I think January 7th is a cool birthday 'cause...

This stuff happened:

• 1601 - Robert, Earl of Essex leads revolt in London against Queen Elizabeth (remember, Dad's a Shakesnerd)
• 1610 - Galileo Galilei observes the four largest moons of Jupiter (Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto) for the first time, forgiven by the Pope in 1992
• 1618 - Francis Bacon becomes English lord chancellor, does not write plays of William Shakespeare
• 1789 - 1st national Presidential election in US... guess who won?
• 1927 - Harlem Globetrotters play 1st game, Generals lose 1st game
• 1929 - "Buck Rogers", 1st sci-fi comic strip, premieres, as does "Tarzan"
• 1934 - "Flash Gordon" comic strip (by Alex Raymond) debuts
• 1982 - "Fame" premieres on NBC-TV

These people were born:

• 1800 - Millard Fillmore, 13th President (He was a Whig, isn't that silly?)
• 1911 - Butterfly [Thelma] McQueen, actress (Prissy-Gone With the Wind)
• 1912 - Charles Addams, cartoonist (The Addams Family)
• 1922 - Vincent Gardenia, actor (All in the Family, LA Law, and Moonstruck)
• 1928 - William Peter Blatty, author (The Exorcist - one of Mom's favorites!)
• 1948 -Kenny Loggins, Pop Music god ("Footloose")
• 1950 - Erin Gray, actress (Buck Rogers mega-hottie)
• 1957 - Katie Couric, TV news host, perpetually perky
• 1964 - Nicolas Cage, actor (Moonstruck - ooo... a pattern?)
• 1976 - Éric Gagné, baseball player
• 1976 - Alfonso Soriano, baseball player
• 1977 - Dustin Diamond, actor ('Screech,' from "Saved by the Bell" ... sigh)
• 1982 - Francisco Rodriguez, baseball player (...for the pitching trifecta!)
• 2009 - Ivy Jacqueline Santry, future-capable

Pretty sweet list, huh? The Dads says he's gonna avoid the "TAB" button for a week now...

xoxo

Ivy

I got so much going on!

Seriously, these people keep me fricken busy! I spent almost all day yesterday on the road, strapped in like an astronaut into my Maxi Cosi "Mico" Infant car seat - and you know I got all the options like the Cozii-Dozi insert, multi-position, rotating canopy, 5-point harness with up-front harness adjustment, and a trigger latch. You know I roll in style. Thing's like a sensory deprivation pod, though: I hit that seat and it's Lights Out, y'know?

That's me - way back in there... you'll just have to take my word for it. If you think I'm playing shy, though I've got evidence to the contrary, dear readers. I've been on a publicity tour that'd make Miss America's head spin. All KINDS o' people been checking me out, dropping by for a 'what's up?" and generally making some of the weirdest sounds imaginable with their mouths in my direction. Here's a few:

My girl Eliza - she did a whole "Flip My Crib" makeover on my room with the Moms yesterday night. It was incredible! I never knew I had that many socks! And seriously, what are those things for, anyway??

Hope is really, really sweet. She'll be over later tonight to watch TV for a while and just hang. This was the only good shot we got together when I wasn't screamin' my fool head off for some snackage. It was like the Moms was holding out on me that afternoon, I swear! Still, we got this one pretty cool pic. I think she looks suprised.

Whoa - I gotta tell you about Anna. If I ever grow taller than the Moms I'm getting Anna to teach me how to stand up straight. Makes my posture look like I've got practically no motor skills at all. Oh... wait, um... about that...

Oh, and this is Lizzie! She made a huge fuss over me, which was nice. But she's only gonna be on dorm with me for the rest of the school year and then she's outie! Turns out she got a fatty scholarship on her early-entry agreement to Emory and Henry, where she's gonna be a Theatre major. This, of course, means almost nothing to me yet but the Dads is really psyched about it, so maybe one day, I will be too! Way to go, the Lizzie!

But wait: there's more. I gotta go back, way back to this morning to start this one. And you gotta remember it's all relative here: for me, the time between then and now is like, 1/14th of my life total life span! So anyway (had to stop there - getting the Dads to type, let alone explain a fraction is accompishment enough in itself) I was laying there in the big bed, with Dad sitting in a chair putting on his shoes a few feet away, and my older sister comes hopping up on the duvet to lay down beside me. Now, this might be news to a bunch of y'all, 'cause it was to me, too - the whole 'having a sister' thing. But we're a very inclusive family and we're not gonna be specists (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specist) about Willy's rightful claim to kinship 'round here. Heck, sister's got 15 years on me! So, we share some space, and I'm cool with that. She, however, has been a little slower coming around to the idea. Today was a big day, like I say.

Okay, so first, she didn't even know she was getting photographed laying that close to me. I mean, we're just not there yet emotionally, y'know? I figure it's gotta be stressful on her. And frankly, she has got some KICKIN' breath... like low tide, I'm tellin' ya... so there's some barriers we gotta break down.



But then the Dad's popped this pic of her totally getting comfy and gave her the go-ahead to check me out a little closer if she wanted to and...

I mean can you believe it??? She loves me! I know she does. I mean, she'd just as soon eat me, too but she's a predatory feline and I respect that. Point is, she made the effort.


Thanks, sis. Nice to have someone to look up to. At least you're on solids. That's months away for me, yet.

'Til next time,
xoxo and meow,
Ivy

And that's kickin' your butt!

I hoped and prayed and check it out! I gots the MOJO, peeps! The Stillers win!! Yeah!!!

I'm gonna celebrate by staying up most of the night and demanding extra rounds at the ol' Teat n' Nipple until fricken sunrise! Yeah!

Here We Go, Steelers, Here We Go!

Just grabbing a quick snack before the game. Dad says I'm not allowed Yuengling yet... but the way he talks about it makes it sound the ambrosia of the gods! Meantime, we're killing a few hours watching the dirty birds of Philthydelphia (hopefully) clobber the New Jersey Giants 'cause a Keystone Bowl in February would RULE! I don't even know what I'm talking about but it would RULE!!

Oh, and I'm calling it now: Pittsburgh 19, San Diego 17. Gonna be a close one but the "D" will carry the game in favor of the City of Champions. Mark it, nuncle.

My Grams (my other Grams - who knew I would get two??) is hanging out, too - I decided to show her some of my growing Kung Fu skills. She was way impressed.

Whew! This blogging takes it out of me. I'm gonna sack out. See y'all after the game!

Back in my crib!

See, 'cause with me, it isn't a metaphor. I'm literally in my crib. Bloggin' from my crib. For reals. I'll even show you the new gang sign the kids on the ward showed me:


Let's keep it on the down-low, though. First of all, some of those kids play rough. Y'know, the "you let them cut your cord?" kinda types. Seriously. Second, I think the whole thing might be unhygienic... almost got my finger stuck in there last time.


On a way more serene note, I had this way-cool older chick from China write my name in caligraphy for me! Check it out!

At lease I think it means "Ivy." Could mean "Poops herself mightily" for all I know. Not that it wouldn't be true. Gobbets of the stuff! Colors you wouldn't believe!! (Too much information? I don't really know my readers yet... NOT THAT I'D KNOW... hint hint what do you think the "comments" gadget is there for, my people? How do I know if you're diggin' on me?)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Dad totally lost control of his faculties for a little while there with the italics, elipses, parentheticals, and etc. Apologies. It's like working with a child, I swear. ~Ivy

To make it up to you, here's a pic of the Moms and what looks to me like a Little House on the Prarie doll or somethin'. I was totally out of it at the time. The only media I have to work with is what the Orangutan I call a father gives to me. Still - look at the Moms. Cute, right?

Here's a close-up, for giggles. Smokin' bonnet, huh? I'm like, ready for Derby Day. Growing up in the South has it's benefits: nobody can tell you your hat is too big!

Okay, so I was being a little glib at the top of the ol' post here - I got discharged from AMC's Maternity Ward this afternoon! Passed all my tests with flying colors (no big deal, really - all open book) and the nurses were completely cool about letting me keep all the disposables! It was like cleaning out a hotel room and not just the soap and shampoo but like the robe and everything. The moms even kept her upchuck pan. Couldn't make that kinda thing up. I mean, it was empty and disinfected but still... who are these people I'm living with...?

Check this guy out

His name is Dr. McMillan and he's the dude who opened my escape hatch - mad skills! Why is this important to you? Well, he's also got the say-so as to whether I go home today or tomorrow. Just have be totally certain I'm not trying to turn yellow anymore (really not my color) and then Moms and I can split! We might be home as early as this afternoon if all goes well, and Dad gets his act together this morning in clearling out this room of all our gear. He looks capable. Low center of gravity. Honestly, I had no idea that I had near dwarf-sized parents, but every other nurse that walks in here makes them look vertically challenged, to say the least. Is this a thing? WAIT - I can totally hide stuff from them on the high shelves when I get taller than them!! Plans... clever, baby plans...

Anywho, a couple of parting pics from last night and this morning and then we'll have a little down time here on the blog 'til I get my home office all straight. See you soon!

xoxo

Ivy

Oh, and my Dad says this last one is his favorite 0f me so far. Something about my hat being 'jaunty.' Again - this is a strange man. Loveable and fuzzy, but weird. Still, he's mine - so back off

My best movie yet!

You know what's totally difficult? Getting my Dad to stand real still while I opened my eyes nice and big in the sunshine so that could get a look at the Blue Ridge mountains out there for the first time.

Who am I kidding? I can't see past my whatcha-call-'ems... feetses. Doggone this baby talk! It's like a speech impediment that people are forcing on me! I have to rely on wikipedia for anything factual at this point - good thing the hospital's got free wi-fi. Oh, right: my movie. Got the attention span of a goldfish over here, sorry.