The World of Green Eggs and Ham: Embracing Full-Time Motherhood

It's been a week since I have been a stay-at-home mom. This new endeavor was thrust upon me two weeks ago by my being laid off from my advertising job. This is the first time I face indefinite unemployment since my career began 16 years ago.

So how's it going with the little one?

Well, I am not insane like I dreaded I would be. I knew that in order to maintain some kind of sanity, a routine would have to be established. I haven't perfected the formula yet (and how has? exactly) but I think we will find a happy medium. It's all about expectation anyway right? Every morning we leave the house to go somewhere, whether it's storytime at the library, pooltime at the community center, the mall or the gym. It serves to break up the day. The big bonus is Lia usually falls asleep on the way home and sails right into her nap hour. When she wakes up it's lunch time. In the afternoon it's playtime at home and maybe a trip to the grocery store or small errands. It's still too cold to do walks or the park but that will be part of the agenda once the weather gets warmer. And I make sure she gets two half hours of TV time so I can get a shower and do some housekeeping.

I have to admit I love spending more time with her. Daycare was fine but no one takes care of your baby as well as you do. I now have more control over her general well-being. And not be so exposed to the germs and viruses is great too.

Hola Mexico!

We spent one glorious week in the Mayan Reviera in a little bungalow steps away from the beach. This was the first real vacation since Lia was born. My agenda was simple: do nothing. I knew from experience that the more we tried to cram in the more stress for me. We mostly hung out at the beach, and only took to going to Playa del Carmen for one afternoon. The Mayan cuisine we had in Playa was a bit of a disappointment. Don't get me wrong, it's way better than any Mexican meal that Detroit can deliver. I was surprised nothing much was spicy. I had always expected Mexican food to be spicy, but perhaps they had watered it down for the tourists or maybe southern Mexican is not spicy.

Lia had a great time. The first time she fell on the sand she grabbed a handful and was in awe of what she had picked up. Since then, it was hard to steer her back to our room. Every day was like this: wake up at 6am.. head to breakfast at 7:15.. go stake a shady spot on the beach by 9:30.. Lia nods of to dreamland by 11:00.. lunch at 1:00.. pool time at 3:30.. another nap at 5:00.. dinner at 7:15.. bed by 9:30. Needless to say I was very sad to leave.

All Things Indian

I feel like I am surrounded by all things Indian lately.

@ Had Indian buffet two days ago. It was so good but hard to stay awake afterwards.

@ Just saw "Slumdog Millionaire" last weekend. It was one of the best movies I've ever seen.

@ Did some research on Dharavi, the slum in Mumbai that was the backdrop of the movie.

@ Reading "Unaccustomed Earth" by Jhumpa Lahiri, a collection of short stories about the Indian Diaspora.

@ I want to read "The Namesake" next, also by Lahiri.

@ For the first time in my life I want to visit India.

@ Looking forward to some good Indian food when we visit Indian neighborhood in Chicago.

@ Actually checked out Indian baby names, although realistically they are a bit too exotic.

Here We Go Again

Judging from the ticker above I am a bit pregnant. To be honest, I am terrified of the prospect of managing TWO of them. I think back how hard the first year was and the fact that it is still hard. Lia is a very energetic, intense kid and so demands a lot from her mommy. I keep hearing that the second baby is often easier and I cross my finger that will be true for us.

We still haven't decided whether to find out the sex. I would like to but Rich is on the fence. I want to know because for me it gives the baby an identity. When we found out Lia was a girl it made such a difference for me.

September 3... have a plate of sushi for me!

Detroit Is Drowning

GM's and Chrysler's survival plans to Washington dominated the news today. As a Detroiter, I can't help but sit and bite my nails wondering what would happen if one or both of them doesn't get the federal money. There is much debate over this matter. As a resident of the Motor City, I am literally living in ground zero. We will be looking at an economic Katrina if these companies go under, as so much of the local economy is directly tied to the fortunes (and misfortunes) of them.

Now I can't say I am entirely pro-U.S. auto industry. After all, much of the ills they now face have been self-inflicted, through four decades of blind mismanagement. Their products, for the most part, are unimpressive and therefore uncompetitive. I have owned a Honda and now a Toyota and have vowed never to buy American cars again. The ownership experience with these imports are so much better than with my former Dodge, Mercury, and Ford products.

So that leaves me in a sort of uneasy quagmire. I want the auto companies to stay afloat simply because our fragile U.S. economy cannot take another hit. And certainly Detroit would be swallowed up by the unemployment tide if the worst was to happen. But at the same time I don't know if I will ever gain enough personal trust in the companies to buy their products. Perception is hard to break and I know I am not alone. It may be too little too late.

One-Baby Band

Valentine Sweetheart

Welcome Back!

After several months of non-activity, I am "re-launching" this blog. With a new name, layout and colors, this will be less "Lia-centric" (though she will still be the source of many cute photos and videos) and more about my outlook, opinions and just general gabfesting and sharing. Hopefully, cross my fingers, I will be able to blog more often.

With that, I am relieved, and aren't we all here in the midwest, that things are thawing! Yes, after so many endless weeks of single digit temperature everyone is dying to get some warmth, any warmth. So when the thermometer hits the freezing mark, people are dressing down to their fleece! It's as if summer is here. And the layers of snow that have accumulated are melting and probably flooding some low lying areas.

Now if only someone will go out there and buy a car.

The Lia Crawl

Lia has a very distinct crawl style. She is fast and efficient. The down side is the right side pant leg gets very dirty from all the dragging.

Aqua Girl

Please check out our future swimming champ!

Lazy Day in the Park

We got together with the Wilsons, Schmidts, Salts and Romans at Stony Creek for a relaxing picnic and fun in the sun. The weather could not have been more perfect!

Wisconsin Visit

We made the 12-hour drive through the U.P. into Wisconsin to visit Oscar and Lynette. They have a beautiful cottage on the lake somewhere in Central Wisconsin. The weather was cold the first night, and of course I did not pack any jackets or socks of any sort. Mmmm... well, at least the bugs will stay away for the time being.

Rich has all sorts of extended family in Wisconsin. There are enough of them to make a town! Doris alone has 9(?) living siblings in the area. I could hardly keep track of everyone I met. Lia had a good and got along well with everyone.


There was a lot of fishing to be done. The lake was so serene in the mornings.


There actually is plumbing, but you never know if you need to go on the roadside.


I caught one! Only to have to release it.


Little napper gets the best seat in the house.


Ahhhh....


With Oscar and Lynette


Rich takes a turn.


The Toltzman dairy farm.


Race, race.


Just another day at the park, mommy.


Baby's first stair-climbing exercise.


Martha's dog Bumpy.


Everyone loves my toes.


@ Concrete Park.

Face of Many Expressions

This is my fashion pose. Watch out Paris, Lindsay, Miley...


I am only pretending to like this food. Ha ha!!


Ok that was actually kinda bad.


I can do it. I can do it.


See I told you. I got the mambo down!


Yes I know I got nose snot.

Grandparents' Visit

Grandparents Ron and Doris made their annual cross-country drive to the midwest and got lots of Lia-time. Lia got a week off from daycare and they played and took walks.

Lia's First Camping Trip

Ok. It was an ambitious undertaking: tent-camping with an 8-month old baby. I was introduced to camping after I met Rich and loved the experiences we had. But this is different. We did not know what we were in for and only hoped for the best. The 6-hour drive up to Leelanau State Park was no problem. When we got there the Wilsons had already set up and warned us of the mosquitos. I guess being "by the water" is only a great thing if you are in a HOTEL where you can turn on the AC and shut the door. Not here! And I know bugs LOVE me. So I was a bit nervous. I only hoped the Burts Bees spray would work (read previous blog for why no deet). At least we had a brand new *large* tent. I wish I could spent the entire camping trip in it. It was fun!

All in all Lia did well. She hated to be put down in the Pack'n'Play at first but got used to it. Sometimes she shared the space with Meredith but it didn't take long before she wanted out. And because we had dinner late, it threw off her sleep schedule a bit. I didn't want to leave her in the tent by herself (it got chilly after dark) so I held her while eating.

I think the whole experience was ok but not raising my hand to do this again until she is older- able to walk and little more independent. It was just a lot of extra work and I couldn't really enjoy myself much. At least we tried!