But the one thing that bothers me the most is everyone's need to comment. And I don't mean friends and acquaintances...I mean perfect strangers. It seems that my low tolerance of these comments grows exponentially with each pregnancy so that this time around I literally have to walk away to keep from lunging at people sometimes. I just have to wonder, what the heck are people thinking when they say some of the things they say??? So far, in my 22 weeks of being pregnant, I have already experienced quite a range of comments from simple curiosity (When are you due? What are you having? Is this your first?) to what I consider to be genuinely rude comments such as "Oh, another boy? Did you want a girl?" Now how am I supposed to answer that, really? Not that I really care about the sex of the baby, but seriously, do you think I'm going to say to a complete stranger "Yeah, we're really disappointed. I can't believe we're having another boy....they suck."

Or how about this nice one..."So, WHEN are you due? Really? Are you sure you aren't having twins?" Has this really become a socially acceptable way of saying that my belly is simply too big for polite society? Do people truly think a) that I don't know how many babies are in there and b) that I have some sort of control over how big my belly gets? So, in my defensive state, I have to explain to everyone (although I must admit I am doing this with less and less patience these days) that always carry straight out. It's just the way my body carries a pregnancy and yes, I am sure I'm not having twins. I think one day recently I had this particular conversation three times in one day.

And then there's my personal favorite..."Wow, you are really carrying low!" My goodness, yes, please let's discuss once again this pregnant belly. Yes, I carry low. I did with my first pregnancy and certainly, with each subsequent pregnancy my stomach muscles are a little less able to hold on so things are slightly lower. But let's definitely have a conversation about it, especially after we've had the conversation about how big I am and whether I'm carrying twins without knowing it.

We have added a new one to the mix this time around. Since I pretty much take Jonah and Joshua with me everywhere our presence is often accompanied by sympathetic looks and comments like, "Well, you sure do have your hands full, don't you?" and "Bless your heart, you poor thing". Indeed. Apparently, I'm not very bright and have been duped into having three children. I don't suppose it occurs to many people that I might actually be okay (and dare I say it...HAPPY) with having three children.

So, as I stated in my title, pardon my crankiness. I try not to complain too much, but I just felt the need to get this irritation off my chest. And I do feel better now, so thanks for listening!

And here are some pictures (one from each previous pregnancy) of my too big, too low belly. And, no, I wasn't pregnant with twins either time!

Creativity wanes when I have not slept well, and I am in a training class.

So, I will try to do better tomorrow.

And as of 4:00pm on Friday (barring a late call) I am on vacation!

Whoo-Hoo!

See you tomorrow, and again, I apologize for a crummy post. Again. (There have been lots of them this year, haven't there?)

I learned something last night. Something so deep, so profound, that the only one who could teach me was my three year old child.

I learned that life is a circle. A very big circle, but a circle nonetheless. We start out, get way far away from where we began, but somehow, end up right back where we started.

And that's exactly what happened last night.

First, some background...

Jonah (as any good three year old worth his or her salt) has a bedtime routine. He doesn't fight us much, except when the routine is broken. We collect his friends (Binky, Bear, and now Poofy) brush teeth, go potty, read books (with him turning the pages) sing a couple of songs, and then, either jump or crawl into bed. (It really is quite cute, if not time consuming.)

If something in the chain isn't there, we are apt to hear about it, so we make sure that all of the elements are there. But inasmuch as the boy doesn't fight us going to sleep, he is beginning to push back hard on staying asleep. The push begins right after Jonah goes to sleep. (Or at least pretends.) Megan and/or I will get on the computer, which is just a few feet outside his bedroom door. Many times he will leave his room, and announce he has to go potty, has to get "lip stuff" (lip balm for chapped lips) or he needs water, or some such ruse to keep from going to sleep.

Last night, this process brought me back to my three year old self, and helped me to learn a very valuable lesson.

One of the routines Jonah needs is to go to sleep at a consistent time. Last night, we went out to dinner, and ran an errand, and upon our return home, had ice cream for dessert. This pushed Jonah and Josh's bedtimes back, as we wanted to let them burn off the sugar they had just ingested, and help us clean up as we are getting ready to try and sell our house.

So, since the routine of his bedtime time was a little off, so was Jonah.

After going through our (his) routine, we went downstairs to clean, vacuum, do laundry, etc. At one point, Megan and I paused, to have some ice cream ourselves, and watch the Buffalo Bills game on Monday night football.

Slowly, Jonah's door creaks open, and he says, "Mommy?"

Megan says, "Go to bed, Jonah."

Jonah replies, "But I have to go potty."

Megan (of course) says, "Go potty, buddy."

We hear the toilet flush, but now he cannot wash his hands, as his new soap dispenser wasn't in the right position. I go up and fix it.

He washes his hands and goes back into his room.

Several moments later, again, the door slowly creaks open, and from the top of the stairs we hear:

"Mommy? I need lip stuff."

Megan says, "It's right there, Jonah."

Jonah: I can't get the top off."

By this time, I know what he is doing. Stalling. Creating more time NOT to sleep.

And now, I am getting frustrated, knowing what every parent is going through. We just want some time to decompress after long days at work. We want to relax, but a stalling child will not allow that.

I go upstairs to take care of the lip stuff problem, but he wants his Mommy. Nothing doing I tell him. "I'll open it."

He puts some on his lips, and goes back into bed.

Would this be the end? Would this signal the sandman to come and help my boy fall asleep?

No.

Creak. "Mommy? I can't find Binky."

Me: "He's right there in your bed. I saw him there."

Jonah: "I have to turn on my light." A few moments later..."I can't turn my light on!"

Now I have had enough. I get up from the couch and shoot up the stairs. As I do, Jonah sees me flying upstairs, and he runs, crying, into his room, and jumps under the covers and into bed. I look at Jonah and tell him that Binky is right there, and that he is not to come out of his room until morning. I close the door a little more forcefully than I should have, and now, I am feeling guilty.

The point of all of this is that I know where he is, and I know what he is thinking, and I know what he is doing, because I did it myself. I have come full circle. I have returned to what I was, after leaving that behind so long ago. This realization made me smile, and feel sad at the same time.

I remember causing my parents no end of grief when they just wanted to relax. They wanted to be left alone, but I didn't. I wanted to be with them, I wanted to stay up.

As much as I have learned that lesson, I do not think I am in a place to apologize for stalling, and pestering my parents. My parents knew what I was doing, and I know what Jonah is doing. It is a cycle. A cycle I am thrilled to be a part of.

Jonah, you are my first born. You (and Joshua) have taught me so many things about infants, toddlers,children and now, big guys. But you have also taught me a lot about myself, and for that, I cannot say thank you, enough.

See you tomorrow.

After six, nearly seven years, two boys (with one on the way) and OUTRAGEOUS homeowners dues, we (Megan) decided that we need to move.

We love this place. It is the first house either of us ever owned.

We raised (or started to, anyway) two of our boys here.

It will be sad to leave.

But then again, in this crummy economy, no one will buy it, and we will get to stay!

Yay!

But it is a double edged sword.

We can stay, but we will have to eat ramen noodles.

Again.

Wish us luck. We will keep you posted.

See you tomorrow.

I hate being in pictures, but I love my wife.

We took a great picture together at her step brother Mitch's wedding a few weeks ago.

So, here it is.

See you tomorrow...

Last night, our weather forecasters suggested that we might be in for some severe weather. Where I live, we got rain for most of the day on Thursday and Friday, but nothing severe. So when I woke up this morning, all I saw was rain, and figured that we were spared the severe storms.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

The television station I work for covers 22 counties, including two in Virginia. Storms blew up overnight, spawning tornados in Johnston and Wilson Counties. For all I know, they may have been the same twister. These storms killed two people, a ten year old child, and a woman in her 60's. The local media, of which I am an active participant, descended on these towns like wolves after an injured deer. We pounced upon the injured, the dazed, the upset and the scared. We spent hours upon hours showing the damage, and talking to people who were affected.

And it all made for great television.

It is very hard for me to write that, but, that's how it is. Television is a visual medium, and the pictures from this act of nature were fantastic. At the same time, there are people who are suffering, and there are people whose lives will forever be affected by these storms.

There are days I hate this business.

I am an Assignment Editor. My job, basically, is to dispatch reporters and photographers on stories. I research stories, make (and take) many, many, many phone calls, and assist producers in building their newscasts. This isn't a tough job, but it can get stressful when deadlines approach. To say today was stressful would be a huge understatement, since we went on the air at 6:00am, and didn't go off the air until 3:00pm! We had deadlines every few minutes!

We sent three crews (three photographers, three reporters and a live truck technician) two to Kenly, and one to Elm City to cover the tornado(s). At the same time, I have to book satellite time, talk to our network (ABC), communicate with stations from around the country, and coordinate live shots and deal with other logistical nightmares. Add to all of that, because of our "wall-to-wall" coverage, there was a possibility that we would not air the University of North Carolina @ Chapel Hill-Maryland college football game. That would have been disastrous, as UNC is having a great season and this is ACC sports country around here. Thankfully, the bosses decided to go back to ABC network programming, and we aired the game. Phew!

Anyway, if our coverage offended anyone, I am truly sorry, but we have a job to do. It isn't always pretty, and we never show up for good news, but it is a job, and someone has to do it.

Keep the victims of this tornado, and the victims of the fires in California in your thoughts.

See you tomorrow...

One of life's biggest mysteries, to me, anyway, has been solved. They mystery of why shoes are so damn expensive!

Is this good news for you ladies? We will have to wait and see...

See you tomorrow...

Shoes come in all sizes and styles, but they also come with a hidden tax. In some cases you're paying more than 67% more per pair.

An import tariff was imposed on all imported shoes during the Great Depression in an attempt to protect the domestic shoemaking business.

The only problem now is 99% of the shoes you see on store shelves are made off-shore.

You won't see this tax on your receipt. Instead, it's wrapped up in the cost of the shoe, and it's pricey. This hidden shoe tax can be as high as 67.5% per pair.

Less expensive shoes actually have a higher tax because the U.S. tariff system charges higher duties for cheaper goods. Even the tiniest pair of shoes comes with an inflated price tag, like 30% on a $15 pair of children's shoes.

"You know that it was a tax that was implemented to save a business in the 30s that obviously didnt work. You have to wonder why it's still there today," said Fleet Feet owner Dan Loncto.

Lawmakers and trade organizations representing the shoe industry are trying to stomp out the hidden shoe tax. Last year House members introduced the "Affordable Footwear Act." Western New York representatives Randy Kuhl and Louise Slaughter were co-sponsors.

The bill could go before Congress in the coming weeks. If passed, it would reduce the amount of import taxes collected by billions of dollars. It would not eliminate it all together.

"It's probably on average a 5 to $10 addition to the price, by the time it gets to the consumer. Obviously if that was repealed that would be great for the consumer. Great for our business," said Loncto.

Because the shoe industry is so competitive, stores would have no choice but to pass along the savings to consumers.

Shoe trade organizations have started endtheshoetax.org to raise awareness about the issue. On the site you can email your local representatives and encourage them to pass the bill.

And un apdate on this post...

The Village of Oak Lawn has removed the signs. Too much of a distraction, apparently. Losers.

See you tomorrow, with, hopefully, a less lame post.

I guess not stopping is a problem in the Village of Oak Lawn, Illinois. So, town leaders came up with a funny way to get across a serious message.

I found this while surfing some time back, and thought it was funny. All credits to cbs2chicago.com

They're getting clever with the stop signs in southwest suburban Oak Lawn to motivate more drivers to stop. (All photos courtesy: Village of Oak Lawn)

For more info, and to see more actual stop signs, or to suggest your own, surf on over to the Village of Oak Lawn, Illinois.

We Love You!

See you tomorrow, when it will be the first day of the rest of Joshua's life!

Really happy.

See you tomorrow...

November 10, 2008
Barack a Hot Name for New Babies
By JENNIFER 8. LEE
Decontee Williams was so excited by Barack Obama’s victory on Tuesday night that she started jumping up and down — and went into labor. Twelve hours later, Barack Jeilah was born at Phoenix Baptist Hospital to Ms. Williams and Prince Jeilah. The baby was 8 pounds 9 ounces and had a full head of hair.

“I love Barack Obama, and I love the name,” said Ms. Williams, 31, who came to the United States as a refugee from Liberia in 2003. “In Africa, we call it a blessing. That is a good name.”

In the last week, Barack, Obama, Michelle, Malia and Sasha have become inspirations for first and middle names across the United States, according to news reports. But the Obama baby boom has been even more pronounced in Kenya, particularly in Kisumu, an area in the western part of the country where relatives of Mr. Obama live.

From Election Day through Saturday afternoon, 43 children born at the Nyanza Provincial Hospital in Kisumu were named after the Obamas, with 23 boys given the first and middle name Barack Obama and 20 girls named Michelle Obama.

Pamela Odhiambo, who gave birth to a girl during Mr. Obama’s victory speech in Chicago, named her Michelle Obama. “It’s a new start, a new beginning,” said Ms. Odhiambo, 18.

There have been other presidential naming trends in the past century, according to Social Security Administration data. Franklin jumped to No. 33 in 1933, up from No. 147 in 1931. Dwight surged in the 1950s and Lyndon in the 1960s. Theodore hit its peak in the first decade of the 20th century.

“Honoring new presidents with baby namesakes used to be an American tradition,” said Laura Wattenberg, author of “The Baby Name Wizard.” But she pointed out that the custom faded around the time of Watergate, in part because people became more cynical about the presidency.

Ms. Wattenberg said Barack and Obama might break that trend for a number of reasons. Blacks, particularly moved by Mr. Obama’s victory, tend to be more open to new names and to naming children after public figures. Also, Mr. Obama drew strong support from people of child-bearing age, and his name sounds fresh.

Mr. Obama has said that Barack has the same etymological roots as the Hebrew name Baruch, “one who is blessed.”

A shift away from traditional names has meant a decline in the prevalence of John, George, William and James, the popularity (or unpopularity) of presidents notwithstanding.

There is perhaps more hope for presidential surnames, as parents look for untraditional monikers with a classic flavor. Lincoln (for boys) and Kennedy and Reagan (for girls) jumped in popularity in the 1990s. But none of those can compare with the surge by Madison, which broke into the top 10 for girls in 1998 and peaked at No. 2. (Though that may have more to do with a mermaid in the movie “Splash” than a framer of the Constitution.)

And the names can also track the rise and fall of the public’s perception of presidents. Hoover came out of nowhere to land at No. 367 for boys’ names in 1928, the year Herbert Hoover was elected the 31st president. Then the Great Depression started, and it dropped to No. 945 in 1931. And Clinton, a top 200 baby name for boys in the 1970s and 1980s, still ranked No. 211 in 1992. By 1999, the year after the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke, it had sunk to No. 664.

Even the most tainted presidencies have left a nomenclature mark. The Watergate president inspired some parents, at least overseas. In Venezuela, Nixon Moreno was one of the leaders behind student protests two years ago.

Then again, his co-organizer was Stalin González.

Lost to the team that plays in a made up zone.

Won. Eight and one. Nothing more needs to be said.

Lost to the Indianapolis Colts. Shouldn't have.

Had no trouble at all with Oakland, but then, no one does these days...

So, I went 50-50, batted .500, went half and half on my teams. Not too bad, but the Bills are finished, though I will always support them. The Steelers need to be careful, the Giants are headed to the Superbowl, and the Panthers are doing quite well.

We'll see next Sunday.

And that means I'll see you tomorrow...

Here are images of the four teams I root for, some more that others, but, like my children, I love them equally.

The Buffalo Bills are having a decent season, but the other shoe is beginning to drop. After starting out at 5 and 1, the Bills have lost two straight. Any more losses, and they will likely end up 8 and 8. After living in Buffalo for nearly 10 years, I learned something very important: There is no greater place to be than in Buffalo, when the Bills win. People are friendlier, the dismal weather doesn't seem so bad, food tastes better, and life is great! Conversely, however, there is no worse place to be than in Buffalo, when the Bills lose. People are downright nasty, it snows more, and things in the City of Good Neighbors are just bad. No matter. They may have never won the Superbowl, but they were there four times in a row! GO BILLS!

I grew up a Giants fan. Big Blue will always be the team of my childhood, and they made it through childhood with me, to become the team of my adult life.

I have always liked the Steelers. Ever since the days the Steelers and the Cowboys were always in the Superbowl, I have rooted for the Steelers, because, seemingly, everyone was rooting for the Cowboys. If this next statement offends anyone, I do apologize, but "F" the Cowboys! (Now that I have said that, I want to add that I think Dallas is a fantastic city, and I have family there and I miss them all very, very much!)

And the Panthers. Well, I live in North Carolina, and they are, after all, the Carolina Panthers, so they support from me!

Tomorrow, I will update how they did, though you sports fans out there will have learned the outcomes long ago. (I also do that to guarantee a post tomorrow! How smart am I?)

See you tomorrow...

Is It true?

See you tomorrow...

The noise level is high, the expectations for fun are even higher. There are people all around. There is an expectant air, like something is going to happen. And then it does. And then the party kicks into high gear.

And then I go to sleep.

And then I wake up, feeling as if I've lost something. Feeling like I'm missing something. As it turns out, I have a hangover from the party, but not one that affects my physical being, just my mental one.

Really, I am spent. After 22 months of buildup, it took four hours to come crashing down, so to speak. (In a good way.) We have talked this election to death, investigated it, theorized about it, argued with each other about it, and now, it is over...Senator Barack Obama trades in his Senatorial duties, to assume the role of President Barack Obama. It is not something I take lightly.

No matter who you voted for, this election is historic. In so many ways. From hurricanes, to unexpected Vice Presidential running mate picks, to near record voter turnout. It was amazing, and it is something I can't wait to talk to my kids about. They are the first generation under President Obama, and they are the ones who will judge this man.

Now, the hangover has turned to expectation. Expectations that he will live up to his promises. Expectations that we can, perhaps, come together as a country, and overcome obstacles previously thought not overcome-able. (He's already done that once, so now, the sky is the limit!) I am humbled to be part of history. It is a great moment for us and the world. It will be amazing to look back and see where we've come from. We aren't too far removed from where we've been, so looking back will be fun. Will we regret the decisions we made as American voters? Will we be in a better place? Stay tuned...

Congratulations, Senator turned President Elect Barack Obama.

Now go out and do good things!

See you tomorrow!