Tag! And who's next?

Seems "I'm it" on a friendly game of blogger tag. The lovely Day over at A Beautiful Day tagged me and some other great gals to share five things about ourselves so here goes:

1. I'm the vice president of our local tri-county Resolve chapter. When we first moved back to south Florida, I was three years into my infertility and was feeling like I was the.only.person.in.the.world dealing with IF (this was P.B., pre-blogosphere). Given my internet research skills, I got online and started looking for someone--anyone--in my area dealing with IF too. Somehow I found Resolve and saw they had a chapter in the county directly south of mine. For 4 months, I drove 90 miles (each way) once a month to partake of some company with women, and a few men, who totally 'got it.' After the drive got to be just too much at the end of a full day's work, I started up an off-shoot group in my county. That was 15 months ago and it's still going strong (stronger, in fact, than the original chapter I started out in).

Funny how in those three years of IF treatment, etc., not one person--doctor practice or otherwise--ever pointed me in the direction of Resolve. But finding it helped me realize that I wasn't alone...and that, sometimes if you look or listen very closely, you'll find that IF is actually very much all around us.

2. I'm actually one credit hour, and about 35 or so thesis pages, short of my Master's degree in literature. I've got to get on the ball if I'm going to finish it--time's running out (this summer tolls the final bell). But to be honest, I'm more than tempted to walk away from it all; I'm just not interested anymore and it's not like I need the degree for my line of work. My BA is quite sufficient. So I need to sh*t or get off the pot on this one, and soon.

3. I'll actually be leaving my current crap job next week and then starting to work from home come the new year. This means I will be able to make my own hours and that I will also be switching Juliana to three days of daycare a week (MWF). Tuesday and Thursdays will soon be spent basking in her glow. Need I say more?

4. I was almost an art major in college. I spent most of my youth drawing in various media; how I loved to draw! I attended a magnet high school for its art program and won awards in local shows but then decided to go the English route in college since I loved reading books so much. Plus I figured the life of a starving artist wasn't for me, no offense to those who sacrifice for their art...I just couldn't do it. I 'starved' too much as a child not to want to be comfortable as an adult. But now my MIL is encouraging me to pick a pencil (or pen, or brush) back up and draw again. Tempting but I've got what free time to do so? One day....

5. While I don't think I believe in love at first sight, I knew the moment I saw A that I would marry him one day. At the time we met, both of us were in relationships with other people. Several months after our initial meeting, we met again; he was free, I wasn't. I promptly returned home and broke it off with my boyfriend of three years...and haven't looked back since. That was almost 16 years ago, 9 of them married.

So that's probably more than enough minutiae of my life than you wanted to know but it was fun for me. Thanks, Day, for thinking of me.

Now I 'tag' Jen (2 cats), Jenn (Agony), April, Menita, and ThreeBees. Ladies?

Blessed baby, blissed mama

I could tell you how le bebe seems to have taken a step back in her sleeping habits and how she has taken to fighting--and I mean REALLY fighting--the whole falling asleep thing, but truly, doesn't every baby have sleep issues at some point in time? This too shall pass (though I still wonder if her back will eventually take the shape of her swing since it's currently the ONLY place she will sleep)....

I will tell you that the girl was baptized this past Sunday. There were four babies who received the sacrament and I'm proud to report that ours was the only screamer at the altar. Yea for us--whadda we win? We followed the ceremony up with lunch for 20 of us. Once the lass got that ceremonial screaming out of her system, she was a joy to be around the rest of the day. Lunch was wonderful, as was the company. As I looked around at the two tables, I was touched to see the love everyone has for the three of us. It made me realize that not only was Juliana blessed (both literally and figuratively), but so are we.

Next up is Christmas at our house since it's Juliana's first. We look forward to the full house but it's also nice when everyone leaves :-)

Juliana will be six months old this coming Sunday and I can honestly say that each day is more wonderful than the one before it. She has developed a real personality (an actress and a skilled manipulator--and I mean those things in a good way--well, good for her, bad for us) and constantly amazes and delights us. She is ohsoclose to sitting up on her own and has taken to reaching out to be held or picked up, among several other milestones. How that warms the cockles of my (formerly cynical) heart! She is standing with assistance, loves her e*nste*n exersaucer, and is very interested in her furry four-legged dog brothers. Her smile lights up her entire face and she is generous in bestowing grins these days. I tell you what, that smile makes everything in my world better, especially on the crappiest of days.

As for Christmas--well, let's just say that my wish list is a short one. After all, I already received the one gift I wanted most (though a sparkly bauble is always appreciated).

How I spent my Thanksgiving break by Dee

Delicioso, si?

The only bad part was the fact that sweet potatoes (the kind in a jar) made the sweet potato's (the kind sitting on my lap) belly upset. Oy, but the baby green beans...those were a hit, and no pesky GI rumblings.