Agree, AUMom, and, after the horrors of this week -- including the despicable ways media members have acted/spoken/tweeted, etc. -- I might edit your statement slightly to say, "I needed to remember that God still lives in this world."

One of the many gifts that has come our way because of our daughter is a pair of God glasses, if you will, which allows me to see and revel in the many ways that good/God graces us when we least deserve it.

And, EJ, did *not* know Frazier was part of that Toms River team. Great fact.

Thanks, EJ for posting about this. 

Gosh, I'm loving these depictions by Roman. Such a fantastic addition to Ricochet.

I was worried I'd missed a discussion about the medium (media?). Would love to hear more about the process. Would you (or have you, on Ricochet already?) entertain questions about your work? 

Amen to all you've said, Peter.

(...revealing my own intense impulse to comment and meddle ... )

Good luck, Michael. I'm sure you'll make it work and everyone will be happy. If you have a great caregiver, congrats. There are amazing folks out there (we had one once) who can help you get through this tough period. Your kids will be fine. My very best friend in the world has worked all through both her children's early lives, and they are very happy and smart and well-adjusted. She is successful and happy. I worked through the first two, and stayed home for the other two. There are huge upsides (and, of course, sacrifices) with both choices. I wish you and your expanding family many blessings!

I could go on and on about working vs. not with kids. I've done both and I find staying at home, with all its challenges, to be more peaceful for my soul. The extra money from my job was eaten up by too many dinners ordered in because of our exhaustion and lack of time. Also by the laundry service. And part time babysitters. For us, it wasn't worth it on so many levels. I felt guilty, pulled in too many directions, and, worst of all, I felt that I was suddenly quite mediocre at two things -- my job and parenting -- instead of somewhat acceptable at one. So, for me, staying at home was our only choice. We have no money and probably never will. But, I'm relatively happy on a daily basis. There's a lot to be said for that. Good luck. Definitely write up your feelings/experiences here. We are interested! That will also keep you busy and your mind (somewhat) sharp!!

Congrats, my dear, on the new little one on his/her way and on writing this post! I just had No. 4 and only now feel like I sort of  know what to do. Sort of. Barely. Some days, not so much.

But seriously, I really agree with what Mollie writes above. The key to remember (at least for me) is that most days you will not want to leave. You will be tired. You won't want to change out of your hole-y sweat pants. You won't want to interact with strangers -- small talk takes too much energy, etc. BUT, you must force yourself to go. For some of my fave moms, it was forcing themselves to go running, to Weight Watchers' meetings, to AA or AlAnon meetings, to the Bible study.

You have to find a regular way to get out of the house. It can be challenging, especially while nursing, but it must be done for your own sanity. 

From one Cardinal to another. Dolan weighs in.

So much to love about Stan Musial. And so many fun tidbits to read about him here and here. But, I think this is my favorite way to remember The Man ... something about watching the old footage ... something about the wonderful coincidence of his final at bat, linking him to the next generation, for better or [and] worse ... 

Take a watch:

Fair question, Metalhead.

Hey, Terry, that's pretty good!!!!

According to MLB twitter feed, no one has been voted in. First time no one elected since 1996.

Sounds about right, Trace (as usual). And, in Klapisch and Posnanski's defense, they totally agree with you as well.

Yes, I was, E. I wasn't a huge fan of either Wells or Clemens in the clubhouse, but it was sure fun to cover their pitching performances.

Very convincing, Mister D.

Thanks everyone for the well wishes! Baby Sally and I are getting along well, and her three siblings are all quite gentle. My 4yo guy is a little out of sorts -- I guess it's a textbook reaction to a new attention-seeker in the home, but ... ah .. I'll save it for another post.

My question exactly.

I'm right with you, Ken.