Helping momma with work.

Some days, I need to get started a lot earlier than when our nanny arrives. This particular morning, Donut decided to help me with my work. It's easier to keep her facing this way because otherwise she tries to type on the keyboard.

On the road...

Thank goodness our nanny sends me pictures of Donut during the day while I am traveling. Forrest also sends me pics and videos of Donut too. All these things make me feel a little better while on the road.

My jobs within the last 6 years has required some amount of travel. In the past it was for events and tradeshows so it was a lot of traveling. In recent years it was infrequent but about once a quarter I got on a plane for one thing or another. They were always opportunities for me to meet new people, check out new places and eat local fare. Lately though, it's not the party it once was. I don't know if all this climbing the corporate ladder is all it's cracked up to be...hahahaha because at 8pm I am in my hotel room working away for the next day's worth of meetings and tearing up the town. Has motherhood softened me? Nah...it has just made me appreciate sleep all that much more.

I've been on something like 15 planes in the last month and one more business trip to go...New York tonight through Tuesday. After this I should be set for a a few months on the work travel. I miss my family the minute I walk out of the house - ack!

Forrest has been such a champ - single parenting for weeks.. And with the help of my brother, our respective parents and our fabulous nanny, we're able to make this all work. I cannot wait for the holidays = time off!

Carving Pumpkins

Molly emo came over one night and we got to carving all those freaking pumpkins. In a recent neighborhood pumpkin patch silent auction, I made the mistake of WAY overbidding and came home with 3 pumpkins. Forrest later explained to me the mechanics and strategy around a silent auction....How the heck am I supposed to know these things?

Anyhoos..the carving was quite a fiasco because I had forgotten how tiring it is to scoop out the pumpkin guts and literally had some lactic acid buildup in my one arm and wasn't sure if I was going to need medical assistance to make it through the night. Beyond that Molly and I were commenting on the sad state of pumpkin carving utensils....and our mini saw tools both broke in the course of our carving party. We had to bring out the regular kitchen knives and then were glad we didn't start carving with adult beverages - trip to the emergency room averted.

All done - don't our pumpkins look thoroughly spooky? OMG - I cannot wait to go Christmas tree shopping!!! Holidays are so much more rad with kids around.

Baby + Me

Some alone time with Donut before poppa comes home from work. The time between when Herminia leaves until Forrest comes home is a really special time for me....just an hour or so to hang with the baby...start making dinner and hang with the baby. I don't want to be a cornball and say things like "i never knew you could love this much" blah blah blah...but this whole process has been rather amazing.

Meeting Amelie Du Chau

The title is a mild lie because I actually got to meet Amelie when she was first born at the hospital. A couple of weekends ago, Donut and I stopped by the Du Chau household to visit the little princess who is now an amazing 9 weeks! OMG - how did two months zip by so fast? She is adorable and so petite compared to our little chunk monster. Glad to hear that Laura is recovering well and enjoying motherhood too. Goodness gracious, just a mere handful of years ago we were all still hitting the bar/club scene for nights out on the town and now look at us...our entire conversation is around sleep, boobs and babies - hahahahaha

Donut checking out her new friend. She definitely was fascinated by the baby. I think she's getting old enough to be more aware of her surroundings and of other people.