The Importance of Being Thoughtful

I may have the absolute worst handwriting for a 26 year old woman on the face of the planet (which my lovely husband likes to remind me of quite often), but at least I write Thank You notes...the snail mail kind...the kind that I know people love to receive (myself included).

And being that I'm extremely aware of my pathetic penmanship, it's actually quite surprising that I'm not more insecure about it.  But maybe it's my inability to make things look pretty that inspired me to perfect the art of writing a personalized, meaningful and prompt Thank You note.  Since I have those three things going for me, I like to think the reader doesn't notice the fact that it looks like a 2nd grader wrote it (which now that I'm thinking about it, when Abby gets old enough to write I hope people can distinguish between her section of the note and mine...but now I'm getting too far ahead of myself).

The bottom line is this - I love writing notes!  Not just Thank You notes.  Congratulatory notes, Love notes (those are fun), Goodbye notes (which are so hard to write but evoke the most emotion and the most amazing memories)...any notes.  

When I was younger, I had multiple pen pals (and for those of you who have become overly consumed in the age of the internet, that meant that I actually wrote LONG notes to people all around the world that I barely knew...via snail mail!!!).  What a wild concept in this day and age.  Do people even have pen pals anymore?  Gosh, there was nothing like waiting for the mail to arrive every day...waiting to see which one of my friends might send me a note...and waiting to hear the stories they had to share.  It was so cool.  I had pen pals ranging from my cousins to my best friend to our Russian exchange student, Kostia (whose name I'm totally butchering right now).  

I even remember writing to celebrities thinking that they'd actually respond (I mean, Santa Clause responded when I wrote him notes at Christmas and he's practically a celebrity, right?).  

I think one of the best notes I wrote was the one I penned to Taylor Hanson (of Hanson...remember?  Mmmbop...of course you do).  Anyway, I wrote him a seven page "masterpiece" in 1997 on stationary covered in bears...and the reason I know these details is because the note is still sitting in my stationary box.  Why?  Well...I was SO devastatingly in love with Taylor that by the time I finished the note, I couldn't bear to send it off and never hear back from him (after having failed attempts with the likes of Boys II Men...but we don't have to go there).  The best part is that I ran across the note during our last move when Travis and I were both sorting through all our crap...and I shared it with him.  As I sat there reading my 13 year old note, I couldn't help but laugh at how obsessed I was...how horrible of a writer I was...and how I hoped that Travis wouldn't ask for a divorce after hearing how pathetic I was.  Maybe I should send Taylor the note now - give him something to laugh at (once again, here I am thinking a celebrity will actually read my note).

And maybe someday...if you're lucky...I'll post that note on 7x7xMommy...but not tonight...and not anytime soon.

The whole point here is that I want to encourage everyone to write more notes. They're so much more personal than email and they also require more time and effort (which automatically show how much you care).  Plus, with all of the amazingly awesome stationary out there, it's so much FUN!  

Here's my latest box...oh, and one more thing...when it comes to stationary, you must go to Ross or Marshall's or any other discount store because they have loads of options at half the price!  

Get writing, friends! 

The Truth

From the beginning of 7x7xMommy, I've been nothing but honest.  And that's why I'm going to tell you something that I feel like most people wouldn't. 

As I mentioned on Friday, I believed with all my heart that our baby girl was going to be a baby boy. And truthfully, I was shocked when I heard the news...

You see, when my mind and heart are set on something, I truly believe that whatever I've conjured up in my mind to be true will be true. It's kind of like when my dog used to stare at my Dad when he had steak on his plate...my Dad would always say that she was visualizing what she wanted to happen. She thought that if she sat there long enough and stared hard enough, she'd convince my Dad that she too should be eating the steak (and in her mind she was probably sitting at the dinner table with us, fork and knife in paw). And being that my Dad is a softy when it comes to sharing food with our dogs, her visualization would come true. 

On the same token, my Dad would tell me that before a basketball game, he would prepare by visualizing what would happen in the game.  He'd visualize his shots going in, rebounding every ball that came off the rim, and he'd visualize his team winning.  And most of the time, it worked. 

And in listening to my Dad's stories and in watching my dog (yes, I learned from my dog), I picked up the same skill...I became a visualizer. And the majority of the time, it has worked. 

I visualized myself making my high school basketball team's Varsity squad as a Freshman (and I did); I visualized myself going to Cal Poly and therefore only applied to that school...which is foolish in retrospect, but it worked (I made it in); I visualized my interviews going well post-college and finding a great job (and I did); I visualized myself falling in love with an amazing man (and after kissing a lot of frogs, it happened); and I visualized myself being a young Mom (and I will be). 

It's the times that I visualize something that doesn't end up happening that knocks me sideways and I'm either shocked or in disbelief because all I can think is, "that's not how I visualized it to happen - what's wrong with this picture?!?"

And while I feel like visualizing events in my life has been helpful with setting goals and with being an optimistic person, it has also forced me to deal with both change and the unexpected.  And when my mind gets SO set on something, I'm admittedly horrible at dealing with both...

But in getting back to the point of this post, I have to be honest - I visualized having a boy first.  My brother is 18 months older than me...my best friend's brother is older than her...my husband is the oldest of three kids...it's really all I know.  An older brother followed by a younger sibling...so in my mind, that's what I thought I'd have. I visualized it to be true...and therefore I believed it would happen. 

And it didn't. And I was knocked sideways on Friday. And admittedly, I shed a few tears with Travis in the doctor's office because as I said, I don't deal with change very well. And let me be extremely clear and say that it has nothing to do with being disappointed...because that's not it at all...I simply believed that the doctor would say "it's a boy"...

But the truth is this: I could not be more incredibly thrilled to have baby Abigail on the way...sure, it's not what I visualized, but it's going to be even BETTER than what I visualized.  Boy or girl, our lives were going to be filled with SO much love...now it'll just be filled with so much love topped with tutus and bows...and adorable clothes like these...

Here's to the best unexpected moment in my life: learning that Abigail Cunningham James will be our baby girl! 

My First Maternity Outfit - Thank You Groupon (and Travis)!!!

Thanks to the combination of a brilliant Groupon deal and having an amazingly thoughtful husband, I proudly purchased my very first Maternity outfit on Saturday morning.  

And let me tell you something...although I'm barely showing, I plan on wearing as many stretchy waistbands as possible for the next 21 weeks (and quite possibly beyond)!  My first pair of Maternity jeans are brilliant...instead of having a zipper and a button (which, let's be honest, I can't close on my pre-pregnancy jeans anymore), these suckers have an elastic waistband...elastic!!!

Check 'em out... 

It's like I'm wearing sweatpants...but they look like jeans...and they're made of denim...but I don't have to zip or button anything...and maybe I'm just saying this because I'm pregnant and crazy and it's really my only option until Abby comes along, but I think EVERYONE should own a pair of elastic waistband jeans.  I'm not joking. 

I loved it all so much that I wore my outfit on Saturday afternoon/evening and on Sunday (don't judge - I'm sure you've worn the same clothes two days in a row before...maybe you were camping and didn't have any other options, but I'm sure you've done it). My new jeans and t-shirt even inspired a very successful Maternity clothing shopping spree with my Mom yesterday!

And let me just tell you this - as I sit here in my brand new elastic waistband skinny jeans  feeling pretty darn cute for a pregnant lady (especially considering the fact that they were "designed" by Heidi Klum who is basically the hottest Mom on Earth), I have to admit that for the first time, I'm really digging this whole process of getting bigger.  It's going to be MUCH more comfortable (and stylish) than I thought! 

In other news, check out how successful the Gap/Groupon Deal was (and it explains what Groupon is for those of you who asked me!): In GAP/Groupon Deal, It’s Traditional Media That Loses… Again

Drumroll, Please...

Well, I'm going to cut right to the chase...

Here we are BEFORE the doctor's appointment (this is our best "we wonder what Squid is" look - I obviously couldn't stop laughing because this was our 5th attempt at the shot).

And here is our picture AFTER the doctor's appointment...

Well, any guesses now???

The Poll results were in favor of a girl with 53% of your votes going to Squid being a girl...and you were RIGHT (and to be totally honest, I was completely wrong because I was convinced Squid was a boy)!!!

We're having a GIRL (and now the colors on my Blog are super appropriate)!!!!!

We are so incredibly thrilled to introduce 

Abigail Cunningham James

This is her bony back...

This is her relatively scary but oh so lovely profile picture...

And here she is waving at us..."Hi Mom & Dad!"

Is Squid a Boy or a Girl?

Today is a HUGE day...we get to find out whether our little Squid is a Boy or a Girl. 

Our appointment is at 3:30pm, so stay tuned for the big announcement. 

In the meantime, let's have a little fun and see what everyone thinks we're having - take our Poll and weigh in!!!

Is Squid a Baby Boy or a Baby Girl?
	Baby Boy
	Baby Girl
pollcode.com free polls

Peanuts & Pumpkins & Squids? - Oh My!

Don't you just want to snuggle up next to that guy and wrap its "eight arms...and two longer tentacles" around you?  Well, thanks to the fact that we nicknamed our baby "Squid," we get to do just that with the stuffed animal my Mom had shipped directly to Travis' office. (nice work, Mom!)

Now the little guy resides happily on the floor next to our bed (we'd consider allowing it up on the bed except for the fact that its over-sized plastic eyeballs don't exactly make for the coziest of pillows - seriously, check out the size of those things!).

Oh, and yes...you read that correctly...our baby's nickname is Squid. But I guess what you really want to know is how we missed the memo that most baby nicknames are inspired by food products (peanuts, pumpkins, beans, etc.)...and where on Earth Squid originated from?

Well, Squid was lovingly (and hilariously) nicknamed by Uncle Christopher.  After receiving the shocking and exciting news that he was going to be an Uncle, Christopher first asked a series of probing questions and then proceeded to flail his arms around (resembling some type of creature) when he suddenly proclaimed, "You're going to have a little Squid!"

And it was as simple as that. Squid stuck.

And you know what?  It's shockingly catchy and fun to say.  It even seems completely natural until, of course, you're talking to someone not quite in the loop yet.  Then it can get a little awkward because you're so thrilled about Squid, and the person you're talking to wants to be excited about Squid, but they don't exactly know who or what Squid is and therefore have no idea how to react. Luckily, that hasn't happened too many times and when it does, it's a pretty quick fix ("Squid is our baby. Obviously!").

Anyway, I wanted everyone to know why Squid's name is Squid because as of tomorrow, Squid will have a REAL name!  That's right, tomorrow is the big unveiling!

Is Squid a boy or a girl?  

What's your guess?  

Celebrate Good Times...

Come on!

Life is too short not to. 

And for a person who doesn't love celebrating birthdays like so many do, I do love celebrating accomplishments.  (sorry birthday lovers - there's just something about them that don't impress me much...I feel like it's our Moms who should get presents for having us - and for putting up with us)

Anyway, I need to disclose something - I'll be the first to admit that my definition of an "accomplishment" is a very loose one.  An accomplishment in my mind can range from my husband actually closing a drawer after he's opened it (and if you have a significant other, you know what I'm talking about), to being elected President of the United States. Both are accomplishments, after all...they're just on two separate ends of the spectrum.  But in my mind, they're both worthy of a celebration! 

With that said, I'd like to celebrate the fact that today marks 1 week since I began 7x7xMommy.  Go me!  I've written every day and I've roped in a whopping 10 followers (7 of them may be my immediate family, but that's what family is for, right?).  This may be a mini-accomplishment especially compared to the people who have been blogging since blogging existed and the ones who have over 100,000 followers, but I'm proud of myself.  Starting this blog is something I've wanted to do for a long time...I've always loved writing but I was too afraid to put myself out there...and I'm so glad I have! Yay for that.

Other notable (and more impressive) reasons to celebrate lately?  

My husband and his team at JLL winning the Twitter account (excitingly awesome accomplishment), my friend Anne closing her first deal (huge accomplishment), the fact that the weather's been nice 3 days in a row (shocking accomplishment...go nature!), and the Giants are finally playing well again (much needed accomplishment). 

But what really inspired me to write about accomplishments today takes the cake. 

Today, August 25, 2010, marks my parent's 31st Wedding Anniversary.  Now if that's not a universally impressive accomplishment, then I don't know what is. THIS is a reason to celebrate...and they'll be doing just that when they dine at Firefly tonight in the City.  I've heard amazing things and can't wait to hear what they think of it.  Congratulations, Mom & Dad - Happy Anniversary!!!  Here's a look back at 31 years ago today...

In other celebratory news, Travis and I will be celebrating our 5 month Wedding Anniversary on Friday...and don't act like you're surprised I threw that in - I told you my definition of an accomplishment is loose...

Grandpa, Nanna, and Twinkie...wait, did you just call her Twinkie?

We're approaching a very important stage of the baby Squid process: 

The Naming of the Grandparents

I think one of my favorite parts of telling my parents that we were pregnant was referring to my Dad as "Grandpa" at dinner that night.  It was actually quite hilarious because every time I said it, he'd quickly reply "I'm not sure if I like the sound of that."  And trust me, he was not implying that he's not excited to be a Grandpa...he was simply expressing that being called Grandpa sounded so OLD to him.  

And trust me, my parents are anything but old.  Without giving away too much information, let me just say that I'm 26, my brother is 28, and they were young parents. More importantly, however, they act like they're stuck in their 20's or 30's, so the names 'Grandpa' and 'Grandma' don't necessarily sit well with them.  I mean, do these look like the stereotypical Grandparents to you? I think not.

So we need to come up with a solution for our dilemma here.  Earlier today I figured I'd start with Google - Google should have some ideas, right?  Well, yes...Google was pretty helpful.  When I typed in "Grandparent Names," I came across The Ultimate Guide to Grandparent Names. 

Amazing. 

What's even more amazing is that I have never seen a more comprehensive list of wacky oddball names to call Grandparents.  

I was immediately drawn to the category of "Playful" thinking those names may be more appropriate for my young parents, but what I quickly came to learn is that "Playful" in Grandparent World must also mean "Ridiculously Weird and/or Inappropriate." 

Some of my favs for Ladies:

1. Twinkie
2. Moo-Moo
3. Uddermudder

The first two just seem like constant reminders of what Grandma should or shouldn't be eating...and the third, well, the third is like 15,000 times harder to say than "Grandma" so I'm not really sure how that one would catch on with the babies (not to mention the fact that once that kid turns 4, I'm pretty sure they won't want to be calling Grandma "Uddermudder" in public anymore)... I'm just saying...

Some of my favs for the Dudes:

1. HeeHaw (really?)
2. Tank
3. UmPaPa

I'm not sure if these are much better than the Grandma names.  All I know is that if my kids called my Dad UmPaPa, I feel like we'd have to hire a band each time he came to visit so that the kids could perform a choreographed song and dance...UmPaPa, UmPaPa...Um...no thanks.

At the end of the day, I think we're just going to have to leave this task up to our parents. Mom and Dad, you can use this guide as your starting point...just know that we'll want to approve your chosen names before Squid starts calling you HeeHaw and Twinkie. I don't know about you, but I don't think that's too much to ask...

Trader Joe's: (If You're Lucky...) Coming to a Neighborhood Near You

Well, it seems someone else was having the same Sunday Cravings as me yesterday...

Here's an interesting look Inside the Secret World of Trader Joe's, courtesy of Fortune.

No North Face Needed...

For the first time in three months, I didn't need my North Face on my walk to work today. For those of you who live in San Francisco, you know this is a big deal...

While it feels like this opening should be written on a post dated in February after a long, frigid winter, it's sadly just August in San Francisco where June and July were two of the gloomiest months in years (here's some proof: Bay Area's Chilly Summer). And while this article states that the summer of 2010 hasn't been the Bay Area's coldest ever, it does point out that,"informal observers in San Francisco's supposedly sunny Mission District noted that only three of 30 mornings in July have been free of fog."  3 of 30...that means 27 of 30 mornings were foggy. And let's be honest, it's the so-called "informal observers" who are impacted the most by this weather. 

For lack of a better description, I've personally found San Francisco's weather this summer to be  downright depressing.  Being that I walk over 5 miles a day (meaning I'm outside for at least an hour and a half), I'm very in touch with day to day fog. And while I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, there have been days (albeit, really long days that were probably stressful at work as well), where I've walked into my apartment and just started crying (poor Travis doesn't know what to do with me!).  It's possible this has something to do with the hormones that have taken over my emotional state thanks to the pregnancy, but I'm convinced the weather overrides the hormones...

All I know is that North Faces shouldn't be necessary every day in the months of June, July & August; you shouldn't have to wear five layers and a beanie to a summertime Giant's game; and 75 degree days (that would be defined as an amazing day for those of you who don't live here) should NOT be as rare and surprising as they are here in San Francisco. 

But let me end this on a positive note - today, August 23rd, 2010, is the most amazingly beautiful day we've had in the City in months...and I, for one, cannot wait to go sit outside at lunch and burn my pasty white, San Francisco skin!

Here's a beautiful shot of the Golden Gate Bridge taken by one of my girlfriends, Jennifer, earlier this morning.  Thanks Jen!

Sunday Cravings: Dark Chocolate Almonds

Today I was brainstorming about what to write about and it hit me - why not do a weekly Sunday post about all the things I love eating on the weekends?  I mean, who doesn't love food?  Eating food, making food, sharing food, and sometimes...overindulging in food?

I'm not sure about you, but I think of my weekends as my time to "let go," if you will.  It's my "cheat time" - my time to enjoy anything and everything and not feel guilty about it.  For example, this weekend I enjoyed a calzone on Friday night, a Pesto Chicken Sandwich for lunch on Saturday followed by an evening of Thai food, and today I indulged in a juicy cheeseburger for lunch (which I rarely eat).  

I'd blame it on being pregnant, but that's not it. I just love yummy food !  And I love to enjoy all my favorites on the weekends when I have time to sit down and have a two hour long meal - when I have friends and family to eat it with - and when I'm feeling exceptionally carefree.     

That's why every Sunday I'm going to tell you about one of the things I love to eat...and I want to start off with one of my obsessions:  Dark Chocolate Almonds.

For those of you who have been to my apartment for dinner, you know I'll always bring out Dark Chocolate Almonds for dessert (easy for me - delicious for everyone).  For those of you who don't, well...first let me say you're missing out on having dinner with me!  Kidding...but second and more important, you're missing out on one of the simple pleasures in life.

If you have not tasted Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Almonds before, you must go directly to your local store, do not pass go and do not collect $200, head straight for their frozen food isle (because that's obviously where chocolate is stored...), and pick up a box. 

If you're a chocolate lover like me, I promise you will not be disappointed...and I guarantee you'll be heading back for more. Oh, and at $3.99 a box, it's a delectable dessert that does not come close to breaking the bank. Big shout out to Trader Joe's for being so amazing in so many ways...and for satisfying my nearly insatiable sweet tooth.

Stay tuned for more Sunday Cravings - I hope they make your mouth water on a weekly basis...

Out with the Old - In with the New

Travis and I reached another milestone together this week: we bought real furniture!

In my opinion, this is a big step toward adulthood (as if getting married and having a baby haven't qualified us already). Now that we're furniture owners, we're well on our way...

After being fortunate enough to have had friends and family either given us free stuff or let us borrow furniture over the years, we decided it was time to buy some of our own. We carefully selected our first couches, our first entertainment center, and our first bed frame (and we negotiated one heck of a deal in the process!).

Thanks to vivid memories of my brother and I accompanying my parents countless times to furniture stores throughout Santa Clara County, I will forever associate buying furniture with being an adult. We would hunt for couches, coffee tables, accent pieces...whatever our house needed at the time...sometimes it felt like we'd cover 200 miles in one weekend just trying to find the right piece at the right price. And believe it or not, my brother and I actually enjoyed it - we would enter each store proudly and declare ourselves the official "couch testers" (I'm sure the sales associates loved us running around, pouncing on perfectly fluffed couch after couch). It was wonderful bonding time for us and I look forward to when Squid has a sibling to share the sames types of experiences with!

But back to our purchase...while I can't say buying furniture was necessarily the most exciting purchase I've made in my life (I think I experienced more joy over the camera we bought for my blog this morning...), it does make me feel like we're real adults. We're furnishing a real home. And we will have a real living room with enough seating to have more than two people over at a time. 

Needless to say, today is a very exciting day!

I'm Shocked! San Francisco is the 3rd Safest City for Children

Way back when I started this blog (two days ago, but who's counting?), I made the following statement: "I'm of the belief that City living and Mommy-Hood don't necessarily go hand in hand, but I intend (and hope) to prove myself wrong..."  

Well, it's time to start proving myself wrong.  And one of my very best girlfriends is to thank (thanks Lauren!).  To be honest, the main reason I've been so skeptical of City living for children is that I just don't feel like a City is all that safe.  From buses barreling down "neighborhood" streets to the unstable drug addicts found in places like the Tenderloin, I'm not left with warm, fuzzy, and safe feelings...I feel more like I'm always on guard and acutely aware of my surroundings.  

The more I think about it though, I'll probably feel even more on guard and aware of my surroundings when Squid joins the world...no matter where I live. But it does help that Men's Health magazine recently published The Safest Cities for Children and to my surprise, San Francisco has been ranked the 3rd Safest City for Children. 

The ranking takes into account "accidental death rates for kids ages 5 to 14 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), number of car-seat inspection locations per child (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), sex offenders per capita (state and national registries), percentage of abused children protected from further abuse (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), and the strength of child-restraint laws and bike-helmet laws (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)."

It may not take into account the total number of buses and the speed at which they move, but it definitely makes me feel much better about Squid coming into this world...and into this City.

For a quick look at the rankings, here's a rundown of the top and bottom.

SAFEST:

1. Madison, Wisc.
2. Honolulu, Hawaii
3. San Francisco, California!!!
4. Virginia Beach, Virg.
5. Spokane, Wash.
6. Providence, R.I.
7. Jersey City, N.J.
8. Colorado Springs, Colo.
9. Pittsburgh, Penn.
10. Burlington, Vt.

LEAST SAFE:

1. Jacksonville, Fl.
2. New Orleans, La.
3. Baltimore, Md.
4. Bakersfield, Calif.
5. Tulsa, Okla.
6. Modesto, Calif.
7. Grand Rapids, Mich.
8. Fresno, Calif.
9. Oklahoma City, Okla.
10. Corpus Christi, Texas

Squid's First Groupon Gift!

Squid just turned 17 weeks (in utero) and Groupon is already a part of his or her life - now that's what I like to call a high tech San Francisco fetus!  More importantly, Squid has the most thoughtful Daddy in the world who's always thinking of others... 

Knowing that Mommy's almost to the point of needing Maternity clothes (but holding off as long as possible!), Daddy sent Squid today's featured Groupon in hopes that he/she would take Mommy shopping.  

Check out Today's Deal: $25 for $50 Worth of Apparel at Gap

Maybe the gift will inspire Squid to start growing faster and will inspire Mommy to accept the fact that it's nearly time to trade in her skinny jeans (let's be honest - those definitely don't fit anymore) for some Mom jeans...

Thanks Daddy!!!

Travis & Ali Sitting in a Tree...

K-I-S-S-I-N-G

First comes Love

Then comes Marriage

Then comes the Honeymoon Baby in the Baby Carriage

Is that how it went? It can't be...the rhythm's all off. If my memory serves me correctly (from all that making out I did in preschool...kidding, kidding...sort of), there wasn't a timeline for any of this.  You just got teased and then you moved on with your life.

But here in the adult world - which I've finally realized I'm a part of now - this rhyme actually makes some sense.  You don't necessarily start out by sitting in a tree (unless you went to Cal), but if you're lucky enough, you meet someone, fall madly in love, get married, kiss, and just like magic, have a baby (I'll obviously be deferring the birds and bees speech as long as possible)!

In my case, I began to fall in love with my best friend on our very first date at Frankie's on March 27, 2008. First came Love. Fast forward to July 3rd, 2009 and there was suddenly a beautiful rock on my left ring finger. Take another leap forward to March 27, 2010 and I had a new last name. Then came Marriage. And following the order of the playful rhyme from my youth, our Honeymoon in Costa Rica was amazing for reasons other than the zip-lining and river rafting...Here Comes the Baby in the Baby Carriage...

The most common question I'm asked is whether or not this was planned.  Did we plan on having a baby so soon?  Well, to be truthful, no...we didn't.  But at the same time, we didn't exactly plan to wait around either.  So while it does feel like our lives are moving at a rapid pace right now and things are changing before we can even get used to them, we wouldn't want it any other way.

We fell in love, we got married, and now we get to experience the miracle of life.  Blessed doesn't even begin to describe the way we feel.

Early Morning Brainstorming

7x7xMommy Brainstorming Journal

This is only my second post, but I feel like this blog has the potential to take over my life.  Before I went to bed, I was telling my husband that it's not the writing I'm worried about - it's being able to come up with something to write about on a daily basis that intimidates me. 

I'm hoping it'll get to the point where I have followers who write to me with ideas, complaints and questions, but the reality right now is that I'm just beginning...and my Mom and my best friend (and maybe my husband if I beg him) are probably the only people reading my posts consistently.  

"Luckily" for me, my overactive mind woke me up at 3:30AM to assure me that coming up with topics won't actually be that difficult - they just won't enter my mind at the most opportune times.  After thinking of five new topics that I didn't want to forget (and succumbing to the fact that sleep wasn't an option), I decided to get up, go to our office, and crack open a brand new journal at 4:00am.  This adorable journal was a birthday gift from my Mother-in-Law and I've been waiting for the perfect opportunity to use it.  Now it'll be my official 7x7xMommy Brainstorming Journal...in it holds the future of this blog (no pressure). 

That being said, I don't want to rely on my middle-of-the-night brainstorming forever...I want feedback (and sleep)!  I've set up an email for address for this blog and I hope its inbox doesn't stay empty too long. 

Please write to me...about anything...I love emails, I love questions, I love comments, and I love (and appreciate) constructive criticism. 

Contact me: 7x7xMommy@gmail.com

7x7xMommy-To-Be

Being that this is my very first blog post ever, I figured I might as well start out by telling the truth (I need to build up some trust here so people keep reading, right?). 

So here goes nothing...I'm not a 7x7xMommy. 

I barely even know that many 7x7xMommy(s).  In fact, I only know one...well, I know of more, but you know what I mean.  I would only feel comfortable calling one up on the phone asking, "How do you take a shower when you're the only one home?  What do I do with the baby?"  

But this is all OK...because I will be a 7x7xMommy and I hope to meet many more 7x7xMommy(s) - that's what this whole blog experience is supposed to be about...or so I've heard.  I, of course, happen to be the type of idealistic crazy person who actually believes that this blog might bring me new friends, increased wisdom, and overwhelming fame - the last one might be a bit of a stretch, but not a big one...

The truth is that I'm a 7x7xMommy-To-Be.  I think we're all happy this title won't last forever being that it takes forever to type out (OK, so maybe I'm the only one who's happy about that), but it's my title for now, and it'll be my title for the next 4-5 months.  In January, possibly early February, I will graduate to the official title of 7x7xMommy...but I'll get into the whole baby thing in my next post.  

For now, we'll stick with what this Blog is all about. As I mentioned in my profile, I have a confession to make: I'm apprehensive about raising a baby in the City.  I know it's possible - people do it all the time.  I just think it comes with added stresses, anxieties and inconveniences (I hope some of these feelings are just the hormones talking).  But I am here to prove myself wrong. One day at a time. One challenge at a time.  And I'm going to share each small triumph, each tackled obstacle, and each light bulb moment with you...whoever you might be. Let's be honest though (because remember, I'm trying to build your trust here), I'm sure there will be some complaints, frustrations, and meltdowns along the way...you wouldn't really be getting to know the real me if there weren't some meltdowns.  My family can attest to that...

Enjoy!