Ketchup

After writing my last catch up to 2017, I discovered that I had drafted a "Ketchup" for 2016. . . it's all about Archer, so I'm including it here. Truth be told, I'm not convinced anyone reads this. This is more my journal than anyone else's literature, so I kind of don't worry about doing stuff like this. But if you are out there reading this, thanks so much for your continued patience and indulgence: 2016: So, this is me catching up. It's going to be word heavy, because a lot has happened. Have I already mentioned that I left my job of 11 years? I loved that job. Felt defined by that job. . . until I didn't. Until it became a thing I dragged myself to every day. Until it became a a thing I actually feared, like spiders or heights. Such a deeply unsettled place, filled with other scared and sad people. How does a thing turn like that? When I took sick leave, I couldn't read books or look at magazines or watch TV. I couldn't bear other people's news. I'd been drowning in other people's emotions for years. So, very very strange. But I changed my life utterly. Jobless and supported by my husband, I became the mother to the world's best baby. Loads of mothers think their babies are the best, but that's a subjective declaration based on the blindness of maternal love. But that is not the case in this instance. Here are the facts and you decide: 1. This baby stops frickin' traffic (No lie. This happened in Pittsburgh this past Spring. A lady pulled over on a busy street to scream at us about how she almost had an accident while staring at our beautiful baby. I swear. She did. I am not making this up). 2. He has had a full head of dark hair since birth that has never fallen out. (*whispering because it seems unfair to get to say this out loud: And when he was born, that dark hair had gold tips. . . like he'd just come back to the mainland after surfing in Hawaii for a month). 3. He started sleeping through the night at 2 months old. 7pm to 6am. Crazy. 4. Before he understood what emotions were all about, he rarely cried. He cried only if hungry or sitting in a poo diaper. He's more complicated now at 1.5 years old. But still, a very happy kiddo the vast majority of the time. 5. He was adopted and so came along with a whole other family to tag on to ours and we love them. Being a mom feels lucky. To get to stay with him at home feels like a gift. But to also get along so well with his birth family is a fucking miracle. I thank my lucky stars daily. 6. He's funny. 7. He's brave. 8. He'll eat almost anything put in front of him. 9. He's never had "stranger danger" and is sweet and gentle with everyone he meets. 10. He calls me "Mimi" or sometimes "Meemo" (god, I love Meemo.) 11. He loves dogs. All dogs. Every dog. And barks at everyone he sees. 2017 Update: He no longer calls me "Meemo" *sigh. But he does call me "Mama" which I love to no end.