Week #3: You're getting a little bit pushy....

I'm not the only one who's feeling like it's getting a little bit pushy in here. Biff (Baby Jones for those just now picking up the blog) is starting to push all the "stuff" that was already in me out of the way to make room to grow, just as a lot of teams are starting to push their way through to emerge as both the expected and shocking teams in the league (like the analogy or lame?). Push away, little one, push away...

Here's what I take away from Week 3, aside from starting to feel pregnant:

• If you would have told me that the Buffalo Bills and the Detroit Lions would be 3-0 after Week 3 (to join the Packers, no surprise), I would have laughed like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman (minus the whole prostitute part). Good for you Detroit Lions... finally! After the last few seasons, Eminem was getting ready to rhyme again about setting is own house on fire. 
• The Washington Redskins could join the 3-0 ranks tonight if the resurrection of Sexy Rexy (QB Rex Grossman) is in fact true. I do not call him sexy for any other reason than that's all I had when I was criticizing him for his powder-puff like play with the Chicago Bears. Let's not hold our breaths, but hope for the best.
• Again, with the Ravens... this is getting ridiculous. I'd like to give credit to Torrey Smith, a rookie for the Ravens from none other than the University of Maryland, whose first 3 catches in the league, were all for TDs! As Chris Berman would say on ESPN... "all he does is catch touchdowns"!
• The Raiders beat the Jets. Not sure what to say here... The Raiders are dangerous, and not just because they are from Oakland. 
• I have to get a bit of college ball in here and point out the botched call during the Syracuse v. Toledo game on Saturday. For all of you who have watched a game with me and witnessed me lace together a string of profanity like those dry noodle necklaces you used to make in grade school... here is why. You tell me if it went through: http://youtu.be/Bl4BksdE6-s

For those who aren't football fans, I'll post something life or baby related this week, but for the rest of you, let me know what you'd like to hear about on this blog! It can either be a topic about growing up a coach's daughter, or a current NFL topic you'd like me to explore or keep an eye out for. I'd be anxious to find out what you find interesting...

Week #2: What to Watch for...

Going into Week 2 some teams already have something to prove, but a few interesting story lines to watch for this week:

• Cam Newton versus the Pack: Can he have another 400+ yd performance as he did last week? Absolutely not. But, if he does, we better start watching.
• Romo, Romo wherefore art thou Romo? Tony Romo needs to have a redeeming performance today to hush his critics after last week's collapse. He takes heat for folding in high pressure situations, but I didn't see him on the punt coverage team that day when the Jet's punt block for a TD was truly what did the Cowboys in. Romo's interception in the last few seconds of the game is where people naturally turn their attention, but it's a team game... on most days.
• Michael Vick returns to the Falcons. The Atlanta Falcons are family so I'm biased as to what I hope the outcome is here, but either way, we hope for a good story. (Fantasy tip: Michael Turner should have a big day in the Atlanta backfield.)
• Two teams with must wins: New York Giants and Kansas City Chiefs - the Giants because they have a chance to turn this around and the Chiefs because they are just plain terrible (apologies to our friends and family in KC). 
• Jason Hill: I find it interesting when a 3rd string WR who plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who coincidentally is listed as doubtful this week, chooses to call out the NY Jets Darrelle Revis for being overrated. Mike & Mike (on ESPN radio - a must listen to every morning on your way to work for a quality education) have a saying... "Just shut up!"

I figured this would be a good time to talk about being on this side of the pen these days. I write about these teams and players as people used to write about my father's teams and he himself. It makes you realize, anyone can have an opinion. And it's just that. My grandfather used to have a saying, "When kicked by a jack ass, consider the source." More on being on the receiving end of the pen later in the blog...

Baby Update: Thump, Thump...

Yesterday we had our 14 week checkup. While we've been able to see a pretty little heart blinking on each of our sonograms, yesterday we got to hear Biff's heartbeat for the first time. As the nurse was calibrating the machine, she explained it might be hard to find as the baby is still only 3 1/2", and as she was explaining and put the advanced stethoscope on my belly, there it was... thump, thump... thump, thump. Quite faster than my fingers can type and found quite faster than we could have hoped! The heart rate was 160 (normal is 120 to 180). The old saying goes, the higher the heart beat, the more likely it is a girl :) If that's true, we'll have to figure out how to break that one to my Dad. We'll go back next month for a thorough sonogram and find out whether it's a Biff or Biffette, and then the fun begins, or continues, as we count down the days to St. Patrick's Day!

Our last ultrasound in August. We've been lucky to have 3 so far, more than usual - but a welcome treat! We've watched Biff grow from a poppy seed to a lemon.

Love #1: I Heart Lonny Mag

For those of you familiar with Domino magazine, you probably shared in my anguish when this amazing publication went out of print. As we continue to see print magazines fold as quickly as they come out with new iPads, we wonder, what will be left? Well... look no further than Lonny Magazine. Editor in Chief Michelle Adams and her team have put together a brilliant on-line magazine that stands to prove the test of time both for the content and the format! With it's user friendly features like clickable links on images where you are wondering, "where can I get that?", it does just that allowing you to find, save and choose your faves! Easy on you, tough on your checkbook. As you can see from the below, everything Michelle Adams and team touches appears to turn to taste. I anxiously await each issue knowing as soon as I get the note that it's "gone live" I have to find the perfect few hours to curl up in bed or on my couch with a cup of espresso (decaf of course), uninterrupted. A must read - over and over... We'll look to Lonny and Michelle Adams for some inspirational nursery ideas! www.lonnymag.com

Lonny Mag's September / October 2011 Issue

A divine Seattle apartment, done by Michelle Adam's herself in the July / August 2011 

And all the fixings....

The on-line pub also features articles about great finds from around the world and for the world, not limited to just interiors but including an aspirational list of places to see, stores to shop, fashion to have and restaurants must trys.
(July / August 2011)

Here they feature Heidelberg Suites in Heidelberg, Germany with a great story (July / August 2011)

Interior images - Heidelberg Suites (July / August 2011)

Week #1: Let's Get it Started

It's only appropriate that my blog begins with Week 1 of the NFL Season. Here are my takeaways:

• So much for the new kickoff rule. There were at least 3 returns for TDs made this week, which gives us hope that the league, owners and player's union really do know how to balance executable rules with maintaining the excitement of the game ensuring that Madden doesn't become more rough & tough than the actual game. 
• Cam Newton: Love him or hate him, his rookie performance at 400+ yds is undeniably noteworthy. Didn't quite beat the Arizona Cardinals, but enough to keep me quiet until next week. 
• The Redskins looked solid. I was once driving down the freeway in Maryland with my family when we noticed the truck next to us had the mold of a male genitalia hanging from it's tow package and a Redskins bumper sticker on it's tail gate. I said yes, "being a Redskins fan is a bit like dragging your b*lls down the freeway at 75mph." (Here is the off-color in me coming out). Kudos for the win. 
• The Ravens were impressive with their most convincing win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in this historic, bitter rivalry (I'm taking the high road here and giving them the nod). 
• Ouch! St. Louis Rams: The Rams need to wear their PJs inside out tonight or do a special offering dance to the injury gods to hope that the MRIs of Week 1's victims come back negative: Sam Bradford (nerve damage), Danny Amendola (dislocated left elbow), Steven Jackson (quadriceps), Ron Bartell (stinger), and Jason Smith (ankle sprain). To my family in St. Louis - my thoughts are with you. 
• It was pretty special to hear my Dad announce on Fox that he was going to be a grandfather; and, to declare that I'm genetically predisposed to have a boy (whom he's affectionately named Biff for now, here fore referred to). 
• Above all of this, may we never forget the strengthening memories of 9.11.01 and all of those beautiful lives that will forever be memorialized; and, may humanity prevail and we never have to face a day as dark as that again.

Why Write...

As I only joined Facebook recently, I decided to be a bit faster to blog before it becomes passe (probably sooner rather than later thanks to the Mark Zuckerberg's of the world). My husband always wonders what's going through my head as I usually jump from topic to topic with no logical segway. Well... here's hoping this provides some logic. I've been described by some as wildly off-color and inappropriate (this I get from being a football coach's daughter), but also poised and articulate (I only add these compliments to give credit to my amazing mother who did what she could to counteract the effect of the former descriptions).

As we've experienced the excitement the last few months of welcoming Baby Jones into our lives due to the world in March 2012 - you're never quite prepared for that double line, positive sign, digital pregnancy reading... yes I took 6 tests across 3 different brands - we look forward to oversharing the details of the experience!

Beyond this, I hope to shed some meanderings on my upbringing in the world of football, which taught me more than my valued education at both Garrison Forest School and Northwestern University. Ladies - I hope this gives you some talking points about the game and makes you look forward to the Sunday afternoons and Monday nights (and Thursday's towards the end of the season) that have become hallowed tradition in our house. Gentleman - perhaps you stand to learn something to take to the water coolers at work, as well.

Beyond this, I'll post those ramblings my husband has come to love and loathe... sharing all things I love, hate and have to share!

(Disclaimer: I do not claim to have perfect grammar nor perfect writing skills. As my legal studies professors will tell you from my papers in college, I should have stuck to the algorithms of my mathematics degree. It could have been my thesis on anti-trust laws as they apply to the NFL while my aspirational classmates explored the standardization of legal practices across global judicial systems that made them realize my style was a bit "different".)

With that, here we go....