Thanksgiving and Recent Merriment

I'm so sorry for the terrible delay.

It seems I have reached my max for blogging storage and now must pay $2.49 a month to keep up this habit.

I've added a PayPal link at the bottom for all of my avid readers to contribute to the cause.

Oh, I jest!

It actually took me like 2 days to figure it out and pay the Google wallet.

I wish I had Google's wallet.

I bet it's Prada.

Back to the fun and silliness!

The other day I was cooing at my chile and I grabbed my camera.  We sit like this a lot.

As I scanned the room I saw this little fuzz head-

Oh, sweet kitty, I feel your angst.

The elephant in the room is obvious.

And that elephant be named Baby G.

Poor kitty is a tad jealous.

She has been receiving copious amounts of Whisker Lickins, but has not added one ounce to her kitty physique.

I now have a baby scale thanks to my pal Jamie.

I've added baby weighing and kitty weighing to my list of activities.

It is so fun.

Kitty=7lbs, 6 oz.

Genevieve=13 lbs, 4 oz.

Holy Crikey!

That's right, folks.

Trinity and I have one large girl on our hands, according to both the scale, the percentiles at the pediatrician's office, and the waistband of many a pair of 3 month pants.

In other news, Thanksgiving was swell.

Mom and I hosted a small soiree on Wednesday and rocked the party.

The twins arrived.

As usual, Court sat in Teri's lap.

Some things never change.

We took lots of walks around the neighborhood.

Katie brought CeCe, the 4 lb piddling wonder.

Mother made her wear a doggy diaper.

She has a bladder the size of a thimble and she empties it everywhere but outside.

We met up with my pal Kathy's kiddos and continued another walk on Thanksgiving.

Jane showed off her Dobbs Park nature center skills by picking up this deer head.

It still had teeth and hair.

The kids were impressed.

I'm impressed that Caroline is wearing that Bieber nightie out of the house.

Just pushing my stroller with my baby!

The walk continues!

I will catch up on some more soon, now that I am paying the Piper.

Behind the Crazy...

My mother came last week for the night.

Yes, she comes weekly.

We had Christmas card pictures on our busy agenda.

Mom was the photographer.

I served as stylist and lighting assistant.

I was able to snag some exclusive behind the scenes photos.

These may show up on Extra!

Step 1:

Create backdrop using a white bedspread.

Step 2:

Remove lampshades and open blinds.

Step 3:

Dress baby and place her on the set.

Step 4:

Hoist giant lady on to bed and pray she doesn't lose her balance and flatten baby.

It looked like this-

Don't be fooled.

She was barking orders like she was Annie Lebowitz.

I was running around slobbering and making cooing noises.

Just so you know, entire Lululemon outfits allow for greater flexibility in shooting baby photos.

It's not like we were actually exercising.

Thank God for stretchy fabric.

Mom's luon got a serious work out.

The model demanded a break here.

I fetched her things like Perrier water, only blue M&Ms, and changed the iPod to play The Beastie Boys, at her request.

She's such a diva.

Yes, she's wearing an elf hat.

Then it was time to change from Valentino into Gucci, or rather Carter's to Janie and Jack.

Whatevs.

I don't get out of my crib for less than 4 oz of Similac, lady.

Things were going swimmingly until I told her that the cupcakes I ordered from Magnolia Bakery that were supposed to arrive on set would not be arriving in time before her return flight to LA.

Then she went all Naomi Campbell and kicked the photographer.

There might be a lawsuit, or at least an assault charge.

It was definitely a Lindsay and Dina Lohan moment.

We had to placate her in some way.

So we did this.

It worked.

Professionalism resumed.

Amen!

Shoot complete!

2 Months Old and More Pictures of My Baby

My wee bunny was 2 months old on Friday.

We watched the IU game and she wore a fancy onesie that will fit her for approximately one more game.

Trinity claims she can go to IU or Notre Dame if she goes to college in Indiana, or UT or Vanderbilt if she heads to his home state of Tennessee.  

He has been wearing her around in this Baby Bjorn that Nicole sent us.

He refused to wear the Moby wrap, but deems the Bjorn "man enough."

Nic sent it via snail mail, and I dug out this photo to show her wearing it four years ago, with Madelyn.

Well, now this is a different one.

It seems BFF Nic is a connoisseur of Baby Bjorns.

We went to see T's parents this weekend, and of course I took zero pictures.

Brilliant.

On the way home we stopped at Frisch's Big Boy for G's orientation to the glorious establishment.

In usual Betsy fashion, I ate a salad with grilled chicken on top.

Then I inhaled my own hot fudge cake.

I later learned that was 846 calories.

Oopsy!

In the restroom I waited in line for the stall with the changing table.

I encountered this woman-

everyone knows Maxine.

I know her well because I worked at Hallmark in high school.

Did you know that every greeting card goes into a numbered pocket?

Well, they do.

So the next time your lazy tail thinks about just putting a card back in a random spot, think of me.

Don't do it.

I spent hours upon hours of my teen life putting them tediously back in the right spot, and plotting revenge on the world.

Anyway, 85 year old Maxine was in the bathroom, wearing her cataracts dark sunshades and using her cane.

She grabbed my baby's foot and screamed,

"God, she's so fat and pretty!"

Well, yes.

What a compliment.

That truly made our Big Boy trip a memorable one, since I was reminded that I have a big girl.

I took G's 2 month pictures this morning with the stuffed mouse and Fancy Nancy.

Aw, shucks, Mom!

I think I will eat this paper circle.

Mom sent pictures of sister Katie.

I think G looks like both my sister and my husband.

Kinda weird.

Aunt Katie

Aunt Katie

Mom Betsy, zero resemblance

Aunt Katie

We go to the doctor next week so I will report on percentiles then.

And it's snowing!

Awesome.

I get to spend the day inside making my hands talk!

Visits here, there and everywhere-

Two of my tiny best friends came to town to hang with me, T and G on Saturday.  We noshed on some champagne cocktails, cheese, grapes and crackers on Saturday afternoon while Trinity watched football and somewhat participated in our incessant chatter.

We love to talk, and we don't get together that often because Kate is in Chicago and we are all super busy.

Kate is busy teaching 5th grade and hanging with her boyfriend Scott, Meg is delivering babies, juggling two kiddos under 4 and time with her husband Ryan, and I am busy online shopping while my kid naps.

With my rock solid schedule of Starbucks runs and trips to the mailbox, it's truly a wonder we were able to plan this.

We had a 3 hour dinner at Bonefish,

where I enjoyed my first Winter White Cosmo of the holiday season.

I love seasonal goodies.

I can only get them certain times of the year so they are all the more special.  Oh, and that's what makes them seasonal.

Geez.

When I dropped them off at their hotel, I saw a stray cat in the parking lot.

In typical Betsy style I chased it around the parking lot for about 10 minutes cooing here kitty, kitty.

It wasn't interested in me.

Meg and Kate asked what my plan was if I caught it.

Plan?

What plan?

I don't think that far in advance, girls.

You should know that by now.

I just wanted to touch that soft kitty fur and my pea brain didn't go beyond that to my husband killing me or Kashmir undergoing more trauma.  As if bringing an infant into her world isn't punishment enough for her little life.

On Sunday they returned bearing coffee and ready for some Grade A baby squeezin', round two.

Mind your manners, G.

If it was not for Dr. Megan, your mother might have gone to the tanning bed and eaten sushi whilst pregnant.

I kid.

Oh, here's my favorite.

Big girl and her tiny compadres.

Kate and I were a sight during our speedwalks around IU's campus in college.  She took 2 steps to every one of mine, yet she could walk faster than me.  

I love G's face here too.

Should this little girl be holding me?

Shouldn't she be sitting down on a couch?

No, ladybug.

Your mother is just a giant.

You'll learn that the whole female gender doesn't hedge on 6 feet tall.

Trinity had the day off for election day, so we went as a family to the polls.

I got Genevieve dressed while explaining the entire electoral college.

I then asked if she had any questions.

"When do I get my own neck?"  she implored.

Soon dear, very soon.

I hope.

Post voting we went to the Cracker Barrel.

Genevieve slept when her father wedged her under the voting booth.

She woke up immediately at the Crack house.

What, what is dis smell?

They gots bizcuits????

Her excitement was uncontrollable.

Either that or she's pooping.

I can't really tell.

We went home to see my parents for two nights.

We stopped by so G could meet my Nanny.

YaYa and Bob took great care of us!

The Chicken or the Egg

Well in our case, clearly the chicken came before the egg.

Ha ha, aren't I just too clever?

Trinity was geared up and ready to greet the trick or treaters last night.  

He loves Halloween.

He went to Sam's Club the night before to load up, and returned with two 105 piece bags of candy.

He bought a medley, if you will.

Baby Ruth, Snickers, Milky Way and M&Ms.

I hate all of those except for the M&Ms.  Caramel is not my thing, and lord knows what that funky filling is inside a Baby Ruth bar.

No thanks.

Anyway 2 X 105= 210 pieces of candy.

A lot, I thought.

Alas, at about 5:45 last night, he started to fret.

He was concerned he didn't have enough. I told him that 210 pieces of candy was enough.  He mentioned that he estimated that he had eaten 11 pieces himself, thus leaving only 199.

Again, I tried to reassure him.

He then proceeded to launch into a story problem that I might use with 3rd graders.

It went like this.

"But, Betsy, listen.  I think I need to start with one piece per spook.    That should be enough.  But, you know, spooks can come to your door in anywhere from one spook to a group of 10 spooks.  You just don't know until you open the door.  If I find that I have lots left over about midway through the night, I can then give more pieces per spook."

I was speechless.  He thought this out thoroughly.  Plus I learned that "spook" is Trinity speak for a Halloween costumed child.

Goodness, the situation was heating up.

Would there be enough candy per spook?

Once the candy was set by the door, he suited up.

In his chicken costume.

Genevieve was then fashioned into an egg by her mother.

Who is this foul fowl?

That big chicken be yo' daddy.

It can't be!

Yes, yes it is he.

(note the candy strategically placed on a chair by the door.  This provides optimal grabbing potential for the Chicken man.)

Between doorbells the Chicken and his egg watched TV.

Here Genevieve is thinking about how she would like to go to Chick-fil-a.

We're all thinking it, dear.

I wrote EGG on her onesie, so everyone would understand.

Being an egg isn't all it's cracked up to be.

My mother couldn't be any punnier if she tried.

We had lots of spooks and they were delighted that my husband answered the door in costume.  However, he was dismayed that at least 2 spooks said "Hey, Duck," to him.

Those dumb kids clearly can't identify birds correctly.  

He was obviously a chicken.

Our night ended as it always does these days-

with a bottle of formula for G, and a glass of wine for Mommy.

Oh, and we have about 42 pieces of candy left.