Maxwell Hunter: 2 months old.

My dearest baby Max, you are 2 months old today. My gawd, where has the time gone? I told your dad that I am the happiest that I have been in my life right now, being your mommy. I have the best job in the world getting to take care of you. That brought tears to his eyes because it so important to him that he is doing a good job taking care of us (and he is). You have an "official" nickname (selected by the good readers of Fickle Feline). You will now be known as "Lumpkin". We are working on a t-shirt for you to commemorate this. Just so you know, your Grandma gave you that name. We will still sometimes refer to you by your other names (how can we not call you "Porkchop" with the baby chubs you are developing?).

You have your 2 month checkup doctor's appointment Monday and I am pretty sure you will be tipping the scales at least 13 pounds. I'm not sure how long you are, but I'm guessing 24 inches. I do believe this will place you in the 90+ percentile, so you are one big boy. We won't get too fixated on the numbers though, bottom line is you are too cute for words and we can't stop kissing you!

After several poo-valanches this week, we moved you into size 2 diapers. You see, your mom doesn't like cleaning up poop off the couch, and washing the babysling every time you do your business. Also charming is you prefer to poop in a dry diaper, so you like to wait until I have just changed your diaper before you let loose. You also seem to think this is pretty funny so you make it all okay by giving me your best smile as we head back to your room to clean you up.

You really like being naked (I think this is a boy thing). I usually let you get some fresh air on your bum when I am changing you, and you also like to be laid out on a towel for some bare bum time and belly rubs as well. You don't like tummy time at all, so we have tried it sans clothes which seems to work better. Except you like to pee, so it means a lot of towels in the laundry.

I think your dad's favourite part of your development is that you are smiling so much now, and you have found your voice. You coo and grunt and earlier this week you laughed in your sleep. I can't wait until you laugh when you are awake! Though you have a lot of toys, there is really only one you are interested in so far and that is your baseball bear which vibrates when you pull the baseball away from it. We think this bear is a little...ummm...well, it's a little weird. But you like to stare intently at his face, so that's cool.
I have been telling people that you are growing like a weed, and I'm not kidding. You have been in your 3-6 month clothes for weeks now (I think you are just eager to get into your designer threads). I swear you have way nicer clothes than your dad and me...Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger...I don't have any of those labels hanging in my closet! Your dad and I think you have huge hands and feet...maybe this means you are going to be tall like your dad. I hope so, because being 5'4 has its limitations and I like having tall people around to reach things for me. Your legs and arms are super strong and you are already practicing your soccer and boxing moves. We have to be careful because you like to swipe at our faces to grab our glasses. You also like to suck on your hands (and my hands). We tried to give you a pacifier (2 different kinds) but you have shown no interest. So instead you drool all over me, which I don't mind, I mean, what's a little baby drool when I am covered in breast milk, baby poop/pee, and spitup already? No biggy, that's for sure.

What else is there to say? Your favourite song is "When I'm 64". I only know the words to the first verse and I can't remember how the chorus goes (I'll work on that). We will continue to work our way through the Beatles' song book in the coming months. You still get the hiccups, but not 3 times a day like you used to. You really like to eat (as we can all see from your baby chubs) and you are not very patient with your dear old mom when you get hungry. You get really cranky and make this "amuh amuh amuh" sound which makes your dad and me laugh. Then you put your little barracuda mouth on my boob as punishment for making you wait. You also cried your first real tear this past month, which I kissed away, and my heart broke a little. You will learn that I am a total softy, and I am going to have to toughen up or you will get whatever you want out of me.

We have worked out a nice routine so that Mom gets to shower every day. I feed you, then take a shower while you sit in your car seat (very patiently I might add). Then I sit you on the toilet while I get dressed and put my makeup on. I don't know what I'm going to do once you are mobile, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it!

It seems like a lot of people have a lot of advice for us on how to raise you. One thing that is very controversial is that we have you sleep with us right now. It just works out better because you wake up a couple of times a night to eat so this way we all get some sleep. I have been told that "we will never get you out of our bed" but I don't think that is true. Plus, I love waking up and seeing you next to me and watching you sleep. You look so sweet and happy, secure and content, how could I leave you alone in another room? I think you are still too little, and I'm not ready.There have been many offers of babysitting (everyone wants to be with you!) but I am just not ready to be away from you, not even for a minute. So, until I am ready, everyone will just have to wait. It is actually physically painful for me to not be with you. All I can do is think about you, then my boobs leak, and I just end up getting all stressed out. This may seem weird to people, but it is just how it is. I am sure that I will eventually be ready, but not just yet.You are starting to make the "amuh amuh amuh" sound so I better wrap this up and give you the boob. Little Lumpkin, you are so wonderful. Your dad and I have so much love for you, and we can't wait to see what this next month brings.

Love,
Mom

1 month

Nicknames: You decide.

We have a tonne of nicknames for Max. And by a tonne, I mean...like...12. We're not sure which one we like best, so we thought we'd put it out to the internet for a vote. So here they are in no particular order:

Porkchop
Maxy Paxy
Maxy Poopoo
Lil' Barracuda
Button
Kitten
Jubjub
Little dude/Little man
Lumpkin
Awesome Possum
Gruntbuggly
Baby Poogie
edited to add: Sweet Baboo

I usually switch up the nickname based on his current mood or what he is up to. I won't tell you which one is my favourite until we count the votes. Okay...go!

Sleeping 101: Baby steps.

I'm happy to report that we have made some progress in the sleeping department. For the past four nights, we have put Max in his crib when he first falls asleep. That alone is huge. It means that Mommy and Daddy can have some "alone" time in our room. It's been a while since we had any "alone" time, if you know what I mean and I think you do. Max typically wakes up after and hour or two. I then bring him into our room and feed him and (hopefully I'm not jinxing us) he goes back to sleep. He still wakes up to eat every 2 or 3 hours, but there haven't been any all night parties this week (at least none that I have been invited to).
I forgot to mention that Max went to his first barbeque last weekend and he met his uncle David for the first time. Definitely a big weekend! I think that Max is just what the ladies in our social circle have been wishing for. A little boy (born on his dad's birthday no less) to get their men on the "family planning" bandwagon. I have been half-joking with the guys that Max needs some buddies so they better get moving. It will be interesting to see who gets knocked up first...guess we'll just have to wait and see on that.

Sleeping 101: Still working on it.

Well. Sleeping between the time when the sun sets and rises still poses us some challenges. It truly is hit or miss with this little guy. I have no idea why some nights we manage to go to bed at 11pm and others we end up staying up until 6am. I guess it is just what life is like for a 7 week old baby (that's right - 7 weeks old!).

When Max does sleep, it is typically when the sun is shining. It can be kind of frustrating because I want him to sleep at night, so umm...so I can sleep at night, with the rest of the world! Ah well. This will work itself out eventually, right? Until then, please be patient.

Playdates and Pedicures.

We hit a few milestones this week, two of the big ones being Max's first social smile and the commencement of grunts and cooing that sound a bit like conversation starters (by Scott's standards anyway). In addition to the smiles and grunts, Max also had his first playdate with his girlfriends Maya (6 months) and Soleil (9 months). He definitely needs a few pointers from his dad as he pretty much slept through the whole afternoon. It was actually a miracle that we even made it over to Jen's (Maya's mom) as Max has started his new "schedule" which is sleep just fine for two nights in a row (meaning get up once), then party until the wee hours on the 3rd night. I was very tired/worn out from this, but I decided I was in dire need of some company and adult interaction, so after managing to get us both washed, clothed and fed, we headed out. As you can see from the pics, a good time was had by all. The nice thing about going over to someone's house when they have a baby, and there are no men around, is that I can breastfeed without having to find a private location, and I don't have to feel self-conscious if Max decides to be fussy, or needs a diaper change - it's all good, they understand.

Last night was "the 3rd night" so of course Max partied until 6am. Nice. Scott stayed up with us (good call) and we made an event out of it. I think Max is having an extended 6 week growth spurt as his sole desire from 10am - 4am was to breastfeed. He done near wore the equipment out. I was pretty much at my wit's end by 4am (and my boobs were empty) so I defrosted a bottle of breastmilk that I had pumped and gave that to him in a bottle. Little dude sucked that back like nothing doing...and was ready for more! I fed him again at 5:30am and he finally decided to throw in the towel and go to sleep. Scott and I followed shortly. It's funny that a 10 pound baby can give two adults a run for their money. I mean, it's funny now that I have had some sleep. Not so funny at 5am. Not funny at all.

I had been looking forward to getting a pedicure all week, so despite being pretty worn out today, I fed the boy, got dressed and hightailed it over to the salon to get my toes looked after. It was the first thing (outside of going to the doctor to get my sore boobs looked at) that I have done for myself since Max was born, and it felt good. Mind you, all we talked about was him, and I was relieved when I got in the car to drive home after an hour. As I turned my key in the lock, I was a bit apprehensive about what I was walking into (would he be screaming from hunger? would Scott be okay?). The boys were sitting on the couch, Max gazing intently at his dad and Scott raving about Max smiling at him. Phew. I can't tell you how relieved I was that everything went okay. So, while a pedicure might not be a milestone listed in the baby books, it was a big milestone for me. Here's to pretty toes!

Successful Baby Bathing 101.

We have survived our first week at home with no third party assistance. I'm not going to lie, I was more than a little worried about how I was going to survive being home alone with a newborn baby. But we did just fine. I mean, there were a few days where I didn't shower until Scott got home, or I showered with the soundtrack of a crying baby in the background, but we survived. All I can say is thank gawd for Grocery Gateway, because if wasn't for them, we would be surviving on pizza.

We have learned a few things about each other over the past month that I forgot to mention in my previous post. First, baby poop smells like buttered popcorn, I kid you not. Second, trying to get a wide awake baby to fall asleep is just about the most frustrating thing in the world. Third, trying to get a sleepy baby to stay awake is a losing battle. The second and third points have been playing out over the past couple of days as Max decided to party from 11pm - 4am on Sunday night/Monday morning. This combined with wanting to nurse every 1 - 2 hours just about made me fall over.

Last night I vowed to keep him awake all evening so that we could go to bed at 11pm. We banged pots and pans, sang loudly, threatened to play Rage Against the Machine, jiggled him on our knees, gave him a bath, and forced him to watch basketball. And success. In bed for a feeding at 10:40pm, snack at 2:40am, 4:30am, 7am, up and out of bed by 7:30am. If you haven't guessed already, Max is having a growth spurt. He is in his first 3 - 6 month clothes as of today. My baby is growing up!

Maxwell Hunter: 1 month old.

Little baby Max - you turned one month old yesterday. I would have posted this on your actual one month birthday, but I was too busy kissing your little cheeks and playing with your toes to sit down at the computer. It is hard to believe that it has been a full month since we met - it feels like it was only yesterday. Your dad says that it definitely feels like a full month (at least!) but for me it has been a blur. You are starting to get more alert now and while you aren't ready to play with your toys, you are very interested in what is going on around you (especially lights and the Happy Cat picture). When you look at me with your big soulful eyes, my heart swells (and my boobs ache). Your lusty wails when you are hungry make me smile a bit - you are very serious when it comes to your dinner - and your dad and I can't help but laugh when you root around his chest, confused as to why he has no food for you.
Our lives have changed forever now, and we would never go back. Life is a bit slower, and I have fewer expectations of what I can get done in a day - "to do" lists are one item long and they consist of "enjoy your baby". You are so beautiful and innocent, I just can't get enough of you. It breaks your dad's heart to go to work everyday because he just wants to be with you all day, every day. You are growing and developing so fast, I swear you have new baby chubs every day. It's a good thing we have some 3 - 6 month clothes because you are almost out of your newborn clothes.

At one month old you tipped the scales at nine pounds 7 ounces - that is almost 2 pounds higher than your birth weight. I am thrilled because we had a bit of a slow start with the breastfeeding. The best money I have spent was to get a lactation consultant to come over to the house to help us. The bond we have from breastfeeding is amazing and I am so glad I stuck it out with you (even though you can be a bit of a barracuda when we are getting you latched on sometimes). Seeing you relax and close your eyes, your little chubby hand holding onto me, makes me forget all of the challenges I went through to get to this point.

I thought I knew love before I met you, but now I know that I only had a glimmer of an understanding. True, pure, unconditional, overwhelming, all-encompassing love, that is the love I have for you. When parents tell their children free friends that "there is nothing like it" they are absolutely right. And there really are no words to describe the way my heart swells every time I look at you. You have so many people in your life that love you, all little boys should be so lucky. I can't wait to see what this next month will bring.

Love,
Mom (aka "the titty lady")

Lost in babyland.

Well, we finally sorted out the breastfeeding thing with the help of a lactation consultant that I hired to come to the house to help us out. Once we got going Max and I were both much happier. Me, because I felt like a huge failure not being able to breastfeed my baby and sterilizing pumps and bottles after every feeding is exhausting. Max, because, well, breast is best and he loves to get up close and personal with his Mama. We have mastered two positions, feeding while lying down and feeding while sitting up and using the mybrestfriend pillow that Scott bought me on ebay (because he loves me). It also means that we are able to get a lot more sleep because (and I never thought I would do this) we are actually cosleeping. Meaning, I have brought Max into my bed and he sleeps with us, at least while he is eating every 2 - 3 hours. This way he actually goes right back to sleep after his 11:30pm feeding and stays in bed until 6:30am. I still have to wake up and feed him, but we don't have to get up and party, which I truly appreciate.

My mom has been taking wonderful care of the both of us (Max and I both have colds) and I don't know what I would have done without her the past 2 weeks. I am totally not okay with the fact that she is going back to BC on Saturday (boo!). At least Scott has a long weekend, so we will get 3 days with him to have some family time. I think it is hard for him to leave us in the morning when he goes to work. It is a tough transition for all of us, but we are getting there.
I don't get out every day (in fact with being sick I went four days without leaving the house) but we have ventured out to the grocery store and we even had lunch out at Licks. I never imagined how hard it would be just to get showered, dressed, and out the door with a baby. Everything has to be timed with his feedings and with him eating every 2 to 3 hours it means that any trip out can be a maximum of 2 hours before we have to be back for titty time. A glamorous life for sure. Totally worth it though - I wouldn't change it for the world.

Is there anyone who hasn't seen my breasts?

Because, really, I have lost count of the number of people who have poked, prodded, tweaked, squeezed and examined my breasts in the last two weeks. Funny, when they stop becoming sexual objects and turn into mere facilators of sustinance you get a lot less shy. I now understand why many women are nonplussed about whipping their boobs out in public to feed their babies. Not that I'm quite there yet, but seriously, if you are one of the few who have yet to see the glory that is my breasts, come on over - they really are spectacular. All sarcasm aside, Max and I have had some challenges dealing with the whole breastfeeding thing. First he was born tongue tied, so he had to have his tongue clipped. Then he worked me raw, I mean RAW to the point that I had to stop breastfeeding and pump my milk and feed him from a bottle. I should note that he clearly was getting enough milk from me because he gained a pound in one week and is now a whopping 8 pounds 4 ounces! Now that I am pretty much healed up, we are trying again, but after getting the bottle for three days, he is one lazy little boy who is not so interested in putting the work in to get the milk out of his mom's boobs. So, I have called a lactation consultant who will be coming to my home tomorrow to help us figure this out. Yet another person who will see my breasts (wee!). I am too stubborn to give up on this just yet.

The good news is that my mom arrived last night from BC for a two week visit. This is especially good because Scott has come down with bronchitis and is in pretty rough shape plus we can't have him holding Max while he is so sick. I had two days of caring for Max solo which was kind of brutal as all those awesome endorphins I had the first week home have dwindled and I am now at that point where I am so tired I feel drunk. With my mom here I managed to get some sleep today so I feel much better. Something about moms, they just make the sun shine brighter and everything okay. Max loves her and seems to be willing to conk out for her much easier than he will for me. Praise be for that, I'll take all the help I can get. Scott goes back to work tomorrow and I can't believe that it has already been 2 weeks! What a blur...I feel like we just brought Max home from the hospital!

Week 1: The Adventures of Mommyhood.

We've made it through our first week as a family of three and lived to tell about it. So far so good, I think anyway. The toughest part is probably getting sleep in small increments when you can instead of big blocks. Funny, even when I'm tired and it's 4am and Max is wide awake, I am happy. I am just trying to drink it all in - I feel like he's growing so fast and I might miss something.

We have mastered the art of changing poopy diapers, gotten peed on several times, become experts at doing many things with only one free hand and managed to shower every day except for one. The thing that has been the toughest for me is the breastfeeding. Apparently women that are fair skinned have the most sensitive skin and I can attest to that. Max is a good eater, and oh my goodness he has worked me raw. I am doing my best to work through it, making sure he is getting a good latch, that I am positioning him right, airing the "sisters" out when I get a chance (quite a sight really), and applying Purelan and glycerin pads between feedings. But still, holy shit, when you have a little boy eating for 40 minutes a go every 2 - 3 hours, it is hard to heal. I love that he is gaining weight and filling out like a champ and that is what makes it worth it, but don't kid, breastfeeding is hard.
Now that things have settled down, it's interesting to observe my hormones come into play. The day Max was born, I didn't cry. Scott cried, Jennifer cried, but I think I was too "medicated" and likely in shock/overwhelmed to let go. So, on Sunday night, I was up in our bedroom holding Max in my arms, just looking at his beautiful face and out of nowhere I started bawling. It wasn't an ugly cry, but it was a good one nonetheless. All of a sudden I felt the responsibility to protect him from the world, and saw his vulnerability, how it really is all on me to make sure he is okay, and that even when I think it isn't possible, I have more love in my heart for him. I want so badly to be a good mom, and there is so much to learn. I hope he is patient with me, I'm definitely a work in progress.

They say it's your birthday - it's my birthday too.

It's amazing how much can change in a year. Last year on my birthday, Scott and I had a double 30th birthday party and we partied pretty hard. As you may recall, I regailed you with stories of waking up to my dining room wall covered in vodka and drunken baking. This year I am just happy that Max decided to have his wakeful period in the evening and he decided to go back to sleep after his 4am feeding. Hey, sleep is a beautiful thing.

Yesterday was a busy day for us. Stephanie, Shane and Charlotte came to visit and they showered us with gifts and food. Shane also shares his birthday with Scott and Max so there is an extra special bond there. Stephanie was one of my main supports throughout my pregnancy (in fact she was one of the first people we told) so it was wonderful getting to introduce Max. Scott and I are not sure what we have done to deserve such wonderful friends, but we sure do appreciate them. After Stephanie and Shane's visit, our friends Dave and Jenn stopped by - with more food and gifts! I think the fact that I have not had to cook for the past week is what has kept me sane. Dave proceeded to clean up after dinner and he and Jenn both took turns when Max started getting fussy (it was time for him to have his dinner).
As you can see, Max is eating like a champ. He is already back up to 7 pounds 6 ounces after dropping down to 7 pounds after being born. Breastfeeding is pretty neat, though I am a bit tender right now. It's totally worth it though to have that time with him. He makes this little milk-drunk face when I burp him that breaks my heart a bit every time. I don't know how it is possible, but I fall in love more each day. It's like there was this whole battery of emotions I didn't have access to until I became a mom. I feel a depth of love for him that is overwhelming and all encompassing. Crazy stuff.
Okay, I'd better get a move on - the little guy is still asleep, but his next feeding is very soon. I've been asked to post about some of the physical changes my body has gone through with this pregnancy and giving birth - I'll make sure to post about that this week (though from the breastfeeding picture above I'm sure you can see that one of the changes is in your breasts). My bestfriend Jennifer told me I looked like a "saucy German waitress" when my milk came in. She certainly wasn't far off!

4a.m. and it's time to party.

Max really does share more in common than just his birthday with his dad - they both seem to think that prime time is in the middle of the night. I swear, this child sleeps all day, and then at 3:30am those little eyes open up wide and he looks at me like, okay mom, let's hang out until say 6:30am, and then when I hear the birds singing and people getting up to go to work, then I'll go back to sleep. Anyway, it's all good, we can't complain. I'm sitting here at the computer, Max is sitting next to me, bright eyed and bushy tailed and I couldn't be happier. I can't believe that he is already 5 days old! This week has been a blur.

What I will say is that all those people who said "enjoy the last little while before your baby comes, once you have him you have him for good" were totally wrong. I am much happier now that he is here. Being pregnant, especially at the end was really awful. Having him here with us, out of my belly, is heaven on earth. What is funny is that all along, Scott said, "he is going to be born on my birthday". When I woke up on Sunday morning at 5:55am with my first contraction, it took me a moment to clue in that I was actually in labour. I got up, took a shower and washed my hair - no way I was going to have a baby with my dirty hair. I woke Scott up at 7am and told him "it's time" and he quickly got up and put the wheels in motion. He has been doing awesome as a dad - I knew he would. Max wasn't too interested in breastfeeding the first few days, so I was pumping my breast milk and having Scott bottle feed Max. It made my heart melt a bit to see Scott holding our baby and feeding him. Fatherhood becomes him. Max is now officially "on the boob" which is a relief as I was getting pretty tired having to pump every 3 hours, then sterilize the pump and bottles, grab an hour or so of sleep before we started the process all over again. I think we are still running on endorphins, so it will be interesting to see how we do once we come down from this high. Okay, enough of the rambling...time to see if I can get this beautiful boy to sleep.

2.5 days old and counting.

I'm typing this post with one hand because I'm holding Max. Just like when he was in the womb, it appears that he is a little night owl. We are all doing great - Max is the sweetest thing ever and we fall more in love with him each day. If you have emailed/called and not heard back from us please don't be offended - we really appreciate your kind words and will be in touch shortly. Until then, we hope you enjoy the latest photos.

Welcome to the world, baby boy.

Good news - Maxwell Hunter was born on Sunday evening. He decided that the best way to celebrate his dad's birthday was to share it with him, so April 23rd will be a very full day in our household forever more. The labour and delivery went very smoothly. I went into labour at 6am, got an epidural around noon, and started pushing at 5:30pm. Max was out by 5:46pm. Goodness! 7 pounds 10 ounces and 20 inches long.

The day was actually amazing. We called Jennifer at 7am to tell her that "it was time" and miracle of miracles, she made it from Ottawa to the hospital by 10am. She and Scott were awesome support and they spent the day helping me manage the pain until I got my drugs, and took care of me the whole way. Max is a very sweet baby and we are all looking forward to getting to know him! He is perfect in every way and I can't believe that after 39 weeks and 5 days, he is finally here.

39 Weeks: It's just me an Angelina left.

Seems like everyone has gone and had their babies...Gweneth had Moses, Katie and Brooke popped out their little girls this week, so it really is just me and Angelina left. Le Sigh. It appears that this little guy is waiting to make sure that he will be a Taurus (like we didn't already know he would be a stubborn one).

I'm glad I'm home and off work because I am incredibly exhausted. So much for this whole nesting thing. I toss and turn all night - the little guy seems to think my internal organs are throw cushions. The lack of sleep during normal sleeping hours means I need at least one nap during the day. I can't wait until I can lay on my stomach again. Or when simply rolling over in bed won't be a monumental task. The phone calls have started with everyone wondering a) how am I doing and b) have I had this baby yet? Forgive me if I don't answer the phone and/or call you back, and to answer your questions a) how do you think I'm doing? I'm still pregnant and b) we'll let you know when it happens.

Scott's birthday is Sunday and my birthday is next Sunday. Neither of us are feeling incredibly inspired to celebrate, plus it's also hard to nail down any plans when we could become parents at any moment. I think I may have commited to making him a cake if the baby has still not introduced himself by Sunday. Guess we'll see about that.

The Reciprocal Game.

I'm not usually down with these types of things, but I saw it on Jennifer's blog and because it really is all about me, I couldn't resisit. So, If you comment...

1. I'll respond with something random I like about you.
2. I'll tell you what song/movie reminds me of you.
3. I'll name something we should do together.
4. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me (or just me).
5. I'll tell you my first/clearest memory of you.
6. I'll leave you a quote that is somehow appropriate to you.
7. I'll ask you something that I've always wondered about you.
8. If I do this for you, you must post this on your journal so you can do the same for other people

Jennifer's response to me was:

Kat:

1. You're unapologetically in charge of your life and very good at so many things. I don't have any other friends who can competantly dismantle (and re-mantle) a toilet!

2. You've Got a Friend by Carol King

3. Sit in your backyard, pass your baby from lap to lap, drink beer (it's good for breast feeding, isn't it? ;), and watch the sun go down.

4. Good news! He moved the milk!

5. I remember us at age 9 getting our hair cut at the same time in a salon near the Hasty Market. I was jealous because yours was feathered.

6. "Some others I've seen, might never be mean, might never be cross, or try to be boss, but they wouldn't do."

7. When you finally get a dog, what kind of dog will you get?

So as Jennifer says, don't be shy. Comment and I'll tell you things about yourself.

American Idol: Queen For a Day (and I'm not talking about Seacrest).

This is a great songbook for American Idol to use. Vocally challenging, strong melodies, what's not to like? Well, most of these songs are pretty long, so they were tough to fit into the short format. Otherwise, I enjoyed the show. I still think that this is a pretty weak top 8, but maybe I am just waxing poetic about past seasons. Just seems that we have seen stronger singers than we are seeing this year.

On with it:

Bucky Covington: Fat Bottomed Girls
Good song selection for Bucky. He makes everything sound like CCR though. The song kind of plodded along for me and it felt like he was just concentrating on getting the lyrics right. Also, I don't really believe that he likes fat bottomed girls.

Ace Young: We Will Rock You
They shouldn't let Ace talk too much...his brain really is an empty vessel. Lol - Ace trying to get Queen to play his crappy arrangement of We Will Rock You. Hah. I didn't hate the way he started but the backgrounds of "We will, we will rock you" were so weak that they didn't support the energy he was trying to convey. Bad choice on trying to change the melody, and I don't think the song ever really peaked.

Kellie Pickler: Bohemian Rhapsody
Wow - that's ballz picking this song. Nice boots! A bit pitchy to start, but once she started singing in her chest voice she sounded surprisingly good - she even added some grit that helped her rock out. The short arrangement was horrible though and the song didn't really make sense the way it played out. Like Ace, they should limit her talking time. Ouch - not a lot going on upstairs.

Chris Daughtry: Innuendo
I'm not surprised that Queen liked him. Interesting that they never performed this song live. He really was in his element singing this song. Pitch was on, he definitely rocked out. I think he would do much better singing in front of a band where he can interact with them, versus being by himself on stage. This guy has such a powerful voice, he is always going to blow everyone away in the rock category. I agree with Simon that it would have been nice to hear him sing one of their more well known songs.

Katharine McPhee: Who Wants to Live Forever
Ugh. Do we really need to hear the Disney version of this song? Poor Freddy, he's probably spinning in his grave. Now that we all know what Katharine's tonsils look like, we can sleep easy. She belongs in the Miss America pageant, not on American Idol. Also, who is doing her makeup? Linda Ronstadt's stylist?

Elliot Yamin: Somebody to Love
Gawd he is cheesy. I felt like he was about to spontaneously break into "Camptown Races". I felt zero soul in this rendition. I am really trying to find something to like about him, but I just can't. The short arrangement didn't help him either, but I just can't get over how much I dislike him. Maybe we knew eachother in a past life and he was mean to me?

Taylor Hicks: Crazy Little Thing Called Love
What a relief that he didn't sing We Are the Champions. The song he picked was a much better fit for him. I didn't mind his version of it, as long as I looked away from the tv. I can't handle his antics. But his vocal was one of the better ones of the night (can you believe I just said that?).

Paris Bennett: The Show Must Go On
Of course Queen liked Paris - she is one of the only finalists that can actually sing. She owned this song, she owned the stage, unapologetically. It was nice to see her break away from the R&B, and to see her do it so successfully. I hope America is smart enough to keep her on the show.

Worst Performances: Ace, Elliot, Katharine
Best Performances: Paris, Chris, Taylor

38 weeks: Still no baby.

I was going to post about how uncomfortable I am, how I'm not sleeping, I am completely emotional and hormonal and how I can't wait to have this baby already, but I got a bit of perspective tonight. One of my coworkers who was due at the end of July had her baby 3.5 months early today - he is less than 2 pounds. Sounds like he is okay, but he will be spending at least the next couple of months in the hospital. So, while I still hope to have this little boy sooner rather than later, I am very thankful that he will be fully baked when he arrives. If we could all send some strong healthy baby vibes to Amber's little boy Adam, that would be wonderful.

I am also very thankful for my bestfriend Jennifer who sent me these beautiful flowers today (the card says "Hang in there!"). On a day where I didn't think I would even have the energy to get dressed, she managed to put a smile on my face and helped me get motivated to go for a walk (I hear that helps get things moving at this point...). I have been remiss in not posting about her new book - truth me told I am still reading it so I wanted to finish it before I posted. This is her first of many I am sure and I am super proud of her.

I am taping American Idol tonight (who can resist a night of Queen?). I'll watch it tomorrow and post my review before the results show.