Mommy Diaries Take 17 (Back To Work!) – Carmen Brown

As of September 9th, I will be back in full swing on the morning show, better than ever! I laugh and say that out loud because once you give a long - hard birth, you know you can do anything. It is sooooo true. Anyway, I am looking forward to being back on and hanging out with Jeff and Skip after a long time apart (ha-ha) Let’s not get too sappy. But even more important, I cannot WAIT to hear from you guys, how your summer went, whatever bones you have to pick, or your crazy next door neighbor! Oh wait, that’s my crazy neighbor, but let’s hear from yours too. It has been such a beautiful, moving summer for me. There is so much Emory and I have learned. It’s hard to even wrap my head around it. Tyson turned 8 weeks as of this past Tuesday…time has gone by WAY to fast. Don’t you wish you could just freeze those cute little cheeks in time? Ok – now I have to be careful not to create too much of a mommy’s boy.(ha-ha)

Wow – it will be so fulfilling, but so hard at the same time. Right now, I do not leave his side unless it is to go to the YMCA and get some laps in. (baby weight is the best!) I know that this will be a huge transition just like every other woman has gone through (or you might be going through it right now). It is a time in our life that we will never forget. There also comes a time where we need ‘adult’ time. All of my days have been spent 24-7 with my son since he has come into this world, and the time has come to venture out. Even with the long hours we put in, we are still very lucky to get off work early afternoon. This will allow me to have the best of both worlds: the 2 things I love most…my family and my career. I’m not going to lie, it will be a balancing act like no other I have ever experienced. I take the majority of the load at the house, and that is mostly due to the time I have had off to take care of business at home. It will be a rude awakening for Emory, but I have faith we can get through this! Little babies (or so I hear) sleep longer the older they get, so that may mean more shut eye for mommy. Right now he is in full blown colic, so the jury is still out on that one. I’m curious when our little ones begin to phase out of colic to a happier place. For him, it is gas…gas…gas. It must be painful and I can tell by looking at his little face when he is crying for hours.

Anyway, this is a whole new chapter…an entire new balancing act. I think that in careers like mine, it is a matter of respect for one another. It is a matter of understanding and being fair to one another. I work in an environment that allows this to be possible, so I’m looking up as I walk back in from my long leave. Even in times of change and transition, the best attitude is a positive, strong attitude. I look forward to talking to each and every one of you, and I have missed you much! Nobody said it would be easy, but at some point we have to do it! As always, make it a good one! -Carmen

Mommy Diaries (Dear Disgruntle Caller) – Carmen Brown

Yesterday, I caught wind of a phone call that came in on the morning show regarding my maternity leave. Although I did not hear the call myself, a friend of mine gave me an idea of how the call went down. A lady called in insinuating something like ‘If I could not handle coming back to work sooner, then maybe I shouldn’t be working’. Now keep in mind, I was rocking my little one and did not hear the phone call, but to the lady who has a hard time understanding why I chose to take a 12 week leave, let me give you something to think about.

First of all there is a difference of being able to ‘handle’ coming back very shortly after having a child and making the choice to take a longer leave after having a child. For me, it was a personal choice to spend this crucial time with my son, and, by law, chose to take my full 12 weeks. As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I made the decision to count all my nickels and dimes to make sure I could be with my son in this very precious time. As much as I would love my money tree to throw hundreds at me, it broke a while back (ha-ha). We get one shot to embrace our children through their first months and that means more to me than anything else. It has NOTHING to do with what I can handle. It has EVERYTHING to do with how I choose to handle it.

I feel very blessed to work on a morning show that is not only entertaining, but also gives back to the community. If I did not give a damn, than I could of simply stuck him with a nanny and come running back to work with flying colors. But the point I’m trying to make is that if you are lucky enough to take that time with your new child, it will be the most important thing you can do. Family always comes first, especially when a new life that comes into this world. With that being said, I know some of my mommy friends that had to back to work after 6 weeks. It was not something they chose, it was a financial situation that made the choice for them. If they could have taken the full time off, trust me they would have! Then there are many women who I know that really want to get back to work sooner than later, and that’s ok too! It is a choice, whether we as women are forced or have the money to do it. Then there are those people who ‘pride’ themselves on how ‘quick’ they come back to work, women and men, and I find that just ridiculous. This is not a promotion game on how quick we can run back to our jobs yelling ‘voila– look at me!’ Sorry, I will never understand that. Emory spent 2 weeks with me, not because I asked him, but because he wanted to. He wanted to take care of this beautiful new life and the mother of his child. For those who do not know, I had a pretty hard pregnancy towards the end and had a really hard labor that turned into a C-section.

So to the woman who called in about what I can ‘handle’ and what I cannot, please feel free to respond to this blog. As for the majority of women and men reading this, I can almost guarantee you understand where I am coming from. I’m always up for a good challenge, so to the lady caller, think twice about your comments before you make them and put a smile on your face when you wake up! To all of my listener family who have taken time to send me positive emails and cards, I would like to take this moment to thank you. It means more to me than you will ever know. As always, make it a good one and I will talk to you guys very soon! - Carmen

Golf Contest Results are In! by Skip

I am writing this blog in anger. I did not win the co-host spot for the golf channel as I had hoped. I came in 4th place. If they only knew what they are missing on the golf channel, "Some Skip", I could have made them a we bit more entertaining!

Sorry Golf Channel!

Mommy Diaries Take 15 (It’s Been A While!) - Carmen Brown

So, as I was outside watering my plants and my next door neighbor told me I needed to write some more mommy dairies. It’s been a while since I have really sat down and written a play by play in the world of Tyson. It’s not that I don’t love you guys, and you know I LOVE to write, but it has been crazy town up in my household! Baby has officially woken up from his 1st month daze…you know where they sleep most of the time…eat every 2 hours then pass back out…well, he has spread his wings to fly in his new world now! He is a busy man…I can already see it now…he is going to want to work for the media just like mommy when he grows up. It’s funny…I tell people he has places to go and people to see everyday…and now that I think about it, he does! We have, somewhat, of a schedule going on, but really, how much of a schedule can you put a 7 week old baby on? He runs this show right now and I just take notes and follow his lead. He lets me know exactly what he needs and when he needs it. The coolest thing right now is the little sounds he is making…who knew a little ‘ahhh’ or ‘ohhh’ could make your heart melt and laugh hysterically at the same time. I cannot wait until he can talk to me…you know, we’ll talk about the latest and greatest and hopefully he will have a little attitude like me (well, not as much, but a little pep in his step!) I wonder what his first word will be? Hopefully ma-ma, yeah…ma-ma sounds good to me.

As far as our days, we spend a lot of time up and awake during the day, which is fine with me if that means he will sleep more at night. We have all the basics down: stretch time, play time on our baby Einstein mat (you know he’s my future genius!), swing time, sling time (totally different than swing time), stroller walks with the dogs, stop by the local coffee shop for our latte, moses basket naps, feedings, changing those beautiful,colorful diapers, and LOTS of laundry (he likes the sound of the washing machine). Now that I got the green light to work out, I have been a woman on the move trying to get this baby weight off! Now, don’t get me wrong, I am NOT being hard on myself because I realize how long it takes to really get back in shape. With that being said, the only women who achieve that size 2 are the ones who had plastic surgery or a personal trainer and probably a personal chef. Well, money isn’t growing on my tree out back, so I’ll have to go with the self-determination program. I have realized if you find something you really love to do, hiking, swimming, walking, etc…do it. Every little bit counts and you have to start somewhere, right?

That always seems to be the hardest part…getting started. I have a new philosophy: just do it! If you spend too much time thinking about it and over analyzing, there goes the time that you could have just made it happen. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have that kind of time to let my thoughts become too overwhelming. You know who you are…if it’s you just stop it…it’s madness I say…madness! On that note, Grandpa is coming over for a little TLC with Baby Tyson and I am hitting the swimming pool. This weight will not just magically disappear! Energy time…here we go! As always, make it a good one! -Carmen

Mommy Diaries Take 14 (OMG – LOVE THOSE TWINS!) by Carmen Brown

Who has seen the new ‘People’ magazine with the spread of Angelina and Brad’s of kids? I’m not just in ahhh because of their celebrity status…it goes much deeper than that. I love the way that they are so interactive…proactive…and do much more than write a check. They have been blessed with careers that allow them to use not only their money but their hands to make a difference. So many times we see elaborate Hollywood gatherings for one cause or another, which is great, but I admire Angie’s and Brad’s mission in life…they really are humanitarians first and celebrities second.

Even though I am not on the same playing field financially, this is the same reason I have chosen media as my career. It allows me to reach out to our community to those in need…those who do not have a voice…those who have a story that needs to be heard. Some people go into these fields of work for various reasons, whether it be spotlight, unique talent, love for the talentl they have been blessed with…etc. Regardless of our reasons, we have a podium to speak on and people will listen. It is a very powerful tool. It can be positive or negative, but the microphone is there.

So many times, I am reminded that my job is to be an entertainer first and foremost, but the day I stop working for a higher purpose, is the day I walk away from the mic. It does not matter where I am or what I am doing to make a dollar, it must incorporate helping others with the resources I have.

After giving birth to my son, I was enlightened on how important the people are that work in the medical field. So, my point being, you don’t have to have a mic, a million dollars, or an operating table.…you can still be part of a bigger picture. Never doubt the power of one person and how we can collectively make change happen together. I hope to instill these values into my son as he grows into his manhood. I hope to travel around the world and show him the beauty of other cultures. In my 31 years, I have been blessed enough to travel to places like Africa, Spain, Asia and so on. Some places were very westernized and other very poor with little resources. I have seen the good and the bad. I believe there is a reason we experience the things we do, because at that point it is our choice to ignore it or dig in our hearts to help out. I choose to dig deep. I hope you do too…Anyway, the twins are beautiful and I say they have 10 more! (ok…maybe that’s a bit much!) As always, make it a good one! -Carmen

Mommy Diaries Take 12 (Hitting the 2 Month Mark) – Carmen Brown

The first month has passed and I feel like a pro (ok, not really), but time with my little man is going by so fast! One reason I think time has flown by is because the first month with a newborn is such a blur. Maybe by the time you have your 2nd or 3rd child it is different, but not with your first! First of all, you come home with this new person and the only knowledge you have is through all those books you stocked up on during pregnancy. Second, after calling the afterhours nurse 24-7, you really don’t sleep at all.

With that being said, the first month has been amazing. I have learned more about life (literally) and myself than I ever before. I have learned to trust myself more than ever, and patience really does exist. I cannot believe how much Tyson has grown. He is almost 10 pounds. Wow…that kid likes to eat! He is really lean, just like his daddy, and is very serious about drinking his milk. He is so funny when I stop to burp him, he goes bananas. He is so ready to gulp down the rest of his food, he burps on cue just so I will give him his bottle back! Parents, you know what I’m talking about.

It has been so hot outside, we really have not really gone anywhere, but soon enough we will be playing at the beach! I can’t wait till he says his first words…I wonder what he will say. What was your kids first word that made sense? I hope it will be ‘ma-ma’ but I’m determined it will be ba-ba…meaning ‘GET MY FOOD NOW” Oh, it makes me laugh to think about.

Little Tyson is doing great and I hope to see you all very soon. This time is so precious with him, so I am taking advantage of my 12 weeks. It is really only a drop in the bucket compared to the big picture. I will post more pics here soon, so look forward to Tyson looking a little different as he grows…and grows…and grows! Ahhh—if he could only be this tiny forever. It is so sweet.

Well, it is 1 a.m. and I am going to try to get him back to sleep. He just woke up to eat, and mommy needs some shut eye before another big day! Make it a good one! - Carmen

Mommy Diaries Take 12 (I Going to Talk to God) – Carmen Brown

‘I’m going to talk to God’... these words went through my head as I walked out the door yesterday. Sometimes in order to reflect and gain perspective, we have to go find the light, breath the light, exert our energy in the silence of God’s country.

Everybody who is reading this will experience some sort of major change at one point or another. Sometimes it happens so fast, it’s hard to take it all in. Just like a newborn needs to be soothed, adults have the same needs. We all have different coping skills to the brilliant changes life presents us. This ‘soothing’ place for me is in the mountains of North Carolina. It is only about an hour drive, and it is amazing what a long hike in silence will do for the mind. Don’t get me wrong, the past couple of weeks have been amazing and I am loving every moment of it, but really…life as you know it has flipped upside down and inside out. Come to think of it, I’m not sure what any of us could do to prepare for this life altering experience. Is this one more of Carmen’s philosophical blogs, yes it is.

Having a baby is a huge change for anybody. I was so used to running a FULL schedule, going on my own time, and well basically self-consumed. No wonder God worked his magic with that little embryo! All I can say about that is that, it was time. There is no mistake with God’s timing, he is always right on time. So, between laundry, feeding, rocking, changing diapers, bizarre sleep hours, singing, loving, pacing floors, another episode of the Today’s Show, it was time to get out. Cabin fever is no friend of mine. I did not even realize it was time until my mother called and said, ‘You and your father should really go drive up to the mountains and spend the day outside’. It did not even occur to me, the thought of leaving Tyson home with nanny for 4 hours or more. That was crazy talk! I could hardly go run a few errands without rushing back to the house to make sure baby was OK! This thought kind of blew my mind. Instead of rejecting the idea, I sat there and thought for a minute…maybe she knows something I don’t…maybe through raising 2 kids of her own, she knows the time has come that I get out and take time…to take time. My father and I have always had a unique bond with nature, it is how we bond as father and daughter. Whether it be the mountains or the beach, this is how he shows his love most…in God’s county…away from the world. We both love hiking and having conversations away from the TV, away from a cell phone, away from all these ‘consuming’ worldly things.

Wow, I could not tell you the last time I visited the mountains to simply go take a hike and get fresh air. I could not tell you the last time my father and I took time to bond and reconnect. Life had just become too fast and it was time to put the brakes on. So there we were, he knew all the roads and all the trails. It was time to talk to God. To hike into the unknown and just be. I always have said, if you struggle with faith, go sit on top of a mountain and look around you…how could there not be a higher power…it is magnificent. It reminds me that there is something much greater than myself, that I am only part of the puzzle that all fits together in this thing we call life. I am rediscovering love in a way that I have never done before…I am rediscovering love as a grown woman now. The kind of love that only a child knows…through the eyes of innocent with no boundaries. This is probably the most important gift I can give as a mother, as a friend, as a daughter, as co-worker, a partner, as a human. Rejuvenation is a wonderful. If you do not have the time or resources to take a hike up a mountain, find something that works…just take time. Hope you are having a great week! As always, make it a good one! -Carmen

Mommy Diaries Take 10 (ha-ha) – Carmen Brown

Just a quick note…when the phone rang, I picked up the baby monitor to answer it. The End.

Mommy Diaries Take 9 (Unexpected Situations) by Carmen Brown

We have made it to the weekend with a successful week behind us, whoah….I thought for a minute it would never end. With that being said, the ‘C’ word has entered our home, the word that makes both women and men cringe at the mere thought…the one that works your last nerve where you question yourself as a parent. The word I am referring to is colic. There, I said it. For so long, I have referred to it as the ‘C’ word to my doctors and pediatrician as if it were some secret I was trying to keep under wraps. They have reassured me that it only happens to a VERY SMALL amount of babies and not to worry so much. First of all, I’m the queen of worry and second if you tell me there is only a 1 out of 10 chance for anything happening, I will fall into that 1 percent. Let me give you a perfect example. When I was pregnant and got tested for diabetes, they told me only a very small amount of women get gestational diabetes. You guessed right, I got the ‘D’ word. Then, they told me with exercise and proper diet I would not have to resort to insulin, ‘Only a small percent, very small percent of women have to go on insulin’. Guess what, 3 weeks later I was giving myself 3 shots a day. Believe me, I tried everything to stay away from those shots. Watching everything I ate, no sugar, low carbs, no fried foods, basically a pregnant woman’s worst nightmare…not being able to give into cravings. I always kept the bright side up thinking it could always be worse, there could be something wrong with the baby…so as long as baby was healthy, I would do anything to keep it that way.

So anyway, as I swam laps just about every day and walked like I was doing a cross country journey…healthy baby…healthy baby. I actually swam laps the day before I delivered and my family thought I had lost my mind. There was an ongoing joke, that when Carmen goes into labor, she is going to ask somebody to drop her off at the pool first so she workout. Well, let me tell you, all that working out payed off when my ankles were strapped up to my ears pushing for 4 hours after being in hard labor for the first 21. Ladies, don’t get it twisted, this is not a time to sit on the couch and chill all day. (although you do have that right, I cannot say I was not guilty of it) Plus, after you deliver that big bouncing baby, you will lose that flab a lot faster. I am 32 days in and 32 pounds lighter. Trust me, I have not worked out since I gave birth because I had that fabulous cesarean that put me on lock down for a while. Even though I fought everybody when they told me to sit down and quit doing so much, I still claimed my independence. My healing process has taken much longer because of this. Note to self, take the opportunity to relax when you can, things have only sped up 10 fold.

Anyway, back to the ‘C’ word. How could this be? So far, knock on this fake hardwood table, it is not that bad when I compare to other stories I have heard from friends. Tyson only gets a bit fussy here and there, usually around the same time every day, and what really blows about it is that there is really nothing I can do to make it better. I resort to all that I have been taught and all my maternal instincts: rocking, checking the diaper, checking bottle time, holding him like a cocoon in my arms, rubbing his head, getting out the gripe water, taking a bath, on and on. Does he not like me? Oh…don’t be silly, he’s not old enough to realize how crazy his mom was back in the day! We will keep that a secret between you, I and God. Some days are better than others. One thing I contribute to his fussiness is my house being a 3 ring circus. I have had to pull out the bull whip on people just ‘dropping’ by and staying for hours. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the love and help, but I got this, really! I am not afraid to ask when I need help. I am not afraid to call my mother and say ‘Please come over for 2 hours so I can take a nap, please, please!’ As always, she does just like all good mommies, do it because they love us. Plus, it gives her quiet time with Tyson, which I know she loves. Like I said, it can be a 3 ring circus around here, and my place is not even that big. I know, I will set up a patio outside with a hostess to seat people. Yeah, there’s an idea!

Anyway, sometimes I feel a bit overwhelmed by too much going on at one time, so I have to put my foot down. Small doses always works best for me. So here we are, Tyson celebrated his one month birthday yesterday (August 1st) and we are all alive and well. Ahhhh…we made it through the first month, I actually figured out what to do when we came home from the hospital, which was my biggest fear considering I had no idea what I was doing. Let me offer you one more piece of advice. All of those books we bombard ourselves with when we are pregnant, well, you can throw half of that out the window. I don’t think God created an instruction book when he created man. Trust your instinct, even if you have to dig deep. Just like my doctor said when I was pushing like a wild animal, dig deep…dig deep…dig deeper than you ever have in your life. I still will never forget those words. Thank You Dr. Lispcomb. For every challenge I face from here on out, I will still hear those words whisper in my head. As always, make it a good one! -Carmen