For playing a round of “Do you like my new hat?” to amuse Max using a stepladder. Which opened. And hit me in the head.
Feeling like
February 23, 2010 at 11:58 pm (Babies, Food, Motherhood)
A bad mom for not realizing that I was supposed to give him a new food everyday for three days (or four or five or six or seven depending on who you’re talking to or reading) before introducing the next one. We have been waiting the amount of time recommended by our doctor between new foods, but have been feeding him whatever we or he wanted in his established repertoire during the days between “new food” days. D’oh!
Wondering
February 23, 2010 at 11:56 pm (Babies, Food)
If I am a bad mom for not making homemade baby food regularly? Can the stuff in the jars be that bad? It’s organic!
Thank you, Hallmark Channel
February 20, 2010 at 12:33 am (Max, television)
For being lazy enough or unimaginative enough (I’m not sure which.) to air “7th Heaven” five times a day. With WGN’s 8 a.m. showing, that is six episodes every day. EVERY DAY. Well, except for weekends. Oh, yes. This will get me through the hard times.
Not only do I love “7th Heaven”, but Max and I have watched it together practically every day since he was born. He turns toward the TV and smiles when he hears the theme song. And now I get to see that smile six times a day! I am guaranteed at least those six smiles everyday, even if I am too exhausted to be very entertaining to him.
The last piece of the oversized TV family puzzle
February 19, 2010 at 12:39 am (television)
For years I have had a theory about the interconnectedness of the television series “The Waltons” and “7th Heaven”. In fact, I’ve even thought about writing a paper about it. (I used to be a grad student. I try to turn everything in to a research paper.)
First of all, both families had seven kids. Second, the big brother in each family was sort of a third parent who took his responsibilities very seriously. Third, the two oldest daughters were named Mary Ellen (“The Waltons”) and “Mary” (“7th Heaven”). Fourth, the middle girls Erin (“Waltons”) and Lucy (“Heaven”) are both insecure and only care about boys and being pretty (at first). Each (Yes, I’m dropping the numbers. I’m tired of them.) features a boy who is good with money (Ben and Simon. I’m going to continue with “The Waltons” first and “7th Heaven” second, so I don’t have to keep typing the names.) and a precocious youngest daughter who turns out to be smarter than all of the rest of them (Elizabeth and Ruthie). Finally, there are the family dogs Reckless and Happy.
Another interesting coincidence is that the dad from “7th Heaven”, actor Stephen Collins, once guest-starred on “The Waltons”. He was much younger and using a so-so British accent, but it was definitely him. I was disappointed by the fact that none of “The Waltons” actors had ever been on “7th Heaven”.
Until last week. I was watching an episode I had seen many times, where Lucy convinces her father that the church needs to have an old-fashioned church social to help the single women in the congregation meet men. She bribes her dad by saying he can get a band together and sing. And there, playing backup guitar for the Rev. Camden, was none other than Jon Walmsley, a.k.a Jason Walton (who is a musician in real life). I couldn’t believe it. I was way too excited about it. (Hey, I believe in taking joy in the small things.) In fact, I saved the episode on the DVR to show my husband (who has patiently listened to the similarities between the two shows many times). He was suitably impressed, which is one of the many reasons I love him.
So, there you have it, folks. The two shows are inextricably connected. I would almost call “7th Heaven” a “reboot” or “remake” of “The Waltons” to some extent. I would say the latter definitely provided some inspiration to the former anyway. The only thing that would make it more perfect would have been if the Camdens lived in the Waltons’ old house, but alas, Lorelei Gilmore snagged it and it became the Dragonfly Inn.
Just Finished Watching
February 19, 2010 at 12:22 am (Movies, television)
What can I say? I love anything Waltons. I think my exact reaction to hearing that the movies were going to be available on DVD after years of fruitless searching and a useless Wishlist on the Tivo was: “SHUT. UP. No way!” (Very un-Waltons, but no one ever said I was consistent.)
Anyway, despite breaks in the continuity (Hello? What happened to John Curtis?), these are pretty solid for TV reunion movies. However, I am a huge fan of that genre (And that includes “A Very Brady Christmas”, so consider yourself warned.
Just finished reading
February 17, 2010 at 11:13 pm (Books)
Betsy-Tacy
by Maud Hart Lovelace
I have been hearing about the Betsy-Tacy books for about a year now. They were reprinted last fall, which accounts for some of the renewed buzz. Some of my favorite authors, including Meg Cabot, recommended them, which surprised me, since she skewered the “Anne” books in one of her “Princess Diaries” books and “Anne” and “Betsy-Tacy” seem quite similar. (I forgave her, though.) I am definitely glad I decided to check them out. They are so sweet and innocent, yet hilarious at the same time.
Paging Donna Reed
February 3, 2010 at 12:43 am (Chris, Clothes)
I am amazed that I have some vestigial, 1950s housewife-type instinct that makes me feel guilty when I see that my husband has holes in his socks. I should have darned them! Except I don’t even know what darning is! Is it as fun as saying the word “darn”? Or its naughtier counterpart?
DARN that sock for making me feel guilty. OK, now I feel better.
Resolving
February 3, 2010 at 12:39 am (Chris, Sleep)
To be a better wife. Meaning I will no longer kick my husband when he snores at night when I meant to only nudge him to get him to roll over.
First letter to Max
January 31, 2010 at 11:24 pm (Max)
Dear Max,
I have just finished nursing you and placed you in your crib for the night. Even though I spent a good 35 minutes in there with you, I almost wish I had sat there with you a bit longer. I know you needed to be in your crib to sleep properly and that I needed to get out here and get on with the evening chores and activities. In fact, this blog entry started writing itself in my head and I was a bit anxious to get it down while the creative juices are flowing. I’m like that. Ideas start coming to me when I’m not in a position to capture them on paper or record them in any way. However, you had fallen asleep while I was nursing you, which you never do anymore. Your little head would loll back, but you would wake up, determined to nurse some more. And part of me wanted to let you do that all night, because I know my chances to hold you like that are coming to a close.
The past six months have been the best of my life. They have been exciting, difficult, heartwarming, and heartrending. I look at you sometimes and my love for you suffuses my entire being with joy. It always happens at the oddest times. Today, it happened when I was sitting up in bed, exhausted from not sleeping well. Daddy was holding you on his lap, giving me a break from nursing to have some coffee. I hadn’t even had one sip, but I looked at your face, so happy and expectant simply because you were sitting with your parents, and I was struck again by how unbelievably beautiful you are. That feeling is better than caffeine. (Although I did still drink it. Mommy needs her caffeine. That’s another thing you will learn about me.)
My first chance to really bond with you was my second night in the hospital. It was about 11 p.m., I think, and poor Daddy had fallen asleep in two armchairs pushed together. It was our first chance to be alone since your birth. I held you in my arms (You were sleeping, too.) and I just stared. And stared. And stared some more. Your face was peaceful and glowing. Really. You seemed so perfectly content with me. And, for the first time in those two crazy days, I felt perfectly content, too. These were the moments I had been waiting for for 41 and a half weeks and really, my whole life. I looked at you for so long and just memorized your face and the way you felt in my arms. I should have been sleeping, because, like Daddy, I hadn’t slept much in the past 72 hours. It was worth it, though.
You are different than I ever imagined you would be. You’re better. And I’m better because of you. You have started me on the path to the person I’ve always wanted to be. I get up early because of you. I go to bed earl(ier) because of you. I plan meals, shop, and cook for you. (Even though you can’t eat it yet.) I’ve read entire books about sleep and learned all about feeding you as well. I’ve started going with the flow and doing whatever works at the time. Thinking on my feet. I’ve even (gasp!) started getting rid of things, including books, for you. It is perhaps ironic that having you has made me feel freer than I’ve ever felt in my whole life. You have made me brave enough to try to be a better person and not worry about the consequences. If it doesn’t work, you try something else. That’s motherhood and life, in a nutshell.
You are so adorable and so good. Those are the two things everyone mentions about you. You have the biggest blue eyes and two adorable little teeth on the bottom. You have a dimple in your left cheek when you smile and laugh, just like me and your cousin Cailyn. You are calm and relaxed most of the time. You don’t fuss much and when you do, it rarely escalates to screaming. You are so patient with your father and me. I thank you for that and will always try to do the same for you.
I love you, Max. You and your daddy are the best things that ever happened to me. You are my dream come to life. I waited so long for both of you and you were both worth every minute of the wait.
Happy first half-year, my little man.
All my love,
Mommy
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