Alfalfa Sprout

One of My Many Thanks

My parents have always been firm believers in assisting us realize our dreams. They are our permenant cheerleaders and can always be counted on to lend a helping hand. When I learned of my pregnancy, they dove in with me, understanding the diffult road ahead, and doing anything in their power to assist. My mom would listen to me for hours talking about the type of mom I thought I would be without once mentioning the reality of how having children changes your perceptions.  She never lectured or criticized me for being naive.  She was there as a support while still allowing me to have self discoveries.  My dad could have kicked me out of the house, disowned me, but instead he offered me a place to stay.  But I think they also maintain a balance to allow us to cultivate our own independence.

I have to admit I was very nervous moving back home.  I came home after South Carolina to gather my thoughts but never intended on staying.  Before I found out I was pregnant, I was offered a position at the Habitat in New Orleans that I was very exciting about accepting.  Then plans shifted.  I have always gotten along great with my parents but once I tasted independence and self reliance it was hard for me to come home, even for holidays.  My apartment was exactly how I liked it. If I put a glass down it would stay there until I picked it up again.  It doesn't happen like that at home, for good or bad.  I am still independent in a lot of ways but at home I get lazy knowing that someone else will take care of the cleaning, cooking, or even picking up.  I help out as much as I can but sometimes it just doesn't feel like I am pulling my weight.

However, I never quite fully understood how much help my parents would be.  I can't imagine moving out.  I would be lonely.  Wyatt adores his Gammy and Grandpa, lighting up when they walk through the door.  I think he would be bored with just me all the time.  When mom gets home at 5 she takes him for a while to allow me to breathe for a minute or if she can't dad will.  That breathe allows me to refuel, to tune out for a second, and gain perspective.  I don't know what I would do if I didn't get that opportunity every day. Don't get me wrong, Wyatt is an amazing baby and very easy to entertain but he's time consuming.

Wyatt was doing very well with sleeping through the night.  Finally!!  I got a little more me time at the end of the day.  He would go to sleep at 8 and me at 10 knowing that I would be sleeping till at least 7am.  Lately, he has reverted back to his poor sleep habits.  Waking for an hour then sleeping for an hour almost all night.  He already has 4 top teeth and 2 bottom teeth but maybe he is getting more.  I'm not sure the cause but it is driving me up the wall.  Last night I phoned a friend, aka mom, with one word "Help!"  She sat, rocking him, for almost an hour because my patience meter was at a negative 87.  Their help is completely vital to my survival as a single mom.  Without them I think I would be a stressed, testy, and agitated mom.  They allow me to be a better mom. Seriously, I am never moving out.

Yes We Did

I am still on a cloud of euphoria about Obama's election.  Every time I see him I get this unbelievable urge to do cartwheels.  I have watched his acceptance speech about 3 times, each and every time getting moved to tears and all choked up.  When he speaks, there is always this underlying current of motivation, inspiration, and call to action.  I truly hope that is one of the things he carries with him to the Presidency; his power to motivate. Because he is just the beginning of the long road to change.  

I have to admit I have become slightly obsessed.  Everyday I check to see if he has announced another cabinet member.  I don't know most of Bush's cabinet.  Every headline containing his name draws my undivided attention.  I hope that I can maintain this passion rather then let it fizzle with passing years as I have done with past elections.  I want to be more involved but don't really know how so I figure the more informed I am the better.  But I want to do more than just be informed.  I want to make a concrete attempt to remain passionate and invested in my country.  I am thinking of looking into some volunteer experiences for Wyatt and I to do together.  He is too young for Habitat but maybe dog walking at a shelter.

I feel that the present administration has been one of fear.  Fear that we will be attacked by an unknown terrorist.  Fear that foreign countries are hiding weapons.  Fear that our government will take away our civil liberties.  Fear that we will lose our homes.  Fear that seeps into our daily lives, breeding paranoia, and paralyzing any desire to speak out.  Obama's campaign shined a beacon of hope; a ray of light that things will get better.  I would like to believe that there is truth in the passion he has inspired rather then some genus marketing ploy that played on the publics optimism.  I want to do better, be better.  That is what I believe makes America so great.  It is the possibility, the optimism, and the generous, loving, giving nature of our people.  (Before anyone gets uproarious about that picture, let me explain: on Nov. 4th someone stole our Obama sign and this was our feeble attempt to maintain our Obama Pride.)

Wyatt, my love, this election year was an eye opening, monumental experience for me in many ways most of which stemmed from having you. But what I would like you to learn from this election, in particular, is the notion Obama expressed in his victory speech.  "That the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals - democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope."  I want to teach you about love and compassion.  I want to teach you that there are always several sides to every story.  I want to teach you about all religions and then let you choose for yourself what you want to believe.  I want to teach you that there is power in knowledge, but even more power in reaching out and loving other people, people who might be very different than you.  I want to teach you that you can make a difference and that your voice does matter.  I want to teach you that life is about relationships and friends and giving everything you've got.  "The fundamental truth that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope; and where we are met with cynicism and doubt and those who tell us we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can."

Bruiser on the Move

Adventures of an Explorer

Ralph, Ice Pops, and "That Smells GOD Awful"

First, I have to apologize on the lame posting lately.  The reason is on the eve of Wyatt's big debut I ended up coming down with some kind of stomach bug.  I seem to get these once a year around the holidays.  Last year, I was hugely pregnant and it was Christmas Eve so this time around didn't seem nearly as bad.  In hindsight it was pretty amusing.  My mattress at Michaels was on the floor so it was difficult getting up and down as is.  Then add vomiting in the mix it became quite hilarious.   This time I was much more concerned about Wyatt.  

On Saturday, I was fortunate enough to have Rebecca watch him.  I spent most of the day in bed as far away as possible to try to prevent breathing on him.  However, by the end of the day I felt guilty for not helping and then I missed him so much I just wanted to be around him.  And in all actuality there is only so long I try to stay away from him before we needed to have some interaction.  On Sunday, Wyatt and I took a nap for about 4 hours.  That was my first indication that he was going to be sick.

Sure enough by Sunday night he was in the same shape I was.  Let me tell you, he is a much better patient then I was.  Kid is amazing.  He would be puking one second and smiling the next.  This first time it happened (exorcist style all over my bed) he just looked up at me saying "What the F*** just happened?!"  And then didn't cry at all.  We cuddled all day on the couch, lazing around.  Only taking breaks to check out the fat squirrels or to drift off to snooze-land.  On Wednesday, he seemed to be doing better but started on a bottle hunger strike.  He was eating solids but refused to drink bottles and will only take an ounce or two of water or juice in a sippy cup.  As of today, he is still on this bottle strike but seems to be happy despite a slight fever.

I guess we are surviving his first sickness.  He is 9 months.  It is amazing this is his first sickness but I am still very nervous.  I don't know if I should feed him and then I'm paranoid about dehydration.  I have called Dr. Greg almost every day.  He has been really patient with me and only freaked me out once when he said we might have to hospitalize Wy if he gets worse.  I have been doing everything to keep him hydrated without bottles including mixing formula in his food, trying to trick him, and today 2 Pedialyte ice pops (which he LOVED).  It has me all on edge.  He is all clingy and needy but I have no idea what hurts him or how to help.  Dr. Greg says I just have to wait it out.  I am I feel like I am living in a Dr. Seuss book.  He does not want balls, blocks, or books.  He does not want to sit, stand, or stride.  He does not like milk, food, or juice.  Maybe I should try green eggs and ham. 

Wyatt's Debut!

It's the Day of the Show, Y'all

Sorry for the short notice but I just got the phone call a little while ago.  Wyatt will be making his debut on Late Night with Conan O'Brien tonight!!!  It will be on at 12:30am on NBC.  They said that Conan will come on and do his monologue.  Then they will cut to commercial and when they get back Wy should be on.  I was so excited when I got the phone call I almost wet my pants.  If you happen to miss it, I think we have about 12 people that are going to tape it.  I will try to get it posted on here if I am tech savvy enough.

As per usual, he has been in a fabulous mood all day even while cutting his front tooth.  Then during bath time I believe he said his first word in context.  Rebecca was playing peek-a-boo behind the shower curtain.  Every time Rebecca would re-appear he would say "Hi".  He did it about 7 times in a row then Gammy walked in and he greeted her with a "Hi".  Pretty cool.  Oh my, I am so excited about Conan!  Yeah, for Wyatt's TV debut!

9 Months

Bug-a-Lug, 

I can't believe that you have been outside in this world for as long as you had been inside my body.  It is weird to think about.  I can vividly remember last year around this time.  I was getting bigger by the second, living in the church's gatehouse, feeling like the not so virgin Mary without the donkey.  And now, you're here and more amazing then I ever dreamed of!  You loved listening to Christmas music while inside me.  You would jump around and kick like crazy.  I can only imagine how mesmerized you will be with the Christmas lights!  Oh, the joy of the season.

You are crawling.  You are walking with assistance.  You are mobile!  You know you can't quite walk on your own yet so you reach for my hand before you move.  As soon as we are holding hands, you are off at rocket speed.  I give you to Thanksgiving.  Today, you very hesitantly let go of the couch and stood by yourself making noises that resembled Flipper.  You are very proud of yourself.  I am very proud of you.

I still, everyday, enjoy spending my time with you.  Lizzy was home the other day from school,  growing roots on the couch.  You and I were in the kitchen eating lunch.  I was so engrossed in you that I forgot she was in the other room.  I was singing, dancing, making up crazy words like scrum-diddly-umtious simply for the pleasure of hearing you laugh.  At night, I have to look at you about four times before crawling in bed.  Then I wait to hear your sleepy little sighs before giving myself over to sleep.  Being in your orbit makes me a happier, carefree, more hopeful person.  I will never be bored while you are around.  

In your 9 months, you have already experienced so much.  You were there when Michael was ordained, when Rebecca got into Grad school, when Lizzy started her medication, and when your dad made his safe return from Afghanistan.  You have petted horses, have been on three film sets and on two hayrides.  You have braved Times Square, are a stock holder, and have seen puppies being born.  You have brought so much joy and enthusiasm into my life that sometimes I feel as though my heart could explode.  You witnessed the first African American get elected to the Presidency.  You have already experienced more than most people do in a lifetime.  I think it is safe to say that we can expect many more great things to come.

I love you everyday,

Your Mama

Swinging on a Star

The Audition Chronicles

If you haven't seen it our WalMart commercial is up and running since September 9th.  The 30 seconds of fame has been seen on the Food Network, Comedy Central, and Fox. Unfortunately, little man got cut from it.  He is not in it at all.  I was so upset about that.  I am in it for about 2 seconds.  Seriously, if you blink you will miss me.  It is a funny turn of events since I was there only because of Wyatt's audition.

Anyway, his commercial career trudges on.  I was really excited about a Tiffany's print ad he had an audition for about a month ago.  I really thought he was going to get it.  The Tiffany's 

people loved him and took about a million pictures but unfortunately we received no phone call.  I guess what they say is true about going to 10 auditions and only booking one.  After the Tiffany's audition we went for American Baby magazine, Bright Starts toys and cribs, Crayola, and a pharmaceutical company.

On Wednesday, we had a big adventure.  It was the first time that I ventured into the city for an audition without help.  The plan was to go to an audition on Wednesday afternoon, stay overnight, then have another audition in the morning.  A good friend of Rebecca's let us stay at her apartment in Times Square.  It was pretty amazing being that close to all the lights and it really was like a mini-vacation for Wy and I.  He adored the city lights, was astonished by Toys R Us in Times Square, and loved touching everything in Kristal's apartment.  I literally was following him around with Windex.

Then on Thursday, we received a phone call from Wy's agent with a booking for Late Night with Conan O'Brien.  I was so excited I almost wet my pants.  We went down to NBC Studios and filmed this little sketch about a baby workout routine.  This poor guy had to do crunches while holding Wyatt.  I am sure his abs were killing him the next day.  Wyatt was hysterical.  He charmed everyone that walked by the green room and attracted a lot of attention.  When they didn't need him for a scene he would try to crawl back over to the camera.  Everyone on set complimented him on being so well behaved and one of the writers promised to write more skits with babies so that they could have him back.

We were sitting in the green room. I was packing up our stuff to leave after the shoot and there were people everywhere getting ready to rehearse for that night's show.  Wyatt was crawling around checking everything out, I looked over and in walks Sarah Silverman.  She plops herself down on the floor and starts playing with Wy.  He starts smiling and doing his flirty thing.  She told him he was very handsome and made her day.  I was taking it all in thinking how incredibly amazing this week has been.  He has such a natural magnetism that attracts everyone in his path.

I talked to the Conan people yesterday and they said that the skit should air sometime next week.  I will post something as soon as I know.  They filmed a lot of footage of close ups of his face so he should be pretty easy to spot.  I can't wait for his big TV Late Night debut!! 

An Election Prayer

Direct the minds and the wills, O God, of the people of this country at the present time; 

that men and women of integrity and ability, strong, upright and compassionate, may be chosen to represent us;

and give to us, now and always, the blessing of a wise and just government, to lead our nation in the ways of freedom and peace;

through Jesus our Lord.

Amen.

A Refresher Course

In case you were wondering or were unable to do the research yourself or just need a little bit of a refresher before election day here is a synopsis on where the candidates stand on some of the issues.  This is not an inclusive list and I tried to be as brief and through as possible so forgive me if I made some generalizations.  I got most of this information from the New York Times. 

Abortion: Obama is pro-choice and supports Roe v. Wade.  McCain is pro-life and wants to overturn Roe v. Wade but has supported it in the past.

Afghanistan: Obama has promised to ramp up the American military effort, particularly on the Pakistani border.   McCain said that he would increase the number of troops in Afghanistan.

Climate Change: Obama believes that the US must lead global efforts to reduce emissions.  He wants to reduce carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050.  Wants to double fuel economy standanrds.  McCain says the US should work toward a global effort. He wants to reduce carbon emissions by 60 percent by 2050.  Has voiced support for an increase in fuel economy but has not specified a standard.

Costs: Obama stimulus plan would cost $175 billion.  McCain's plan would cost $353 billion mostly due to the mortgage purchases.

Early Education: Obama wants to create challenge grants to help states move toward voluntary, universal preschol.  Wants to provide affordable child care and increase Head Start funding and quality.  McCain wants to provide $200,000 per year to each existing Head Start program with a proven record of success.  He is against nationally imposed standards or federal funding strings.

Financial Aid: Obama wants to streamline the application process and increase the maximum Pell grant award to $5,000.  McCain wants to consolidate aid programs to improve their administration and lessen deterrents to eligible families.

Health Care: Obama would require employers to provide insurance or contribute to the cost.  Provide subsidies for low-income people.  Would make plans portable from job to job and prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage to people with health problems.  McCain seeks to provide $2,500 tax credit for individuals and $5,000 for families to buy their own insurance.  Wants to bring greater competition to drug markets by safe reimportation of drugs and streamlining the process for introducing generic drugs.  Offer federal assistance for states to create high risk pools that would contract with insurers to cover consumers who have been rejected on the open market.  Moves to compensate medical providers based on the quality of their work.

Iran: Obama said he would do anything in his power to keep Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and would be willing to meet with the Iranian president with no preconditions during the first year of his administration.  McCain has called for strong sanctions on Iran and would be willing to act militarily.  He would not negotiate with Iranians without preconditions.

Iraq: Obama says he will remove one or two brigades a month and get all the combat troops out within 16 months. McCain says we must pursue victory in Iraq first, and worry about bringing troops home after but projects that most American forces would be home by 2013.

Job Creation:  Obama would invest $25 billion to repair roads, bridges, and to make schools more energy efficient.  Would also double loan guarantees for automakers to $50 billion.  McCain supported the legislation to grant $25 billion in loan guarantees to automakers.  He proposes building 45 nuclear power plants by 2030 to create 700,000 jobs.

Mortgage Crisis: Obama would enact a 90-day moratorium on most home foreclosures, requiring financial institutions that take government help to agree not to act against homeowners who are trying to make payments.  McCain would like to purchase troubled mortgages directly from financial institutions and replace them with fixed-rate, government guaranteed mortgages at the home's reduced value.

Oil: Obama supports taxing oil company windfall profits and use the money to support is middle class tax cut.  McCain opposes taxing oil company's saying it would increase our dependence on foreign oil.

Taxes: Obama wants to repeal the Bush tax cuts for households earning more than $250,000.  Extend middle class cuts and eliminate income taxes for senior citizens with up to $50,000 in income.  Increase capital gains tax from 15 percent to 20 percent.  McCain wants to make permanent nearly all of the Bush tax cuts.  Propose cutting capital gains tax to 7.5 percent from 15 percent.  

Teachers: Obama would offer federal financing to districts that negotiated performance pay programs with teachers' unions and allow bonus for veteran teachers who teach in hard to staff schools or demonstrated high levels of performance.  He proposes to create 200 teacher residency programs and wants to create new teacher scholarships.  McCain would reallocate 60 percent of the $3 billion in current federal spending on teacher quality programs to finance direct payments to high performing teachers.  He would devote 5 percent of the spending to recruitment of top new teachers and 35 percent to the discretion of the schools.