Birth Announcement: Elle Summer

I have big news to share!
My husband and I welcomed a brand new baby girl into the family this summer!

Since this is our second child, I've followed tradition and upheld every second child cliche out there. I haven't written anything in the baby book. I've taken more than a month to share this birth announcement. And I seem to be losing the baby weight much more slowly this time around. Awesome. I bet Kate Middleton has already lost all her baby weight. Kim Kardashian, too. Thanks, ladies.
But back to my sweet baby girl. Her name is Elle (we love the one-syllable names in our family: Jim... Jill... Shane... you get the picture). We might be biased, but we think she's as charming as Elle Woods, as captivating as Elle Macpherson and fascinating enough to land the cover of Elle magazine. But of course, her first cover will be either People or Vanity Fair...it's family tradition.

Airport Style

Ready for takeoff, inspired by J. (below right). Except I
think I'll need a bigger purse. And by purse, I mean diaper bag.

Lately, there seems to be a huge disconnect between the way I look in my mind's eye (clean clothes, decent hair, makeup) and the way I look when I pass a mirror (food-covered sweats, messy ponytail, no makeup). I just watched an episode of Giuliana & Bill in which Giuliana worries about losing her mojo after the arrival of the couple's baby. I don't know about my mojo, but my sense of style seems to have flown the coop. It has only made a few incredibly brief appearances since my son was born a year ago. Each of my rare fashion-forward moments have been inspired by J's Everyday Fashion. J's recent blog on airport style got me thinking about my last flight. It pains me to admit I boarded the plane in workout pants, running shoes, and a stained performance tee. Sigh. 

As I prepare for another flight, J. is the wind beneath my wings. Her outfit (above) is awesome, except I can't wear a chambray shirt. My father-in-law was the king of the denim shirt. If I were to wear one, the whole family would call me "Oren." Don't get me wrong, it's a great look on the right person. I even bought a tiny chambray button-down for my son. Because it's cute for a little boy to look like his grandfather. But it's not cute for a grown woman to look like her father-in-law. So I flip-flopped the dark blue and light blue parts of J's outfit. And now I feel somewhat creative. And quite appropriately-dressed. And completely ready to board the next plane to Fashionville. Or Milan. (Or, lets be honest here, Boca.)

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Follow Jill on Twitter: @JillDobson
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My Shorts Story

Above right, my inspiration, J.
Above left, her inspiration, J. Crew.

Ack! I've been photo-bombed by Baby Shane!

Nearly a year ago, I had a baby. Last spring, I finally lost all the baby weight (yay!), and I couldn't wait to spend the summer in my standard warm-weather uniform of sundresses, shirt dresses and shift dresses. Especially since I'd spent the previous summer in maternity wear. But I quickly found that dresses aren't practical for new moms. If you're nursing, you have to fully undress every time the baby gets hungry. Dresses aren't ideal for playdates, picnics and park outings either. If you're going to be running crawling around a playground with the under-one-year-old set, you need shorts.
And -- brace yourself -- aside from my running gear, I didn't own any shorts. How is that possible, you ask? Well, I always thought dresses were easier. I also felt like I looked all wrong every time I put on shorts. I end up in too-long cargo shorts that made me look like a 14-year-old boy on his way to the skate park. Terrible.
My beloved Vogue, Bazaar and Elle magazines didn't exactly give me guidance on how to dress for playdates. Sure, I knew exactly I'd wear to the Emmys, but I had no idea what to wear to the park!
Then, I found a website called J's Everyday Fashion. It had thousands of pictures of J. managing to look cute in shorts (and skirts, and jeans). She wore fun colors! Belts! Great shoes! And she did it all on a budget! Which is ironic, because she inspired me to do an obscene amount of online shopping for new shorts, as well as coordinating tops, belts and shoes. I honestly think the management at Zappos is planning to honor me with some sort of "Customer of the Year" award soon. Anyway, when I get that award, I plan to thank J. for inspiring my post-baby makeover, or Momover, if you will. And I'll thank my husband for not making too many comments about our skyrocketing credit card statements. And my baby boy, for napping in my arms while I balanced the iPad on my knees and shopped online. And the good people of Zappos, for honoring me with this award. And my fellow nominees... it's an honor just to be mentioned in the same breath as you!
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Follow Jill on Twitter: @JillDobson
Or at www.Pinterest.com/JillDobson
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News Brief: Look Who's Talking!

Shane in his pajamas, with his "Dada," his "Mamamama. Mama,"
his Grandma Mary Ann and one of his many cute cousins.

Eight-month-old Shane Quincy has been saying "Dada" nonstop. And "bahbah." And blowing raspberries, as I call them, or "spit bubbles," as my husband the wordsmith calls them. Anyway, Shane's been making lots of noises, but he hasn't been making any 'm' sounds at all. Then this morning he was crying, so I walked into his room. He looked up, stopped crying and said "Mama." (Actually, he said, "Mamamama. Mama." Whatever. I'm still counting it. Honey, hand me the baby book!) 

It was so sweet, I almost forgot it was 4:58am.

But not quite.

Go back to bed, kid.

Sincerely, 

Mamamama. Mama.

Host Chat: Half-Marathon Moments

I can't believe it! Six months after having a baby, I ran my first half-marathon today!* Scroll down for some highlights...

Shane Quincy watches the marathoners run by, while
Hollywood Super Agent Jim Ornstein and I pose for the paparazzi.

Funniest Motivational Sign: "You've trained longer than Kim Kardashian's marriage."
Cutest Motivational Sign: A "Good Job, Mom!" poster with a big photo of a cute baby who, coincidentally, looked a LOT like my 6-month-old, Shane. I actually did a triple-take to see if it was my little guy!
Worst Motivational Moment: Running past spectators who decided to pump us up with the soothing ballads of Train. The dude crooning "my heart is bound to beat right out my untrimmed chest" is just not helping me zip through Mile 9. I need some Eye of the Tiger! Or really, anything that doesn't mention manscaping!
Biggest Surprise: I felt strong enough to respond to each cheering spectator with both a thumbs up and a smile (read: grimace). I even laughed at the lady waving a "Need Beer?" sign at us. Beer? Now? You're so weird for offering. Not because it's 6:50am and we're running a race. Because I'm clearly under 21! Heh.
Least Surprising Moment: When this ham found the strength for a real smile and a friendly wave for the official race photographers. The pain of Mile 12 is fleeting, but a photo is forever!
Proudest Moments:
-Finishing the 13.1 mile race in a much better time that I expected (2:11)
-Finding out Super Agent Jim Ornstein totally rocked the race (1:38!)
-Walking (read: limping) home and immediately getting a big smile from baby Shane. (Which, unfortunately, you can't see in the photo above. Because Shane has asked Mommy not to post his picture on the web. Something about protecting his online reputation. That Shane! So forward-thinking!)
*Thank you, Fit Pregnancy magazine, for giving me this idea last summer, during my second trimester. One of your pieces quoted reader Becky Frost who said, "After I had each of my two babies, I signed up for a half-marathon, trained for it and ran it about six months after giving birth." Aside from the two babies thing, I did exactly that. Thanks for the inspiration!
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Follow Jill on Twitter: @JillDobson
Or at www.Pinterest.com/JillDobson
Or at www.Facebook.com/JillDobson

Host Chat: This Bib's For Me!

Today I picked up a different bib than the kind I usually buy. This one wasn't terry cloth. It didn't have the name "Shane" embroidered on the front. It wasn't even baby blue! Instead, it looked like this:

That, my friends, is my race bib for my first-ever HALF MARATHON this weekend. I vowed right here that I would do a 13.1 mile race when my son was six months old.
For the past 10 weeks, Hollywood Super Agent Jim Ornstein and I have been in serious training mode. My beloved high school cross-country coach, Mr. P., would be so proud! Jim aims to finish the race in a respectable time. I'm just aiming to finish it. And, really, let's be honest: This was really about losing the baby weight more than anything else! I've achieved one goal: I'm back in my pre-Mom jeans. Now, can I go the distance and complete tomorrow's 13.1 mile trek? Tune in Sunday night for the (hopefully not too) gory details!

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Follow Jill on Twitter: @JillDobson
Or at www.Pinterest.com/JillDobson
Or at www.Facebook.com/JillDobson

Host Chat: Taking Home an Oscar

While watching the Academy Awards, I started wishing I could somehow own (or borrow!) Jennifer Lopez's gorgeous gown. She was my pick for Best Dressed of the night:

Jennifer Lopez (via PopSugar)

Meantime, my son got into the spirit of things by declaring that he hopes to someday take home an Oscar... from the toystore:

Only four months old, and already he's a master of wordplay. That Shane!
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Follow Jill on Twitter: @JillDobson
Or at www.Facebook.com/JillDobson

Ready for RedEye

Red Eye file photo. Spring 2011. Courtesy Hi Def News Caps.

To prepare for a Thursday night taping of Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld, I made the following to-do list:
-Hand our four month old baby off to my husband.
-Study up on the day's news topics. 
-Shower.
-Do hair and makeup.
-Try on several dresses and pick the one that looks best.


Here's how my day really went:
-Scan the day's news topics on my Blackberry while calming a crying baby, hoping my husband will be home from work soon.
-Welcome husband home by immediately handing him the baby. Realize I forgot to say hello. Apologize.
-Take the baby back 10 minutes later, because he seems hungry.
-Stop feeding the baby after a few minutes to change him, because he has wet through his diaper, his outfit, and my outfit.
-Get a sudden flash of inspiration to dress the baby up like his favorite toy, Ernie, in a striped shirt, blue pants and red shoe-like socks. 
-Do a photo shoot of the baby with Ernie.
-Spend an extra few minutes taking a photo in which the baby's face isn't showing, because he says he doesn't want his future girlfriends to see it online someday and mock him for loving an Ernie doll. (Yes, that's right. My four-month old talks. In full sentences. And worries about his online reputation. He's a smart one.)

Dressed like Ernie in striped shirt, blue pants and red "shoes."  

-Welcome some friends who have dropped by to meet the baby. Give them a tour of our home, warning them not to trip on the baby toys in our dining-room-turned-playroom. (I've done a baby-tastic home makeover. Full blog on that coming soon.) Apologize for STILL BEING IN MY PAJAMAS. At 7pm. Yikes.
-Shower, shampooing twice to get all the spit-up out of my hair.
-Burp baby. Sigh when he spits-up in my twice-shampooed hair. Decide to just leave it there and hope the Red Eye viewers don't notice.

-Realize there's no time to do my makeup or fix my hair. Hope the beauty team at Red Eye doesn't mind me showing up with a bare face and spit-uppy hair.
-Throw on the first dress I see in my closet. Cross my fingers in hopes that it will fit, post-pregnancy. Realize that it does fit. Rejoice! Head to Red Eye.

5K Success!

I did it! I ran 5K!
As I may have mentioned once or twice, I had a baby in October. In December, I eased back into running by doing the Couch to 5K program. The goal: To train for and run a 5K (3.1 miles) in about two months.
Well, it's been two months, and...
I did it! 
Over the weekend, I ran a full 5K in 30:02... not quite my personal best of 20:46 from my high school and college cross-country days, but I'll take it!

Jill Dobson looks EXACTLY like this when running

My planned post-baby makeover is underway!
All the running, along with lots of baby-feeding,* has helped put a big dent in the baby weight.
Next up: More running, a new 'do, and some new threads... and I do NOT mean Mom Jeans!


*Am I immature because I'm too shy to say "breast-feeding?" Why doesn't anyone say "nursing" anymore? Move over, Justin Timberlake... I'm bringing nursing back! 

In Memoriam: Steve Ornstein

My husband lost his father on Saturday. My son lost a grandfather. And I lost a loving father-in-law and fellow TV talker.

Steve Ornstein

My father-in-law, Steve Ornstein, led a remarkable life. He was a model turned actor turned sportscaster. I loved bonding with him over the TV biz...and our mutual affection for Shane, my 3-month-old baby. 
I'll miss Oren Stevens, as he was known on-camera, more than I can express. I know many others are heartbroken, too, from his wife and four children to the hundreds of people who've shared their memories of him with us in the past few days.
Goodbye, Oren. We love you.

Stick with me, kid. You'll wear silk.

--Oren Stevens in the 1969 film Downhill Racer

Host Chat: Lullabies and Playdates

Right now I'm playing Jewel's Lullaby album for my baby, Shane. I'm trying to ease him into naptime. As we listen to the album, I can't help thinking how much better off Jewel's son, Kase, is, than my little guy. Kase gets to hear the soothing songs straight from the source! Poor Shane has the kind of Mommy whose voice is so un-Jewel-like, she lip-syncs "Happy Birthday" at parties and hopes no one will notice!

Jewel and her cutie, Kase, at age 4 months
Credit: Whosay.com/Jewel

I love Jewel - she has the most beautiful voice, her lyrics are truly touching and her breakthrough album, Pieces of You, was part of the soundtrack to my college years, so I'm flooded with happy memories whenever I hear her voice. Now that we have sons who are close in age and we're both outrageously famous, you think she'd ever agree to meet up for a playdate?
Jewel, if you're reading this, come on over! Shane and I get up early, so we can make it a coffee date. I'll even make breakfast. I went grocery shopping and everything, so I got my eggs, I got my pancakes too. I got my maple syrup, everything but you...

Outrageously Famous

Jill Dobson's latest Glamour magazine cover.  Oh wait, that's the
prettier, skinnier, blonder, significantly more famous Rachel McAdams.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it, but I have a combined Facebook and Twitter following of roughly 27,781 fans* who clearly love me. My most recent comment from a Twitter follower perfectly sums up the public's adoration for me:
@danjones12151: Just realized I'm still following @JillDobson, that random woman you made me follow, @DanielMCarter.
Seriously, Mr. Jones, I'm touched.
Another huge fan, who clearly monitors my every move, asked yesterday when I'll give birth. He said from his perspective, I've been pregnant for what "seems like forever." Perhaps that's because I actually stopped being pregnant about 3 months ago, when I gave birth to my son, Shane Quincy. Dude must've missed the US Weekly cover story.
And a third follower, who looks suspiciously like a Frederick's of Hollywood model, just sent me a link. I'm sure that link won't take me to a site for discount Cialis or an amazing investment opportunity...it will certainly take me to a Jill Dobson fan page. The web is just littered with them!
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go find the perfect oversize sunglasses to shield my eyes from the glare of the paparazzi flashbulbs. Ciao!




*But who's counting?

Back on the Treadmill!

When I was six months pregnant, I vowed I'd get back on the horse treadmill soon after I had my baby. Today, I proved to my each of my millions of five readers that I'm an honest woman. 

Jill Dobson wishes her waist were this small.
Perhaps her 5K training will help make it happen!

This morning I started the Couch to 5K training program. Couch to 5K is designed to help people like me (and you!) get off the sectional and train for a 3.1 mile race. Sure, I'm only one day into it, but I already believe it's perfect for just about anyone. It's great for a former college athlete like me,* and also ideal for my training partner, Alicia, who is famous for statements like this one:

I'm not familiar with this thing called exercise. People do it?

Whether you're a running rookie, or you're formerly fit and want to get back into shape, you're invited to join us. Hey, don't you want to get a jump on your upcoming New Year's resolution? (Then, come January, you can scoff at all the people who suddenly show up at the gym, since you were there ages ahead of them. Well, three weeks. But still.)

The full program is here, but in a nutshell, today's workout was: Run 60 seconds, walk 90 seconds, repeat. If I can feed my newborn son Shane, then bathe him, dress him, get him into his stroller, get out the door to the gym, and hit the treadmill while watching him (and occasionally stopping briefly to calm his crying jags), then I bet you can go out and pound the pavement. And if I can't inspire you, maybe my talk-show hero (and 2007 marathon finisher), Ms. Oprah Winfrey can. As she has said, "Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it." What do I want to get out of it, you ask? I'm hoping to get my pre-pregnancy waist back. 

I see you shaking your head at me. Should I have said something loftier? How's this: I want to improve my cardiovascular health, so I can be a healthy parent to my son for many years to come. Is that better? Sheesh.

*Troy State, y'all!

Birth Announcement: Shane Quincy

I have big news to share!
My husband and I welcomed a brand new baby boy into our family this week!
Suri Cruise says it's bad form to announce a baby's birth on the web... so please pretend you received this in the mail, printed on heavy cardstock and addressed to you in custom calligraphy:

We can't release any photos of Shane Quincy until the bidding war between People and Vanity Fair is resolved. However, a poll of his parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins was taken. His cuteness approval rating is a 99%, with a margin of error of +/- 1 percentage point. And really, if you can't trust extended family to give an honest answer regarding a baby's cuteness, who can you trust?