What a morning

Today we went from this:

 to this in about 2 seconds - faster than the Vette goes 0-60:

Brian and his dad painted our ceiling last night, so Landon and I were out of the house until about 5 p.m. last night. That completely messed up Landon's schedule. He missed a bottle, and only napped for a total of about 45 minutes. We were close to a Chernobyl-like nuclear meltdown all yesterday evening, all last night and all this morning.

I ALWAYS miss Wordless Wednesday!

Every time that I plan to post something for Wordless Wednesday, I realize it's really Thursday and that I have missed the boat.

This was supposed to be yesterday's picture, so enjoy it a day late:

A visit from Grumps...

My dad was in town this weekend, so Landon got to spend some time crawling to (and all over!) him, playing with his lanyard keychain and bouncing on his lap. Even thought Landon has only seen Grumps a few times, he definitely seems to recognize him whenever he visits. It's nice to see him bond with my side of the family, since he sees them so rarely.

Unfortunately, the pictures and video I took this weekend are really, really bad. So instead of heartwarming shots of Landon bonding with my dad, you get more photos of Landon bonding with his rubber duck during bath time.

Landon barely uses his binky anymore...but he's formed a real attachment to the head of his rubber ducky. 

Landon recently has decided that naps are optional - he simply refuses to sleep during the day. All things considered, he's really good at night (unless he's teething), and will put himself to sleep if I lay him down when he's still drowsy or if he wakes up in the middle of the night.

But nap time is a different story. I've tried so many different tactics. Instead of set times (i.e. making nap time always at 11 a.m. or 1:30 p.m), I have started waiting until he gets drowsy - which usually happens after a bottle. This weekend, as soon as his little eyes could barely stay open, we headed to his bedroom. And as soon as his little body touched the mattress, he was screaming and flaying and flipping out.

I resorted to letting him cry it out - if you haven't done it before, it's heartbreaking. I know he was fine - his diaper was dry, he ate before I put him down and there's nothing in his crib to hurt him. But hearing him cry non-stop is heart-wrenching. And Landon isn't one of those babies who cries for 20 minutes then decides, "Well, mom's not coming right now. I'll play some." No, he cries for 20 minutes, then screams his little lungs out even louder when he realizes that I'm serious about not coming back.

Twice this weekend he screamed for an hour before finally falling asleep. The worst part? He napped for about 30 minutes before waking up. A hour of torture...for half an hour of nap. Not the ROI I was expecting.

So please, feel free to share ideas and ways to get Landon to nap!

Splish-splash, he was taking a bath...

Landon absolutely loves baths. While the tub fills up, he likes to stand at the edge on his tippy toes to watch the water run and squeal at his bath toys and the water ripples. It's really, really cute, but also really hard to capture with video or photos, since he's still wobbly and I need to hold him to make sure he doesn't smack his head on the tub surround.

But as you'll see from the pictures and video below, the cuteness continues once he actually is in the water.

Rubber ducky, you're the one. You make bath time oh so tasty!

8 months ago today...

Well, folks, Landon is eight months old today.

I tried to snap some pictures to document his "birthday". Landon must have been feeling "mature" this morning, because his expression didn't change from the serious one I captured below:

He also might have been sleepy - he had a rough night last night and woke up three different times, completely inconsolable. I think we have some more teeth on the verge of making their appearance. Let's hope his first night at an 8 month old goes more smoothly.

11 Things...

I'm alone in Atlanta, I can't fall asleep to take a nap, Brian and Alissa aren't answering their cell phones, and it's too early to head downstairs to eat and shop. I am bored, with not much to do. And so, I bring you...

11 Random Things About Abby

1) I once auditioned for an Oscar Meyer commercial. Clearly, I was not cast.

2) I started of college as a Radio/TV/Film major - I wanted to be a news anchor. I got bored with the basic 101 classes, and switched to Communication and PR. I still kind of regret that. I enjoy PR, but I get a little heartsick when I watch the news.

3) Brian and I were married half way through my last semester of college. We had to get married then so that we could get on base housing by the time I was done - the base told Bri it would take about 4-6 weeks. It ended up taking about 2 weeks.

4) I would quit my job if I thought I could make living at any of the following things: a) professional equestrian b) writing c) singing/acting d) motivational speaker e) news anchor

5) I should have graduated college with a double major and a double minor, but I got gypped (seriously, that's how spell check says to spell it) out of my Public Speaking minor. I was only one credit (not class, CREDIT!) shy. I was told that the class I needed would be offered in the Spring...and it wasn't. Interestingly enough, I should have graduated a semester early...but since I was promised that a certain class would be available in the Spring, I stayed. That class screwed me over in two ways.

6) Even through I haven't sang seriously in a long, long time, I still dream that I might someday make it on Broadway.

7) I was hospitalized in Mexico for 2 nights in 2005. They thought my stomach was bleeding. When I got home, my doctor didn't even bother to order any tests to see what might have been wrong.

8) One of my dream cars is a 1970 Hemi 'Cuda. I love American Muscle - a throaty V-8 is one of the sexiest sounds out there. Unfortunately, I don't think I will ever get my 'Cuda, as I don't have an extra $250k burning a hole in my pocket.

9) I love cars. I don't know as much about them as Brian, but there is no greater adrenaline rush that pushing a car and driving fast.

10) I have ridden horses for years - I honestly have lost track of how long. My first time on a horse was as a baby at a fair. Despite being a horse person for a long time, I hadn't been kicked or thrown until a few short years ago. In fact, someone told me once that even through I had ridden for years and years, I wasn't a "real" rider because I'd never been thrown.

11) I love Thoroughbred horse racing and will talk about it for hours with anyone who will listen.

Sorry, my 11 Random Things aren't very exciting. :-(

By the way, I stole this idea from Sara, an old friend from college, who posted these questions for people to answer. Without further ado...

1. What is your favorite thing about where you live? Being close to the ocean, even if it's not the Pacific. 
2. If you could travel to one place, where would it be? Scotland. I want to see where my ancestors lived and learn more about the Douglas clan. 
3. What is your earliest childhood memory? Wanting to paint the floor boards at the old house in Goodyear Heights. No one would let me help because I was so young.
4. What is your favorite thing to cook? Hellman's Parmesan crusted chicken. Green beans. Garlic potatoes with lots and lots of garlic. 
5. What’s your secret guilty pleasure? Singing to AIDA in the car, at the top of my lungs, when no one can hear me. And rolling down my windows on a warm day and blasting Disturbed as loud as my speakers can handle - as long as Landon's not in the car. 
6. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? I'm not sure - let's see how the changes at work shake out and I'll let you know. 
7. What is your biggest fear? Losing Landon. 
8. If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be? I want to be closer to family. And be a better friend - I hold people at a distance too much.
9. Who do you most admire? Grandma. 
10. What is your morning routine? Wake up, feed the baby. Then I either go back to sleep, depending on how early it is, or start getting ready for work. It's very exciting. 
11. What is your favorite catch phrase? I don't know that I have one, although I still say "I'm sure!" all the time. 

I made it!

I successfully navigated MARTA, Atlanta's public transportation system. I am hoping this means that the curse I've suffered for several years has been broken.

As an aside, I can't get over how clean MARTA is! It was like being in California again - the trains were almost as clean as the COASTER in Oceanside.

Airport Ramblings

Airports are interesting places - a great opportunity to people watch. One of the most fascinating things is how differently people dress to fly. Personally, you won't catch me in anything dressier than jeans, a t-shirt and sneakers - it's just not worth it, especially when you factor in all the walking (there goes the 4- inch stilletos!) and waiting you do (who wants to stand in a never-ending line while wearing a suit?). Plus, don't forget the added inconvenience of trying to make it through security. Nope, jeans are just fine with me, thanks.

So I find it a bit surprising how many people dress up to fly. As I write, someone walking by is decked out in accessories - multiple long necklaces, bracelets, a couple of rings. I've seen quite a few women pass me, wearing high-heeled pumps and skirts. I guess I don't understand why - I mean, I understand looking professional if you're traveling for business and your associates are meeting you at the airport. (Thankfully, in my situation, I go straight to the airport, so there is no need to dress up.) But nice slacks, a blouse and flats can look very professional. I guess the way I see it, if you're expected to deplane looking as if you're headed to a board meeting, then expectations are a bit too high. And are you really going to be judged if you're wearing only minimal accessories? Are your clients really thinking, "Gee, what a hag. She only has on her wedding rings, earrings and watch!" I'm not sure that's what's going through their minds.

I'm also fascinated by the security procedures. I honestly don't understand the big deal regarding the full body scanners - they don't bother me. What I don't fully understand is the limitations on liquids. I mean, if I took Landon through security with bottles of breast milk, they'd make me taste the milk to ensure I wasn't smuggling something illicit. So why not do the same thing with bottles of water or soda? Instead of  prohibiting outside beverages, why not make people taste their drinks as they walk through? Is it just the sheer volume of people heading through security?

Plus, I wonder if regulations are strictly enforced across the board. For instance, I was stopped as I went through security this afternoon - they needed to check my bad. Silly me, I forgot to put all of my toiletries into a Ziploc baggie. The TSA agent asked me if I wanted to head back to the ticket counter to see if they had anything available, or if I preferred to check my bad. I figured checking my bag was the least inconvenient of the two options. He procedes to tell me that he has to rescan my bag - clearly, not a problem. My bag goes through the x-ray fine...and then he hands it back to me and tells me to have a good trip. Wait, I thought I was supposed to check it?

Well, I promised my boss I'd get some work done at the gate, so this ends my airport musings. I have some pictures and video of Landon to post later, so stay tuned for your daily dose of extreme cuteness.

Full Disclosure: A Rant is About to Ensure

As I've said a couple of times, the purpose of this blog is to share updates on Landon so our not-so-near friends and family can enjoy watching him grow up. But, as I've also said a few times, sometimes situations come up that infuriate me so much that I have to post about them.


In this case, I have to call out PR guru Peter Shankman for unapologetically distributing misinformation. Peter, as a public figure and someone who is seen as a PR expert, you have a responsibility to ensure that the information you are reporting is factual and (at the minimum) do a little research before sharing news stories.


Most of us are aware of the Susan G. Komen/Planned Parenthood controversy that occurred last week. Follow that fiasco, Peter Shankman posted the following Facebook update:

Peter Shankman

Can I just ask, who the HELL is doing Komen's PR? As if their first blunder wasn't bad enough, this just crossed the wire this morning:http://gawker.com/5881982/susan-g-komen-foundation-kicks-off-pr-rehab-by-promoting-pink-handguns

Follow the link and you'll come to a story reporting that Komen has "just" partnered with Discount Gun Sales to market a pink handgun. (Although, if you read to the bottom the article, you'll see where they mention that Komen maintains that they don't have a relationship with any gun manufacturer.) 

The issue of this isn't the fact that there is a "breast cancer" gun out there - the last time I check, the Second Amendment is still valid, and gun owners likely know friends or family affected by breast cancer, just as non-gun owners. 

The issue is that Peter failed to do his research. If he had, he would have learned that the "news" was from last year, and that, per Discount Gun Sales own admission, there was no official partnership between Komen and the gun manufacturer. In fact, you can read more about it here: http://www.discountgunsales.com/SGKF.pdf

Peter's comment received a lot of notice, with more than 130 of his followers commenting. Thankfully, among the commenters were a few level headed individuals who realized a few things:

A) a partnership like the alleged takes time. Even if Komen had officially partnered with Discount Gun Sales, the gun would not have been created virtually overnight, as the original story inferred. It's ludicrous to believe that the partnership would have been able to finalize the gun in such a short amount of time.

B) If there had been an official partnership, logic would dictate that Komen and Discount Gun Sales both would have realized the value of postponing an announcement, until the Planned Parenthood controversy faded. No organization is itching for bad press. Laying low for a bit would make a heck of a lot more sense than announcing a breast cancer gun mere days after a controversy of the magnitude we saw last week.

C) Gun owners are a legitimate population, many of whom give charitably and (as mentioned above) know people affected by breast cancer. Ignoring or demonizing that demographic is ridiculous. Why would it have been so terrible for Komen to appeal to a new group of people - people who are potential donors? The more people who receive your message, the more people who are aware of your work and may be willing to support you.

To make the situation worse, Peter has yet to address the issue that he is substantiating a rumor and spreading disinformation. Come on, Peter - take responsibility for your actions! Own up to your error and do a little "crisis" PR!

Finally, I find it curious that amid all this controversy, no one mentioned how little of its revenue Komen actually applies toward research. One figure shows that in 2009, 20.2% of Komen's revenue was directed to research. In other words, if you gave Komen $100 in 2009, only $20.20 would have been applied to fund research. Wouldn't you be curious where the remaining money went? Well, Komen uses an outside agency to help organize, promote and market the Walks - and that marketing firms keeps 30-35% of the dollars raised. So, if you pledged $100 to someone who is doing the 3 Day walk, only $70-75 actually makes it to Komen - and the rest is split to cover overhead, personnel and marketing expense and research.

(I will note that Komen has a new CEO and Board members, so the future direction of the organization (including how much is earmarked for research) may change.)

Before anyone accuses me of "hating" on Komen, let me mention that I am all for breast cancer awareness and research. My aunt battled breast cancer a few years back, and I support organizations that work toward a cure. My issue isn't with breast cancer awareness - it's with organizations that use their "good" name to fundraise, and yet spend so little of their donors' dollars on actual research. Let's hope Komen's new leadership recognizes this as an opportunity to change direction and utilize donations for what most donors intended - curing breast cancer.

Weekend without husband + baby to myself ≠ relaxation

This weekend, Brian took a very short trip to Florida to help our friend Anthony move some of his parents' things down. Anthony was planning on driving straight through (about 24 hours) so Brian tagged along to keep Anthony company - and keep him awake! They left Friday night around 9 p.m. and Brian flew back last night during the Super Bowl.

A unexpected weekend by myself with the baby at first seemed like it might be fun - it would be an excuse to not clean (hey, who would watch the baby while I mopped or dusted? I can't pick him up with chemical-laden hands!) and we could play all day.

At this point, I'm sure those of you with little kids are laughing at my naivety. A relaxing weekend? With a baby? By yourself? (Looking back, it's laughable, I agree. In my defense, I'm something of an optimist...most of the time.)

Saturday actually was a great day. I showered, straightened up, played with the baby and even took the little Penguin shopping with Brian's mom. Landon behaved himself beautifully. Sunday, however, was a bit of a different story. By this time, I think Landon realized that Dad was MIA, so he didn't want me out of his sight. He was fine playing on the floor by himself - as long as I was in the same room. If I ran to the kitchen, Landon got upset. If I laid him down for a nap, Landon got upset.

Someone got so sleepy during our Saturday shopping trip that it was just too much work to sit up all the way. So he lounged in the cart while Grammie and Mommy shopped.

However, we survived. And since I leave for Atlanta tomorrow afternoon (I'm headed to United Way's Brand Forum for a few days), Brian gets to have his own "single parent" experience.

Speaking of my trip, I'm a tad bit nervous. Public transportation and I don't get along. The last time I took public transportation in a strange city was when I went to Boston in college...and that's didn't go so well. Instead of looking at the map of the bus routes, we looked at the map of the subway routes. We thought we needed the yellow bus, so we got on that bus. Well, as you probably guessed, that was wrong. We took an hour bus ride to nowhere. At the end of the route, the driver asked where we were supposed to get off and we had to admit that we shouldn't have gotten on in the first place. Luckily, she was the nicest bus driver alive and let us ride back into Boston without charging us. Once back in Boston, we realized that a) we looked at the wrong map and b) we were actually within walking distance (3 blocks) of where we wanted to go. On a positive note (see, I am an optimist! There is a silver lining in every story!), our bus trip took us right by our motel, so we didn't have to worry about finding where we were staying.

So, I'm a bit afraid of the same kind of thing happening again. I have to take the subway from the airport to Peachtree Center, all without getting lost, getting off at the wrong stop or taking the wrong train. This is going to be tough.

Wordless Wednesday

More rice cake fun!

I've been at an off-site meeting for the last few days, so I haven't had a lot of time to update. So without further ado, enjoy!