Coop's Cousin is Due in March

Dear Danielle,

Remember when we used to call you Danielleeeee Belly? It applies now more than ever!



Congrats to you, Fletcher Fam! Are you and Owen in shock? Jakob and I still look at each other and think, "Holy Toast! Are WE parents?"

Pregnancy is...not fun. Don't let people try to convince you that you need to adore this state of gestation. Yes, there are wonderful things about being preggers. You get excited about being a mom. You feel your child grow and move within you. You feel close to your husband because your love made life and that's pretty effing cool.

But it's rough. Your body is hijacked. Everything swells. Even your eyeballs swell. You pee yourself. Usually when you laugh...which then makes you cray. It's cruel! The hormones can be like a Todd Solondz film--just too much to deal with.

I want you to know that I'm proud of you. You look so beautiful. Congrats to you and Owen. You are about to embark on one long, strange trip. It's fantastic.


It's a BOY!

Dear Little Man Swimming In My Sister's Belly,

I can't wait to meet you. In fact, I'm going to plan a trip to see you in the Spring. I'm just going to assume that you'll call me your Crazy Aunt Nicole. It's cool. I've worn that adjective well for serveral years. It's just another word for fun-loving.

Oh, and I already love you. I can't wait for Coop to have a cousin.

Keep healthy. See you soon.

Love,

N

Torture Song

Each year, I adopt a "torture song."

It's a song that I'm going to play over and over and over and over again until I'm so completely sick of it that I can never play it again.

I know. It's a sickness. I've tried to get help but...well, I'm busy and stuff.

This past year,(2007--the year that will hence forth be called, "the year that was slightly less stressful than 2006.")I was obsessed with the song 'Total Eclipse of the Heart.' And not the old school Bonnie Tyler version, which IS pure gold. Nah. I was really into the Tori Amos live from Boston 1995 rarity cover. Tori makes everything breathier and sadder.

I listened to that song most days and sometimes (once a month) I'd listen to it several times a day.

2008 is fastly approaching and I've already decided that Elton John's 'Someone Saved My Life Tonight,' is my new torture song.

It clocks in at 6 minutes and 47 seconds.
You know what that means?
Listening to it thrice a day can waste an embarrassing amount of time.

Better Than Being a Nose Picker

Cooper's latest, greatest discovery is pinching his nose so that it changes the way his voice sounds.

He's been doing this when he approaches other kids at the playground.



This child was fascinated. He watched Cooper hold his nose and yell for nearly two full minutes.

Cooper likes to grab at other people's noses, too. He won't let go until you talk and your voice sounds funny, too.

It's pretty hilarious.

Happy Eat a Turkey Day

Honestly, this Thanksgiving was a bumpy one.

Cooper was very fussy. Jakob and I quibbled about bringing the hand-held mixer to Andrew's place. That spat turned into an argument about packing all the stuff we were bringing. That exchange turned into a fight about how we turn everything into a bigger fight. Then we stopped speaking to each other for the rest of the morning.



But we got over it. And that's what I'm thankful for. We love each other enough to endure the bumps and kiss and make nice.



I'm thankful for my amazing family. I'm thankful for my generous, loving friends.



Andrew Wollman's been throwing this shindig for a decade! I'm thankful that each year I've had a place to go and make merry on Thanksgiving.

Thank you.

YOU GO GIRL!



Happy Birthday.

I Miss You

I returned to work this week after a 5 month hiatus.



I was eager to get back to heading into the office, wearing heels and make-up, drinking flavored coffee and chatting with adults.

But I miss my boy like crazy during the day. I have pictures of him plastered all around my cube.

I want to be a mom and a producer and an artist and an actress and a good wife. I want to value myself.

It's a lot.

When exactly do things get less complicated?

By 40?

Welcome to Chez Mommy, May I Take Your Order?

Cooper can be picky about food. He DEFINITELY gets that from his Dad.



Although he was once fond of them, he's no longer a fan of peas. He's starting to reject green beans, but I'm still pushing them! He won't eat ham. He hates avacado. He doesn't like maple syrup but he enjoys pancakes.



He'll eat any cookie anytime anywhere. He likes corn, broccoli (sometimes) and carrots (sometimes). He LOVES eggs and bananas. He'll even smoosh his eggs and bananas together. Oddly enough, he likes beats, too!



Pasta, bread and potatoes are always winners. He tried a stuffed clam a while back and took to it like a true Cape Cod kid.

March to the Beat of Your Own Hurdy Gurdy

One of Coop's fave games is, "PUT LEAVES IN THE BUBBLER!!!!"



He takes every leaf off the ground (EVERY leaf) and places it into the fountain by the tennis courts. Since Coop invented this game, leaving the park has become, uh, let's just say it's more challenging...and by that I mean impossible.

Cooper runs up to other people, kids, dogs, birds (and sometimes plants) and says, "HIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" with boundless enthusiasm and volume.

He's sooooo my kid.

Most adult people think it's hysterically funny. Cooper knows how to play to a crowd. He starts performing his spirited gibberish, beating his chest and gesturing with his hands.

But the other kids on the playground tend to run away from him. They're scared. Some kids even cry when Cooper approaches them.

He's sooooo my kid.

My Son

My father took this picture of Coop playing in the fountain at Universal Studios.



He's so happy. He loves to play.

I wish I could be more like my son.