The former statement means she’s even cuter and more fun than she was last month. The latter means I’ve been processing lots of stuff.

Let me just get this out there. I’m going to stop blogging. Or at least I’m going to take down my ads and remove any expectation that I update. The reasons are many.

First of all, I’m on the brink of entering into a fun new WAH situation that I am really excited about. I’ll get to stay home with my daughter, which is my number one priority, and with part of my time I’ll get to work with a group of forward-thinking, and respected individuals. It’s gonna be fun. It also means that I’m paring down extra responsibilities in my life so that I can be the best mom, wife, and employee possible.

But to just link the demise of my blog to a job would only be half of the story. The thing of it is, I feel like an entirely different person since Penny came along. I love it. I’m undergoing huge personal changes, being challenged to be a much better person, and am diving deeper into the wonderful community of people we have met here in Nashville. Over the new year I really started processing what that would mean for my day-to-day. It means I want to be the best possible mom for Penny. I want to surround her with people who value the same things we value to give her a safe and comfortable place to grow, explore, and learn to think critically. It’s not that I’m backing away from some negative relationships as much as I’m trying to re-prioritize and focus my energy on the really beneficial relationships that I have, and that subsequently she will be exposed to.

There are a lot of pros to blogging. You guys have been so much fun to share life with. You have been encouraging, and sometimes discouraging, which helps to make sure my skin never gets too thin. You have given me thoughts to ponder, solutions to problems, and support along the way. I so appreciate your friendship and readership.

But there are a lot of cons to blogging. And right now the cons outweigh the pros, that’s all.

As for me, I’ll miss blogging as it’s always been a fun outlet. And I’m not saying the site will lie completely dormant. I’m just saying that my priorities right now are shifting, and this just isn’t one of my big priorities.

Right now, roasting the chicken in my fridge is.

So to my great online friends, let’s stay in touch. Let’s put forth some good two-way effort and dive into deeper relationships with each other. Besides, I really like you.

And if you haven’t done your monthly exam yet, get your hand in the air and go feel yourself up!

Also, I have reason to believe that the good folks who used to own our house are now following our renovations on the blog! How cool if that’s for real! So drop me a line, cause I’d love to chat the house with you.

Over and out.

About half a year ago, Berlin knocked my laptop off the coffee table while it was plugged into the outlet. This did no damage to the computer except for bending the cord connection making it difficult to charge the battery. For about six months, we had to have the power cord plugged in just right, or we’d run out of juice. As you can imagine, this got old pretty quickly, and on Sunday all of our efforts failed and the computer battery died without us being able to recharge it.

The next part of the story involves my fourty minute phone conversation with the Dell support technician in New Delhi. Yes. It went about as smoothly as you can imagine. Someone has taught these usually nice Indian folks how to upsell… and HARD. He wouldn’t let me schedule the computer repair until he had gone through all of the many ways for me to upgrade my warranty… which I didn’t buy.

And then Jack showed up yesterday, Jack the funny and quirky Dell technician, and an hour later he had swapped out my motherboard for free. I am now sold on the powers of warranties.

To be honest, I rather enjoyed the few days where I was incommunicado to the world. But I know you’re waiting with baited breath to see pictures of the house, so I’ll switch out my camera lens, head over there, and snap some just for you. Besides, I have to get the dog out of the apartment for the repairman who is coming by to fix our garbage disposal which ate a shot glass yesterday. Yes, a shot glass. I am reveling in the fact that my landlord has to fix this one instead of me. Those days are numbered.

I went off Zyrtec a few months ago when we had started talking about getting preggers. My doctor was super crunchy and encouraged me to try to live without it, and I have honestly done pretty well. On occasion I have major sinus pressure and headaches, and on days like this, post-nasal drip. YUM! But I can generally pop a Benedryl or Sudafed and fight off the side effects with coffee.

Well, I’m all out of coffee filters. Plum out.

So do I get in the car and drive to the store to buy new coffee filters after taking two Benedryl?

Or do I go over there and snooze until the dryer beeps me awake? I’m leaning towards the latter.

The look I got from Matt when we de-boarded the plane in Nashville was so classic. It felt so funnily great to be back home, and the fact that it feels so much like home after only three months is astonishing. No traveling planned until the holidays, and that is a welcome relief. We’ve done our fair share this summer, and we’re eager to spend each weekend drywalling instead of jet-lagging.

I’m working on a new project and am finding it so hard to sit down and crank out my work today. Doesn’t help that I’m home with my puppy again, the new CB2 catalog arrived, and that my brother-in-law introduced me to Lala.com. It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if I started a load of laundry and then headed to Lowes to pick out some paint swatches, would it?

More creative posting to resume tomorrow, I promise. Or I think. Or something like that.

For as long as Matt has been in love with B.F. Skinner, he has emphatically believed that putting me on a behavioral plan involving rapid desensitization would be the best way to cure my medical-induced panic attacks. I think he might be onto something, but after today’s visit to the midwife I’d like to give credit where credit is due: BRANDY.

I have learned to ask for her by name. “Hello, I’m here to have my blood drawn and I’d like Brandy to do it in room six.” She is an angel from another world, and perhaps another life. She is faster than a speeding bullet and more thorough than a hitman covering his tracks. Put me in a room alone with Brandy, and I JUST MIGHT BE ABLE TO GIVE BLOOD!

If you’re not picking up what I’m laying down, today’s appointment went swimmingly. So swimmingly that when she told me I might need to come back in next week for another round, I nearly high-fived her. Anything for you, Brandy. Anything.

Matt might be pleased with the success of his behavioral plan, but I am starting to think he’s created a monster. I just might become so flippant with needles that in two weeks he will find me again, on the bathroom floor… this time strung out on heroine.

As most of you are aware, Matt has been working with kids with Autism and their teachers and families for over five years now. He sort of fell into this role on accident and realized, providentially, that it was his dream career. Knowing what we know now, it’s impossible to see him in any other role. He is just SO GOOD at this. So a Masters and a Certificate program later, here we are.

Matt is a Behavior Analyst that works with kids using Applied Behavior Analysis. What this means is that he’s the mack daddy of molding inappropriate behaviors into those that are appropriate, and bring a better quality of life to these kids. This comes in many forms, because each kid with Autism is totally unique. Some of them are teenagers still in diapers and in need of potty training. Some of them have tantrums because they don’t like different food textures. Some of them are self-injurious – it runs the whole gamut.

Kids with Autism are in a remarkable situation as they often cannot communicate as they would like. Many of them also have other diagnosis such as downs or mental retardation. No matter what you might read in the news, NOBODY knows the cause of Autism yet. It has been found that early intervention can really help these kids live much better lives, so it’s important for Behavioral Analysts (B.A.’s) like Matt to interact with them consistently and often in their early years. Especially until the research has found possible reasons and/or cures.

As you can imagine, living with a child with Autism can really do a number on a family emotionally. These families are some of the strongest and resilient people ever. But that’s only part of what you see. The financial strain can be overwhelming. In really progressive states like Massachusetts, taxpayers pay for much of the early intervention as the school districts are responsible for providing it. But in other states like Tennessee, the school districts are incapable of funding this kind of intervention, so it is paid for by health insurance. Both have their challenges and both have a LOT of red tape. Many families wind up paying for services out of pocket, which can really drain them.

Over the past five years, Matt has been able to teach these kids to feed themselves, to use the bathroom, to stop hitting other kids, to communicate through many different methods, and to stop injuring themselves. He’s assisted their teachers in improving curriculum so these children can learn more effectively. He’s taught parents how to be more consistent, and they have seen results.

Your donation to Autism Speaks essentially funds more of this good work to be done. It funds research, education and support programs for families. It can remove some of the financial and the emotional burden for parents who are living with this every day. And it also helps to increase awareness and improve legislation so that educational standards and quality of life standards are raised for these kids.

If you feel inclined, here’s a link to Matt’s Walk Now support page and to my page as well. We don’t have huge fundraising goals, but every little bit counts.

Thanks for reading!

1. Visit Africa and see all applicable animals.
2. Visit Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica and see all applicable animals.
3. Visit Ireland and drink all applicable beers.
4. Visit New Zealand and see all applicable animals and breathtaking scenery.
5. Bring myself to a place where I enjoy rock climbing with Matt. As of now, I only enjoy belaying due to my fear of heights.
6. Hike the Appalachian Trail, or at least portions therein.
7. Grow a vast and successful garden that supplies the majority of our necessary produce.
8. Have a patch of sunflowers in my backyard.
9. After taking on a mortgage, burn it in 7 years.
10. Maintain a smart enough household budget that Matt is able to retire at age 55.

11. Re-learn French to fluency.
12. Run a marathon.
13. Live long enough to see cancer eradicated.
14. Regularly volunteer time and energy to local nonprofits.
15. Obtain an official paella pan.
16. Forever be my own boss.
17. Raise my kids to be polite enough to have dinner at the White House.
18. Raise my kids to slurp oysters on the half shell.
19. Continually work to reduce my carbon footprint.
20. Play the tambourine while Matt plays the banjo on our back porch in retirement.

21. Own horses.
22. See the Pyramids in Egypt.
23. Travel down the Amazon.
24. Learn how to make perfect empanadas.
25. Wake up every day of my life next to Matt.