The Best Two Months

Wow, where does the time go? Today (well, technically yesterday since it's after midnight now) is the two month mark of when my perfect little man entered this world. I can NOT believe he's growing up so quickly. I have learned so much from him and about myself during the past two months, it's hard to believe I'm even the same person sometimes. I couldn't ask for a smarter, cuter, funnier, more perfect baby. I feel like the luckiest mama in the world when I get to wake up and see Dominic everyday. I love my little baby genius!

Dominic has his two month checkup at the doctors in the morning. I'm going to have them take a second look at his belly - I'm still worried because it just looks abnormally big to me. I'm probably just being paranoid, but I need to know for sure or it will drive me nuts. I'm also super nervous because they want to give him all his vaccinations tomorrow. I posted earlier this summer about my concerns regarding certain vaccines. Well those concerns haven't changed, but unfortunately NY is one of those states that doesn't give you much choice concerning immunizations. I talked to several pediatricians and the general consensus was that vaccines weren't optional. Don't get me wrong - I was ok with most of them, but there are a few that I think are unnecessary. Oh well, guess he's getting them whether I approve or not. It will be a lesson in self control to not stress about it all weekend.

Business has gone crazy all the sudden, which is good and bad. Most days I run around like a chicken with it's head cut off, trying to manage work and baby and yet I still end the day with stuff left on my to-do list. I'm super nervous about my upcoming events - I know I can pull them off, the interns are extremely helpful and all the parts are there, it's just a matter of pushing forward and finding a way around any issues that should arise. I think most of my stress stems from the fact that I'm no longer just counting on myself, but I have several other people counting on me to be successful as well - my interns, the people who are coming to my events, the businesses who sponsor my events and so on. But, I can't let my fear of failure get in the way. I'd rather fail and try it again a different way, than not try at all and never know what the outcome could have been. I'm thankful for all the people who still believe in me after the last two crazy years. I know there are quite a few people who doubt me or think that I've lost my mind. After I quit my stock broker job at E*Trade and went rogue, I feel like some people started to regard me as a "has been". But I assure you, I haven't just been sitting here thinking about the life I used to have. I've been carefully planning and putting into action the life I'd like to have. But, alas, things like this take time and don't happen overnight. At least I'm finally starting to see some results. I feel more positive about this year than I've felt about anything in a long time. "I am not a has-been.  I am a will be."


With all this work, I've had virtually no time for relaxation or "play time". When I do get spare time, I like to spend most of it hanging out with my little protege, reading him stories, taking naps, etc. I'm enjoying this mommy role quite a bit. But I do need to let my hair down every now and again. So I'm planning a night out for St. Patty's Day. Not sure what I'm doing yet, but it was my best friend, Talese's, favorite holiday, so I'll likely honor her by going to an Irish bar and having a few drinks in her honor. I haven't even gone yet and already I feel a little guilty for leaving my little man behind. But adult time is necessary every now and then if I want to keep my sanity. I'll also be going to NYC to see Nickelback and Bush at Madison Square Gardens on April 19th and I'm very much looking forward to that! I don't care what people say, Nickelback is one of my favorite bands and I'm super excited for this concert. Talese and I had plans to go to Nickelback two years in a row and never did make it to their concert. It will be hard to be there without her. I've missed her tons lately. But I know she'll be there in spirit. "Wherever I am you'll always be more than just a memory."

Just Another Controversial Post...

Somewhere in my vast amounts of pregnancy/parenting research, I stumbled upon the controversial topic of vaccinations. Prior to coming across this, I honestly hadn't put much thought into the topic. I had always just accepted that immunizations were a "normal" part of a child's healthcare. But the more I look into the statistics, the more leery I become. Now that's not to say I've become some "hippie" who completely opposes all forms of medicine and won't get my child vaccinated at all. There are certain illnesses I would never want to put Dominic at risk for, and as such I will have him vaccinated against them. I'm simply stating, I think the subject at least warrants some more research before I just consent to whatever the doctor recommends. I spent some time today talking to two different and very educated friends on the subject and I've come to the conclusion that although some immunizations do have more benefit than harm, there are others that might be unnecessary. For example, how many children actually carry a risk of contracting Hepatitis B? Is the number of children who have a reaction from the immunization higher than the rate of infection? What, if any, is the correlation between certain vaccinations and autism? Is there any link between vaccines and an increased rate of SIDS? And what's with the chicken pox vaccine? I never had it, I did get chicken pox as a child and I survived just fine. Some might argue that not getting your child vaccinated is "wrong" or neglectful, but I beg to differ. The only thing that would be "wrong" or neglectful is to not conduct your own research and just blindly accept what your doctor is telling you as fact. How reliable are the pharmaceutical companies anyway? There's a damn pill or shot for EVERYTHING these days. Ever stop to think some of these are just money making machines and might be unnecessary, if not harmful? Being a parent is challenging and scary enough as it is. The least we can do as parents is dedicate a little bit of our time to decide what's best for our children and individual situations. If you're a parent who does the research and you end up deciding you want your child to get all the vaccinations, more power to you. But at least educate yourself so you can make an informed decision. I know I'm going to...

“Life affords no greater responsibility, no greater privilege, than the raising of the next generation.”