Fabulous Miss S.

Obligatory nod in your direction

I want you to know that I'm staying up late, past nine o'clock tonight to update you on my trivial life and pregnancy symptoms and I'm not even going to add a baby picture for cuteness because I'm writing from Marc's computer. 

Today was a good day.  I managed to take Noah to pick blueberries and to the Splash Park AND I put out the recycling, walked the dog and gave Noah dinner and had him bed by 8pm.   I may not be able to leave my bed tomorrow but today was a success!

The day I had to drop Noah in his crib mid-book and run out of the room was a low point.  Not horking on your child is a good thing to strive for, I've always said.

I eat fruit.  A lot of it.  I eat animal crackers.  A lot of them too.

I take B-6 and an occasional Unisom which is a true gift from the Internet Lords of Prengancy and Jonna. 

So, that's all. I'm alive. I'm here.  Eating chocolate and fruit and animal crackers and sleeping probably.  I'll write more after I finish growing this damn placenta.

SV Moms Book Club: Testimony, by Anita Shreve

Silicon Valley Moms Book Club Discussion: Testimony, by Anita Shreve

I can't recall having read a book in which I was so glad that I was not at all similar to any of the characters.  Anita Shreve's characters in Testimony are so deeply imperfect and flawed that they are actually quite real and rather human.  Multiple times I was screaming in my head "No! Don't do it! Don't have that affair/don't say that/don't go there."  And of course, the character proceeded to create a storm of trouble and conflict. 

Let me back up a bit; I loved this story. The plot was amazingly rich and realistic.  I could have been reading this story in a newspaper it was so modern and real.  The characters were diverse and hearing their individual voices gave the story the depth it needed to be taken seriously. I like that the story discussed the issues of teenage drinking in the ways that a few different characters consumed alcohol.  Sienna reportedly drank a lot, often.  Silas only turned to alcohol after the shock of finding his mother having an affair, using alcohol to escape and self medicate only one time, but that one time was enough for tragedy.

As the child of a parent who was a law enforcement officer (oh heck, my mommy was/is a cop!)  you grow up learning to question even the victim of an event because it is important to get all sides before making a judgment or decision about blame, responsibility or punishment.  It is made clear to the reader from the perspective of Rob Leicht and Laura, Sienna's roommate that she was overly and often inappropriately physical with people, dressed in a seductive and possibly slutty manner and thrived on the attention of young boys.  She also drank heavily.  Also, she was only fourteen years old.  Her credibility and integrity were questioned by those who came into contact with her even before the scandal.

I really like the notion that a chain of unlikely events can be set in motion with one single decision made in an instant and can have persistent and negative consequences on many lives for a long time.   It is an interesting thing to ponder that all of us in this world are somehow responsible for each other and can somehow indirectly shape the life of someone else without any malicious intention or thought. 

Shreve really hit it out of the park with Testimony.  Plot. Suspence. Death. Sex. Videotapes. Alcohol. Teens.  Scandals. Blame.  Affairs.  This story has many dimensions of intrigue.  The potential reality of this story made it a real page-turner.

Please don't talk about anything that smells

I'm pregnant. 

I've been meaning to sit down and write about this news for a few weeks now but I thought I'd give a head-fake at the obligatory wait-as-long-as-possible thing before blabbering all over the Internet that I'm knocked up yet again.  Also, the acid churning and burning in my stomach caused some creative circuit damage.

I'm eight weeks and that gives me a due date of February 3.

The morning sickness is horrendous this time around.  I am hoping to all hell that it wanes in the next few weeks because it is hard to take care of Noah on some days.  Also, it is 9pm, and therefore, bedtime for me, because sleeping is heavenly and it is the only time I don't feel intense heartburn or the urge to hork up saltines and yogurt. 

Bald Guard

Happy Father's Day, Dad.  We hope you like your new lounge chair.  We paid extra for the model that features "Bald Guard" so that your dome of knowledge could be protected from harsh UV rays.