Mother of the Year Award? Not so much.

First, I must start by saying how EXCITED I am. Brice had his best night's sleep last night and I am so proud of him! We put him to bed at 8pm and we didn't hear a peep out of him until 4:30am. After a quick bottle and a re-binkying, he was back to sleep. By 7am I woke up to check on him. His eyes were open and he was playing in his crib. I changed him, brought him into bed with us for a little snuggle and playtime and he fell back to sleep, again! He was still snoozing happily when I left for work at 8am. I'm thanking the flashlight gods for turning on that light at the end of the tunnel that everyone has been talking about.

So lets rewind to Saturday. Joel and I took Brice to the diner in Westport as has become our Saturday routine. Brice loves to have his morning bottle there while people watching and Joel and I can enjoy eggs and the newspaper. After breakfast, we decided to go to the Jeep dealership in Fairfield. My Saab is coming to the end of the lease and we need to figure out what our solution is going to be. Our favorite car salesman, Scott, shows us the Jeep Commander and we go out for a test drive. We take it on the highway, tool around on the back roads of Fairfield and eventually get lost. About an hour later, we return to the dealership. We decide this is the car for us (we've test driven about 900 other cars at this point) and they start to fill out the paperwork as Brice inhales another 9 ounces of formula.

All of a sudden, I hear it. Its Brice's tummy rumbling away and I know what's in store. Before I can do anything about it, I hear the massive poop explosion. I grab my diaper bag and excuse myself while I RUN to the bathroom. Too late. By the time I put Brice down on the changing table, I can see that the poop has already made its way through Brice's diaper, onesie and pants and is now all over my clean white sweater. I must also mention that these days, Brice's poop is a sort of hunter green color. Awesome. I get Brice undressed and cleaned up and put a new diaper on him. Now I'm rummaging around my diaper bag for the spare outfit that I always keep handy for occasions just like this. Not there. Nothing. I realize that I had taken the outfit out and never put it back. Brice is quickly becoming tired of being naked on the bathroom changing table and I need to work fast. What to do? Do I carry him back out in just a diaper? Do I put him in poopy clothes? Do I wrap him up in a paper towel toga and pretend its a fashion statement?

I jump into action. Feeling like MacGyver, I fill the sink with soapy water and do my best to wash the onesie and pants. Then, I turn on the hand blower and attempt to dry them off. Brice starts to cry. I give up and dress him in the damp outfit, clean off my sweater (read: roll up my sleeves to hide the poop stain) and walk back into the dealership showroom. I'm totally embarrassed because his diaper is already expanding due to the wet pants. I plop him back into his car seat and tell Joel that I'll explain later and that I'm going to go and wait in the car. In shame.

By the time we get home, Brice is sleeping soundly in the carseat despite the fact that he is sopping wet. The carseat is totally saturated with water now too. The whole scene ain't pretty. Yeah, I'm not holding my breath for that mother of the year award.

Brice has his four month well baby visit with Dr. Lialios this Thursday so I'll report back later with an update and some new pictures.

Brice on the Move

Hello, my name is Erica Hadababyitsaboy

Remember that long distance phone service commercial where an exhausted father is standing in the hospital waiting room making collect phone calls to deliver the good news of his son's birth? When the operator connects the call and asks who the call is from he says "Bob Hadababyitsaboy" and promptly hangs up.

This is what going back to work after being out on maternity leave feels like.

So many people are asking the same questions: how Brice is (wonderful and so cute), how I am (trying hard to not cry at work because I miss my little guy), how much sleep I'm getting (still none), how is Joel (actually, nobody seems to care how my husband is doing, but I thought I'd just throw it in here to make him feel better).

Going back to work has been tough. It really feels like starting from scratch, in part because the economy has shifted so greatly since November and in part because I now juggle the responsibilities of motherhood in addition to my already hectic schedule. I told Eleana yesterday that I really need another set of hands (good for those moments when I'm trying to feed Brice and respond to an email simultaneously) and four more hours of daylight.

But honestly, I love it. For those mothers who read this that have also gone back to work or for those who will be rejoining the workforce soon, it really feels as if I am now a member of an elite club. NEW-MA as I call it. Newly Exhausted Working Mothers Anonymous. As a card carrying member of NEW-MA, I can tell you the following things:

1. With a little under eye serum, some great coverup and a venti latte, sleep is totally unnecessary.

2. Forgetting to eat a meal is a completely decent substitute for going to the gym.

3. It doesn't matter how many burp cloths you carry around, eventually every shirt you own will have a white spit up spot on the shoulder. Keep your hair long to cover it up.

4. It is perfectly acceptable to leave your child sitting in front of the television as long as he/she is watching something educational, like Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune (or Beverly Hills 90210... life lessons, people) while you return emails, phone calls, cook dinner, pee or in some cases, all four simultaneously.

5. There is nothing in life that makes the stresses of a long day of work go away faster than a drooly smooch from a baby. It is so worth it.

And now, for your photo of the week. Here is Brice (and mom) at 13 weeks: