Join me on my new blog: www.MommyTalkShow.com

Sorry for the very late update on what I've been doing and why I haven't updated this site since December 2010.
Since then I've been working on my new business & blog MommyTalkShow.com. It's an online parenting talk show that's taped on-location at family-friendly businesses in Atlanta. I also review and giveaway family-friendly products.

Here's a little more about why I created the show:


Make sure you "Like" Mommy Talk Show on Facebook and "Follow" Mommy Talk Show on Twitter to stay connected. They're the best way to win giveaways, hear the latest parenting hot topics and learn about family-friendly places to take your children in Atlanta.

Very soon, not quite sure when, JoyceBrewer.TV will change to a more professional site. So to really stay in touch with me, visit MommyTalkShow.com.

AJ's Christmas Day Baby Dedication

Happy New Year!
We celebrated A.J.'s first Christmas in New York at my parent's house, surrounded by family and friends. My youth pastor, Vincent Ferrante, performed A.J.'s baby dedication on Christmas Day at our home because my father's medical condition makes it hard for him. Enjoy the video below.

Oprah Addresses Lesbian Rumors

AJ is crawling

My husband and I are celebrating A.J.'s milestone, while simultaneously trying to find time to baby proof since he's officially "mobile." Enjoy:



He still gets a little "lazy" from time to time and flips over on his back.

Movie Review: The Social Network

I saw The Social Network film Saturday morning and I give it an A-. 

I was inspired to  check it out after seeing the actors (Jesse Eisenberg and Justin Timberlake) on The View talking about the movie. I am on Facebook now, although I resisted for months. Now I'm on it at least 4 times a day. It really sucks you in.

Before the movie came out I really didn't know much about the "co-creator" Mark Zuckerberg. According to him, the movie is fiction and he doesn't intend to see it. Well, I like fiction and I liked this movie. The movie details how Facebook went from being an idea in a Harvard dorm room to a reality, how it launched lawsuits worth millions of dollars and broke apart friendships. 

Here's a trailer:

The dialogue is fast paced in some spots. The acting is flawless. I got drawn in to the film, which was hard since my 6 month old son had a cold and was home with my husband while i went to the movies. I hate spoilers so I'll break it down this way.

AJ's first words: Ma Ma!!!!

I know babies usually say "Da Da" first, but somehow AJ bucked the trend and said "Ma Ma" today.
He kept saying it when he was frustrated or unhappy. So I can't really get that excited ;)
Watch & enjoy!

AJ 5 month update

Somehow I just don't have time to update this blog as often as I'd like.
I need to set a goal and at least post twice a month.

OK, I'm done beating myself up. Let me tell you about AJ's summer.
He's been on a plane to visit his grandparents in New York. AJ is about to start one day a week pre-school on his six month birthday. Thankfully, AJ is sleeping much better after we got through the "4 month old wakeful period" where we were up almost every hour of the night! AJ is also sitting up and playing with toys. Pretty soon we'll be transitioning to a high chair, sippy cup instead of bottle and solid foods made by Mommy!

Here's another quick video I shot of AJ yesterday. He's getting used to a new toy and sitting up in our bed:

AJ Talking

On Friday, April 30th our son, A.J., woke up and he was being very "talkative."
At just about 7 weeks old, his favorite thing to say is "aaahhhhoooooo."
We haven't realized what it means, but it's got to be serious.

Introducing Our Son, A.J.

My apologies for just getting around to posting this here.
But any mom can tell you the first week of your child's life is exhausting and exhilirating.
We are all now settled in to our new home and still getting adjusted to A.J.'s sleeping pattern.
Thanks for your prayers and encouragement.
Here are some of the pictures of our son:

C-Section Risks

More expectant moms need to arm themselves with knowledge before they deliver their babies.
Sadly, childbirth can result in death and there seems to be a greater risk for CA moms who have c-sections, as ABC News reports:



Right now, Baby Kendrick is scheduled to be delivered by c-section and I already plan to take control of my follow-up care to prevent blood clots & complications.
I will be walking regularly and asking for the same compression "space boots" I wore after a previous abdominal surgery.

33 Week Update & Baby Shower

Week 33 has been interesting and uncomfortable. Baby Kendrick treats my bladder like a pillow so I’m peeing every 2 minutes. Hard to believe he/she will be here in less than 6 weeks. I’m really looking forward to moving into our new 2 bedroom apartment and setting up the baby’s room.

How to Avoid Dangerous Essential Oils in Pregnancy | eHow.com

How to Avoid Dangerous Essential Oils in Pregnancy | eHow.com

Enjoy this informative article for expectant moms:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5812286_avoid-dangerous-essential-oils-pregnancy.html

Comparison Pics: 14 to 24 Weeks

Early in my pregnancy, I felt like I wasn't showing and didn't look pregnant.
I was quite frustrated about it. Those days are long GONE!!

Here's my belly at approximately 14 weeks:

Today at almost 25 weeks: (and with much less hair)

This "growth spurt" has been interesting and uncomfortable. But we've only got 3 months to go!!!

24 week Update - Baby Kendrick's Supplies

Stage 1, 2 & 3 Pampers

We've been making some efforts to get Baby Kendrick's supplies in order. I've bought three stages of pampers plus wipes. All of the pampers were on sale and bought with a coupon.

First outfit

Since we don't know if Baby Kendrick is a boy/girl, we're left with gender neutral clothing options so far. Thanks to Auntie Mignon in NY, Baby Kendrick has this 7 piece beige outfit to come home in. I'm glad it includes a hat!

We're hoping March won't be too chilly for when we bring the baby home.

Onesies

Daddy Kendrick took us shopping a few weeks ago. Grabbed some good deals at Burlington Coat Factory. Made sure to buy clothing in stages - from newborn to 9 months.

Mommy's christening blanket

While we were home in NY, Grandma Brewer gave me my crocheted christening blanket and pillow case. The first time she used these with me was back in September 1973!! Thank you Grandma for preserving these so we can use them 36 years later.

23 week Update

Baby Kendrick's feet at 20 weeks

Sorry for the lapse in posts and updates on Baby Kendrick.

I had to fly home to NY because my Mom broke her wrist and hurt her back during a bad fall. While I was there we got the sad news that my Aunt Shirley in Philadelphia passed away. On the flight home to Atlanta, I started feeling sick. That turned into a 10 day cold that I really couldn't "treat" with typical medicines because most are not safe for pregnant women. As soon as I got over my cold, my husband caught it. Oh well!!

On a happier note, we were able to shoot the 20 week ultrasound video you saw below. We also got a few pics of Baby Kendrick including my favorite: his/her feet above.

This has been an incredibly active week for Baby Kendrick in my belly. Maybe it's because he/she is getting larger and stronger, but I feel movement EVERYDAY! It's not the kind of movement that keeps me awake - thank goodness! It's just those reassuring kicks that the baby is saying "Hey, I'm in here!" If I lie very still in bed and lift my shirt, I can see my belly shake.

After a rough night of some hip joint pain, I even had a dream about Baby Kendrick's birth. Pregnant women have lots of very vivid dreams. Here's mine:

I was in a hospital bed with my husband asleep next to me. My Mom was sitting on the left side of the bed looking ecstatic about the birth of her "newest" grandchild.

She asked me, "Is it a boy or a girl?"

Sitting on the table in front of me was a burrito I had apparently just given birth to!

I had to unwrap the burrito to find out the baby's sex.

I dug through the beans, rice and cheese to find...........

a BABY GIRL!!!

She was incredibly cute and alert. Weighed 6 lbs 2 oz.

But I was questionning how could I give birth to a full term baby when I was only five months pregnant.

My attention turned to a lady sitting in the room who was giving me a "face" because she apparently thought I was further along in my pregnancy.

Then I kissed Baby Girl Kendrick's face and her head jerked back as if I alarmed or startled her.

I asked "Are you OK baby?"

The newborn nodded as if to say, "Yeah, I'm good."

(I should point out - my husband was asleep in the bed next to me throughout this entire dream!)

So I still don't know if Baby Kendrick is a boy/girl. Although my dreaming mind must think it's a girl. I had a dream earlier in my pregnancy that the baby was a boy, but that dream wasn't as detailed as this one. I believe that dream came from the perspective that my husband said if we have a boy, we can stop at one kid vs. continually trying for a boy.

I say - one and done!

20 Week Update: Baby Kendrick Ultrasound video

At today's 20 week ultrasound appointment, we brought along a Flipcam to record the video. The video lasts about 5 minutes. To catch the most movement:

1:50 Baby Kendrick touches his/her face

2:30 squirming

3:00 wiggles for almost 1 minute

4:01 Baby Kendrick is "climbing the walls" of my belly.

Amazingly, I'm not feeling much movement because of where the placenta is. The ultrasound tech said the baby is head down and the feet are kicking the placenta, not my uterus.

It was a fabulous experience. We saw the four chambers of Baby Kendrick's heart, the kidneys, the spine and everything looked good. There's nothing like the smile on my husband's face when he sees/feels the baby. He was glowing when we heard the heartbeat.

Daddy Kendrick wouldn't budge on his stance to NOT find out if Baby Kendrick is a boy/girl. The ultrasound tech was nice enough not to "zoom" into that area!

In case the above video doesn't show, you can watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWCmO7Uhx1o

"Happy to be Nappy" Slideshow

Happy to be "Nappy"

Today I made a bold move. I cut off my relaxed and highlighted hair to reveal my natural texture. (Much love to Sharon of Salon Balisi!!!)
It's been something I've fantasized doing for years but never had the nerve to do. Mostly, because chemically relaxed hair is more "acceptable" for a black woman who appears on TV, like I did for over a decade. Now that I'm not appearing on-camera anymore I didn't have to worry about any work-related issues.
More importantly, now that Baby Kendrick is in my belly I really didn't want to subject him/her to the chemicals that would enter my body if I continued to straighten my hair.

This is the first time in at least 22 years I have not had my hair chemically straightened and the first time in about 13 years I haven't had my hair highlighted or lightened.

What clinched the deal for me was seeing Chris Rock's "documentary" film "Good Hair." My review wouldn't exactly be complimentary to his film, but I was concerned by many of the issues Rock highlighted. Watch the trailer HERE.

Here's a look at my adventure today: http://www.photoshow.com/watch/WU6wc3un

I have a "supportive circle" who agrees with and understands my decision. On the flip side, I've already gotten some negative comments from family and friends. Can't say it didn't hurt a little. I'm only human. But it's a personal decision and I made it FOR ME.

17 week update: Thank God for Bella Bands

Here's a look at my 17 week belly thanks to my "gift" of maternity clothes and a Bella band from Jeriah's mom, Renee.

I admit, I didn't know how to put on the Bella band at first. I had to google it and check out how other expectant mommies were wearing them.

The bands give you some flexibility in wearing your pre-maternity clothes. You can wear and old pair of jeans without struggling to zip or button them over your growing belly. The band covers the gap in your pants and offers an elastic covering for the rest of your belly.

I really didn't feel like I looked pregnant until the day I wore the Bella band. It helped give my tummy more of a round vs. flabby look.

Really Simple Recipes

I am not a great cook. In fact, before I stopped drinking coffee I really only used my stove to boil water for my daily cup of decaf.

My husband knew this long before we got married, so it's really no surprise to him. To borrow a line from Eddie Murphy's "Boomerang" and the uncomfortable dinner conversation between David Alan Greer's parents: "He didn't marry me for my cooking!"

But already this week I've made him at least one item he could eat: turkey meatloaf. It was simple and that's why I made it:

• Ground Turkey



• Seasoning



• Diced Onions



• Egg



• Crumbled slice of wheat bread (since the bread crumbs in my pantry were years old)



• Packet of meatloaf seasoning

See, if a recipe has too many steps, I lose interest. But since I love to eat out, I like to "attempt" to make my menu favorites at home. Last week, I made a wonderful "dinner for one" since my husband usually makes his own late night meals when he gets off.

I made BBQ Salmon Salad based on the Chopped BBQ Chicken Salad I love to order at Panera Bread. The items were easy, handy and cheap. Plus, I'll use them later to make something else. Isn't it annoying to buy weird/exotic ingredients to make one thing that you never make again??? In this case, the salad recipe requires light Three Cheese Ranch Dressing and Kraft BBQ Sauce (which I'm convince is coursing through my husband's veins since he eats it on everything!).

Check out the recipe: http://www.ehow.com/how_5508077_make-quick-bbq-chicken-salad.html

I'll try to keep posting my recipes here (which probably won't be very often).