Tuesday, February 26, 2008

The beauty & the (pregnant) beast

I was taking pictures on timer earlier tonight so that you all could see the elephantine belly; how it's kicked into hyper-growth mode here in the last week. Wilder jumped in at the last moment. So there we are, me and the two boys -- the younger one clearly aiming to match his brother in size. I have to say, I'm finally moving into that late-pregnancy mode where I feel like I'm a giant rhinoceros moving underwater all the time. Co-workers are having physical reactions to the sight of me. Total strangers are making up excuses not to get on elevators with me in what I assume is fear that the elevator will shut down and they'll have to deliver me. Oh, the fun I could have with this if I only had the energy ... :) Oh well, 10 days and counting.

Jerry just told me he's making cookies. I'm out ... k.

Friday, February 22, 2008

A San Francisco retreat

I don't talk much about work on this blog, for obvious reasons. It's work, and when I leave there, as much as I (most of the time) like my job, I try to leave it behind. To fully be the "home" version of myself. I'm the web editor where I work, which the past few months has meant working on a new website: one that is MUCH bigger in size, depth and scope than what we currently have. It's been a crash course in project management for me -- one that has oftentimes been overwhelming and in my more hormonally charged moments, reduced me to tears. The launch of the new site is scheduled to happen two to three weeks after I return from maternity leave.

Anyway, we're partnering with a San Francisco company to make this happen. They provide a content management platform and represent a ton of big name clients (think CNN). Enough web-girl speak: The point here is they have a user conference for three days the first week in May ...

AND I'M GOING!

Woooooooo. Hooooooo. Now at first I declined. Told my boss I didn't feel comfortable committing to it when I'd have a 2-month-old at home. Forty-eight hours later I thought: "Are you insane? Kris ... seriously, pull your head out of your ..." You get the point. So today I booked my room at the Orchard Garden Hotel. It looks like the kind of place where a woman who hasn't slept in two months could get a decent night's sleep. THREE decent night's sleep. It's about three-quarters of a mile from where the conference is taking place, and I'm looking forward to the walk back and forth each day. And it's going to be very close to a lot of great sites and attractions (have I mentioned how much I LOVE San Fran?), and I even have a wonderful old friend there I'm hoping to visit.

Anyway, I don't get the chance to do much solo these days. I love my family DEARLY, but I sure am glad they're willing to do without me for three days! (And thanks, Jer, for being one of those fantastic husbands that says, "Yeah Kris, go" -- and means it.

Yay yay yay!

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Truer words ...

My iGoogle.com horoscope today reads: 

"It's all about finishing up old business now so you are ready for the action of spring when it finally arrives. If you have overextended, make an effort toward cleaning up after your energy binge, but don't be too hard on yourself in the process. Do whatever it takes to prepare yourself for what's just around the corner."

I'm not the kind of person who gives much credence to mars in retrograde or whether my planets are aligned etc., but I don't think I've ever read a horoscope and found it more pertinent to my life at this very second. 

Friday, February 15, 2008

In our future: Soil and toil

This is probably madness, given Hunter's impending arrival, but Jerry and I have just committed to maintaining a 190-plus square foot plot in a brand new community garden near us. Our only hesitation was being able to adhere to the organizers' guidelines — planting three seasons out of the year being the most daunting, as well as the maintenance factor — given having two munchkins, but then I thought: What the hell else do we do in our down time? We both love to garden and have fresh veggies, and I think Wilder will really enjoy helping us out this year. I'll just strap that baby to my back like women the world over do and get out there and sweat, right?! 


Stop laughing. 

Well, madness or not, we're excited. Let's just see what happens ...

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Hunter Hunter Bo Bunter

As Aunt Cati's comment on my previous post made me realize, I referred to the Newb as Hunter without actually telling anyone that we'd decided to name the boy, well, Hunter.

So, here's the official announcement: Wilder's brother's name will be Hunter Nathaniel Scott.

One Wilder. One Hunter. We know this decision makes us look like those parents, — but in the end, we decided we don't care. As Jerry and I discussed, you can't name a boy Bob if his brother's name is Wilder. When he's 16, he's gonna undoubtedly ask: "Hey, why'd my brother get the chick magnet name and I got Bob???" 

Thanks to my sister Tara, who, when asked if giving our boys such names made us look like weirdo parents, responded: "No, I think it makes you look like people who chose cool names for your kids."

And to my friend Brenda (the former Miss Nanny B), who, when asked the same, said: "Kris, if you're gonna fly your freak flag, fly your freak flag high." (Say that five times fast!)

Good advice, no matter the question, I think. 

And finally, thanks to those who offered up numerous humorous suggestions for Wilder's little brother, including: Tamer, Milder and Wet. Good stuff, people, good stuff

Monday, February 11, 2008

Hair cuts and hand-me-downs

My camera battery is dead and charging, so I'm going to have to update this post with photos later. But I promise I will. Jerry's giving Wilder a bath right now and I have a free few minutes so I figured I better write while I can, photos or no photos. (UPDATE: Photos added!)

First off, Wilder got a haircut today, and it's his first "real" haircut. Jerry and I've relented to little trims here and there, but from the get-go we both knew we wanted to keep his hair on the longish side. Still, today I had them take quite a bit off. His locks had gotten what I like to refer to as "that Nick Nolte after an 8-day bender" look. Totally disheveled and deranged looking. Plus, knowing that a new baby is about to arrive, and that it will be even easier to put off haircuts in the near future, I figured we'd take off more than maybe we were comfortable with. Hair grows, right? We thought about waiting until Gramma Teri arrives, but I just couldn't take another day of that Nolte look.

Anyway, hence the cut. And, while I think Jerry might be a little taken aback by the amount I had trimmed off, I think Wilder looks soooo adorable and handsome. His hair still curls in the back, but his cute little features really shine through now, and there's nary a hint of drunken has-been celebrity. Woot! Here are a couple pics from tonight:




So now we're getting settled in our new 'hood, and one of the first things I did was join the Parents Group. Now, I'm not a joiner. It's a quality I was born with apparently. I was never was in Brownies or Girl Scouts or anything like that. I've never really been able to join groups and feel I fit in, unless you count the misfits shooting pool at the bar, drinking beer. That group I always felt a kinship with, and frankly still do ... for whatever that says about me.

But I thought it would be a good idea, if for no one else than Wilder and Hunter, if I joined the club, so to speak. And can I just say, we're already reaping the benefits. First and foremost, though I've had little time to hang with the fellow moms in the group, there are some super-cool women. Women I could actually see both having playdates and pilsners with.

But what's also cool is anytime someone has something to sell, they post it to the Yahoo group. So far we've obtained a desperately needed queen-sized guest bed and, to my even greater delight, a $30 glider and ottoman. Something I didn't have with Wilder but which other mamas I know raved about to such a degree that I always had glider-envy. It matches our nursery furniture perfectly and is covered in a nice, boyish denim that's still in great shape. Thirty dollars! My late bargain-hunting mama would be quite proud.





So I hear my boys heading down the hall toward me. I'm off, probably to share a dish of ice cream and maybe the first quarter of Curious George with my wee one. He's reaching that age where he can be intensely exasperating, but in the next second, the sweetest hug- and kiss-giving little boy on the planet. Manipulation? Yeah, probably, but I sure can't stay mad at him for long. (And one quick last photo, because some have asked me to post more photos of the house, which I'm working on!)



Nite all,
k.

Monday, February 04, 2008

Super Bowl Sunday

Just a couple pics from last night's Super Bowl party, hosted by our good friend Hopens.

Here's Wilder steadying himself on the coffee table after a dizzying spin-dance to halftime entertainment Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers:


And in case you're wondering what his stickers say ... (NOTE: It's a Super Bowl tradition with our friends that we all get a couple stickers — for example: Gatorade, Cheerleaders, Third-down conversions, Referees, etc. — and anytime your sticker shows up on the screen, you take a drink):


Happy Monday! k.