Baby Update: It's a.....

BOY!!! We found out today we are in fact expecting a little Biff. Cue the trumpets and confetti for my father!

We had a wonderful appointment and received a great health report. Biff is developing wonderfully - and ahead of schedule in size. The Dr. explained she may not be able to get a clear picture depending on the way the baby was laying, but she asked the proverbial question, "Do you want to know if I can tell?" And yes we did... She started the sonogram, and let the chuckles begin. She said "Oh my gosh, this is a boy!" We asked if she was sure, and she said she was 110% sure. (Taylor sat there very proud).

He performed for us the rest of the morning showing us his profile, his feet, his hands, his spine, his face, his beautiful, beating heart - he was quite busy dancing around! Still just the size that would fit in our palms, but you can already see so much.

My parents were able to join us and what a special moment. Now, we can start the shopping :)

This picture will certainly embarrass him later in life, but as our little friend Naz would say, he showed it to us :)

His handsome nose, chin, neck, chest, spine... Amazing!

Week #6: Rest in Peace... Old School Football

As I sit here and watch the end of the Sunday games wrap up for the week, I keep thinking about Pat Modell.

Pat and Art Modell together - as they always were

Patricia Breslin Modell, wife of Art Modell (former owner of the Baltimore Ravens), passed away this last week and oh what a void she leaves. I still remember meeting Mrs. Modell for the first time and I can still recall the smell of her perfume and her beautiful presence when we'd meet her after the games in the suite. Although we knew her as an owner's wife, Pat was so much more than this. A tough cookie in her own right by what she withstood in her time in the NFL, Pat was a great actress. Until Lucille Ball came along, one of her good friends, Pat had more TV appearances than any other woman of her time. I will miss her husky and candid voice. I will miss all that she was - and I thank her for all that she gave to my family.

The NFL lost another icon last Saturday in Al Davis of the Oakland Raiders. Despite the good and the bad that came with Davis, and some would argue the Modells (although it is blasphemous that Art has yet to be inducted in to the NFL Hall of Fame), they represented the old school days of football. The owners of today are "new money" businessman, all of whom can be credited with helping adapt the league for survival, but a group who has also had to learn that perhaps the generation before them really knew best. Often, we're the victims of our own progress; and, I wonder... will we ever know football one day for the way it used to be?

Life lesson: Look to your own heritage and history before evolving into something we don't recognize.

Football in a simpler time

With some advances...

And as we know it today.

Week #5: Show Me the Money!

Let me preface this post by saying this is ridden with personal opinion and I'm hormonal, thus it's long...

I'll post a list of Week 5 breakdowns at some point this week as there was a myriad of fun stories (Cam Newtown, Jermichael Finely, the Packers defense, Tim Tebow...), but right now I want to write about agents... well Drew Rosenhaus actually, as most in his industry don't always like to acknowledge he shares their profession.

If you didn't get a chance to see the 60 Minutes special on Rosenhaus, it's an interesting one to watch (http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7384066n). Here's the (biased) recap:

• My father was and is called many things, one of which is always arrogant, so I tend to empathize with someone who is always labeled as such. But, there is a difference between the "arrogance" my Dad carried around and the arrogance Rosenhaus does. My father's was common sense. Rosenhaus' is a compensation technique. 
• People feel sorry for Rosenhaus that he doesn't have a family, a girlfriend, as a consequence of his work ethic. As far as I know, Drew doesn't outwork any coach or player, and last I looked, my parents had been married for over 27 years when my dad left coaching. It's not your work (ethic) that leaves you alone, it's how you handle it. (Note that I said "doesn't outwork" - I don't deny that Drew Rosenhaus potentially works as hard.... potentially.)
• Rosenhaus claims to have 170 active NFL clients - Google those clients... there's a reason he represents who he represents. They don't all carry the same persona, but there's a resounding theme among them. You know what they say (they being me): big shoes, big [fill in the blank]. Big agent, little [fill in the blank].
• He has a phone for texting and calling, another for emails. Get an iPhone.
• DR has nearly 50 grievances filed against him for "stealing" people's clients. Wouldn't you rather the first one to sleep with the prom queen? 
• And here's the good one .... Rosenhaus claims the NFL could not carry on without him - comments which he quickly took to Twitter to clarify as meaning the NFL could not carry on with out agents. This only after he realized the impression his comments left. Let's blame it on editing like every Real Housewife from here to Orange County does.

The real story is this: Owners and Coaches talk to agents because they have to. It's the only way they are left to communicate with players on certain topics. I guarantee you if you put an owner / coach and a rookie in one room to negotiate a deal and Rosenhaus and owner / coach in the other, the former's deal would get done first. This is where the cynics would say it's only because the owner / coach was able to take advantage of the player. As Ozzie Newsome with the Baltimore Ravens will tell you, both sides have to win. What does either side stand to gain by screwing the other?

So, attention future players to come - use your head. Hire a good lawyer and save the 3% (the highest commission percentage currently allowed in the NFL). The value of the used car Rosenhaus sells you for a great deal can me made up by taking a lesser deal, saving the commission you'd pay, and running less chance of pissing off your future coach / owner that you hired Rosenhaus as your agent. However if you do opt for an agent, find one that doesn't feel the need to use arrogance to justify his professional worth. Find the one that doesn't have to go on television to talk about how good he is. Find the one that doesn't center his business strategy around his Tae Kwon Do training or put his fist through a flame of bricks to prove he's resilient enough to go to "battle" for you.

If Drew Rosenhaus saw this, he'd tell me to go play with my barbies because you just don't get little girl. My response - I'm not the one wearing around a batman t-shirt at the age of 45. I think the problem here is that you don't get it, Drew. The only reason you still exist is because someone out there will always be foolish enough to pay you and you know how to sell that.

Perhaps the next time I answer the Table Topics dinner card of questions of who I would most like to eat dinner with, I'd say Rosenhaus. There's got to be more there... and you can't bullshit a bullshitter when you sit with me (sorry for the language, Mom - but I did say it was coming).

Life's lesson: Nothing revolves around one man.

(Post Script: Rosenhaus' redeeming qualities: He went to Duke University law school and he was bullied as a child - the former an excellent accomplishment, the latter nothing anyone should ever have to put up with.)

Love #2: Claridge + King

Pregnancy bump or not, I love the His Is Hers classic oversized oxfords from Claridge + King. The easy fit still seems to be tailored right for your body. I wear them with leggings and boots in the fall - and definitely appreciate the extra space now with a bit of a different sized belly than I had this time last year. Come summer, I wear them to the beach and the pool as a great cover up.

For my locals, Lady Bird typically carries this line downtown.

For those ordering online - I found that I sized down 1 size. My favorites: ice pink and light blue...

claridgeandking.com

Week #4: What's with all the pink?

This week's post is a little bit late as sometimes life just gets in the way... and ironic given the nature of this post.

As I'm sure you noticed if you watched any of the games or highlights from this weekend, you saw many of the teams sporting pink shoes, towels, wrist bands, gloves, etc...

October is Breast Cancer awareness month and the NFL appropriately acknowledged this important cause. It started with DeAngelo Williams with the Carolina Panthers a few years ago when he petitioned the NFL to wear pink in order to honor his mother who was battling the disease (who went on to fight it and beat it).

Football was more than just a game for our family. It was our livelihood; and, as a result we lived and died with every play. With the way fans react today taunting players and coaches you think they do just the same.

This game is just a game - something we'd often have to remind ourselves. It provides a distraction when life gets in the way. It shows you examples of what you can do when you fight back, in more ways than one.

Which is exactly what my sister-in-law did when she was diagnosed with Stage 2b breast cancer... while 3 months pregnant with our little niece. She put her game face on, went to work, and beat it. Our niece was born early, but healthy, and continues to remind us about the importance of supporting the fight against all cancers every day.

Get involved where you can so we can have more moments like this:

Emma Rose (at 1 month here) appropriately dressed in her (Breast Cancer) Fighter outfit.