Blot kage with strawberries.

We decided this year not to throw a party for my son's second birthday. I felt guilty, of course, but we had thrown a big barbecue in our back yard for his first birthday complete with sangria, cheeseburgers, multiple salads, and a cake shaped like a penis. Yes, we did in fact serve a penis cake at a 1-year-old's birthday party. I was delirious from lack of sleep as an intern in the ICU, and my husband told me he would take care of everything. He decided to make his favorite birthday cake growing up, an ice box cake with layered chocolate wafers and whipped cream that tastes exactly like a giant Oreo (amazing), and he wanted to make it in the shape of a "1" for my son's first birthday. You may be able to see the disaster looming already, but we were oblivious. It was not until the night before, when he was finishing up with the frosting that he laughed and mentioned it might look a little bit like a penis.

Because nothing is ever finished.

I guess it seems appropriate to start a blog by explaining why you're writing one. The truth is, I'm not entirely sure why, but I know I enjoy reading about other people's lives and I feel like I want to be part of the conversation. More importantly, I think it may encourage me to write more if I have an audience - even if it's just my husband! - and there's something therapeutic in that. Of course, usually when I think about actually showing other people my writing, I feel like I want to throw up. Nothing is ever good enough, nothing is ever finished, and even this paragraph is taking me days going on weeks to finish. While I'm sure my favorite blogs are meticulously edited and drafted, one of the reasons I like blogs is that they are not meant to be perfect works of art - they are ongoing reflections on the imperfection of life. They are somewhere between a gossip column, personal journal, op-ed piece, and how-to manual for life.

At least, that's what I aspire to. Here goes.