I cannot BELIEVE Allie is still dating that loser pretty boy

Due to some of your recent comments, readers (that's right, the blame's on you) I decided this weekend to watch all the available episodes of "The City" on demand and now I'm hooked. It's not as good as "The Hills," can we just get that straight? Whitney is nice and pretty and has a good work ethic, but she's got nothing on LC as far as reality TV stardom goes, you know what I mean? She's never gonna ratchet up that sense of drama like Lauren can. She's too prim and proper to get drunk and cry with her best friend at a party. Multiple times. That's what I like about "The Hills." Despite the fact its a far cry from my actual life, the show reminds of me being 24 and drinking margaritas on the front stoop after work, analyzing the latest Raleigh, NC gossip in agonizing detail and then heading over to the sub-par Mexican restaurant and bar across the street (because we could walk there, DUH) for a few more because, hey, we were young and it's ok to be a little hungover for work in the morning. Undoubtedly, the night would conclude with a raucous and emotional declaration of our love for one another. "We will be friends for LIFE! What if we'd never met each other?! I love you guys!" And Whitney, I'm sorry, is never going to achieve that level of sisterhood for me. But, I mean, I don't have that much going on Monday nights, calm down, of course I'll watch the show.

If all my pants had elastic wastebands, I'd be pretty happy, too

Hanging out in the living room recently on her favorite activity mat.

I've been meaning to write a post for a few weeks now about how much I've adored Nora's fourth month and, what do you know, today she turned five-months-old. The post is still coming, however. She has acheived so much lately in her little baby world...turning from her back to her tummy (and now refusing to sleep on her back, and sometimes, adorably, with her little bottom in the air), babbling incoherently, and, much to her Uncle Vinnie's delight (who is, strangely, the most Catholic member of our family in a very the-child-needs-her-blessing-from-the-Lord kind of way), been baptized. We've been busy, and having a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to telling you all about it.