Ode to Chonkers Cat

Your name is Luna but we call you Chonkers
It's a fitting name because you're bonkers

You used to be known as the Top Cat
But now you're lucky to even be pat

You meow incessantly and whine to boot
Your crazy antics are not a hoot

I'm sorry you're no longer a priority
But we've got a baby now, you see

We will attempt to pet you more
And not constantly shove you out the door

But you've got to make an effort too
Cause the baby wakes up when you loudly mew

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This post is part of Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop
7.29.10
Prompt #2: Write a poem for your furry friend
(and I'm pretty sure she meant a poem for your pet and not your ... well, you know)

Wow, another award? I'm flattered!

In retaliation exchange for receiving the Versatile Blogger Award, Brittainy, over at The Litany of Brittainy, has blessed me with this gem:

I am truly humbled.

I'd Like to Thank ...

able, accomplished, adaptable, adroit, all-around, all-purpose, ambidextrous, conversant, dexterous, elastic, facile¹, functional, gifted, handy, ingenuous, many-sided, mobile, multifaceted, plastic, pliable², protean, puttylike³, ready, resourceful, skilled, skillful, talented, variable, varied ... VERSATILE Many thanks to my friend Elizabeth at The Writer Revived for passing along The Versatile Blogger award.  Elizabeth is the mom of a very busy toddler.  She's currently working on her second book and once it's published, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she'll give sell me an autographed copy. In order to humbly accept this award, I must: Thank and link back to the person who gave me this award - Done Share seven things about myself - See below Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who I have recently discovered and think are fantastic for whatever reason! (In no particular order) - See below below Contact the bloggers I've picked and let them know about the award Things you may or may not know about me: 1) I cannot stand the sound of people whistling. 2) I was an extra in the HBO movie, Recount. 3) I do not like mushrooms, tomatoes, cantaloupe, peppers, mayonnaise ... okay, so I am a little picky. 4) I am left-handed, but I use scissors with my right hand. 5) I wore glasses from the age of 2 through 29.  When I was 29, I got LASIK.  For my wedding. 6) I've never lived anywhere other than where I live now. 7) I hate driving or riding with the windows rolled down in the car. My Google Reader is continuously clogged with posts from my favorite bloggers, so I am excited to pass this award along to them.  Maybe you'll see someone you "know", or maybe you'll "meet" a new friend. Not Super ... Just Mom Accustomed Chaos three pugs & a baby The Mommy Logs for the love of Stilettos Alabaster Cow Sluiter Nation Webbisodes Good Day, Regular People Heligirl The Litany of Brittainy Homemaking 101 blackhuff's blogpoint Unofficial Mom lucille in the sky That was exhausting to try and narrow down the list to just 15 blogs.  I think all the blogs I read are deserving of award and recognition.  Now I've got to publish this post and let everyone know of the honor I have bestowed upon them.   ¹ - I had to look up this word ² - My husband would like to think so ³ - My postpartum belly does quite resemble this

Mungee Gets a Makeover

What do you think of our new do?  Unfortunately the site that hosted my old background, The Cutest Blog on the Block, has disappeared, causing me to update our look.  I'm not in love with it, I think it's a little hard on the eyes, so if you have any suggestions for improvement, I'd greatly appreciate it!  Thank you!

Video: Bibble Bibble

I'm in the Running for "Not Mom of the Year"!

Last week I entered this post in the Not Mom of the Year contest hosted by Life Without Pink and The Mommyologist.  I was completely shocked today to find out that I was chosen as one of ten finalists!

If you could do this Not Mom of the Year a big favor and go vote for me here, I would greatly appreciate it.  Mungee would too ... she's at my feet whining for me to pick her up, but I told her she has to wait until Mommy is finished begging for votes buying her birthday presents online.

Need further proof that I would display the trophy with pride?  I give my baby coffee.

You can vote once daily through Friday, July 23, 2010. Do it. I'll know if you don't.

11 Month Letter

Dear Mungee,

On Saturday, July 17, 2010, you turned 11 months old.  We celebrated by having a birthday photo session with Amanda from Photography by A. Dennette.  You were such an adorable model and had fun posing for the camera.  You didn't smile too often as you were a bit hungry because you didn't like anything we gave you for lunch and you were tired because you decided your morning nap was overrated.  Despite the lack of smiles, Amanda captured some beautiful shots of you.  I think she  may have caught your soul.

You are quite vocal and we're pretty sure you've got several words in your vocabulary.  This includes: button, door, bye-bye, baby, water, mama, dada and cat.  Even if you can't say a lot of things, you definitely seem to have an understanding of what they mean.  Before you go to bed, we go around your room and say "Goodnight owl pictures, goodnight lamp, goodnight bird mobile, goodnight frog, goodnight light".  You look directly at each of these things, so I know you know what they are.  And do you want to know how I'm certain you know?  When I say "Goodnight Mama" you turn and look me straight in the eye, smile, and give me a giant hug.  The love I feel between us at that moment is infinite.

Sometimes when you're on the floor playing and I say "Do you want some milk?" you'll start whining and climb into my lap.  

You're (finally) able to get into a sitting position from your stomach (7/14) and you're beginning to figure out how to pull up.  You have been able to pull yourself up from sitting in your crib for a while now, but that was through bracing your legs against the crib rails and pulling straight up.  Now you raise your body up while you're on your hands and knees and use your feet to stand yourself up.   The day you sat up on your own, I lowered your crib mattress after I caught you trying to pull up in your crib when I came to get you from your nap.

You are tentatively cruising along the outside of the bathtub ... I set you there while I get the water ready for your bath and you make your way over to the soap bottle, which you're fascinated with.  So far, this is the only surface you're comfortable creeping along, but I sense you'll be getting more brave sooner than I'm comfortable with.

You've mastered the ability to climb up the small step that leads from the breakfast nook into the kitchen, so we really must get a baby gate soon.  (Note to self: Also need to find a new place for the recyclables). Your mobility and speed increases daily, even though you're still crawling on your belly and not on your hands and knees.

I've taught you some very important parlor tricks such as "Gimme Five" and "Bibble bibble bibble".  I'm also working on teaching you how to feed me Puffs.  You think it's hilarious when I take them out of your hand with my mouth.  You turn pages in books at our request (actually, whenever you feel like it).

You still have two teeth on the bottom, and FOUR on top.  You're working on cutting another one on the bottom.  I was worried that you might start biting me while you nurse, but  you typically only bite me on the shoulder when you're tired and getting loopy.  You grind your teeth a lot and it makes us cringe, but I know you're only doing it because you're curious about what's going on in your mouth.  Just yesterday, you started to explore that curiosity in a new way by sticking out your bottom lip as far as possible - and when you do, I call you Popeye.  I'd love to get a picture of this because it's pouty and beyond adorable.

I'm not sure it's possible that you are really 11 months old already and that I'm planning your first birthday party.  I look back at old photos of you and wonder when you were so small and how you got so big right before my eyes.  I long to go back to the days when depression robbed me of the chance to be in the moment with you and commit to memory all the things that are now hazy in my mind.  I can feel the love I have for you bursting forth from within me and it cannot be contained. 

You are my heart, you are my everything, you are me, I am you.

Love always,

Mama

Stick Figure Saturday: You Know You've Done This Before ... or Am I the Only One?

I'm stretching my artistic prowess today with the Alabaster Cow.  Check her out.  Her arse looks good in jorts.

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I seriously hope y'all get that, cause it took me like, an hour and a half to draw.  So ... yeah.

I Get Lucky

Oh, get your mind out of the gutter.

Lately I've entered too many to count a few giveaways through some of my favorite blogs.  I get all giddy, squeal like a tween at a Justin Bieber concert, and jump up and down when I get an email telling me that I've WON something!

Since these kind small businesses/companies/bloggers have been generous enough to offer the opportunity for readers to win some fantastic items, I thought I would link back to them to show my appreciation.

Here's what I've won:

- A year's supply of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese via The Copper Brick Road

          *In case you were wondering, a year's supply is 52 boxes!

- Baby Legs, bow and headband by Little Mod Chic via The Mommy Logs

- Boogie Wipes via The Mommy Logs

- Ugly Doll from Coppin's Hallmark via Not Super ... Just Mom

- Mod Silhouette by jessa zg via Mom-Nom

Image used with permission of jessa zg

- V8 V-Fusion Picnic at the Beach pack via Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House

and most recently a ...

- Baked Snikiddy Sampler via Jessica Loves to Save Money

*I've actually had to edit this twice because I won two additional giveaways while this post was in my "scheduled" folder.  WOO-HOO!

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Thanks again to the generous small businesses, companies and blog hosts!

B is for Ball ... and a bunch of other stuff too

I've come to the conclusion that Mungee is going to be talking well before she's walking.  Heck, she can't even get into a sitting position on her own yet, much less crawl like a normal baby.  Since her vocal prowess far outweighs her motor skills, I've taken to verbalizing just about everything we see and do.  And through this I have discovered that there are tons of words that we teach our babies that begin with the letter "B".

- Baby

- Back

- Bagel

- Balloon

- Banana - She yells "Eh nah nah nah". We pretend she's saying banana.

- Bark

- Bathtub

- Beach

- Bear

- Belly

- Bib

- Big

- Bird

- Bite

- Blanket

- Blocks

- Boat

- Book

- Bottle

- Bottom (Hee hee)

- Bounce

- Bowl
- Breakfast

- Broccoli

- Bubbles

- Bug

-Bumbo

- Bunny

- Burp - Her first word.  She said "Bup".

- Butterfly

- Button - She loves to point at buttons on our clothes ... and try to rip them off

- Bye bye - I'm pretty sure she actually says this when she wants to!

... and
- Beer ... can't forget that one!



















I'm beyond a doubt going to have a beautiful bouncing, babbling, brainiac baby on my hands before I can blink!

I'm So "Not Mom of the Year"

Because I find self-deprecation somewhat cathartic, I'm entering this contest for the ...





This is just one of many reasons why I'm not mom of the year:

Though you can't see it, there is, at least, an outlet cover in the bottom socket.

And through brilliant, award-worthy poetry, I offer you myriad other reasons why you should vote to have this title bestowed upon me.

A desk lurks somewhere under teetering stacks of paper in the office.  There's laundry in the hamper, dishes in the sink. The diaper pail wafts an offensive odor, it never ceases to stink.

I'll be feeding Mungee jarred food forever, I'm not one to cook.  Every once in a blue moon, we'll sit down to read a book.

Instead of cleaning, I read blogs during naptime.  The highchair tray is covered with mysterious grime.

Once a week, I might sweep.  Why tidy up, when I would rather sleep?

My legs aren't shaved, my hair looks like hay.  At least I took a shower today.  (Except I haven't)

It's too hot for the playground, we don't go for walks.  The bouncy seat makes a great babysitter.  Mungee never wears socks.

The baby book is barely touched, milestones unrecorded.  Haphazardly scribbled notes like "she got a tooth!" & "she's crawling!", however, need to be sorted.

The crib mattress is still at its highest setting, the doorways have no gate.  When it comes to baby-proofing, I am fashionably late.

If there was ever a doubt I'm not mom of the year, I think I've done well proving it here.

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Many thanks to Tina at Life Without Pink and Mary at The Mommyologist for inspiring me to continue not being the mom of the year in order to write this post while Mungee is trapped in plays in the Exersaucer.

An Impromptu Lunch

Saturday afternoon, Mungee and I headed to our synagogue for a Kiddush in honor of the Rabbi's new baby girl.  While there, we ran into my best friend who invited us over for lunch.  I was a little hesitant to accept her invitation because it was getting close to Mungee's afternoon nap, but I decided to throw caution to the wind and see what happened.  

I arrived at my friend's house and she offered to let me nurse Mungee and put her down for a nap in the porta-crib in her room.  I nursed, burped and put her in the crib with a random toy and said, "Okay, it's naptime, go to sleep".  I left the room and went back a few times to listen to her through the door.  I didn't hear anything and was excited to sit down for a relaxing meal with friends, but Mungee had other plans.  She couldn't figure out where she was, didn't know what was expected of her and just couldn't get settled.  (I really don't blame her, she was totally out of her element).  

I wound up bringing her to the dining table, where I shoveled food into my mouth with one hand and used the other to prevent Mungee from grabbing aforementioned food off the plate (which I had to push about a foot away from me).  She was pretty wiggly and squirmy, but calmed down a bit once I started giving her sips of my water (forgot her sippy cup), challah and real baked chicken (she probably will never eat the jarred stuff again).

By the time we left, it was past 4 p.m., which is normally when she's getting up from her afternoon nap.  The ride home is only about 10-15 minutes tops, and she was zonked out when I pulled into our driveway.  She must have fallen asleep the moment her head hit the carseat.  I heaved her inside (carseat + Mungee = approximately eventybillion pounds) and took her to her room, shut the door and prayed that she would nap long enough to not be in a completely foul mood when she woke up.  My prayers were answered - she wound up sleeping for about an hour.

She got her dinner, played for a bit, took a bath and went to bed without ANY resistance.  I'm always worried that if the afternoon nap goes awry we are screwed for the rest of the day, but Saturday didn't turn out so bad.

What happens when you deviate from your routine?  

Does all chaos break loose, or have you been pleasantly surprised?

Did You Know?

Did you know that you can only eat whatever you want while breastfeeding for so long before you start gaining weight again?  Now I know.

Did you know that the library, bookstores and even Whole Foods have story time, but they all fall during or at the end of your child's naps?  Now I know.

Did you know that a frozen bagel used as a teether won't stay frozen for long before your child, who has 6 teeth, bites off a chunk the size of a large marble and chokes on it?   
Now I know.

Did you know that when you're bathing your child and they kick and splash with excitement, drenching you in the process, that you'd happily splash along with them?   
Now I know.

Did you know that you'd be discussing the color, size, texture, consistency and odor of poo with your husband, parents, friends and complete strangers?  
Now I know.

Did you know the sink would fill with dishes, the laundry would get ignored and toys would get strewn across the floor, but you wouldn't care because your baby is happy and therefore you're happy?
Now I know.

Did you know that months of holding your sleeping child for hours at a time, several times a day, sacrificing your need to go to the bathroom or merely move, were worth it because you have a child that finally takes naps in their crib and sleeps through the night?   
Now I know.

Did you know that when you're walking through the grocery store with your baby, talking and singing and being goofy in order to keep them entertained, you'll be oblivious to what other people think?  Now I know.

Until you've experienced it, there's no way to know what you will come to know, you know?  I can't wait to know more.

*** What do you know? ***

New York City! - Part 1

Sunday - 6.27.10

This time a week ago, I was on a direct flight to New York City (rather I was when I started writing this post at 9 am on Sunday).  It was the first time I've traveled by plane since my honeymoon in March 2008.  It was also the first time I was away from Mungee for more than a few hours.

My best friend is a category manager for a major grocery store chain, and therefore attends several food-related trade shows a year.  She's invited me to go along on this trip previously, however, there's always been something preventing me from going.  Last year I was 34 weeks pregnant.  The year before that, I think the trip fell during DH's birthday weekend.  A few months back she emailed me and said, "You're going with me this year.  Mungee will be almost 11 months old, so you'll probably have her weaned by then, or her Pa can give her some formula".  I nervously excitedly booked a ticket.

We arrived at the airport and immediately made our way to the taxi line.  Neither of us checked luggage so we avoided the baggage claim area altogether (definitely a smart move).  We got to the hotel and our room wasn't ready yet, so I changed outfits in the bathroom (I'm resourceful like that).  We made our way to a kosher restaurant (oh, did I mention that my best friend keeps strict kosher, so NYC is like a smorgasbord for her - we have ZERO kosher restaurants where we live).  Aforementioned kosher restaurant was not where it was supposed to be and we didn't have the map of other nearby kosher restaurants with us, so we wound up a little behind schedule and had less time available to spend way too much money in browse around F.A.O. Schwartz.  That was probably a good thing.

 

We had to leave the toy store to make our way to see these guys:

Have you seen them?  It was a great show, but the theater was small - as in, your knees were in the neck of the person in front of you. I'd recommend seeing it in a bigger venue.

After the show ended, we cabbed it (I'm SO New York) back to the hotel and changed for dinner with my friend's colleague's vendor.  We ate at Solo, which is located in the atrium of the Sony Building.  Solo is a swanky, upscale kosher restaurant.  It was absolutely delicious.  As I usually do, when other people are paying I ate way too much.  Normally I take a picture of my meals at fancy restaurants but I didn't want to seem like a dork unprofessional since this was a business dinner.

After dinner we walked around Times Square and visited Hershey's, the m&m's store and Toys 'R Us.  Did you know there is a full-size Ferris Wheel there?

Here we are in Times Square.  

(One of the rare occasions I wear my hair down)

 

P.S.  I am actually taller than my friend in real life.  Yes, it was necessary to mention that.

 

  

Image Source

By this time, it was after 11 pm.  We headed back to our hotel, where we met up with my friend's colleague and a couple of the people we had dined with earlier.  They were having a drink and shooting the breeze, but we were too tired to hang for very long.  We went up to the room to turn in for the night.

New York City! - Part Two - Coming Soon

Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop

I've been tempted to participate in Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop for a while now, but the creative juices haven't been flowing and I was unable to come up with anything I wouldn't be embarrassed by worthy of posting.

Yesterday, however, I was drawn to this prompt:

2.) Write a poem about a memory you sometimes wish would disappear.

I've certainly got a few memories I wish would vanish into thin air!  Why does it seem like the things we desperately want to forget are the memories that stand out the most?

Okay, go easy on me ...

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I'm a recent college grad

I'm moving out, getting my own pad

Needing the last of my things for my new apartment

I return to the house I used to rent

Old roommates were still living there

I walk in and they begin to stare

"What are you doing back?" they say

"What do you mean?  I haven't been here today"

I push past, open my old bedroom door

The place was empty, my possessions no more

Tangible reminders of memories, lost

My clothes, yearbooks, everything, tossed

Claims of ignorance fill my ears

"We don't know what happened here"

These things cannot be replaced

and those I trusted broke my faith

Parts of me I'll never get back

This is a memory I wish I lack

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I hate thinking about this.