What a big man you are!” “WHY DON’T YOU GO GET YOUR HUSBAND (sorry Mark) YOU KNOW WHERE I LIVE!!!!!” I’ve never seen anyone SO upset. And at what? I mean, was he already mad at something when he left his house? Did my stupid little Outback horn REALLY push him over the edge like that?

I finally just said “

Well, have a lovely day. I hope you just have a great day!” And rolled my window up. After mocking me for 15 seconds, he just sat there. I motioned for him to go on ahead and he shook his head no. He just sat there. I motioned again, he did the same. Well I wasn’t about to get in front of this nut-job, but he certainly wasn’t budging. So I put my car in reverse and backed the hell out of there. He sat for a second and then sped off so fast it worries me for all the kids getting off school buses.

So, he’s out there. I’m sorry for the wrath I caused and I hope no one else encounters this man. The strange thing is, he’s like 60 years old. I can’t imagine my sweet dad berating some gal somewhere over anything. What is this man’s problem? Where did we all go wrong? Shouldn’t there be some type of breathalyzer in cars to gauge how angry you are? It could be an angrylyzer…. Or a hot-headalyzer. A man like that has NO business being behind the wheel! (I’d better go; he’s probably vandalizing my car right now!)

Babies, Dogs, Cars and 2 Year Olds

Okay it’s time for a baby update.

As many of you know, KOSY fired me. It was a very unceremonious ending to a pretty decent stint there, but alas…

On the flip side, many of you have asked me about how my pregnancy is going. We’ve been a little remiss in doing updates so we need to get back at it.

If you’re interested, you can now start checking the baby blogs for regular updates for both the mom’s blog and the dad’s. I’m a month away!! YIKES!!

We went to our birthing class this weekend and I think my belly button is going to pop out - My new concern. You can read about those things in the baby blogs (yes, we actually did this pose.)

In other news…

Ginger may have a partial tear in her ACL – something to do with the knee. She’s a super-active dog and I think it just happened while doing her usual hijinks. Nevertheless, I now have a dog that LOVES to run and chase, won’t use her back right leg and could be facing an $800-$1,800 surgery. We’ve been told to have her rest as much as possible (which is killing all of us) and give her something to stop the swelling. Hopefully it’ll do the trick.

I also have a car that doesn’t want to start on command – nice, huh? It’s just a little fussy. I have to push the clutch in and if it doesn’t start then I have to do it again. Then it usually starts right up but I’m worried there’s going to be a day when it just decides it doesn’t want to start at all. Ugh. Why do all the financial burdens happen at the same time?

And then there’s the baby nursery. We still really need to get that put together. I’m guess I’m sort of in denial. Mark and I were ready to buy a house when KOSY canned me and I guess I’m still hopeful that we can figure out a way (the house we want is still on the market). I suppose it’s time for me to resign myself to the fact that we won’t have the house or the room I had hoped for and I just need to get the nursery put together. At this point, the baby may decide she’s ready to make a move early… who knows (of course, she’d be the first in the family to arrive ‘early’ to anything!)

Nothing super-entertaining for you, my apologies.

This Friday we’ll have a chance to practice our parenting skills – we’re babysitting our 2 yol niece, Katie. I’m hoping it’s all fun and games… we’re going to go out and about, grab some lunch and then over to grandma’s to frost sugar cookies! Hopefully it’ll go smoothly….

Send your thoughts!

Showtune.erica@hotmail.com