Year: 2011

Mylostone – Waving

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Of all the milestones, or Mylostones, that my son Mylo has had in his short 11 months on this planet, this is perhaps my favorite. A couple of days ago I was waiting at the light with one of our foster dogs as my husband Jason was standing across the street holding Mylo. Jason began waving hello to me and pointing to Mylo that I was across the street, and then his hand went up. He waved. That was the first time.

And now I tell him “bye-bye” all the time even if I’m not in fact leaving just so I can watch him wave. It is adoringly communicative and it cuts right to my heart.

Turns out it’s not so easy to snap a photo of him in the act with my iPhone, but I swear he is waving good-bye to me here.  And unfortunately, in this photo, I was leaving 🙁

Waving bye-bye with Sidi!

I Rescued A Pigeon Today

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Yep. You heard me. As if the four dogs on the euthanasia list that I pulled out of the pound and sent to forever homes down south weren’t enough (I just made that sound innocuous and easy but it isn’t).

Back to the pigeon.

I was on my way to a meeting down in DUMBO (down under the Manhattan Bridge overpass, for those who don’t know), when I passed a small pigeon who was hopping and chirping along. I noticed he looked a little raggedy. I happened towards him but he didn’t fly away. His wings looked clipped and he was missing at least a third of his feathers.

My hands were tied. I couldn’t exactly pick him up and bring him to the meeting with me, so I snapped this photo and walked away.

This busted up little fella broke my heart.

Later, I told a friend about the bird and she said, “let’s go get him.” She gave me the green light I needed to do the right thing. (Thanks Mary).

We went back to the spot with an over-sized cardboard box and surgical gloves and the little guy was still there. Only this time he had company. His buddy (or mama pigeon) was hovering real close and trying to protect him from us.

I’ve always loved that birds travel in two’s and so I hated having to split them up. But I hated even more the thought of some jerk coming by and kicking him out of the way, or that an SUV might run him over. So I scooped him up, made my case for a free hotdog bun from the non-English speaking hotdog-cart-lady, finished up at another meeting and then schlepped the big cardboard box with said small pigeon on the subway during rush hour to a vet hospital on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

Thanks to PJ of Empty Cages Collective, he will be examined by Dr. Pilny tomorrow morning.

Over the past few days I’ve received very generous donations for the dogs I’ve pulled out of the shelter and so I did the same for PJ’s rescue group. In this case, what goes around comes around and hopefully flies around, again.

Should Have Bought Two

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I bought these Steve Madden sandals two years ago and except for the occasional stud that comes loose, they’ve held up pretty well. I get a ton of compliments on them and have I mentioned how comfortable they are?

Well they are, which is why I set out recently to buy another pair.

I had to do some serious investigative work to find out where I bought the sandals, what their name is and what size I bought. I know what you’re thinking, ‘I should know my own size,’ but I vacillate between a 8 1/2 and 9 depending on the shoe.

I started by calling my BFF Lauren, (she bought them first so she would be able to tell me when that was.) I then took a trip down memory lane with my AMEX card online. Scrolling through months of purchases during a time when I was gainfully employed, sans child AND shopped (a lot), was sort of like looking for a needle in a haystack.

But alas, I found it. They are the Steve Madden ‘Boogle’ Sandals in taupe which I purchased in June of 09′ from Nordstrom’s for $50.

An immediate Google search for “Steve Madden Boogle Sandals” turned up a bunch of results, just none that were available to purchase. Nordstroms, Overstock, Swell and Amazon had them at one time or another (err in 2009) but not this year.

So what did I do? I pulled the trigger on a totally different style of Steve Madden sandals. It is after all, 2011.

Doula In Training

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I am officially a doula in training! Tonight marked the end of a three day workshop to become a birth doula certified with DONA (Doulas of North America). I took the course, taught by the extremely affable and entertaining Tara Poulin of Birthing Gently, along with 14 fascinating women.

Tara has a wealth of experience in the birth world. For starters, she has five children of her own! Prior to founding Birthing Gently in 2001, she worked on the labor and delivery floor at a Boston hospital. Today she is a certified Birth Doula (DONA), Certified Childbirth Educator (CAPPA) and an Approved DONA International Birth Doula trainer. The only, and I mean ONLY negative thing I can say about Tara is that she lives in Massachusetts. Boo! New York City’s loss, big time.

Tara’s course was engaging, contained a wealth of knowledge and left you hungry for more the next day. I have never said that before and believe me, with three degrees and many hobbies, I’ve taken my fair share of courses!

Tara Poulin of Birthing Gently

My journey to become a doula is a result of my own birth experience – one which was 30 hours long from start to finish, and, unmedicated. Although I did not have a doula – my husband and mom were with me – I believe that having someone who’s objective and who’s trained in emotional and physical comfort techniques could have made my long and difficult labor shorter and easier. Still, my birth transformed me. It made me stronger. And it gave me and my husband the most marvelous gift, a beautiful and healthy baby boy.

I would be honored to be a part of something so intimate and life-changing for other expectant moms and dads. Getting started might be slow-going but I definitely look forward to building my doula community and attending my first birth!

May 2011 Takeaways

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At the beginning of this year, in an effort to support my resolve to blog more, I started something new: monthly takeaways. Call it a recap, a reflection or a review. The monthly takeaways are one part blog therapy and two parts a measure of the growth and progress I’ve made in my life (or not). After all, a month left behind means my son is one month older, I am one month older and therefore, hopefully, one month wiser.

My hope is that these takeaways will be fun and interactive and that you will join me by posting about your takeaways from this past month in the comments, below.

So, here goes…

My May Takeaways

1. One of my favorite things about the month of May is running the Visiting Nurse Service & Hospice of Suffolk’s 5K. It’s a family-friendly race which takes place on the first Saturday of the month in my hometown in Northport, NY. I didn’t set a personal record, but my time was better this year at 26:27 than last year when I was seven months pregnant and crossed the finish line belly first at 31:57. I learned that my new pace (which is certainly not my fastest) had me finishing in line with men in their 60’s or young boys who are in grade school. Which made me realize… my son Mylo is going to be one of those grade school boys who’s beating me to the finish line before I know it!

Great cause, great course and great times.

2. I learned that no matter how old I get, I will always love being the annoying younger sister.

I couldn't have timed it better.

3. I’ve always been a fan of flying red eyes, not because I’m a night owl, no. But it’s one of the few times I’m able to fall asleep on planes.

I was secretly a bit nervous, though, to take a red eye back to New York with a nine month old. And as each hour ticked away on our last day of vacation in Las Vegas, it became clear that my husband Jason was, too. So much so that we began butting heads when it came to deciding on just how many and for how long, our son’s naps should be.

Well wouldn’t you know that Mylo went to sleep in his crib in our room at Planet Hollywood Westgate and woke up in Jason’s arms 10 minutes before our plane touched down in JFK. He slept through being transported from the hotel to the car, the car to the airport, through security, during boarding and throughout the ENTIRE four plus hours it took to fly home. Oh red eyes how you’ve never failed me yet.

Snoozing at the Jet Blue gate in Vegas.

4. I learned that when cutting my son’s toenails I should wear goggles or at least eye glasses. Just the other day I was bent over closely so as to avert Mylo’s interest in the clippers and his toenail, 3/4 mm long, shot right into my eye.

3/4 mm long. I dug this sucker out of my right eye.

5. I’m considering buying no more new toys. For now.

7:30am goes the tupperware cabinet. Next up, the key jar. After that, the shoe rack. Box of toys? Zero interest.

6. I learned that the inexplicable hankering that I had for an entire bag of Cheetos during my second trimester was clearly satiating a certain somebody ELSE’S craving.

Good thing the dog wasn't home or it would have been game on.

7. Chances I will see Men in Black III? Slim to none. Chances I will be impressed when they line my street with authentic period cars in order to get a three second shot? Pretty damn high!

Men In Black III takes over Court St. in Brooklyn.

8. Some day, we’ll have to fess up to these two about all the trouble their momma’s got into together. Or not.

"And tomorrow we chomp, chomp?!"

Annie the Mini-Pin

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I started fostering dogs in 2009, a year after I vowed in front of 140 of our closest friends and family during our wedding, to not bring home any more animals until we have a home with a yard. First came Max, then Orly, followed by Four, Benny, Lucy, and finally, Jonny. Six dogs in seven months shared three things in common. They were all pit bulls. They were all homeless. And they were all in dire need of getting out of a high-kill animal shelter where they wound up through no fault of their own.

Sure my husband Jason delights in reminding me that I have broken one of my wedding vows, but lucky for me, and the dogs, he has been amazingly supportive. And then I got pregnant. It was during the end of my second trimester last year, after a particularly unfortunate foster dog named Jonny, now called Sunny, got his forever home, that we took a break from animal rescue.

That was…

Until I recently saw a shaking and terrified Miniature Pinscher being dragged through the front doors of Brooklyn Animal Care & Control. Her people were about to pay the $35 fee to relinquish her because they no longer had time. I was eventually able to talk them out of leaving her at the kill-shelter, but not without giving them my phone number. One week later, here she is.

Annie dutifully waiting to be examined by a vet.

Annie is about 3 1/2 years old and is a very timid girl who never got walked (look at her nails in the photo), was most likely bred and only gets excited when she sees a crate. Sad, right? Well sad no more.

After some proper vet care and some much-needed TLC, this little girl will be ready for her forever home! Annie is great with dogs, cats and even babies. I tested her out on mine. Do you have space in your heart and home for this little orphan Annie? Please feel free to share her story with your friends…

The Mini-Pin meets a Great Dane.

From Euth List to Forever Home

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Update

I received the below email last night from Karin right before I went to bed. Norwood, is now called Marley.

I can never thank you enough for bringing me Marley. We are soooo happy together. Turns out he is a HUGE mushpot. I start to rub to his ears and he literally falls to the ground like a ton of bricks. I have to video tape it and send it to you. It makes me laugh every time. We went out in the rain early this morning to go to the bathroom and then came back inside and we both fell asleep on the couch together until my friend woke us up about 20 minutes later. Amazingly enough the thunder & rain did not bother him at all. He’s very playful and not much seems to bother him. He loves to chase bumblebee’s, smell flowers, and is so gentle with his toys. What a difference a few days make. I can’t wait for his kennel cough and neuter to be over with so I can take him to the doggie parks.

—

Norwood is a two-year old pitbull who recently found himself on the euthanasia list at Manhattan Animal Care & Control for contracting kennel cough. Karin Jordan of Keyport, New Jersey looked into those eyes and saw so much more than a silly cold and asked me to save him for her. There is nothing I like more than pairing pitties with parents so it was a no-brainer on my part.

Norwood’s shelter mug shot.

I have met many pitbulls at ACC who are gloom and doom. After all, it’s a tough place to end up for an unwanted animal. But not Norwood. This gorgeous guy really blew me away when I went to get him out yesterday. The boy, despite his URI, had bounds of playful energy, even in the 8×8 discharge room. His tail was wagging throughout and he greeted Karin with a huge hug. He’s a spirited little fella who I have no doubt will mold beautifully to the rhythms of Karin’s life. I am so thrilled that they found one another!

Karin and her new pup.

NYC AC&C New Hope Liaison Fired for Doing Her Job Well

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I was away on vacation when friend and fellow animal rescuer, Emily Tanen, was fired from her job as the New Hope Liaison at New York City’s Animal Care & Control.

Emily Tanen was fired from her job at AC&C for caring too much.

Because of the photos Emily took of at-risk dogs she then promoted via social media sites like Facebook, hundreds of dogs found forever homes and escaped being killed at the overcrowded city shelter. However according to AC&C, who is contracted by the Department of Health, Emily violated her contract by having people pose with the dogs in the photos.

One of Emily’s many heartbreaking albeit lifesaving photos.

While I am so sad for what Emily’s absence will mean for NYC’s homeless dogs – especially pitbulls – I have no doubt that she will go on to do tremendous and beautiful things.

Fellow writer and friend Michael Mullins covers the story in depth here.

Mourning Our Vacay

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Back to reality. We came back from vacation two days ago and I’m lamenting returning from this trip more than any other vacation I have ever been on before. And we only went to Las Vegas! We’re not talking the tropics here people (just the Tropicana).

Undoing my unpacking. Never even knew that was possible.

But this WAS our first real vacation with our son Mylo, and it was a family vacation at that. And by family I mean five other people and 10 hands who helped with all the demanding baby needs! And it is perhaps that which I miss the most.

But it wasn’t all easy-peasy. After all, we were hit with a time difference that took it’s toll on Mylo the first two nights. My husband Jason wrote about his late night forays on the Vegas strip trying to coerce our son to sleep. Did I just use the words “sleep” and “Vegas strip” in the same sentence?!

The boy has become a rapid ball of energy with fierce opinions, amazing physical strength and the stamina of a marathon runner. Every time I turn around he is disheveling the cabinets, jars, drawers and potted plants in our home. Yes it’s amusing but it’s also downright exhausting.

The peaceful days of cooing at my newborn baby, of holding him in my arms and planting gentle kisses on his face, are gone. These days, Mylo only sits still long enough to breastfeed and even then, usually has ants in his pants.

Sometimes I want to run away from home, if only for a second. Sometimes I daydream about cultures in which the extended family aids in child-rearing. Other times I just want to return to Vegas… with my family. Never thought I’d say that.

The family.