The Great Pumpkin

trick or treat
smell my feet
give me something good to eat

Happy Halloween, Everyone!

C-3PO

I am not a fan of Star Wars really. I can't say the same for Nate though. He had the Star Wars action figures when he was a kid, and to this day, will watch the original trilogy when it's on TBS. (He makes me watch it with him.......I like the little bear-looking things,C-3PO and R2-D2.) I hope that when Carson and I play with his toys, I'm not the lame Mom who picks the stuffed animal-like character because it's "cute." Note to self: pick the guy with the lightsaber-like weapon so Mom can restore freedom to the galaxy.

The more time Carson and I spend together, the more I begin to understand him. Is he hungry? Does he need to get one more burp out before getting back to his bottle? Does his tummy hurt because he's constipated? Does he want nothing more than for his Momma to hold him? I know the answer to all these questions!!!

In the four short weeks Carson has been a part of my life, I have learned that patience gets you through the night, perfection is a work in progress, and perseverance kicks in when you need it most.

My 3 P's will rival Luke Skywalker's Force any day of the week!

Halloween Costume

It's Carson again.....I don't really know what I'm supposed to be here. Mommy mentioned something about a man. She also said the pose would have been better if I had my hand down my pants. I don't get it?

(Ladies, you have to laugh at this one! -TMR)

Meet Joe Black

Anyone keeping up with the Jolie-Pitt crew? They apparently want to add more kids to their brood. Are you kidding me? Things are definitely getting easier with Carson, but it's hard for me to imagine more than one of him!

Are there new moms out there who actually "put on their face" and do their hair if they don't plan to leave the house? Putting on matching softies (My family calls lounge-around-the-house clothes "softies.") is a feat in itself for me.

Speaking of putting on my face, I ventured out of the house today without Carson. Grandma Ross graciously came over to our house to watch him while I had my graying, lifeless "do" overhauled. (Yes, I have gray hair - lots of it actually! I've had it since I was in college....thank you Nelson family for those genes.) It's amazing what a trip to your hair stylist and a raspberry mocha will do for your spirits. The brief walk through Pottery Barn and a quick rummage through Banana's sale rack didn't hurt either.

I'm not going to lie - I did feel as if something was missing while I was out and about today...yep, my kid has begun to heavily pull at my heart strings. A cup of Joe will always be at the top of my "favorite things" list, but Starbucks was surpassed by Carson weeks ago!

These are a few of my favorite things.

Mommy has really dropped the ball on this blogging thing, so I'm taking matters into my own hands. And she thinks she's funny....watch and learn, Momma!

I thought I'd start off by showing you a few of my favorite things. I've only had one month to create this list (I was born 4 weeks ago today!), so take that into consideration when judging my favs:


I can't poop without this stuff.


What can I say, I'm a sucker for NUKS!


Shelley and Angela, you two are life-savers. If you hadn't suggested this, Mommy would still be feeding me that crap that gave me tummy aches!


SLEEPING! That's right, I slept for 6 hours last night without waking up Mommy and Daddy. Don't tell them this, but tonight I plan to give them hell...just to let them know that I set the pace around here!


This seems to be the only thing my Mommy puts me in, so I have no choice but to like my bouncy seat.


I LOVE THESE TWO!

Eat your heart out, Mary Poppins! More from me later.....

If the shoe fits, wear it.

I am, and always have been, a multi-tasker.

Big Momma's House

When momma isn't happy, no one is. Since this momma is very, very sick, she isn't happy (and that's putting it lightly!). I started antibiotics yesterday, so hopefully this cold will run its course quickly. It's that achy all over, head feels like it could explode, sore throat, stuffed up nose, feel like walking death cold. Gross. (I sound like a NyQuil ad.)

The show must go on -- thankfully, Carson has been sleeping relatively well these last few days. There is one catch to that statement though; he only sleeps soundly in his bouncy seat. We tried putting him in his crib this weekend, and despite the pictures below, he doesn't like his crib, at least not for more than 20 minutes of sleep. After a couple of nights of constant screaming, Mom and Dad relented. We do move the bouncy seat up to the nursery each night......so he technically is sleeping in his room. That counts for something, right?!

We visited the Brummonds this weekend. (Sophie is MIA in the picture below because she was playing on her pimped-out swing set with Uncle Nate!) Carson has this visitor thing down to a science - he sleeps the entire time and appears to be an angel. Martin Lawrence was the master of disguise in Big Momma's House, and Carson is simply following suit!

Carson: Before and After

Vanity aside, these are funny!

Old School - a cup of coffee
New School - Karo syrup in a bottle

Old School - lacy bras
New School - push-up bras

Old School - Dr. 90210
New School - Dr. Brown's

Old School - thongs
New School - something bigger

Old School - steak dinner
New School - steak taco from Taco Bell

Old School - 30-minute long hot showers
New School - every other day showers

Old School - Origins Ginger Souffle whipped body cream
New School - Purell instant hand sanitizer

Old School - drinking alcohol while "belly up" to the bar
New School - rubbing alcohol around belly-button area

Old School - streaming video
New School - pee streams

Old School - expensive leather bags
New School - bags under my eyes

And the culprit of this is.....

"As long as I know how to love.....

.....I know I will stay alive." Ringing any bells? Words to live by, my friends. (And how many times can John McCain say "my friends" during a debate? I lost count after he hit 10 in under 20 minutes.)

It's been a busy week at the Ross house -- two birthdays, a doctors appointment for Carson and time with Momma Jud (my mom!).

There is something special about grandmas. Their infinite wisdom in child-rearing should never be questioned. Since my mom has been here, Carson has tried out tummy time, learned to burp over the shoulder (Umm, ya - Nate and I really only burped him by propping him up on our leg prior to Grammie's recommendation.), and become accustomed to warm formula. (Again, Nate and I are hard-asses....we made our baby drink cold formula straight from the fridge before Grammie's visit.) What makes these subtle "suggestions" from my mom even better is the fact that Nate's mom has been suggesting the same stuff for the past week. Thank goodness for grandmas!

I turned 31 on Tuesday! My mom and Nate tried very hard to make my special day extra special....I managed to get out of the house for a manicure and pedicure while my mom watched Carson. (Presumptuous, I know, but what the hell - it made me feel human!) Nate and I also went out for Mexican sans CER. I did miss the little rug rat while out of the house, but I'm not going to lie - time away with Nate was great. I probably shouldn't have put that in writing, but I'm just being honest. For those of you out there like me, you know what I'm talking about.

"First I was afraid, I was petrified." My mom and I ventured to the pediatrician on Wednesday for Carson's two week check-up. The anxiety associated with getting all of his crap packed without forgetting something was worse than the actual trip itself. Luckily, Carson likes the car and generally falls asleep as soon as we pull out of the driveway. (This is great for us since we live in bu-fu and have to drive at least 20 minutes to anything relevant!) CER seems to be doing pretty well, although he is having issues with constipation. Who knew that a little Karo syrup in his bottle would get things moving. A remedy that should have been in those worthless baby books I read in the third trimester, no?

Nate's 33rd birthday is today! To celebrate, Nate, Carson and I trekked to the Bread Co. this morning for coffee and sweets before hitting the park. Our first family outing - awe! To round out Nate's day, he and I are heading to dinner while Grammie (once again) watches the baby. We truly are having a great week filled with family, date nights and birthday celebrations.

As Gloria Gaynor sang, "I WILL SURVIVE - HEY, HEY!"

Blog Award

My friend Cassie, fellow blogger and inspiration for my blog, has passed this award along to the Ross Family blog; and with it, we have been asked to list 6 interesting (and rather random) things about ourselves. Here it goes:

Trish's Six

1. If you have eaten at a chophouse more than once with Nate and me, you know that I order the exact same meal every time - crab or lobster bisque, filet, garlic mashed potatoes and creme brulee. Yum! I'm drooling.....I think it's time for Nate and I to have "date night."

2. Starbucks all the way, Baby! Love the lattes via drive-thru, the beans for home, the accessories as gifts, the smoothies for a protein pick-me-up, cinnamon dolce lattes on my way in to the office, raspberry mochas when running errands......

3. Kirk Herbstreit is a Saturday morning staple in my house. I watch Game Day even if Nate isn't around.

4. I am obsessed with decorating shows and constantly update my home's decor. Nate thinks I'm crazy. I think I'm creative.

5. Blogging has spawned my latest dream job. I would love to have a weekly/monthly column in a newspaper/magazine. Any one have any connections?!

6. I love to share my life with people via funny and sarcastic stories. That said, I am actually a pretty private person.

Nate's Six

1. I have a midnight sugar crave. This started when I was a kid; my dad used to sneak downstairs and scare me as I was stuffing my face. Anything Hostess was my snack of choice.

2. Have you ever heard of an outdoors man who doesn't like to hunt? My name is Nate Ross, and I am an outdoors man who doesn't like to hunt.

3. I'm a pyro......I like to sit around a fire on Fall nights.

4. Bubble gum is a necessity in my house. Forget sugar-free gum. Give me the stuff that rots your teeth out and blows great bubbles.

5. It's all about the shoes. Anyone can look good in a suit, but it's the shoes that really make the outfit.

6. I really don't have a favorite team; I just like to watch close games.

Carson's Six

1. I eat anywhere from 2-4 ounces of formula every 3-4 hours.

2. I poop once a day, maybe twice if I'm lucky.

3. When mom takes too long to change my diaper, I pee in the air to teach her a lesson.

4. I love it when dad holds me, but his 5 o'clock shadow is killer on my sensitive skin.

5. Shoving a pacifier in my mouth when I cry is not always the answer.

6. I am tired of hearing the "you are my sunshine, my only sunshine" song. You gotta learn something new, Mom and Dad!

More Ross Family funnies and photos in my next post......

I Am Legend

Will Smith: I first became a fan when I was a kid, watching The Fresh Prince of Bel Air like it was a chore - actually, instead of chores. (Mom, I would lay on the kitchen counter and watch TV instead of unloading the dishwasher. Now you know why it took me so long to put away the silverware!) I digress...

Have you seen Mr. Smith's latest flick? We rented it about a month before Carson arrived. That same sensation Smith's character felt as the sun went down enters my psyche every night around 9:30p. What will the darkness bring -- sleep (deprivation), a poopy diaper, streaming pee (Nate and I watched in awe the first time Carson shot a stream a good 2 ft into the air.), Will and Grace re-runs, a crooked neck and arm cramps from nodding off while holding a swaddled bundle on the couch?

My attempts at funniness aside, things are getting easier around the Ross House. For the most part, Carson eats every 3 hours and sleeps soundly at night. Nate and I alternate the 9p, 12a, 3a and 6a feedings and have become accustomed to sleeping through crying fits if we aren't the one doing the soothing. This morning brought a 6a wake-up cry (Yes, I mean "cry," not "call."), a diaper change, a bottle, an hour of football recap on ESPN (our Alma maters both went down yesterday - what the hell happened to the Tigers and the Fighting Illini?!), snuggle time with Carson, and finally - a pot of coffee. Our weekends are starting to take shape!

"Now this is the story all about how

My life got flipped, turned upside down

And I'd like to take a minute just sit right there

I'll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel air"

no sleep = no brain cells = no creativity = no blogging

No kidding - my kid is still a vampire. A cutie in this house is getting sleep, it just isn't me!

I hit it!

The JACKPOT, actually -- not rock bottom! (Come on now, have a little faith in the new mom!) Not only is Nate a great husband, but he's a wonderful father. Not that I had any doubts, but he truly is smitten (Did I just use that word? I need to get out of the freakin house!) with his baby boy. He readily changes Carson's diaper, feeds him (more on this in a bit), puts him in his car seat, comforts him, gets him to sleep, etc. - need I go on? CHA-CHING!

Formula is my new BFF! Carson is a 100% formula fed baby and is loving every minute of it. He is no longer a starving, screaming baby, which means mom and dad are now enjoying quality time with their little angel. If I had only known his "at the top of his lungs" screams were due to an empty belly.......I would behave the same way if someone told me I couldn't eat white queso dip and drink Starbucks lattes, but rather had to survive on bread and water. Poor, baby - who can blame him for his behavior?! Thank goodness for formula. CHA-CHING!

And how is it that I have enough energy to blog right now? I slept 5 hours last night! Carson's jaundice is a thing of the past and he's off of the bilirubin bed. He was up twice to feed and another time or two to fuss, but nothing major. CHA-CHING!

Now, who's up for some Mexican food and margs? I can drink them now, you know.

"Mr. Sandman.....

.....Yes. Bring me a dream." Do you know the song I'm referencing? I am quite familiar, but have temporarily forgotten what it's like to dream - you can't dream if you DON'T SLEEP!


Let's review the running tally of Carson-isms:


1. My milk hasn't come in. (The "relief pitcher" know as "100%-formula-fed-baby" is half an inning away from being sent in.)


2. He's been sleeping in a bilirubin bed at our house since Friday (and will continue to do so until his bilirubin levels are down); does any one have experience with this? The man who dropped the bed off at our house said, "Welcome to the sleepless nights club." We are now full-fledged members bordering on executive status. Babies don't like to sleep in that stupid bed, at least ours doesn't.


3. Our son is a vampire, i.e., he has his days and nights mixed up. That's right - he does not sleep at all from 10p - 6a. I pulled the graveyard shift last night (11p to 4a) while Nate slept; Nate then took on the 4a - 9a shift while I slept. And what is our little angel doing now, might you ask? SLEEPING soundly in his bilirubin bed.....it's day time, what else would you expect from a vampire?!


Coach, the World Series is light-years away. The starter can't be expected to pitch a complete game this early in the season, can she?

"I love it when you call me Big Poppa!"

He's here -- Carson Earl Ross graced us with his presence on Monday, September 29th at 12:08 PM. He weighed 7 lbs, 13 ounces and was 20.5 inches long. After hours of back labor (Friends of mine, why didn't you clue me in to this? It sucked!! Cassie, I know you know this!), an epidural, and five pushes, our ten month bun-in-the-oven finished baking.

Labor seems easy after having been through these last few days at home with a screaming infant who is done being patient for Mom's milk to arrive. (Needless to say, the sample of Similac formula we received in the mail weeks ago was last night's 5 AM life-saver.) After today's trip to the doctor for a check-up, we learned that Carson will be spending the next few days at home in a "blue light bed" to help rid him of jaundice. That said, we are finding our way this week as a family of three.

To put this all in perspective, we ended today's trip to the doctor with drive-thru Taco Bell, Nate's mad dash in to Walgreens for Pampers Snugglers, and my horrible attempt to return calls to friends and family, all while Carson slept peacefully in the back of our SUV. Good-bye, DINK life; hello, typical American family.

And by Big Poppa, I mean Nate, not the Notorious B-I-G. (For my family reading this, Big Poppa is a rapper; laugh - I just made a funny!)

"Throw your hands in the air, if you're a true player."

My Name Is Earl

Well, today is the last day Nate and I will spend in our house as DINKS (double income no kids, for those of you who aren't familiar with the term). I think I've been watching too much Today Show, because that term is the kind of junk they throw out at viewers in their fourth hour, well after the day's top stories have been spun and analyzed by 3-4 different "contributors."

Friday was filled with 3 hours at the doctor. After a non-stress test, an ultrasound and an appt with the doctor, I learned that I'm having contractions every 9 minutes. Who the hell has contractions every nine minutes and doesn't know it - ME! My response to the nurse was, " I thought the baby was just balling up?!" She quickly followed with, "No, Honey. That would be a contraction." I now freely admit that I am a naive first-time expectant mom. Let's hope my child-rearing doesn't fall into a similar category.

Since this is my last post before baby Uga arrives, I thought I'd include pictures of the nursery. As you can C, only a day or two longer until his name is no longer a secret!






My Name Is Earl - does anyone watch that show? I don't, but hear it's funny. Speaking of, Earl is Nate's middle name, Nate's dad's middle name, Nate's grandpa's first name, Nate's great grandpa's first name, Nate's great, great grandpa's middle name.......need I go on? As much as I wanted baby Uga's middle name to be Michael (after my dad), I could not in good conscience break this family tradition.

Back to the Georgia/Alabama game........can anyone guess who Nate and I want to win? You didn't think we came up with the name "Uga" on our own, did you? We could have chosen to call our bun in the oven "Baby Bulldog," but "Baby Uga" seemed cuter at the time. :)