Not to Steal Your Thunder, Amelia...

...But there are three other babies that The Management has been remiss in welcoming.

First, miss Rosalie Pearl, born on Mommy's day to my Me a Mom? friend Cara. Beautiful Miss Rosalie arrived early also - 6 weeks, I believe - but as she did throughout her mommy's pregnancy, rallied to the occasion, showed up at 4 lbs and 11 oz and nearly 17 inches long (good girl) and is doing just great from what I hear.

She will no doubt be home giving Mommy, Daddy and big sister Lila a run for their money sooner than later. All of us are pulling for that sooner, knowing it's gotta be hard hard hard for Cara to be in two places at once these days - mentally and physically - with Rosalie spending time at the hospital for a while. Our love goes out to this sweet new girl, and we'll wish her home, soon. Welcome, Rosalie!

Second, miss Riley Jane, born last Friday to my college BFF Sarah and her husband Bryan. Again, an early riser - what is with you babies, I swear it's really comfy cozy in there comparatively - but miss Riley, much like her momma, could not be stopped. She arrived via a totally natural water birth as Sarah had planned and wished for for many months.

The downside was while Riley took in her new world - perfectly happy and healthy - Sarah had some post-partum recovery issues including what sounded (to her worried friend over email) like a scary hemorrhage. But everyone is doing well now, and the rest of us are oohing and aahing over the beautiful new arrival highlighted in her artistic daddy's birth announcement. Which of course I can't figure out how to post at 10:20 p.m. when my eyes are shutting but trust me peeps - she is a looker and will be a strong, smart, accomplished young lady just like her mommy. Welcome, Riley!

Last but not least, Cole William entered the world and his mom Sarah and dad Ryan's hearts on Sunday. He was 7.5 lbs and perfectly healthy, perfectly perfect. My ever-so-on-top-of-it friend Sarah emailed us about 1.5 hours later to give us the update. Sarah, even from labor and delivery, you are my super-mom hero (I knew there was a reason I hired ya back in the day :)

Mom has been waiting for Cole to get here safely for a long time, and we are so thrilled that he obliged. I simply can't wait to meet you, congratulate your parents, and your awesome big sis Evie. I am quite certain she's as excited as the rest of us that you're here - and I do know that girl love babies. Welcome, Cole!

It's hard for me to take in that five little miracles have arrived in just under one month. It's overwhelming actually (you can't see the tears swelling) and also still not registering that I'll be joining the ranks again in three months.

For now, I'll celebrate your little ones with you ... get your pictures up when I can ... and gladly babysit anyone of you darlins' at any time. Post-double-closing date, that is.

Realizing from the Television that I Am Blessed

Now I'm quite certain, what with my whining about being "sooooo BUSY" lately, the last thing I should have done the last two hours is what I did. Which is watch two hours of Tivo'd Babies: Special Delivery which airs on the Discovery Health Network.

Now, I only learned about this show as I was setting my "Baby Story" Tivo Season Pass this weekend. Because I have decided it's time to get reobsessed with that show. And NO it's not because I'm pregnant or close to it but YES it is because I'm heavily thinking about that topic just lately again.

Again: NOT pregnant or close to it, YES have babies on the brain. Okay ...

So Babies: Special Delivery was right there winking at me in the alpha list of shows to be Season Passed and so I did and WHOA what a fascinating show. In two shows I saw like nine families undergo what might be some of the most traumatic s-h-t-you know what that you can. Your TINY infant, in some cases your FETUS basically is born and needs immediate urgent care. In some cases the MOTHER is at risk as well and is swarmed with doctors checking her LIFE AND HEALTH.

This is instead of just getting to sit there and bask in your "I made a baby!" glow and have nothing more to fret over than the "Should I try to breast feed in the first half hour? Can I finally order some room service? How CUTE IS MY BABY?! How soon do I get my push present?" stuff most of us get to enjoy.

Even if your birth experience is less idealic or like a few friends of mine, even nauseous, barfing and in pain from your C-section ... I imagine some part of you is still elated knowing your baby is HERE and is off being cared for or maybe even being snuggled by Daddy. And in all cases is healthy and well until next you cuddle him.

But not these new moms. They and the dads (and to some degree, entire waiting rooms full of families) are as worried as worried can get.

It makes me think, in order:

How lucky I am to have has such an easy birth and healthy newborn son and overall, great pregnancy experience.

How much emotion and fear and just - EVERYTHING - my friends Renae and especially Eileen, who have had babies in the NICU in the past year and a half, must have felt. Renae's Max was there for about 10 days and Owen, closer to a month, I think. (Sorry guys if I have those dates wrong.) It's a whole different world to experience your newborn and becoming a parenthood, in that NICU, with the not knowing what's coming next for your baby, your sweet teeny little thing, and the wires, beeping, machines, nurses, and constant and I have to imagine, sometimes just piercing, worry.

And how lucky I am that Matthew today is a healthy, strong little boy growing up right on track. We just had our 15 month appointment with Dr. Jagler tonight. Aside from discussing how do we begin to tackle discipline, and are we ready for only one nap? I had nothing on my mind worrying me, and she was extremely happy with him. And he was happily driving his truck over the wall and loving life. The way all kids SHOULD get to be.

I think of that, and then compare it to the sweet beautiful little baby I watched tonight on TV that was born with spina bifada, who had to have surgery to basically tuck his spine back into him, in his first hour of life. In a specialized children's hospital across town from where his recuperating from her C-section mommy was.

I don't mean to get all drama, for people I don't even know, on a carefully edited to tug at the heart TV show. But it really was emotional watching what some of these little babies had to go through in their first few hours of life. And watching what ALL the parents went through, fearing for the worst but hoping for the best. I guess once you've had a little baby pull at your heart, you just can put yourself in their shoes (to some degree) and just ... imagine what they're feeling.

It makes you wonder why some people go through what they do. And it makes you stop and THANK GOD or whoever you please, for your 100% healthy little baby snoring in the other room peacefully.

And to realize that you don't KNOW from stress until you have a sick child.

Okay, that was my upper post for the day. Anyone want to talk about clowns or rainbows or puppies riding on unicorns now?

Welcome, John!

My friend Tara had her third baby, John Michael Justic, yesterday.

This sweet angel weighed 8 lbs, 9 oz. and was born sometime yesterday afternoon by a planned C-section. (Daddy sent me just a few details and these photos via text messages. Ahh, the times we live in.)

Mommy is doing okay. She's actually feeling kind of sick and well, throwing up. This happened to another friend of mine after her C-section. I hope it doesn't last as long for Tara. I know all she wants to do is enjoy her new son and cuddle her two older kids, Annie and Leo, soon as she can.

We are thrilled for Tara and her husband Todd, and can't wait to meet this sweet beautiful baby boy when we visit sweet home, Chicago, this weekend.

Welcome, John! Your parents have been thinking about you for a long time now. And we ALL love you already.

What's Wrong with this Picture? At Home, Vol. 1

Anyone else live like this?

Anyone up for a toy swap?

I feel confident that if even just the few loyal readers of this blog joined with me in a round-robin with our kids' toys, we could put Fischer-Price and Baby Einstein out of business. Not that this is my goal ... love you guys!!! ... and your plastic crap, so attractively priced at the $17 or less price point so that I don't think twice about buying it. And NO one named Grama or Aunt thinks twice about gifting it.

But if we stopped buying and started trading, I'm pretty sure there'd be no need to buy more books, toys or stuffed animals, especially for our number two's or three's.

I am thinking some type of library-card type check out system. We could meet at Starbuck's for a latte for the handoff. I'll take a Venti Skim Vanilla and that stack of Curious George books in exchange for this Sandra Boynton collection. Or this giant toddler-height Easter bunny for your Baby Einstein piano.

Because, and I think I speak for everyone at least in my household ... there is no need for 68 toys to be pulled out and picked out 129 times a day. And there's probably no need for one two-foot short stuff to have 68 toys anyway.

When all he really needs is one $2 wiffle ball bat and some space to roam.

These Can't Be Real Laws

Imagine my horror, when reviewing some of the day's pharma news for work, when I ran across this little gem. An article about the "controversy" of public breastfeeding as ... indecent exposure?

Now. Most people reading this know I didn't breastfeed. And you may or may have not breastfed, or even had a baby. And either way, certainly you, and me (in imaginary if-Aimee-did-breastfeed-world) may or may not care to do so in public.

But little would I have guessed that had we CHOSEN or NEEDED to feed our baby, say, on an airplane ride, we might be breaking the law depending on what state we're flying over.

Out of concern that not enough women are breast-feeding, a growing number of states are passing protective laws and policies. Today 38 states give women the explicit right to nurse in public, and 23 states exempt it from public-indecency laws.

How generous of 23 states to exempt breastfeeding mothers from Paris Hilton-esque stints in the clink! How supportive! How woman-centric! How 2007!

What kind of asinine trend is this that you practically can't buy a pregnancy test without reading a paragraph about the benefits of breastfeeding, but as a country, wee don't support it.

I don't want to say it's shoved down our throats, because that implies it's a bad thing. It IS a great thing. My personal opinion? New moms should probably try it or at least do some reading or attend a class and consider it. In any event, new moms who want to breastfeed should be supported in every way to make it workable for them.

And yet the stats don't support that.

Twelve states have laws addressing women's right to use a pump to express milk at work. And the governors of New Mexico and Oregon recently signed similar legislation, which gives moms (unpaid) lactation breaks and a clean and private area to pump (not just a bathroom stall).

WOW. New moms in TWELVE whole states returning to work after a scant six weeks home with their baby (can't even go there in this post) who have committed the extra time and energy to pump at work get rewarded with ... the privilege of being allowed to pump in a toilet without getting fired.

This may seem like an odd post. I didn't breastfeed so this didn't affect me. And I don't know anyone personally who's had what I presume is the horrible "I'm gonna go hang out in the pee pee place and prepare my baby's food" experience.

But I do have a good friend who had to nervously inquire whether she'd for sure have an office she could pump in. I do have a sister-in-law who had to figure out, while in an all-day business meeting, whether it's worse to discreetly excuse herself for 15 minutes and have the Men in the room actually suspect she had to pump (that she has BOOBS and a BABY that EATS) or explode all over the conference table.

I'm posting because I'm frustrated that it's not supported like it should be - systemically, fully, and as a respected part of raising healthy kids. And I'm posting because the offshoot that affects working moms - lactation rooms, and bosses and co-workers understanding about pumping breaks - shouldn't feel like a pipe dream you can only get if you work at left leaning, cutting edge companies like Google, or one of the top five on the Working Mother list.

I'm also posting because this whole situation seems so silly ... I just had to figure out what you all thought too ... ?

Matthew's Irish Twin

I can't help it, when I see my friend Kate's baby John, who was born just short of 11 months after Matthew, I can't help thinking of Matthew in his first few months.


I took the almost exact same picture when Matthew was a little guy. (Granted this post would be a lot more charming if I had that picture anywhere handy to post it.) It just made me laugh to see, us moms all think alike. Erin's done the same thing with Bridget. "I've got this pile of stuffed animals and he doesn't even care about it so (UGH - loading up stuff animals on baby noise) here you go, kid. Kodak moment time."

Then I saw THIS picture of the little man pushing himself up and I completely had another nostalgia moment for my own son when he was just a tiny little guy.


I remember taking a zillion photos of Matthew on his playmat, and it being so exciting when he was pushing himself up. They finally start to take on their Kid format vs. their Baby format and it's just SO much fun to watch.

Then I saw this, which just about put me over the edge.


Because in our house, as well as Tim and Erin's, and now Kate's, dogs are integral. Everything is baby and dogs and paws and bottles and dog hair and dogs stepping on babies and babies sticking hands into dogs mouths and it's just ONE BIG DOGGY BABY MESSY love fest. Having dogs and babies makes for twice the mess but ten times the fun. Well, not that I'd know the difference. But that's my position as a dog owner, twice over, and if I let my mind wander to how life could be better/different/CLEEEEANNNERRRRRRR without said dogs, I'd have to question our thinking and possibly sanity to have so many live bodies jammed into 1200 square feet.

Anyway - Kate is my best friend from high school and it's been thrilling to see all the photos of her little man John growing up these past few months. We have kept in touch since high school, and we've known each other since junior high. When THOSE friends are having babies, well, you're not just old, you're OLD and grown-up and officially into the next life phase.

It's not like when your co-worker has kids, or even your college or post-college friends. This is border line babies having babies (and I'm sure Kate felt the same way about me) to see your friend that you discovered curling irons and boys and sneaking beers and crying because you didn't get invited to the slumber party and hating high school and counting the days until graduation ... those friends ... having kids. It's the end of the line, we're here, college days ain't coming back, we have mortgages and spend the weekend "working on the yard" and running super fun errands like buying dog food and going to Sam's. We aren't kids anymore, and we ain't never gonna be again.

I wouldn't have it any other way. It's exciting and joyful and just all around, makes for a wonderful life. But (before anyone accuse moi of being cheesy) it's a huge huge huge change. And it was great talking to Kate for about TWO HOURS about this the other night. On the one hand, it was totally normal to talk about breastfeeding and birth stories and crazy (read: incredibly obnoxious) nurses bossing us around in the hospital. On the other hand, the whole time I'm thinking, is she holding her baby? Is my 13 year old friend KATE holding her CHILD while I'm talking to her? And is my ONE YEAR OLD still asleep in his BABY crib in his room? You see what I'm getting at. Just when you accept this complete life change as normal ... someone goes and pops out another kid and you're talking to them about "getting the kids together."

And you realize Kate's no longer just Kate, she's John's mommy, just like you're MATTHEW'S MOMMY and you will be in charge of that honor for the rest of your life.

But no pressure or anything ...

As If I Don't Spend Enough Time Looking at Other People's Baby Pictures

I just enjoyed about 10 minutes of looking at TOTAL and COMPLETE strangers' pictures on this cute Mother's Day Feature on MSN. Kinda neat, kinda sappy, but all very relatable now that I'm a Mom. The newborn pictures really get me but I love the mom coaching her kids, too.

I also had a great time checking out baby Ava's new photos today.

She is a little DOLL BABY and I can't wait to meet her in person, hopefully this summer.

I am also quite certain her very proud mommy and daddy, our good friends Erin and Jeremy, could have quite a few contributions already to this 'proudest moments' feature. They are so excited to be parents. Even though I've strictly witnessed it over the Internet, it shows, it really shows, and it's so neat to see. This was my college roommate, the one who I ... hmm, better not. Oh, the one who helped me ... nah, probably shouldn't share. Anyway - GOOD OLD FRIEND OF MINE - now having baby - still not over the shock of this life stage hitting us head on.

Back to MSN: I can't begin to think of how I'd choose just one photo of my proudest mom moment (not even quite sure what that means, but I'll roll with it). But, I will (of course) now have to give it some thought and promise to post my vote soon (so, you know, those of you on the edge of your chairs and holding your breath don't actually injure yourself).

There are SO many other sweet babies I gotta blog about, Bridget, Lila, John and more! But right now I think noon is PROBABLY an appropriate time for an adult person to shower and get dressed, so it'll have to wait just now. Happy Three Day Weekend!!

I Do Not See Myself Doing This in 27 Years

WOW am I not sure what I think about this.