Category Archives: personal

January 3, 2011 · 7:00 AM

Do Not Adjust Your Screen

Song Lyric of the Day:

I throw my hands up in the air sometimes / Saying ay-oh, gotta let go / I wanna celebrate and live my life / Saying ay-oh, baby let’s go 

Taio Cruz / “Dynamite“

The six of you left reading this blog (see what I did? I subtracted a bunch) may have noticed a lot of older blog posts suddenly popping up and going live. What happened? She happened.

And as much as I love little miss Coraline, she is not conducive to nor appreciative of the time and effort it takes Mommy to update her blog (or spend time on the computer, period). So while I managed to start blog posts, I didn’t get to finish them, whether it was actually finishing writing them or adding photos or whatever. Turns out taking care of your baby while typing with one finger makes writing a post take years.

New year, new me, my blog, my rules. I’ll do my best from now on to update more regularly and, you know, set posts to go live for when I actually intend. We’ll see how little miss takes the news. Wish me luck!

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January 1, 2011 · 9:00 PM

A New Year, a New Pattie

Song Lyric of the Day:

Maybe it’s time to change / And leave it all behind / I’ve never been one to walk alone / I’ve always been scared to try

Like alot of people, every year I make new year’s resolutions. And, like alot of people, every year I’m successful for, oh, say about a month at keeping them. This year, while I’m still making resolutions, I’m not going to beat myself up for not keeping them to a T or kill myself trying to uphold them. I’ve decided that a healthier attitude about keeping my personal resolutions versus the compulsion to just be able to say I succeeded is more important this year. To that end, here are the resolutions that I aim to keep this year. Or not.

  • To work out regularly (aiming for cardio at least three times a week to start)
  • To eat better, especially since I now have someone to set an example for
  • To write something everyday, whether it’s working on one of my novels, a short story, a personal essay, a blog post, or a journal entry
  • To try to journal again since there’s a lot of stuff I can’t post here, things to be published with great fanfare and scandal upon my death. Or not.
  • To stop worrying what others think of me. I am who I am, and if they don’t like it, tough shit.
  • To update ye olde blog here at least four times a week (and post before nightfall — I’m over the nocturnal blogging)
  • To take a photography class at UTK or Pellissippi
  • To finally finish — and MAIL — that query letter I’ve been working on for eons now
  • To read more (and not just board and picture books to Coraline)
  • To create an Etsy shop to sell some of my photography
  • To try and live up to the potential those close to me believe I have
What are your resolutions this year?

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· 10:00 AM

Happy New Year From the Lees

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November 25, 2010 · 6:00 PM

Thankful

This Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for:

–my husband
–my family
–my friends
–my job
–my health
–the roof over my head
–being able to afford to put food on my table

But above all, I’m thankful for her:

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September 30, 2010 · 7:00 PM

Dear Coraline

Dear Coraline,

As of one o’clock this morning, you are now officially a week old. And even though you’re only a week old, your dad and I feel like we’ve already known you for a lifetime — like we’ve known you forever (as opposed to your dad saying he and I have been together forever). Since your arrival last Thursday, we’ve marveled over even the slightest thing you’ve done. Your little blinks, sighs, coos, smiles, and smirks melt our hearts every single time. We’ve officially turned into those people who say how becoming a parent changes everything in your life for the better, because, well, for us it definitely has. Being more tired than we’re used to as we all adjust to a new schedule has been totally worthwhile. Sure, we no longer know what day it is unless we consult our DVR, but we couldn’t be happier that we’re able to spend this time at home getting to know you. The three of us holed up in our house, spending that time together, have been some of the happiest days your dad and I have ever known.

We waited years for you to come along — you are, after all, our 10th Anniversary Commemorative Baby© — and you were definitely worth the wait (even if you didn’t like the day we picked for you to be born on, leading to you being born a day later than planned). Then again, your dad and I noticed throughout our entire pregnancy how headstrong you are. I’m surprised the doctor didn’t find a little periscope in there with you because you always knew whenever anyone besides me was trying to feel you kick and move; you’d immediately stop whatever you were doing as soon as anyone else placed their hand on my belly. At least you’d occasionally validate your dad’s efforts with a kick or two.

You’ve adapted remarkably well to your new environment, and are an impressively mellow baby. You really only cry when you need to be changed or when you’d rather stay asleep on either me or your dad instead of being placed back in your bassinet. You don’t even flinch whenever our dogs bark, which is still more often than we’d like. Of course, the dogs have essentially become your dogs as they officially took on guardianship duties. Caleb and Troubadour constantly mother-hen you, with Caleb’s metamorphosis into Nana from Peter Pan almost complete (he can’t stand not checking on you at least a hundred times a day). As for the cats, well, they’re adapting, too. Belle seems fondest of you, probably because she knows you have round-the-clock access to dairy. At least you’ve got one big, very concerned dog watching out for you, right?

As I’m writing this your dad and I are in the living room, where we can see you sleeping peacefully in your bassinet via the video monitor your great-aunt Bea got you. I know you’ll wake up in about an hour to be fed and changed and cuddled. You’re a world-class snuggler, and I cherish every second of those snuggles when you’ve just eaten and you coo as you fall asleep on my chest. You also enjoy those same snuggles with your dad after he’s fed you or just when you need to be soothed; you really love his voice and how safe he makes you feel. He calmed you down within seconds after your birth when I could only listen to what was going on from behind the blue surgical curtain. It really is all the little things that add up — how you feel comforted by and safe with us, how you knew from the moment you were born exactly who we were, and how your now-hazel eyes have been taking everything in since day one.

I know I also speak for your dad when I say how I can’t wait to see the little girl you’ll become someday — who you’ll look like, what your voice will sound like, what your interests will be. Because we’re already so in love with the amazing, one-week-old baby you are and look forward to embarking on the journey we’ll be taking as a family.

love,

Mommy

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September 20, 2010 · 6:00 PM

39 Weeks Down: Endgame

Song Lyric of the Day:

Oh, oh, I want some more / Oh, oh, What are you waitin’ for? / Take a bite of my heart tonight

I’ve never thought of myself as the most hospitable person. Sure, I’m a decent hostess whenever we have anyone over for dinner or a game night. But overly accommodating? That’s not me. And yet it seems my uterus is THE place to be, at least in Coraline’s opinion. She has made herself really comfortable. Really comfortable. As in she’s now using grappling hooks to stay on the inside. I also strongly suspect she now has a DVR and something on season pass she doesn’t want to miss, probably some reality show she knows I wouldn’t approve of.

Today we had another checkup. Coraline now weighs approximately 6 pounds, 12 ounces. And is happy as a clam. Since it turns out my cervix is half thinned-out and I’m at 2 centimeters (woohoo! only 8 more to go!), our doctor let us go ahead and pick a day to be induced. So barring any surprises from Coraline, it looks like her birthday is going to be this Wednesday. As in two days from now. As in Rich and I are now in the happy/scared/anxious/can’t-wait-to-meet-her/scared shitless phase of impending parenthood. Everything is pretty much in place here at the house for her arrival. Tonight we even went to the sheriff’s office to have the carseat base in Rich’s truck secured; we’ll be bringing her home in the truck since my Xterra’s AC is on the fritz and it’s just too hot for a baby to be in right now (I can barely tolerate it at this point — this summer has been miserably hot).


And now the ball is in Coraline’s court. We already know how headstrong our little girl is. Did we choose a day she’ll like for her birthday? Or will she decide to come on her own before then? This is the endgame, Coraline — you have until Wednesday morning to decide. Regardless of when you arrive, your mommy and daddy couldn’t be more excited.

You just know I’m going to be totally useless at work tomorrow.

39 weeks!

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September 7, 2010 · 6:00 AM

Labor Watch 2010/37 Weeks Down

Song Lyric of the Day:

Will things ever be the same again? / It’s the final countdown / The final countdown

As of 4:01AM Sunday morning, Rich and I started Labor Watch 2010. I can pinpoint the time because 4:01AM Sunday was exactly one minute after my first intentionally missed dose of Niphedipine (aka Procardia). Since being discharged from the hospital on August 7, I’d been taking a pill every four hours to keep the contractions at bay. Yes, every four hours, even overnight, not just waking hours. My doctors said to stop taking it once we hit 37 weeks, so now I’m no longer taking the magic contraction-stopping pills and Coraline is free to come whenever she wants. Of course, as much as we want to meet her, we still hope she stays in the oven a bit longer. But we’ll see.

We spent the majority of our long holiday weekend nesting. First up was our Special Delivery class on what to expect for labor and delivery (freaking the hell out, that’s what). Then a big trip to Babies “R” Us to pick up some last-minute necessities and tweak our registry a bit more. Then it was time to assemble Coraline’s bassinet, which is now stationed in our bedroom, and put together her stroller and bouncer, and finish up the list of people to send thank you cards to. You know — nesting. So we’re feeling a bit more prepared now, although I’m still scared about the upcoming labor. I just keep reminding myself that as long as she arrives safe and healthy, the pain and her father’s broken hands will be worth it.

We wrapped the weekend up with our last date night as a couple — no bambina to get home to yet. Thanks in large part to the debit card I won from a Half Off Depot Knoxville Facebook promo a few weeks ago, Rich and I enjoyed a divine dinner tonight at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. I swear, I ate my weight in food. Totally worth feeling like I was going to pop afterward.

And that’s how our long holiday weekend went. Now we wait …

37 weeks and one day on our big date night

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August 25, 2010 · 6:00 PM

So Very Close

Song Lyric of the Day:
So tired, so tired, so tired / So take me home / It’s getting late for me / I’ll come if you wait for me / Let’s get out of this place

Basement Jaxx / “Take Me Back to Your House“

This week is wearing me out (hence this nocturnal blog post). As I mentioned the other day, being back at work is exhausting. And last night I went with Rich to help finish cleaning the A-frame. Which is why today my feet and ankles are swollen and I’m back to looking like a Puerto Rican Hobbit.

Anyhoo, I digress. The house is looking fab, if I say so myself. Rich and our awesome contractor, B., (to be named at a later date when we can share him with the world) have spent countless hours busting their asses working on the A-frame. Along the way, we’ve had help from family and friends, with my awesome father-in-law putting in almost as much time as Rich and B. have. So here are a few photos from the MLS listing.

Master bedroom: fresh paint, all-new lighting, wood-burning fireplace
Kitchen: new microwave/range hood over range
Kitchen: tons of cabinets and countertop surface

Living room: wood-burning fireplace with new screen, mountain view from windows, stripped carpet to reveal finished hardwood floors*
Living room: spiral stairs to loft; carpet removed from stairs*, steps stained and finished
Living room: UV-film-protected windows and stained glass

Loft view of the living room below
Loft: view from the back wall
Loft within the loft: new lighting

Keep in mind that the house has three full (and one half) baths, all three of which were completely remodeled. Actually, the bathrooms got the bulk of the remodeling. Go figure — now that we’re in our new house, the A-frame finally has my dream master bath. At least it’ll soon (God willing) be the dream master bath for new owners.

*Other than cleaning and minor tasks suitable for a pregnant woman, I yanked thousands of staples out of the living room floor and spiral stairs. And the main staircase leading from the first to the second floor, too. I couldn’t do a whole lot of intensive physical labor (obviously), but I was like the Shake ‘n’ Bake girl: “And I helped!”

Pregnant lady driven mad by home improvement. No husband was harmed during the taking of this photo.

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August 23, 2010 · 3:00 PM

Back to Work

Song Lyric of the Day:

You’re always clickin’ and pointin’ / Pointin’ and clickin’ / And clickin’ that thing forever

Today was my first day back at work since I’m no longer on bedrest. After 13 days of not working (not including weekends), I am exhausted. Having lived on the couch (or Command Central as I was calling it) for the last two weeks, getting back into the daily grind wore me out. The workday itself wasn’t too stressful, which was great, although it being a Monday my laptop was disagreeable, to say the least. I think it got used to not working, too.

My workday was almost a half day as I had a doctor’s appointment — yes, another one — this afternoon. Coraline was sleepy during the non-stress test, so they gave me ice-cold water and crackers to try to wake her up. She responded by trying to kick the sensors off my stomach. Kid does not like having her sleep disturbed, just like her mother. And yet another ultrasound technician commented on Cora’s full head of dark hair. At this point, I expect to be able to braid her hair as soon as she comes out.


I’ll keep this short as I am (1) very tired and (2) need to do something productive so I don’t fall asleep too early. I’ll try to get back into regular posts this week. And by regular I mean before dinnertime.

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August 19, 2010 · 7:06 PM

Another 50 Things

Song Lyric of the Day:

When I met you / I didn’t know what to do / But I noticed that I didn’t really feel / Now you’re away / You write home everyday / I don’t beg, I don’t borrow / I steal

Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson/ “Relator“

It’s been awhile since I wrote one of those goofy filler posts/”about me” lists. (You can read the first one here, the second one here, and the previous one here.) It’s been three years, actually. So here’s some more insight into what makes me tick. Or just ticks me off.

  1. I loathe “reality” TV. It’s getting our country closer to becoming a real-life Idiocracy.
  2. I can’t wait until the day I get to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
  3. As many social media things as I’m into, I don’t see the appeal of Foursquare. I really don’t like the idea of people literally knowing where I am at any time — too stalkerish.
  4. I am determined to be far better organized in our new house than we were in our last house.
  5. I finally made it to the Toronto International Film Festival last year. I’d like to hit the Tribeca Film Festival next.
  6. I adore my puppy Troubadour even though he’s (1) 2 1/2 years old and (2) an asshole.
  7. I still fit in my honeymoon bikini (even pregnant). Not sure yet about documenting that with a photo.
  8. I’m currently working on two books and a personal essay, all of which I’d like to get published. Preferably while I’m still alive.
  9. I wish I had half as much writing confidence in myself as my friends Caren and Elaine have in themselves.
  10. It took me more than a year after my dog Snoops and cat Yum Yum died to be able to even say their names without bursting into tears.
  11. I’ve never been to a music festival.
  12. I’m not a die-hard vampire fan, but I love True Blood and Being Human.
  13. I recorded, watched, and was bored to sleep by Twilight. I also found myself wanting to slap Kristen Stewart so she’ll get that deviated septum fixed and breathe with her mouth shut.
  14. I can’t wait until our A-frame sells so we can start working on projects at the new house.
  15. It depresses me that people like Kim Kardashian become celebrities because they made a sex tape. Having a Sealy Posturepedic mattress imprint on your back does not qualify as a talent.
  16. It’s easier for me to blog than to e-mail everyone I know. This is your one-stop shop to find out what’s going on with me.
  17. One of these days I’ll learn more HTML code than the codes for italics, bold, and other piddling style things.
  18. I’m hoping to take a photography course next year now that I finally have a DSLR.
  19. I’ve read more mommyblogs than is probably healthy for any individual to read for several years now.
  20. This year I was Event Chair for the Downtown Knoxville American Cancer Society Relay for Life. I never thought I’d be an event chair for anything. (You can still donate!)
  21. I love that I get to look at house and food p0rn all day as part of my job. I get great decorating ideas while becoming ravenously hungry.
  22. I own almost as many chick flicks as I do horror movies.
  23. As much as I’d like an iPhone, I refuse to switch to AT&T. I’ll wait until Verizon offers it.
  24. I miss the jalapeno bread Harris Teeter sells. Haven’t had it since we lived in Chesapeake.
  25. I love, love, LOVE our new house and am glad we didn’t have the money to impulse buy one of the money pits we saw before finding this house (we thought we found our dream house at least two or three times before this). That would’ve sucked.
  26. Resting my ear against my cat Buster’s purring body is one of the best feelings in the world, in no small part because he is The World’s Happiest Cat.
  27. I don’t read political blogs or watch any talking heads on TV because I don’t see the point. I can make up my mind about issues on my own.
  28. I’m leaning toward painting my home office a burnt orange, a la the orange in the Mode office on Ugly Betty.
  29. I know our friend Caren is going to be a wonderful godmother to Coraline. She’ll have the kid leading yoga classes by the time she’s in elementary school.
  30. When I think about someday going back to school, I realize I have no idea what I’d study. Writing? Photography? Forensics?
  31. I need some new authors to read.
  32. My MacBook accidentally slid off my lap desk just now. Obviously, it’s OK.
  33. Rich confirmed that I will indeed be receiving a 10th anniversary wedding ring this year. Now I need to figure out a really kick-ass gift for him that’s not an iPad.
  34. I want the Alex from IKEA for my home office. Wonder if anyone I know is heading to an IKEA in the near future …
  35. It both annoys and impresses me that Troubadour’s barking sets off the glass-shatter sensors of our home alarm system. That half-beagle has mad skills.
  36. I prefer silver or white-gold jewelry over yellow gold.
  37. Our new house has an offensive (to us, anyway) amount of gold fixtures. They don’t know it, but their days are numbered.
  38. I’m OCD about sorting my hardcover fiction books alphabetically by author and chronologically under each author. So much so that I have a spreadsheet to help me keep them in order.
  39. Living close to a wider variety of things is awesome. We loved South Knoxville, but now we have a lot more choices.
  40. More than 20 years later, I still vividly remember how affected I was when I visited the Dachau concentration camp in Germany.
  41. Almost 20 years later, I still vividly remember how creepy it was to tour the Paris Catacombs with my mom.
  42. I’ve eaten more red meat during my pregnancy than I have in the past two years combined. The kid’s a total carnivore.
  43. I’m proud of how hard Rich has been working to get our A-frame ready for sale. I only wish I could’ve helped more myself.
  44. In a perfect world, I’d get to see both my nephews every day.
  45. I hope to meet more of the local bloggers I follow.
  46. Being on bedrest has only reminded me how much happier I am when I can be productive.
  47. Our only slated project for the new house: painting the nursery.
  48. I’ll have to visit The Cupcakery again soon. Need a cupcake fix.
  49. If I had unlimited funds, I’d hit a bookstore almost every day.
  50. I am beyond excited to meet Coraline — in due time, of course.

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