"Two" cute!

Our friends Johnny and Jennifer welcomed twin boys on the same day Max was born, and Max can't wait to meet his new pals. I just had to share this picture of them in their first Halloween costume. Two peas in a pod. How fitting!
I think they must be sweet peas.

Glamour: Order yours today!

Out of curiosity, I went to several bookstores online and typed in my name. I squealed when my book popped up. This is really happening!

Although the official release is November 18, you can order yours now.

What stores carry it?
Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books a Million, Hastings and other fine establishments.

Would you guys help me out? Garrett keeps telling me he wants a Maserati and doesn't seem to believe me when I tell him there are more professional baseball players making it in the U.S. than professional writers. With your help, though, I may be able to get him the Matchbox version for Christmas.

Here's how you can help:

• When you read the book, please post a review online (I'm all for constructive criticism, but in this case, if you can't say anything nice....) at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Books a Million, and anywhere else that has them available.
• If it's not on the shelf, ask for it and help me get it there.
• Let me know if you or your group is interested in having me for a book talk, writing workshop, book signing, school visits, etc. I'd love the opportunity to sell more books and meet people who will actually read them. Contact me at brandi at brandibarnett.com
  
• Remember that Glamour will make a great holiday gift for some lucky tween!
  

Happy Halloween!

Everyone has a weakness.

Superman has Kryptonyte.

Superbaby? Cribtonyte.

The kid hates his crib. He sleeps everywhere else, though.

Have a happy and safe Halloween!

Tale of Superbaby

In the spirit of the season, Max decided to visit Sleepy Hollow and Washington Irving's home, Sunnyside, on Sunday. He was ready for a calm day.

He took this photo of his grandmother by a bust of Washington Irving.
They all checked out the house--and were slightly annoyed that they weren't allowed to tour the upstairs because it was a busy weekend. Geez, what a waste of money!
But the land around the home truly was beautiful and exactly how The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is portrayed on tv and imagination.
It was a nice day.

But then he heard the call. Someone was in trouble.

No on uses phone booths anymore, but he managed to change.

Look! Up in the sky!

It's a bird! It's a plane!
It's Superbaby!

While attending a Ragamuffin Parade where kids all wore their Halloween costumes, this woman thanked Superbaby for keeping her from going near that raging river seen in the background. Instead, he made her cuddle him. Thanks, Superbaby!
It's all in a day's work for Superbaby.

Still, he was happy to go home and relax in his chair.

Happy Diwali!

My friend Toral sent this email yesterday. I asked her if I could share it because I found it informative and intriguing. So, to Toral and our other Hindu readers, Happy Diwali! I'm going to light some candles...

Hi all,
I just wanted to send you a quick note to let you know that this week, I am celebrating one of the biggest Hindu Holidays. It is called Diwali. It marks the end of our calendar year and so, tomorrow will be New Years!! During this time of the year, the whole of India celebrates for about 10 days. It is also called the Festival of Lights and we mark this occasion by lighting as many candles as we can throughout the house and outside.
HAPPY DIWALI and a Happy New Year!!!
The Diwali festival marks the victory of good over evil, and uplifting of spiritual darkness. Symbolically it marks the homecoming of goodwill and faith after an absence.
While Diwali is popularly known as the 'festival of lights', a more appropriate significance is 'the new year of luck and wealth'.
Central to Hindu philosophy is the assertion that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman. Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Diwali is the celebration of this Inner Light, in particular the knowing of which outshines all darkness (removes all obstacles and dispels all ignorance), awakening the individual to one's true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality. With the realization of the Atman comes universal compassion, love, and the awareness of the oneness of all things (higher knowledge). This brings Ananda (Inner Joy or Peace).
--Toral

Getting in the spirit

I took some pictures of Max in his cute Halloween onesie that GLOWS IN THE DARK. He seemed to like it.
A lot.

Even when this happened.
Um, maybe he's not ready to sit up by himself yet.

Caught again by the paparazzi

My brother sends me photos of Max. He catches him doing things that I don't see. For example, the above pic must have been taken when Max was in LA with his peeps. This photo is reminiscent of Turtle from Entourage, don't ya think?

In the one below, I'm not sure what Max's Uncle Brett is implying. Hmmm. He placed him between Winston Churchill and WC Fields. Is he saying that Max looks like a fat old man in a funny hat? Or is he saying that Max is on the right track to being a politician or entertainer? Or is he saying Max is a member of an ancient organization known for flashing strange gang signs for photo ops?
I'll ask Max about it when he wakes up.

Searching for fall colors

Max likes to travel. He gets excited in his carseat...and then usually falls promptly asleep.
We headed north to see the fall colors. The day predicted rain, so we weren't sure what we would find.

We found Bear Mountain in New York.


And an Oktoberfest celebration.

Grammy visits

My mom can't decide whether she's going to be called Grandma, Grammy, Grandmama, MamaB or Granny(Garrett calls her this, of course, because she proclaimed she didn't mind being called anything but Granny). No matter what she's called, Max lights up around her. He's added a lot of weight since she last saw him!

Our friends Karen and Savine met Max on Monday. They're visiting from Oklahoma and included us on their 2008 Northeast Tour. It was great to see them.

They're foodies. When they recommend a place, you can believe it's going to be good. Before them, I never realized that wine served in the proper glass really does taste better. So, I was nervous when I learned they'd taken our advice on this blog about Langan's in NYC and planned to go there. Luckily, they enjoyed it as much as we do. So, there you go. It's Karen and Savine approved. When you visit NYC, go there for good food and a server with an Irish lilt. We took them to a Turkish restaurant in Ridgewood I've mentioned here before--it's the one where Garrett joined the bellydancers. It was yummy.

Max slept though most of the first part of their visit and lunch, but when we returned home, he was wide awake and ready to make friends. He was enchanted by the two of them. Karen fed him:
Savine played with him:
Yep. Max is already asking for another playdate.

The blessing

When I was touring Arlington House, the boys waited outside. Even with their forbidden stroller rule, a steady flow of people came in and out. I saw three little nuns walk in speaking Spanish. Once again reunited with the guys, I was told by Garrett that they'd met Max. One of them was especially delighted with him, oohing and ahhing. She touched his cheek and then blessed him.

At least, that's what Garrett thinks. We're not sure because she was speaking Spanish. Anyway, she said something and then made the sign of the cross over him, so we'll hope it was a blessing.

Nice, huh?

Washington DC Day 3

Garrett was so excited to learn that the Air and Space Museum had two buildings. We drove to the second one on the third day in D.C. The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is near the Dulles airport in a hangar. Why a hangar? Because it's filled with airplanes and space shuttles.

Below is Garrett standing in front of the Enola Gay.Here we are in front of the Enterprise --no, not the Star Trek one.

After hitting the gift shop to purchase a couple of books for Max, we ate lunch at McDonald's again--they sure have the market cornered. Then we went to Arlington Cemetery. On the way there, we saw the Iwo Jima Memorial. Once at the cemetery, we walkedwalkedwalkedwalked in the heatheatheatheat. We passed the Kennedy graves and saw the Tomb of the Unknowns.

Arlington is impressive. It's beautiful and sad and patriotic all at the same time. The various tombstones tell so many stories that they speak over themselves in the serene setting until it's overwhelming. Even the origin of Arlington is a meaningful story.

Max and I enjoy the view from Arlington House, Robert E. Lee's home for 30 years.

Washington DC Day 2

We decided to go to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. I knew Garrett would like it, but I hadn't anticipated he'd like it so much. He was my own personal tour guide. I soon stopped looking at my booklet because, after only a glimpse, he'd launch into full explanation of what the thing was and its historical significance.

Even Max was in the mood. Check out his shirt.

One of the most popular museums of the Smithsonian, the Air and Space Museum, has something for kids of all ages. We didn't check out everything because of time limitations. There's plenty to go back and explore.

I spent quite a bit of time in the special room they had set aside for nursing mothers. I never realized what a courtesy it is for places to provide a place to sit in semi-privacy. Max had his lunch while Garrett hit the sights he most wanted to see. Then, we went to lunch in the museum. They offered McDonald's and Boston Market. I hadn't enjoyed a burger from Mickey D's in ages and the fries...well, everyone knows their fries are the best no matter how nutritionally questionable they may be. Here are the boys in the lunch court:

Since I'd been to D.C. before I told Garrett he didn't have to go to the art galleries with me if we could just go to the two other places I really wanted to see: the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and the International Spy Museum. Well, the first is closed for renovations and the second doesn't allow strollers. But here's a picture of me in front of the U.S. Capitol.
Having a stroller was an advantage at the National Archives, though. (For your future planning, an enormous line forms to see all the documents, but if you take the handicap route, which one must do if pushing a stroller, then you get straight to the floor.) The guards oohed and ahhed over Max and then told us to take our time. Neither Garrett nor I could look to our left because hundreds of people were staring at us in the long line. I almost felt guilty, but then I remembered that they could have gone to the International Spy Museum if they really wanted to. So there.

Max slept better in Washington D.C than he does in his own crib. He loves his car seat and stroller. When he got fussy, I just reached over and rocked it a bit and he went right back to sleep. Loved it!

The first rule of Fight Club is - you do not talk about Fight Club.

I loved the movie. I loved the book even more.

So, when I was looking for address labels at Staples, imagine my surprise when one of the packages caught my eye.

Avery 8293 Matte White High-Visibility Labels for Inkjet Printers shows a sample address:

Tyler Durden
420 Paper St.
Wilmington, DE

If you don't get it, I'm sorry I can't explain. "The first rule of Fight Club is..."

Washington DC Day 1, part 3

Garrett and I tried to leave the memorials around 4. Babies definitely slow things down! Plus, we were tired from walking around everywhere since we couldn't get on the trolley tour. The walking felt good mostly, though, because I've not really had any exercise in 9 months.

My cousin Kent lives in Alexandria, Virginia. My aunt and uncle were visiting, so we were looking forward to all getting together for dinner.Kent had completely renovated his home over the years, and it was fun to see what he'd done. As an architect of extremely modern buildings, coming home to his old house must be a definite cue to shift from work to relaxation. I'd heard stories of how decidedly dated the building had been when he purchased it, but one would never know it now. The beautiful wood floors were preserved, but he'd added touches like opening up a wall and adding a large window. Outside, we saw where my aunt was going to plant flowers. Plus, we saw the products of his summer garden, pumpkins and decorative gourds. (Am I the only member of my family with black thumbs instead of green?) Max slept through the tour.

Kent took us on a walk to historic Alexandria on our way to dinner. We stopped into a seafood/sushi restaurant that he said he'd heard was good but hadn't tried yet. Once inside, I felt a little out of place. Most diners were couples--it was a Saturday night, after all--and children were decidedly absent. We asked for a table. They looked at our stroller and asked us if we had reservations.

Well, I did then.

We soon continued on our way to the place Kent had in mind originally, The Wharf. It was great. They set us in the back where we were out of the way and we had a nice dinner. For some reason, my flash was off, so my pictures were rotten. Luckily, Kent and Uncle Ed are great photographers, so I'm hoping they'll send their pics. Max woke up in time for pictures.

We caught the last trolley that night and rode it back to Kent's. I guess we got to ride a trolley after all!

Washington DC Day 1, part 2

After fortifying ourselves with lunch, we hopped on the Metro again and headed toward the Mall.

We saw where Forrest Gump ran into the Reflecting Pool.
We saw the Lincoln Memorial.

We saw the Vietnam Wall.

We saw the WWII Memorial.
We saw the Washington Monument.

We saw other memorials as well. D.C. really is a beautiful city. A line from America the Beautiful kept playing through my head as we walked around: "Thine alabaster cities gleam...."

Washington DC day 1

We've learned that if we stay on Max's schedule the day goes well. So, we slept in with Max--he prefers to party during the early morning hours and then snooze in the mid-morning. Our sightseeing agenda began with Memorials. My uncle and cousin highly recommended the trolley tours. Uncle Ed said we could buy tickets at Union Station, so we headed that way.

Garrett had downloaded an application our iPhones that accessed maps for the Metro. It was great. We rode the Metro to Union Station. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, my first subway ride was in D.C. and the worker was so nice. I think it's cool that Max's first ride was in D.C. as well. Also, just as they'd been on my first visit (20 years ago) all of the workers were extremely nice, friendly, and helpful. The Metro is really clean, too. I didn't see any debris or rats on the tracks. Plus, it didn't have the same smell as NJ Transit.

Once we reached Union Station, Garrett walked over to a line and stood in it. Unfortunately, it was not the proper tour. The line we needed to stand in was long. We waited at least half an hour. While Max and I hung out, Garrett went to Starbucks and returned. I downed a chai frappucino before we reached the front of the line. The tickets were $35 a piece. They assured us that taking a stroller on board wouldn't be a problem.

Yeah, right.

We went outside and stood in yet another line. We missed the first trolley because it was rather crowded, and we didn't think we could break down the stroller in time. Soon, Max let me know he was hungry. I'd already changed him in the Union Station bathroom, and there was no place to nurse him. Garrett urged me to go to the large statue in front of the station--where people were snapping pictures--to nurse. Unfortunately, it appeared to be the best option. Part of it was a bench of some sort, and I had purchased a nursing cape recently, so I ventured forth, praying a bum wasn't hanging out in the partially hidden corner of the statue. Max wasn't even halfway finished when Garrett called to tell me the next trolley was on its way. Max and I scrambled across the street. Garrett and I almost had the stroller ready to go and people kept pushing past us to get on the trolley. We weren't fast enough. The trolley was full and we were left standing on the sidewalk with our useless tickets and time wasted.

Garrett said, "I knew this wasn't going to work."

That did it.

"You did, huh?" I snapped, "Well, you should have said something earlier."

Garrett isn't one to complain much, so I should have just ignored it. I'm sure he'd already ignored several of my snide remarks by that point. But the stress of having people wait in line behind me as I changed my son on a filthy changing table that I wiped down before placing our changing pad on top of it and then nursing in public while tourists clicked their cameras was more than I could handle. After all, we were supposed to be having a fun family vacation.

I took off with Max and the stroller, and Garrett must have thought I was crazy. I marched us right up to the line we'd stood in for so long and started selling our tickets. Guess what? No one carries cash these days. I'd reached the front of the line and a mother and daughter visiting from Italy before I was able to sell the tickets. I'm sure everyone thought I was some sort of lunatic ticket scalper using my baby as an angle.

Still, the morning wasn't a complete waste. Check out who we met in Union Station:

Washington DC on the way

We drove to Washington DC on Friday. We'd heard it takes about 3 1/2 hours.

That's such a lie.

Especially with a baby.

We arrived over 7 hours after our departure.

Garrett had racked up Marriott points over the years and we decided this weekend was a good time to cash them in. Here's Max in his first hotel room. He made himself right at home.

We signed up for the hotel near the Navy Yard. That's the Navy Yard in the background. We took this picture on our walk to dinner that night.

Now, I'd heard that this area was not known for being the safest, so I did my research. I read reviews online. I emailed my cousin Kent, who lives in Alexandria and asked him about it. Like the information I found online, Kent said that the area was experiencing a revival and was supposed to be fairly safe now. It's where the new baseball stadium is. If anyone plans to go to a game, I highly recommend staying at this hotel because you are right by the stadium and just a block away from the Metro. Plus, the people there are all really nice.
When we checked in, we asked about a place to eat dinner--because, yes, it was dinner time, not lunch time, as we had anticipated. The guy at the front desk recommended a place a short walk away. I asked him if the area was safe. He looked at me seriously and said, "No. I was mugged two nights ago." Then he laughed and laughed and laughed. He assured us police patrolled the area and it was well lit.

He was right.

We saw several officers on our way to dinner. One of them had pulled over a convertible driven by a chipper, pony-tailed blond. The two young ladies in the car were chatting him up. I think their crime might have been being too cute.

We also saw military guards. Not only did we pass the Navy Yard, but we also walked by a Marine base. Uniformed marines were on each corner. I felt very safe. Plus, a uniformed military guy usually adds to the scenery, and this was no exception.

At the restaurant, we sat outside right by the sidewalk. The staff kindly and quickly offered us hot water when I stood to locate the bathroom to warm a bottle for Max. The food wasn't bad, either.

The man at the table next to us held court. The staff seemed to know and revere him. Suited men on the sidewalk paused to shake hands with him and offer their services if he ever needed anything. Even when Garrett and I juggled Max and our dinner, he observed it all in stride as he sipped a martini. Later, I caught him making goo-goo eyes at Max. Then, he correctly guessed Max's age and weight. When I mentioned that I hoped we weren't disturbing his dinner because of (a teeny-tiny, short-lived bout of) fussiness, he told me never to apologize for a child because he was perfect. There was something about the way he spoke to us and held himself that made me understand why people reacted to him the way they did. I'd love to know who he is.

He's a genius

Remember how I mentioned Max stuck his tongue out at the toy? I thought it was because it had a face. Garrett pointed out to me that he was probably responding to the "blagon." Look, it's sticking its tongue out!

Handsome

The lovely blanket was made by Grandma Barnett. We received all sorts of compliments on it when we were on our Washington DC trip.

I picked up the hat at a garage sale at West Point last week. It says, Yes, I know I am handsome.

Yep.

Getting strong now...

When Garrett called him Britney Spears last week, I should have clued in. Some of Max's shirts no longer covered his tummy and his belly button peeked out at us. It seems that with each grin another chin or dimple appears. He looks different every morning.

But I was in denial. Then again, I was in denial about being in labor until the nurse wouldn't let me leave the hospital, but that's another story.

Yesterday's visit to the doctor made me believe he was really growing. The doctor and nurse seemed surprised he was so big. When Garrett and I read the week-by-week book last night, we noticed that a baby born weighing a pound more than Max's birth weight doesn't reach Max's current weight for another few weeks. Geez. At this rate, we'll have to grow our own food just to support his eating habits once he starts on solids!

His growth really hit me today, though. When I set him in his bouncy seat, his legs dangled over the sides. Yes, over the sides. Then when I changed his outfit, he gave me his arms and shoved them through each armhole. I thought, No way. He doesn't have control of his limbs yet. Then when I placed him on his play mat, he looked at two of the toys with faces and stuck his tongue out. (This game is one we've played with him since we were in the hospital. We go back and forth sticking our tongues out.) Obviously, the toys didn't respond like Garrett and I do, but he realized they rattled. So, he batted them to make them rattle. Later, we had tummy time where I placed a boppy on my tummy and him on top of it. He did a little push up and lifted his head and looked all around. He's done this before, but today he kept his head up and seemed to like what he saw. Eventually, he grew tired of his workout and wanted me to feed him. Again.

Our boy is growing and developing! I keep hearing the Rocky theme song in my head.

5 weeks old

Max is five weeks old today.
He weighed 6 pounds 10 ounces at birth.
Yesterday, we took him for his check up and he weighed 9 pounds 13 ounces.

Did you do the math yet? He's gained about an ounce and a half per day! I thought he was getting heavy. The funny thing is that his waist is so tiny he still needs the newborn diaper.

Music to his ears

Max and I were listening to music. Accidentally, I clicked on Blondie. He began to whine and it quickly turned to a scream. I thought, I can't handle this music and him screaming, so I switched to something smoother: John Lennon's Beautiful Boy. Max immediately stopped the tirade and blinked at me. He cocked his head as the song played and smiled.

Ah, beautiful boy.

Were you born in a barn?

I'm thrilled that the new television season has arrived. It's great to check out what our DVR has stored up when we get time to watch. Watching the returning shows is like reuniting with old friends.

Yet, these "friends" bring their bad habits. The one that peeves me the most shows up in show after show season after season. There must be a reason for this absurdity. Whether a blizzard is going on outside or someone enters a therapy session, the same annoying thing occurs...

Have you ever noticed peope on tv don't shut doors behind them?

Watch. They don't.

I bet it will drive you crazy, too.

Who belongs in the White House?

Do you know who you're voting for in November?

Do you like taking quick surveys?

Do you enjoy cartoonish pictures of candidates in silly situations?

Try this link.

Halloween idea?

I'm trying to think of ways to costume Max for Halloween. I know pumpkins are popular for infants, but I want to do something else.

My brother sent this pic. Hmmm. Maybe Max should be Thor.

It could work.

I should know better

I'm about as tough as The Jonas Brothers.

Is that why people want to kick my butt?

My friend Ange likes to share a story of us back in school. After a basketball game when the girls had cleaned the floor with the home team, one of the especially violent and outspoken players from McAlister was a tad miffed. (She talked smack to our girls all night, so I suspect she had anger management issues to begin with.) We were waiting around for the boys to finish up in the locker room so that we could get on the bus and go home. For some reason, she picked Ange--the superstar basketball player--and me--a not-very-tough girl in a cheerleader uniform--to voice her rage. When Ange asked if she was talking to her, the girl made it clear she wanted to kick my butt.

?!

I could dance the fight song, throw some high kicks, and wiggle my spirit fingers, but I was no fighter. Since she had no other motivation for singling me out, she must have known this. This bully simply wanted to fight.

So I did the only thing I could do: I smiled and waved.

Although Ange remembers all the details, I just remember being thankful we had a lot of bleachers between us and that we got on the bus without anyone getting hurt.

Geez. Some people are so touchy. All I did was wave.

Years later, my mother and I were finishing up some last minute details for my wedding. We pulled out of a parking lot onto Northwest Expressway in Oklahoma City when a sporty green car turned and almost rammed into us. Mind you, I was totally in my lane. A bleach blonde with the expensive manicure whizzed by us and flipped me off.

So I did the only thing I could do: I smiled and waved.

I guess she saw me. Immediately, she backed up her car, leapt out of it and pounced on mine. Yes, that's right. She was on my car. Her palms whacked the glass so hard I thought she might break it. I was in shock. Who does this sort of thing? Well, she wasn't through with merely attacking my car. She also attacked me by beating the car to the rhythm of her words: "You stupid white trash b****!"

Really. She did.

I laughed in response. The situation was ridiculous. As she repeated this attack like a mantra, I figured she really didn't have a clue as to what she was doing, so I pulled a serious face and pointed my finger at me and mouthed, "Me? I'm the white trash?" then I pointed at her pounding on my car on one of the busiest streets in Oklahoma City and shook my head at her as if I felt sorry for her--which, for the record, I did. This enraged her even though I'm pretty sure she couldn't hear my tsk,tsk, tsk-ing. My mom tried to get her license plate as she drove away, but I hope the crazy girl learned her lesson--because all I really needed to do was tap my brake and she would have eaten pavement in heavy traffic.

Very dangerous.

So I should have known better yesterday. Max was officially four weeks old, and I officially had severe cabin fever. When Garrett got home, I kissed my hubby and baby before hopping in the car. Running errands had never seemed so decadent.

On the way there I put on my turn signal to switch lanes. A white SUV that was a considerable distance away actually sped up instead of slowing down. Then the driver had the audacity to honk at me as she cut me off. And then we were at a stop light. I flung my hands up and yelled at her. (Yes, I admit this was not appropriate road behavior, but I hadn't been out of the house in days and she was ruining my happy vibe by almost killing me.) Anyway, I yelled, "What? Didn't you see my signal? Was it so hard not to run me over?"

Um. Apparently.

She rolled down the window and flung her hands up in mockery. My first thought was Oh no she didn't. My next was Okay. I deserve it because I behaved just as stupidly as she.

So I did the only thing I could do: I smiled and started laughing.

No waving. I'd learned my lesson.

The back window rolled down and a head popped out giving me a glare. I laughed harder because, really, how ridiculous was it for everyone to be so riled up? Another head popped out to scowl at the crazy lady, and the window rolled down more to reveal the SUV was filled with females with attitude. A group of tough looking men wouldn't have made me think about going elsewhere the way this realization did because everyone knows a group of mean girls are the worst things on the planet. The light couldn't change quickly enough. I grinned and shrugged, hoping they wouldn't smell my fear.

Unfortunately, we all had plans to go to Target. When I realized they thought I was following them--the speeding up and then quick braking clued me in--I veered off to another store first.

What would I have done if I'd met them in the aisle at Target somewhere between Halloween candy and cereal?

Yeah, you're right. I probably would have smiled and waved.