Our Song

According to Elton John, you can tell everybody this is your song.

Apparently, Elton didn't see the list of songs Todd and I had to consider as "our song". Because of one issue or another, we were faced with a bit a dilemma when it came time to choose the song that would be the first one we danced to as man and wife.

Don't believe me? Let's review:

Strike #1 - Nine Inch Nails "Closer"

Todd would quote this song and send it as messages to me thru a third party who had no clue what he was doing. It was sweet really. The avaunt garde feel of NIN was cool, but I really thought that lines like "I wanna f**k you like an animal" didn't fit the classy vibe of our wedding. Plus, you know, my grandmother was there.

Strike #2 - Radiohead "Creep"

This would be the first (and to date last) song Todd ever dedicated to me at a Human Zoo gig. It's heartbreaking and beautiful and completely wrong for a first dance. Or a wedding in general.

Strike #3- Aerosmith "What It Takes"

We played this song on the jukebox at the Bull Tadpole in South St. Louis on our first date. And it's a break-up song. Nuff said.

Foul Ball - Paul Westerberg "Love, Untold"

On one of our first dates, Todd asked me if I liked this song and I said "Like it? I have the album." I didn't. I had never heard of it. But by the next date, I had the album and adored that song. While the most appropriate of all of our choices, it's story of missed opportunities just didn't feel right.

So we settled on Bob Dylan's "To Make You Feel My Love". It was romantic and beautiful and the fact that it was Dylan lent a quirky edge that suited us. We had "our song".

A week or so before the wedding, I got a call from Todd. He had found our song. Now, most changes this close to the wedding were unthinkable and should only have been brought up because someones life was in danger. This one, however, was actually a very sweet surprise.

When Todd heard the song "Babylon" by David Gray, he said it was us. How I was there right before him, even when he wasn't perfect. It meant so much to me that he had felt that about this song that is was a no brainer. We had a new song.

Flash forward ten years and that song is now used to torture prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.

Every time I hear it though, I smile and remember that first dance. Surrounded by family and friends, I danced in the arms of my new husband.

The Diaper Days Are Over

I knew that 2011 would be a big year for my little guys. Well, here we are, just 2/12 months in and we've already hit our first milestone.

FINN IS OFFICIALLY POTTY TRAINED!!!

I was reluctant to declare it because I didn't want to jinx us. Two months of sleeping in underwear with only a couple of accidents and I think it's safe to say that I'm out of the diaper game. The turtle potty chair has left the building!

Sorry Pampers - we've had five good years together, but it's time for you to find someone who needs you. I've grown. I'm with Hanes now. Shhh - don't say anything. It won't make me come back.

I wish I could take credit for this monumental achievement, but in reality, the majority of the credit goes to our amazing babysitter. She took the lead on this and we followed along at home. When we discovered that he would poop in the potty for her, but was asking for, and sometimes putting on his own, diaper, we knew we needed to step it up a notch. So, we borrowed a potty from the babysitter so that he would have identical ones at home and at her house. After a few rough days, he did what he was supposed to do and we were on our way.

While there is always a tinge of sadness anytime one of my boys reaches a milestone, I can't say I'm too sad to be done with diapers. Not that there weren't adorable moments of bonding during diaper changes. Elwood liked to be sung calypso and Finn liked tummy tickles. But the gross factor usually out weighed the cute factor, so good riddance!

Plus now, I can send them to the bathroom with Todd when we're out and you know he loves that! ;-)