A Girl Named PJ

Vote for Levi’s 12-month-old photo!

July 18, 2012

I don’t normally ask for your help in choosing Levi’s monthly photo, but I’m having the hardest time picking my favorite.

(I also seem to be suffering from a bout of writer’s block, which is another reason why his milestone post is not up on the blog yet, but short of writing my monthly letter to Levi for me, you probably can’t help me with that!)

However, you can assist me in narrowing down my top three photo picks. Which of the photographs above do you like the best? Which do you think captures Levi’s spirit and personality? PS: The final photograph will be in color.

Please cast your vote for #1, #2 or #3 in the comments section below!

Should you hire a birth photographer?

July 17, 2012

As I trying to pick a few photos to include in Levi’s birth story (part 1 and part 2), I began to wish we had hired a professional photographer to document my labor and delivery. (Sorry, JB!) So I wrote about the pros and cons of using a birth photographer for Lifetime Moms. You can read my article here.

PS: I was hoping to have Levi’s 12-month-old portrait and letter ready to go up today, but I’m finding it difficult to write about this particular month’s milestones. Perhaps I’m still in denial that my baby is officially a toddler now.

Boombox throw pillow

July 16, 2012

Now, I’m not saying that the boombox pillow I made in my Home Economics class circa 1992 was the inspiration for Land of Nod’s new bedding accessory, but I definitely see some similarities between their throw pillow and my 6th grade handiwork!

Do you think today’s youth would even recognize a boombox? It’s crazy that they are now considered “retro.” Makes me feel really old!

Weekend links

July 14, 2012

With the exception of Levi’s birthday on Thursday, this has been a particularly challenging week. Our best friends moved away, and I have been on my own with Levi for approximately 14 hours every day because JB has had night classes for his master’s degree. The house is a mess, and we’re still not unpacked from our trip last weekend.

Normally, Saturday brings with it relief from the stresses of the past week, but not today. JB will be in class all day and half of tomorrow. Solo parenting is exhausting–plus, I miss my husband!

Here’s hoping your weekend is more relaxing than mine! When you have a few minutes to sit back and put your feet up, you may want to check out these interesting articles from around the web:

Are we raising “good” kids?
Now I don’t feel guilty about not responding to every email in my inbox
Confession: I love to binge-watch my favorite TV shows, do you?
Why are American kids so spoiled?
Are we all going iCrazy?

{photo taken July 12, 2012}

Levi’s birth story (Part 2)

July 13, 2012

Read about the events leading up to the delivery here.

Warning: This post may be too graphic for some readers (ahem, dad).

5:00 pm: I was informed by my nurse, Kim, that my cervix was gone and that it was time to push. Naturally, I panicked. Having only arrived at the hospital five hours earlier, I was expecting it to take longer to reach 10 cm dilated. But suddenly the moment was upon us.

My mom kissed us goodbye and left to meet my father in the waiting room (She had flown in nearly a week earlier, and he hopped on a plane from NJ as soon as we learned that today would be the day). Kim explained to me how to breathe through the pushes, which I guess I hadn’t learned at our one-day intensive birthing class. During each contraction I would do three sets of breathing in, breathing out, breathing in and then holding my breath for the count of 10. I would push while I was holding my breath.

And then we simply began.

… READ MORE!