Clearly my parents have been on my mind a lot lately; probably because it’s the holiday season, or maybe my sister’s recent visit. It has been way too long since I have seen their faces or heard their voices and when I read this story today, it warmed my heart in a bittersweet sort of way and naturally made me think about them.

I find a lot of comfort in the fact that my parents died together. They were wonderful people as individuals, but together they were amazing and a true team. They balanced each other out so nicely. Where he was weak, she was strong and vice versa. I can’t even fathom having one here without the other, as strange as that may sound. Of course, I didn’t have a choice in the matter.

Unfortunately, they didn’t live as long as James and Lolie, but they did have a very full life and had been married for 38 years at the time of their deaths. That’s a lifetime to me! My parents most likely didn’t know what was happening to them when they died and I find solace in that too.

Wherever they are, I am glad that they found each other and left this world together.

The best is yet to be.

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I am a such a sucker for celebrity news and gossip, People and Us Weekly magazines and if your dad isn’t around, I watch Access Hollywood and Entertainment Tonight. I especially love seeing the offspring of my favorite stars and watching as celebrity moms get back into pre-baby shape in what seems like the blink of the eye. I like to see how they are dressing their tots and what stroller they are pushing them around in (not that I could ever afford baby couture!) and most of all, what they will name their little bundles of joy.

My favorite celebrity moms are Jennifer Garner (Violet and Seraphnia), Jennie Garth (Luca, Lola, and Fiona), Gwen Stefani (Kingston and Zuma), Sarah Jessica Parker (James Wilkie, twins Loretta and Tabitha), Julia Roberts (twins Hazel, Phinnaeus and Henry), Victoria Beckham (Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz) and of course, Bradgelina (Maddox, Zahara, Pax, Shiloh, twins Knox and Vivienne).

I do feel bad for the celeb who is trying to enjoy an afternoon in the park with their toddler as the paparazzi swarms around them determined to capture a tabloid-worthy photo. They are just people and just because we know their names doesn’t mean we know them.

I think it’s really wonderful, on the other hand, when celebrities use their notoriety to bring more awareness to certain topics, particularly when the topic is children.

For example, I have an immense amount of respect for Ricki Lake and was heavily influenced by the documentary she and her friend Abby Epstein produced called The Business of Being Born and I read their book, Your Best Birth when I was pregnant. Both were extremely informative, empowering and I believe should be viewed and read by every expecting mother as she chooses what kind of birth she wants.

I love that former Playboy playmate Jenny McCarthy is an activist promoting scientifically unsupported claims that vaccines cause autism and that chelation therapy is effective against autism. As spokesperson for Talk About Curing Autism (TACA), she participates in fundraisers, online chats, and other activities for the non-profit organization to help families affected by autism disorders. Her Belly Laughs and Baby Laughs are also the closet books that I’ve read that tell it like it really is to be pregnant and a new mom.

Another celebrity mom I admire is Brooke Shields, not only because I think she is beautiful and talented, but I respect her for sharing her own personal experience with postpartum depression in her book, Down Came the Rain. Postpartum depression is a very serious condition and I applaud her for putting a very real face (and name) to it.

Love ’em or hate ’em, celebrities and the tabloids they appear in seem to be here to stay and they will continue to have babies so I’ll continue to be entertained and sometimes informed.

The best is yet to be.

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You’re a pretty good sleeper, in that once you get tired and have had your last bottle for the day, we can lay you in your crib wide awake or slightly drowsy and you will gently fall asleep on your own. You’ve been able to do this since before you were moved into your own room at 12 weeks. It’s a gift and I know how lucky we are to have it.

I’m not sure why you aren’t yet sleeping through the night, but I’m not too worried about it. We get close and then could the fact that I up and take you out of town and out of your comfortable crib and familiar home and thrust you into a new environment have anything to do with it? It’s during these trips that you revert back to waking up every two to three hours. You don’t always need to eat when you wake up, but you definitely stir and need comforting. Or, could it be that you aren’t eating enough during the day and it’s time to start solid foods? Ugh! See yesterday’s post Got Milk? Whatever the case, I know that you’ll do it on your time and that works for me.

Every night, without fail I have peeked in on you at least once. Sometimes, I want to make sure you are still breathing. Sometimes, I want to cover you up so you don’t get cold. Sometimes, most times, I just want one last look at you before I turn in myself. Your room is quiet, dark and smells like you and the sound and sight of you sleeping warms my heart every single time.

I hope you are having sweet dreams of your mommy and daddy’s smiling faces, warm sunny days and a world of endless possibilities.

The best is yet to be.

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I don’t get it. As frustrating as babies can be, with their sometimes incessant whining and always needing something (attention) every other minute, it seems as though mothers would get a break when it comes to everything else.

For example, I struggled with the DVD player last night until I wanted to pull my hair out, I drove circles around a parking lot yesterday trying to find a place that wasn’t across the street, the toaster oven decided to, for whatever reason, quick toasting; the power cord for my lap top was just two inches shy of reaching the outlet and being able to sit on my lap while running on the back up battery, I felt like I needed to have a degree in curio shelf removal in order to get the damn thing off the wall and I didn’t know that Tucson was expecting a cold front and was going to be 40 degrees this morning, so on top of everything else, I’m freezing! It has been one thing after another and I have just about had it.

The trips out here are difficult and my nerves are always a bit more frayed than usual, so that may have a lot to do with my disposition. All in all, it was a successful week and I’m glad that we came. It’s time to go home now and resume our normal routine. Oh, and we are both ready to see your dad! 🙂

The best is yet to be.

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