Anne of Bun in the Oven fame has memed me. Hopefully you won’t fall to sleep by the end of this post.

3 Things You Wish For (just for you)
1. Great health.
2. To see my daughters grow up to live long, happy lives.
3. Balance, as in balancing all the aspects of my life…motherhood, marriage, work, etc.

3 Things You Would Do To/For Yourself If There Was No One To Judge You (or if you had the guts to do it!)
1. Drive a convertible.
2. Weekly massages.
3. Regular girls’ night out.
I feel like I should say get a nose job, a Harley, or a tattoo but none of those appeal to me!

3 Bad Habits You Have
1. Procrastination.
2. Impatience.
3. Inability to shutup and just listen.

3 Insecurities You Feel
1. Worrying too much about what others think.
2. Financial…daycare expense has us stretched thin but next year will be better!
3. Second-guessing myself on parenting, as in “I could have done this.”

3 Talents/Skills You Wish You Had
1. Faux painting or mural painting (I’d love to paint a mural in the girls’ rooms or in a playroom some day).
2. Water skiing. I tried it a couple of times years ago and could never pull myself up.
3. Skating. (On ice or pavement) I’ve never been able to skate and I’d love to try rollerblading for exercise. It looks like so much fun, but I know if I tried it I’d end up breaking a bone or three.

3 Things That You Would Do If You Had More Time
1. Spend more quality time with my husband.
2. Work out regularly…take a class like kickboxing (did that before I got pregnant with Amelia and LOVED it)
3. Read for pleasure.

3 Things That Bring You Peace/Relaxation
1. Lazy weekends with my family with nothing planned.
2. Watching the ocean.
3. Watching my girls play together peacefully.

3 Things That Spark Your Creativity
1. Good music.
2. A glass of wine.
3. Looking at the world like my 3-year-old.

I’m tagging Helene, Renee, and Mama_Tulip! (R*Belle I was going to tag you but remembered you’ve got a million birthday parties this weekend!)

Last March I was watching the clock and unable to walk to the kitchen without feeling the uncomfortable jabs and pains that were Amelia’s in utero Morse code for, “Mommy, I’m going to bungee jump out of your womb if you don’t let me out soon!” I had officially begun maternity leave February 28. I was convinced I would go into labor before my scheduled c-section on March 12, after all that was just three days before I would hit the 40-week mark and I’d gone into labor with Caitlin at 38 weeks. Physically and mentally I was prepared to meet our newest baby girl. The nursery was ready—the changing table was stocked with those newborn diapers that seem unbelievably tiny when you unfold them. I’d washed several loads of laundry, from onesies decorated with bunnies and flowers to socks to soft blankets and infant gowns. Although I could have easily put Amelia’s things in the dryer, I hung most everything up on a wooden drying rack outside. I loved to see the blur of pink each time I walked by our patio doors. The infant carseat, long outgrown by Caitlin, was installed in my car for the trip home from the hospital. We’d purchased a gift for Caitlin from Amelia—a toy picnic set that we would have waiting for her at the hospital to open when she would meet her sister for the first time.

I’ve been working on Amelia’s baby book this week. Putting things down in writing is bringing back a flood of memories. It’s amazing how fast the past year has gone by and how easy it is to forget the small details. Not necessarily the first words or first steps, but the newness of a baby and the way they look and smell and feel. The way their legs curl up and their wrinkly pink toes and the little grunting noises they make when they are waking. In a blink, Amelia is nearly walking and talking. I try to grasp on to the quiet moments that come in the midst of life’s craziness…the times when I am rocking her and I look down at her sweet face full of contentment and I know in my heart these precious times are dwindling. I want to grab on to those last remnants of her newborn days for as long as I can. I know they won’t always seem as familiar and near, but I’ll never forget them.

Rug Finalist for Amelia’s Room

Originally uploaded by jamiemom.

I’m doing some very serious research at work people…still searching for the world’s cutest rug for Amelia’s room as there are some bad “spots” in the hardwood floor and now that she’s going to take off walking any day we just can’t have a rugless hard floor, now can we? The final candidate must be durable, adorable, and also have some longevity factor as I don’t want her to look at it as being too “babyish” and therefore deemed uncool some day. Plus this particular one is on sale. What do you think? My mom also e-mailed another candidate from Horchow earlier. She and I are on a serious rug safari.

When did Holly Hobbie get pimped? I remember the old school Holly, the sweet girl with freckles and braids who looked like Laura Ingalls Wilder fresh off the covered wagon with Pa and Ma and trying to escape the original mean girl Nelly Olsen. This modern Holly Hobbie is apparently Holly Hobbie’s great-granddaughter. At least she doesn’t look like this.

One of my favorite Go-Go’s songs, “We’ve Got the Beat,” has been massacred by Pizza Hut who changed the lyrics to “We’ve Got the Meat” for a TV commercial. Between that and EMF’s “Unbelievable” used to promote Kraft cheese and The Cure’s “Picture of You” used by Hewlett Packard I’m having a music from my youth identity crisis.

When your sensible cotton undies blend in with your 3-year-old’s sensible cotton undies is it time to visit Victoria’s Secret? (Not by size, by any means, but from a distance they look alike especially when you are nearsighted. Note to self: Always wear glasses or contacts when sorting laundry!)

To the person who found my blog by doing a Google search for “Potty Training Cleaning Poop From Carpet,” this is not that kind of blog, you sicko cleaning freak.

On a serious note, wouldn’t the recently published “Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook” by the late Shel Silverstein be a great Easter gift? I’ve been reading my childhood copy of “The Giving Tree” by Silverstein to Caitlin at bedtime and it still moves me to tears. If you’ve never read it, buy it or check it out at the library now.

I couldn’t resist putting together this pre-baby and post-baby comparison of Britney (She recently went to Hawaii with her baby boy minus her husband and the celebrity rags went WILD…uh, not that I read any of that trash). I love how it looks like she’s checking out her pre-baby self and saying, “Ya’ll…no way is that me all tan and buff! Ohmygawd!”

I don’t envy the white hot celebrity spotlight that shines on Britney. OK, maybe the money part of it. Darn if I wouldn’t want to just relax at the beach with the latest In Style and Vanity Fair and a margarita or two and let it all hang loose, literally! It is somewhat comforting, though, to see that even gorgeous celebrities have trouble losing those last stubborn pounds of pregnancy. Photo on right courtesy of Perez Hilton’s blog…he predicts she is pregnant again. Let’s hope she’s figured out the carseat thing if that’s the case.

Amelia’s first birthday is next weekend. I have yet to buy her birthday present from her daddy and me. But I’m sure having a blast doing, uh, online consumer research for her present(s). So far I know she’s receiving cold hard cash, clothes, and a Little People dollhouse from her grandparents. But what should we get her? Shouldn’t her first birthday present from mommy and daddy be something momentous, unforgettable…something she’ll pass on to her children and something they’ll pass on to their children? Shouldn’t it be an heirloom? OK..I’m obsessing over this just a wee bit. We got Caitlin a cool push/ride scooter type toy AND a music activity table for her first birthday. Both are obnoxious noisy plastic toys that she still plays with. But I’m kind of leaning toward a wooden toy for Amelia, like this cool activity center. Or maybe a new trike like this. And I love this. I know she’ll be far more interested in the shiny gift bags with crinkly tissue and yummy tags. She’ll be far more interested in her first taste of birthday cake and the sweet sugary rush of buttercream icing. She’ll be far more interested in seeing everyone’s smiling faces. I mean, do you remember what you got for your first birthday? (Read on …)

Smiles at John Hiatt
Amelia chews shopping list
He likes Lean Cuisines

Can I just say that real haiku is kinda difficult to write! (This is my attempt at the 5 syllable/7 syllable/5 syllable route)

I’m gainfully employed four days a week, but I never clock out from my mama job. When you’re a mom you have an invisible beeper duct-taped to your forehead 24/7. No one else may see it, but your kids have the number and boy do they like to dial it. Speed dial. Pre-programmed. Unrelentless. At least until they’re 18 or their college loans are paid off.

I have picked up some handy skills since becoming a mother. That coupled with my corporate experience has led me to draft some interesting job titles, should I ever need to whip out my mom resume. Prepare to be dazzled with this vitae de resistance.

CFI (Chief Feces Inspector)
I can tell if you’ve had too much sugar, fiber, or ingested too much whole kernel corn in one glance.
LNW (Lead Nose Wiper)
Mastering the one-handed booger grab since 2002.
TAO (Tantrum Avoider Officer)
Skilled in identifying tantrums before they become full-fledged headache inducing public displays.
CTN (Chief Toy Negotiator)
Encouraging diplomacy and sharing between siblings, with the sneak pop-in-a-video tactic as a last resort.
SCD (Secretary of Consumer Distraction)
Successfully avoiding the “I Want That!” syndrome encouraged by TV commercials. (Thank God for the fast-forward button on the Tivo remote!)
KCE (Kid Cuisine Expert)
Adeptly balancing junk food and healthy foods without raising suspicion amongst the little people.
SBN (Secretary of Bedtime Negotiation)
Streamlining the feed the fish, brush the teeth, read the same book twice routine into a seamless process with a 99 percent success rate.
FDSC (Future Diva Style Consultant)
Giving helpful advice on key beauty and fashion decisions, from sparkle lotion to Dollar Tree bling.
LWE (Lead Whine Exterminator)
Skillfully snuffing out incessant whining without resorting to candy or other bribery.

And the list could go on. Who says a woman will never be president? Not only will she be a woman…she’ll be a mom.