I know I should be spiritually moved to change the world with my URL after all Iearned and experienced at my first BlogHer conference. It was amazing, but right now, frankly, I’m effing tired.

I’m the kind of tired where you don’t care that you didn’t wash your hair this morning and you can’t remember if you brushed your teeth. But, it’s cool as long as the McDonald’s coffee you dribbled on your dirty jeans masks your morning breath.

I hope the guy next to me on this flight appreciates my Java scent. It’s Premium Blend, Sir! Don’t give me that look!

I learned a lot. I’ll write about all that tomorrow. For now I’ll just say that I learned a valuable lesson about conference swag after an unfortunate run-in with the TSA team at LaGuardia. Somehow they couldn’t appreciate the fact that bottles of expensive lotion mistakenly in my carry-on was for a blog giveaway for the amazing Erin of A Parenting Production. I tried to explain that it was a non-greasy formula. She still yanked the bottles from my arms with her blue-gloved hand of death.

I think her lotion-hating is letting the terrorists win.

Resistance is futile.  It’s futile for me when it comes to pop music.  ::sigh::  It’s true.  My fanaticism for the New Kids on the Block led to NKOTB shoelaces and sleeping bags.  I loved Madonna into the ’90’s when my peers preferred Nirvana.  There was that summer (in my adulthood) when I rocked that Miley Cyrus song on my iPod like, everyday.

I tried this summer.  I really did.  I tried to avoid the “Song of Summer 2012” that everyone is humming whether they like it or not.  But, when the Team USA Swim Team made this video to Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” and my husband who is completely obsessed with the Olympics played it, like all the time, I was done.  Done.  I’ve been singing it non-stop.  Charlotte says “More! More!” when the song stops.  Ugh!

Add to my lack of futility, I found more caffeine.  I discovered Crystal Light Energy.  The girls at work have been going on about it for some time, now.  I felt AMAZING!  I got so much done today.  I had a great run tonight as I get ready for the BlogHer ’12 5K.  Guess what I listened to on the iPhone?

I told you.  Futile.

Next week I will be getting on a plane to fly to one of the world’s largest cities to attend one of the world’s largest blog conferences and it blows my freaking mind, ya’ll!

What?! What has this turned into? This was just a hobby. It was a way to remember being pregnant. It was a way to write and get my thoughts out. I really knew nothing about blogging nor the blogosphere. I believe I may have heard the term “mommy blogger” some time and cringed at the thought of the Stepford Wives with MacBooks who must have taken up that hobby.

Somebody’s Parents was just a few diary entries written in a Google Doc back in 2010. Not anymore. Somewhere along the way people besides Greyson, my sister (when she had time), and a few very kind friends read my meanderings. All of the sudden I wanted to read more blogs, more stories, and more tales of pregnancy and motherhood. I found women from all over the world experiencing the same joys, disgusting syptoms, and hardships that I was. I joined blog communities, met local bloggers in the flesh and had late night Twitter chats with “friends” I only knew by their avatar. It was fun. It was more than message boards and Facebook. It was a community.

Blogging has gone from a hobby to a passion. I love doing this. I want to get better. I’m taking myself and my little blog to New York City on my birthday. It’s my first birthday away from family in all my 31 years. I can’t think of any place I’d rather be.

I’m not big-time. I know that. I’ve heard about the “types” that you run into at BlogHer. Is it intimidating? Only if I let it be.

I got a little something this weekend to help me on my journey. Yep! Blogging with the iPad2 and a keyboard. I have also ordered my business cards.

The lovely ladies pictured here are two of my BlogHer ’12 roommates. (Visit Erin, Andrea, and Andrea!) We got a few new festive frocks last week before the trip. They are even helping me celebrate my birthday!

Am I nervous? Maybe a little, but I’ve never been much of a wallflower. I figure if I go into BlogHer with the same open mind and joyful spirit that I did when I started blogging, I’ll be okay. Wish me luck! If I see you there, please say “Hello!” Let’s exchange cards. Tell me what sessions and parties you’re going to. I promise I have no idea what I’m doing and I won’t act like I do.

Scenes and quotes from our life lately:  

We went through hell with our tight-ass HOA to insure that our potential buyer could park her conversion van in our town home neighborhood since it won’t fit in the garage.  We made sure she wasn’t violating our neighborhood’s umpteeth Nazi covanents.  It was a challenge to explain these rules without letting on that the Suburban Third Reich might hunt her down for a yard flag violation.  It was all for nothing.  She made an offer on a house two doors down.  I look forward to keying that stupid van.  (I’m not really.  Just kidding.  Calm down.)

www.gmc.com

I was getting ready to leave and I tell Greyson, “It’s so hot.  I can’t wear pants as often.  I hate shaving my legs.  I hope no one notices.” I pointed down to my skirt.  He says, “Wow, you are kind of a sasquatch!”  “Sasquatch.  I love that word.”

www.jacklinks.com

I went to a baby shower recently.  There was a table with desserts and drinks.  There was a glass jar with candy.  Charlotte saw it and wanted a piece so I gave her some.  A friend pointed out that the party hosts then moved the candy into a jar with a lid.  Turns out that candy was for a shower game.  The game was one of those “Guess the Number in the Jar” games.  Whoops!  I felt I couldn’t participate.  I think someone from my table won because they knew it was 250 minus 1.  This is proof my life is a constant faux pas.

 I had a phone date with one of my dearest old friends.  I was getting the update on baby #2 as her second pregnancy wraps up.  I wanted to know all the details of their move to a new city and getting new jobs.  I missed her.  I told her something we had done recently.  She said, “Yea Amy.  I know everything.  I read the blog.”  Touche.  At least I know she won’t miss me.

I had a blog revelation this weekend.  A blogevation if you will.  I don’t know what it is about mom bloggers in Raleigh, but we rock.  I feel so lucky to be in a city with so many talented mothers who write for the rest of the world to read.  A little gander of my blogroll is proof we are keyboard happy mamas here in the Tar Heel state.

I have a new one to add.  I didn’t find Settle Monroe during a Twitter party, through Top Baby Blogs, or a blogger networking event.  No.  I found her in my Sunday newspaper.

courtesy: The News & Observer

The News & Observer featured Settle and her blog As I Walk.  She started writing after the sudden death of her nearly three-year-old son.  When I read the article my heart went up into my throat and I had to catch my breath.  She blogs her grief.  She blogs her child’s memory.  My God, she does it beautifully.

Suddenly I felt so silly looking at my posts with carefully cropped photos and crafted witty remarks.  I felt foolish for checking stats or counting followers.  I felt even more ashamed of being jealous of other bloggers.  I realized in some ways I’ve lost my way with this blog.  We all want a “successful” blog.  But, what does that really mean?  When I started writing Somebody’s Parents it was with the purest intentions.  I wanted to remember my pregnancy and document the life of my baby.  I knew NOTHING about mommy bloggers,  SEO, Twitter, Facebook fan pages, BlogHer or any of it.   One line of the article sticks out to me, as it should all bloggers.

“Monroe said she doesn’t know how many people read her blog.  She could find out, probably, but she doesn’t care.”

It struck me that no matter why you write a blog, be it to celebrate, share, or grieve, you do it to write.  Writing is the foundation.

Preparing for BlogHer ’12 is so exciting.  I can’t believe it’s almost here.  It’s my first blogging conference.  I am anxious to learn all I can about blogging and how I can make Somebody’s Parents better.  I LOVE blogging!  I love all the connections I have made and the stories I have the privilege of reading everyday.  Before I get too carried away with “growing the blog”, I need to get back to what it’s all about.

Thank you Settle.  Thank you for being brave enough to share your story and inspire strangers all over the world, and right here in your city.