I have found a correlation between my mood and the state of my hair and skin at that very moment.

If my hair is freshly highlighted and cut, I feel great. If my skin is clear and balanced, I feel great. My hair is a mess and my skin couldn't be any worse, I feel like sh!t.

I can't see a dermatologist today and I can't get my hair done until next week, I think it's time to go shopping. Momma needs a new pair of shoes.

I see why women get the Mommy haircut.

It has always taken me at least an hour to an hour and a half to get ready. Blame it on me not being a natural beauty. I know, what a shocker. ;) Anyway, I take about 10-15 minutes on minimal makeup, but the most time consuming thing for me is my hair.

I was born with gobs of it and it isn't the kind that is wash and wear. My husband even calls me Bruce Villanch when I let it go natural. Unfortunately, I can't be one of those women that just cuts her hair shorter to save time. If anything, it takes me longer to control it when it is short.

So I have become one of those moms that looks a mess most days and doesn't even get her hair combed. In fact, I'm not even sure I get a glimpse of myself in a mirror until after 9:00 p.m. or so.

My options seem limited. Benjamin, you are just going to have to weather the storm with me by sitting patiently while I dry my hair. I will also try to limit how long it takes me to run a flat iron over it.

Never be one of those moms that says that you will never let yourself go. It happens to the best of us. Even the high maintenance girls like me.

Since I seem to be lagging at blogging lately, I have decided to give myself a challenge at the end of each post. My Challenge for next time will be to blog in a stream of conscienceness manner a la Jack Kerouac. Hard for my readers to read, but kind of neat for a Mommy with not a lot of time.

New Years Resolutions Starting January 7, 2009

I am not the type of person that makes these(mostly because I know I will break them.) However, I have decided that there are some things I need to change.

1. I must stop talking to my husband the way I do. Over the last few months, I find myself getting really short with him and I say some awful things. This causes him to respond in a not so nice way. It is not healthy and I need to stop.

2. I need to start eating healthier. We eat out way too much and that leads me to make unhealthy choices. There is no reason why I can't learn to meal plan and cook healthier alternatives.

3. I need to read more. I use to be the girl that devoured a few books a week. I need to spend more time reading again and ditch the TV. I mean do I really need to watch another episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County?

4. Be a great Mommy. I think I do alright, better than alright in my humble opinion. However, I want to be the best Mom. I want my children to look back on their lives and think I did a great job.

5. Become more organized. I want the organized calendar. I want my filing cabinet to be immaculate. No more piling papers up to be filed.

6. I want to start taking control of my health care again. I have always gone to the dentist, eye doctor, gynecologist, etc. like clock work. I hate to admit this, but I haven't been to the dentist in 4 years. Yikes!

That's it for now. No more excuses.

A Day in My Glamourous Life...

Baby Benjamin is particularly fussy today. He peed through his diaper this a.m. right on my newly washed sheets. He is also spitting up a lot today. He keeps spitting up when I lay him in his crib. The side of his face now smells like vomit. Bath time is coming early today.

Chewy is back to his regurgitating and vomiting. He threw up once on the chair and has regurgitated about 10 times on the carpet. Lovely.

Lola was walking around looking at her behind. I picked her up to wipe her with a baby wipe(Yes, I know I am sick. I wipe my Dog's butt. She deserves a clean bootie too,) and noticed she had poop stuck to her. I had to wash her little behind in the sink all while Benjamin screamed and Chewy spit up.

And people say that being a stay at home mom isn't work. I beg to differ.

My Mommy Must Haves...

If you are having a baby soon keep reading, if you aren't, you will probably be extremely bored.

These are things I find invaluable for me and Benjamin. :)

1. The Miracle Blanket. This little gem keeps my little Houdini swaddled through the night. Without it, he breaks free and has a very restless sleep. http://www.miracleblanket.com/

2. The Sweet Peace Swing- This swing is great. Benjamin didn't always love it, but it has always been great for me to put him in when I just need to go to the restroom or to eat a meal. He has fallen asleep in it a few times too. He seems to build up his tolerance for it and will stay in it longer and longer. A word of advice about this swing. The music on it is terrible. However, you can hook up your ipod to it and play your own music. Brian always reminds me that the music is for the baby, not me. He always refers to the music as Benjamin's "jam." http://www.gracobaby.com/assets/demos/sweetpeace/index_resize.html

3. The Rain forest Waterfall Peek A Boo Soother. This little thing is like baby crack. Benjamin loves it. He will stare at it in his crib and "talk" to it.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2455073&clickid=body_rv_txt

4. For you breastfeeding moms, the Brest Friend pillow. I really can't say enough about this pillow. Benjamin even takes a nap on it after he eats. It's fantastic. Oh, and I have a boppy too. It doesn't even compare. http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2574807

5. Also for the breast feeding moms. Lansinoh breast pads. I have tired about 7 different ones and these are the only ones that don't leak for me. They are thin and cover a larger area. http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2793488

6. I also love the Hooter Hider. I bought it a few weeks ago and it is great for public places. It even has little pockets for your breast pads which is great for me. Before the hooter hider, I used a blanket. Benjamin would be done and I would inevitably lose a pad or two. Pretty awkward to find it stuck to the back of his head. :) http://shop.bebeaulait.com/

7. This bathtub. It comes with a little hammock. It is awesome because the baby is so slippery and the hammock makes it so much easier to wash the baby. http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2403667&cp=2777251

8. This diaper organizer. Truly one of the best purchases my husband made. http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2394461

9. This diaper pail. Way better than the diaper genie. You don't have to use their bags and it keeps the smell away better. http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2373422

10. I call this chair the best thing that ever happened to me. I got it as a gift and I spend hours on end rocking the baby in it. The ottoman is also a must have. http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3012839

I am sure I can think of a few more things, so I will add more items if I think of them. I hope this helps some of you out there.

That was me a little over 2 months ago..

I went to lunch with 4 very lovely ladies yesterday. All four were at various stages of pregnancy. It is sometimes hard to remember what my life was like BB. Before Benjamin. ;)

I tried to keep myself engaged in the conversations, but found myself struggling to. I felt like I had to keep Benjamin entertained. I was fearful that he would turn into a screaming lunatic baby.

I really didn't want to get those looks of pity. The look of wow, can't you control your child or the jeez that baby sure is good birth control comments. I know people think them. I used to myself, BB. :)

I truly hope no one thought that I was not interested in their conversation. Quite the contrary. It was great to get the adult interaction. I truly apologize if it came off that I was uninterested.

I hope that we can all get together again after all of your new arrivals get here. Maybe then we will be 5 ladies trying to carry on conversations to no avail. :)

Sometimes you want to go...

where everybody knows your name.

So, I have always wanted to be the girl that walks into the bar and everyone shouts out my name. Well that technically never happened. However, I am sure in my youth, that there were several bartenders that knew what I wanted to drink when I came into the bar. First, there was Hogue Barmichaels, then Bennigans, then Riley's, then Sharkeez, then the Newport Beach Brewery, and finally Malarkeys. I frequented these bars at different times in my life and I knew the bouncers and bartenders and they knew me.

Fast forward to present day and the lady at Katy's Korner remembers that I order the B.L.A.T with french fries and a side of mayo(to dip my fries in along with some ketchup.)

Boy how my life has changed.

Not the Norm moment I was looking for, but I guess it will have to do.