Love to love you, baby

It seems like I constantly have a blog post brewing in the back of my mind. I think, I better get to the computer and commit this puppy to memory. Then I get cleaning or mothering or wifing or looking for a job. And my creative half continues to shrivel up.

But it's not a day for bitching and moaning. It's a day for love. Yes, it's Valentine's Day, a day that was the bane of my existence when I was single. Now that I am married and have a 2-year-old, though. I think it's a lot of fun. M brought me roses, and we had a fancy dinner out here the other night (one of the best meals and dates we've ever had). Boo got a Thomas valentine, some Play-Doh and a coloring book, and he's in heaven. I love that kid.

Happy Valentine's Day, and whether you're single or attached, think of the people you love, and celebrate them.

On an icy night

The other night, M and I had to work (I help him with his business). The weather here has been cold but clear, but this particular night, there had been freak snow squalls thst brought the visibility down to near zero and caused several pileups. I was driving home on a desolate, barely lit stretch of the highway. The snow had passed through, but the road was soaked, and the temperature was in single digits. I could see ice all around. And I began to pray as I drove 40 miles an hour in the right lane:

Dear Lord, please keep me safe so I can get home to my son and husband. I want to see my son grow up. I know I've been depressed at times and death has crossed my mind, but I didn't mean it. I want to live a long life and be there for the people who love me. Please, God.

I was shaking as I drove, my head filled with visions of splattering all over the highway. My heart felt heavy as I thought about the Boo growing up without a mother.

And then I was at my mother-in-law's to pick up Boo. I hadn't slipped once. I collected my son, hugging him tightly and kissing his precious face, and carefully got him into the car. Then I drove home like one of the old ladies I'm always beeping and swearing at. Because now I understand: Every day is an icy night to them.

And I also understand something else, in vivid Technicolor: My life is good. My husband and son are my most precious assets. And in one second, one slip of the tires, all those things can change.

My aughties in review

The first 10 years of the '00s were a busy time for me. A lot of stuff went down. I:

• Left four jobs (2000 [layoff], 2001, 2004 and 2009 [layoff]);
• Filed for unemployment (2001, 2009)
• Moved twice (in with M in 2000; 2002)
• Got married (2002)
• Bought a house (2002)
• Turned 30 (2003)
• Saw M's grandmother, grandfather and uncle die (2000, 2001), as well as my uncle (2009) and other loved ones.
• Went to Italy (2004)
• Found out M has lupus and went through chemo with him (2005; worst year of my life)
• Won a large amount of money on a scratch ticket (2006)
• Cruised to Bermuda (2006, 2009)
• Hit 1,000 posts on this here blog (2007)
• Had a baby (2008)
• Became a working mom (2008)
• Lost power for four days in the ice storm (2008)
• Became a SAHM (2009)

Busy, busy. It's a new dawn, a new decade, and I'm feeling good. I just wish it would stop snowing before I pull a Jack from the Shining. I haven't left the house (except to pull the Boo around on his sled for 10 minutes) since New Year's Eve. Which was also pretty much spent in the house.

10 years is a long time

Ten years ago, I was living in Waltham. I had just moved into a new one-bedroom apartment on Trapelo Road and was settling in. For a few weeks, I had been chatting on the phone with this guy. He seemed really nice. And on October 10, we were going to hang out.

That day changed my life. That man was, as you've probably figured out, M, and less than two years later, he was my husband. Ten years later, and we're seven years married, own a home and have an almost-2-year-old. I live 35 miles away from there, but it feels like a lifetime. Happy anniversary of our first date, M. I love you.

A day in my life

7 a.m. Wake up to the sound of a baby chattering. Listen to him babble until he stands up in his crib and asks for milk.


7:30 a.m. Get said baby and change his bum. Bring him into my bed to watch "tt."


7:30-8:30 a.m. Watch assorted PBS favorites, including Curious George, Sid the Science Kid and Super Why.


8:30 a.m. Go downstairs and get boy some milk and breakfast.


9 a.m. Bathtime. Wrap the cutie up like a papoose, show him the baby in the mirror and get him dressed.


9:15-Noon Playtime, a possible big box run and getting the mail.

Noon-1 p.m. Lunchtime and Thomas the Tank Engine.

1-hopefully 3 p.m. Naptime for Boo, laundry and project time (and possibly naptime) for Mommy.

3-5-ish p.m. Play or some activity outside. Possibly an afternoon snack.

5-6 p.m. Daddy comes home, and he and Boo play while Daddy makes dinner.

6-7 p.m. Dinner, then Mommy cleans up while Daddy spends some time with the boy.

7-9 p.m. Start winding Boo down with jammies, some books and some play with Daddy.

9 p.m. Bedtime for Boo.

9-11 p.m. Mommy and Daddy have some time to themselves. Go to bed and get ready to do it all over again.

Seven years ago today

At this time, I was getting ready to get married. The weather was similar. The time of year was the same. But a lot has changed in seven years:

We sold our condo and bought a house.
M got sick, then he got better.
I got sick, then I got better.
We went to Italy.
We went on three cruises.
We switched jobs (the same week).
We went on numerous nature rides and weekends away.
We thought we were infertile.
We were not infertile and got pregnant.
We had our son.
We survived his first year.
I went back to work.
M started his own business.

Through all this, we have stayed together, prayed together, laughed together, cried together, loved together, (sometimes) hated together -- and always came out on top.

I love you, M. Happy anniversary.

The big update -- I know you've been waiting by your computer

I've had a case of the Mondays that's been lasting all week. Work is kicking my ample ass, Boo is getting more active and I'm so damn tired -- doc wants me to start taking iron pills for possible mild anemia. But enough bitching. Let's get to la vida Christine:

Easter: Was great. Much too much candy. I have been eating it for breakfast, dinner and snacks, and in a related story, I can't fit into my pants. I undecorated my house today and now everything seems really bare. What's the next big holiday you decorate for, Halloween? Sheesh.

Boo: Mr. 15-Month-Old is just rocking the house. He's walking everywhere and often babbling and singing while he does it. He's still having a good ol' case of separation anxiety when I drop him off at day care, but his teachers tell me they distract him and all is well. They go outside every day to play, which he loves, and he's doing tons of art projects. And he loves to call me da-da, with a big smile on his face. Stinker.

M: Can you believe we are coming up on our seventh anniversary and will have been together 10 years come October? It's just unbelievable to me, especially how much our relationship has changed and matured and grown. As have both of us, because of each other, in large part. M has started his own business, so if you need a good lawyer, let me know.

Work: Very, very, very busy. I love being busy, don't get me wrong, but it's been nutty. And yes, I am grateful I have a job, especially one I've been lucky enough to keep for four and a half years. But whoo.

Casa Christine: Planning to paint her this summer. And possibly put on a new front door. Depending if we can find a good contractor.

So what's up with you?

That winter lull

The Christmas decorations are down, and the presents are put away. What's the next major holiday? Well, for us Christians it's Easter. But that's in April, which in this frigid state seems a million years away.

So I've been doing some hardcore Valentine's Day decorating. What I've found is it's difficult to find V-day stuff. I went to TJ Maxx yesterday and found some, but Wal-Mart doesn't carry it, and Target and Kohl's had very little. The baby loves the red, and it's fun. But it's still winter in New England, and it's still below zero with the windchill. And that sucks. Maybe we need to light a fire.

Happy birthday, baby

My son is one year old today. A year. This time last year, I was in hard labor with him. Amazing.

To my precious Boo: You have been the most amazing, rewarding, challenging and humbling achievement of my 35 years. I am so proud of you. I (and your father) love you so much. Happy birthday, and many more.

Six years ago today

M and I started our lives together as husband and wife.

Happy anniversary, baby. I love you.

My funny valentine

M got me nothing for Valentine's Day. However, Boo got me a dozen red roses. And a valentine for Mom, which said, "Dad may forget Valentine's Day, but I will always remind him."

I can't stop looking at that card. I am a mom. Holy crap. It's so scary sometimes, but it's so wonderful.

Six weeks old on Sunday. Time flies.

Groove is in the heart

Because I am retaining a lot of fluid due to my pregnancy, I have had to take off my rings, including my engagement and wedding rings. This pains me greatly, as they have pretty much not left my finger since M put them on almost five and a half years ago, but my doc says it's better than having to have them cut off. Still, it makes me sad.

This morning, as I was driving in, I looked down at my left ring finger and realized there is a deep groove in my finger from my rings. I smiled and stroked the place where my ring would be and felt better about it. It doesn't take a ring to be married.

Our romantic 8th anniversary dinner

M pulled out all the stops and took me to the local BK, where he told me to feel free to supersize it. Which I did. And thanks to some pregnancy-induced acid reflux, I wound up getting sick in my car this morning while listening to a Scorpions song. Rock you like a hurricane, indeed. Hey, it was quick on our way to our maternity ward tour. More on that later.

What a difference 8 years makes

I wrote a variation of this post last year, but here goes...

On this day eight years ago, I got up, showered, ate my breakfast and left my apartment like usual. Little did I know that my life was about to change forever.

I had a date with this guy. We'd talked on the phone a few times, and he seemed nice. We were about to meet up for the first time, and I was nervous. So was he. But we had our first date. And I knew at the end of it that I was going to marry him.

Eight years later, we've been married for almost five and a half years, own a home and have a baby on the way. I never could have imagined all this that early fall day in 1999. But here it is. And I am thrilled.

I love you, M. May we have 80 more.

Talk about a bad breakup

Just read about two ex-lovebirds who broke up and the dude tried to climb in the chimney, drunk, and got stuck. The ex-girlfriend told rescue personnel to "leave him in the chimney to die." You know, I've had bad breakups too, but I've never wished death on my exes. Of course, none of them ever tried to break into my house...

Here's the story, if interested.

Celebrity weddings

This article about the most expensive celeb weddings blew my mind. The thought of spending several million to marry someone you know you're going to bitterly divorce in a few months (to lots of media attention) just seems wasteful, dontcha think?

I always remember what my limo driver told me when we got married: The more lavish the wedding, the less happy the bride and groom looked when they got into the limo. It's just too much work. Not to say my wedding wasn't nice -- it was beautiful, and I'm still getting compliments on it today -- but it wasn't worth going into debt over.

Is it me, or is this crazy?

So. I've been hooked into Bridezillas on WE. And there was a very disturbing two-part episode this weekend.

Basically, Anita is a 46-year-old first-time bride who's marrying Dion, who's 36. Anita has a daughter, Christina, who's in her early 20s and still lives at home rent-free. Christina has her undies in a bunch because her mom is spending all this money (and time) on someone who's, umm, not her. So she's a royal ass to Dion and accuses him of using Anita for her money. And then she says: "I bet he won't even show up."

Well, guess what: Christina's craziness coupled with her sisters' shrewishness succeed in driving the groom away. He never shows up for the wedding, leaving Anita despondent and still trying to have a wedding party without a groom. I felt so bad for her.

But here's the crazy twist: Dion calls the next day, cries and begs and says he was wrong, wrong, wrong to leave her and baby, let's elope to Vegas. And THEY DO, with the attitude of, ha ha, the family tried to break us up, but no one can break us up. The last scene is Christina the daughter crying her eyes out because her mom stooped so low.

There's something to be said for standing up in front of your family and friends and declaring your love for your spouse. And the fact that Dion wouldn't do that would make me not want to marry him. Not to mention the humiliating me in front of everyone I know thing.

Anyway, here's the official Bridezillas episode summary.

And yes, I think too much. Hence the name of this blog.

The bridezilla phenomenon

I just read this article on Slate about the bitch bride . I never really got that. I was so grateful to everyone who was involved in our wedding-- which went off without a hitch and is still talked about within the family -- that I probably killed them with kindness. I try to watch that Bridezillas show, and I usually have to turn it off. I just don't get it.

Of course, this article defends the bride's right to be greedy. Whatever.

Your cheatin' hearts

I just saw this story on MSNBC about infidelity. Very interesting survey results about people's views toward cheating. I will say that my own attitude is, if you want to mess around with a lot of people, don't get married. Stay single and be a playa.

A personal aside: I went through a phase where I was dating five guys at once. Yes, five. While the attention was way cool, and it definitely started out fun, it got exhausting and confusing after awhile, and I finally just picked someone. And now I can truly say I love being monogamous. It takes work, but it's work worth doing.

Breaking up, Internet style

I read in the paper that a couple broke up on the UNC campus after the dude put an ad on Facebook that he was gonna dump his girlfriend in public. I watched the video on YouTube and sure enough, it was all there: an a cappella chorus singing the Dixie Chicks' "Not Ready to Make Nice" (great song, btw), a white trash-esque confrontation, the crowd chanting "Jer-ry! Jer-ry!" and a profanity-laced tirade from the chick who was getting dumped. All on tape.

Well, guess what. It was much too good to be true -- it all was a hoax the guy created to demonstrate the power of social networking. The "couple" wasn't even dating. Damn. It sure is good theater, tho. Check it out.