Her Imagination is Growing

"There are only 6 dwarfs here, Meg." I comment to my daughter, as she lines up her Snow White figurines on the kitchen floor while I set the table for lunch.

"Yeah, I know Mommy. Grumpy is in our castle with the Wicked Queen. She's gonna cheer him up. He looks mad." It seems that the Grumpy and Wicken Queen figures have been banished to the landing of our staircase, which Meg now refers to as "Our Castle".

We sit down to lunch but are quickly interrupted.

" 'Cuse me, Mommy. I have to get up and check on Grumpy. I almost forgot to see if the Wicked Queen got him happy." And up she jumps to check on her friend.

"Nope, still Grumpy," she replies as she returns to her lunch.

Stop

I stopped nursing last night, so I thought I should mark the occasion. Of course, Kate had no problem with it . . . I think she's been ready to give it up for weeks now, but her selfish mommy has been holding on to her baby for as long as she could. Jim put her to bed after we returned home from a barbecue, and Kate went right off to sleep . . . she didn't even whine.

"She didn't even cry . . . " I said to Jim, sadly, when he came downstairs to tell me she was in bed.

"But she still loves you," he sweetly replied.

I'm sad to give up that last baby stage . . . the last piece of Kate that physically needed me.

But -- on the PLUS side -- now I have my body back, after what seems like ages. Hooray! I guess I have to start really watching what I eat again and skipping my nightly ice cream treat . . . no more extra calories being burned making milk. I only hope that I can keep the weight off and not regain 5 or 10 pounds, post-nursing. I kinda like the way I look these days.

Another milestone come and gone. Just in time for 4th of July . . . I think I hear a few (extra) Cornoas calling my name.

"On Call"

I married a consultant. A computer consultant. Not a doctor. Not a lawyer. Not a vet. Not anyone who is in a profession where it is customary to be considered "on call" at times when you are not supposed to be working. Yet, somehow, I managed to spend this entire weekend with my consultant husband, Jim, "on call."

Jim has a 'go live' looming in mid-July. "Go Live" is when all the work he's put in his better-than-2-yr-project is turned loose and his clients are responsible for running the software he's installed. It's also the time when the software is actually used for the first time, so hiccups are inevitable. So inevitable, in fact, that he's going to be out of town across BOTH weekends in mid/late July. He has to stay at the client for almost 2 solid weeks to ensure that his baby -- this project he's sweated over since Meg was just a baby -- is treated well and that all goes as well as possible.

I try not to complain about Jim's job too much . . . I know that it provides well for us, and I know how much he enjoys it. But sometimes, it really gets to me. All the being alone, all the "no, sorry, I can't b/c my husband is out of town", all of the "When is Daddy coming home?" begins to weigh on me. This weekend was certainly one of those times when I felt it too hard NOT to complain about it all.

Glad I didn't marry someone that is always "on call." I'm not a very patient person when it comes to that kind of stuff. Maybe I just don't like the lack of undivided attention I got from my husband this weekend. Either way, I cannot WAIT for July to be over so that Jim's project is o.v.e.r.

Poolside Saturday

We have a pretty great neighborhood pool. It was quite a draw when we considered moving to our neighborhood 2 years ago . . . the slide, the size, baby pool, lifeguards . . . it's a great sell for the 'Hampton.

And this year -- finally -- we are able to really enjoy it. The past 2 summers have not been great for Dahlby Family poolside fun . . . we moved here in August and spent the rest of that summer just moving IN to the house, and last summer I was all pregnant and then we had tiny Kate. But this summer is different. The girls are both of an age where they love playing in the water, so we are at the pool at least 3 times a week. We go as a family usually once each weekend. This summer of 2009, we certainly have come to love the 'Hampton pool.

This summer, Meg is not quite swimming solo . . . but she has a little floaty jacket that works wonders for her. She goes down our water slide and jumps in with avengence, no fear of the water at all. Next summer, she'll probably be more able to swim on her own (fingers crossed for that one!). We tried the lessons earlier this month but abandoned that idea and have high hopes that maybe next year she'll really learn how to swim. But really, Meg couldn't care less about learning to swim . . . she just loves jumping around in the water, doing her "trick" which involves a few seconds underwater with no jacket on, and eating snacks on the pool patio. She's even learning some valuable sharing lessons with her toys at the baby pool. My little fishy Meg is a pool goddess like her mama.

For Kate, this is the summer where I have to chase her all over the pool deck. She's a year old, walking, and totally nonstop. She can't quite stand up on her own in the 1 ft baby pool, but she tries so very hard. She can manage to hold herself up for little lengths of time, but when she tries to walk or gives a great big splash, the game is over. I find myself hunched over holding Kate up or keeping her from falling into the big pool most of my mornings we are out there. (Hey, at least I'm getting a ton of sun on my back this year.) Still -- even with mom hovering all the time -- she loves to splash in the little pool. She 'tastes' the toys, fills and dumps her bucket, and loves to grab hold and throw any ball she comes across. In the big pool, Kate is often anti-baby float, for some reason -- and I need her to float if we are all going in the big pool together. She would prefer to be held in the deep water, which is just not possible when Mommy is managing both kids on her own. Kate is usually OK after a minute or two in the float, but I have to be 'that mom' cramming her into the inflated turtle while she cries in protest . . . others look at me like I'm torturing my kid. But big pool or baby pool, Kate really has no problems with the water. She seems to be yet another little fishy in our family.

And from what I hear from friends with older kids, each summer will get better and better. Meg will one day learn how to swim, and so will Kate. There will come a summer here in a few short years when I can just hang out and let the kids go crazy in the pool without having to stand right beside them. I get a kick out of watching the older kids at the pool -- and their parents -- and thinking about what those summers will be like for us. We have a lot to look forward to when it comes to poolside fun . . . but I know I will miss having the baby toddling around that everyone stares at because "Oh, she's SO cute!" I'll just take each year as it comes and soak up the fun.

Solo swimming or not, this is a great summer for us at the pool. As I sit her with my weekly calendar, I'm already planning our visits for next week.

Favorite Photo Friday

Kate Allison, at home in Marietta, GA, April 28, 2009

While working on a 'first year' photo book for Kate, and I came across this picture today. I was trying to capture her crawling stage, which was so short but sweet. I'm glad I snapped this one . . . something to help me remember a phase that was as short and fleeting as all the precious baby stages are.

I have a confession to make: I'm having a hard time realizing that Kate is now 1 and that there is no baby coming along right behind her. When Meg was the age Kate is now, we were pregnant again. Then we weren't, then we were again. I've had 3+ solid years of baby . . . which I thought I was ready to take a break from but am actually finding hard to let go.

I honestly do think that the spacing we've decided between Kate and Baby Sibling IS what is best for us, practically and logistically . . . but now that Kate is really walking and seeming so much older, a whole 2 more years before another baby is feeling like a looong time. I'm missing having a baby already -- and I've still got one! I didn't know I'd feel this way. I'm a little shocked at my reaction . . . but when I finally stopped kidding myself, I realized what was going on. And no, I haven't stopped nursing yet. That is the last step . . . and one that I believe Kate is ready for. Now if I can just gear myself up for that separation, then Kate will officially not be my (dependant) baby any more.

She's an American Girl

If you have a little girl, you know exactly what American Girl is. It's mostly for the 7-8-9 yr old crowd . . . or for a 3 year old, her baby sister, and a mom that just loves having daughters.

I've tried to take Meg to AG before, but it's never quite worked out. I've been wanting to see how much she might enjoy eating lunch with her doll(s), if she'd get a kick out of shopping in the world of AG . . . and no, Meg does not have an American Girl doll (yet). I just thought she'd get a big kick out of the doll sized high chairs they have at the restaurant, and I figured she could borrow a doll from their assortment for our meal (they let you do that, after all). Like I said, I'm a mom who loves having girls . . . something like this could be considered more of a treat for me than it would be for Meg or Kate.

Then Meg got a Fancy Nancy doll for her birthday. A 10" doll in the same style as AG, but with a price tag about $60 less than the famed American Girls. I knew once she got that doll, it would finally be time for us to check out the American Girl store and bistro at North Point Mall. And today, with the new Fancy Nancy doll in tow, Meg, Kate, and I made a pilgrimage to the American Girl Bistro for a ladies only lunch.

Meg certainly did enjoy it. We did not have reservations, but if we were willing to wait, we could be seated off the 'waiting list.' I've mentioned we've tried to go to this bistro before . . . but the reservations are -- believe it or not -- hard to get, and the place is like Fort Knox. Nobody gets past the service people. I guess we just got lucky today . . . we arrived around 11:30am, were #3 on the waiting list, and we were sat at 12:00pm. Perfect timing.

Meg ate star-shaped grilled cheese sandwiches. I had a very yummy Asian chicken salad. Kate ate a little off of each plate . . . dude, the kids meal was $7.50 without a drink, so I could only afford ONE! But it was worth it. Meg fed Fancy Nancy (who had her own menu), she chatted with the family sitting next to us, and she thought her star-shaped sandwiches were "kinda silly!" It was a truly fun lunch for us.

I look forward to many more 'ladies only' outings with my girls. Today was the start of something I know I will thoroughly enjoy as they grow . . . stuff like this will probably always be more of a treat for me than it will be for my girls.

(I did NOT have a camera at lunch, if you can believe it. I just didn't think we'd actually get a table . . . I figured Fancy Nancy would more than likely be enjoying Chick Fil a in the food court, so I didn't think about the photo opportunities. Below are some cell phone camera pictures. They document the occasion, but they are so horrible they make me cringe!)

Puzzled

Since our trip to Destin, Meg has been way into puzzles. I don't know that she even remembered she had many puzzles until our friends in Florida reintroduced Meg to the funny shaped pieces of cardboard.

We came home after that weekend, and Meg was into her 'Belle' puzzle the very next morning. We went to Targer that week, and she lit up in the toy aisle with, "I want that Cars puzzle, Mommy! For my birthday! The one with 'Mater on it!" She did her simple 9 piece puzzles about a million times, and after a day or so totally memorized the 24 piece 'Belle' puzzle she had.

She got 2 new 24 piece puzzles for her birthday. She got one GIANT 24 piece floor puzzle. We found another 24-piecer around here as we cleaned out toys to make room for the birthday loot. So now what does Meg constantly ask to do? Puzzles.

For the most part, she really can do them without help. She gets a little flustered when she can't snap a piece into place or when she just can't seem to turn one so that it will fit just right. But, overall, she has mastered the 24 piece puzzles. I'm actually shocked that she can do them so well, I'll admit. I thought for sure they would be too hard. As usual, my first born never ceases to amaze me. I love to listen to her think out loud as she does them . . . "This is red, so it must be a piece of Lightin' A Queen" (Lightening McQueen's name around here) . . . or "This is a straight side, so it must be an edge . . . " It's fun to listen to her little mind work.

The only drawback? (Well, aside from the fact that Kate constantly wants to get into Meg's puzzle pieces.) I, myself, am not much of a puzzle-doer. Sadly, I just never was able to get into puzzles. Maybe they are too hard . . . I tend to shy away from stuff that I find way too difficult, especially in my 'down time' -- which is when I would do a puzzle. Maybe I'm not wired with that kind of thinking. I can do the 24 piece puzzles, of course. But I worry that a day will come here in the not-too-distant future when she'll be ready to bump up to 50-75-100 piece gigs, and she will totally surpass me in her puzzle-making abilities. Probably by like age 5, if she's anything like the kids we visited in Florida.

Jim, on the other hand, is totally a puzzle guy. He put together the girls (massive) swingset from about 1600(+) pieces and one instruction manual. And totally, throughly enjoyed the massive puzzle that is now our backyard playground. His engineering mind likes to figure things out, put stuff together. I think he enjoys working on the puzzles with Meg a bit more than I do.

For now, I'll take the quiet time that comes when Meg is working on her puzzles. And I'll help when I hear the occassional, "I can't doooo it." Hey -- at least it gets her off the TV, which as I've mentioned before, is typically her drug of choice.

The End of Birthday Palooza (I Promise)

Ssssshhhhhhh . . . . what is that I hear? Wait -- can you hear it, too? Listen.



Silence.



Pure, uninterrupted silence.



My house is quiet. After two complete weeks of people in the house, tonight there is nobody here by me, Meg, and Kate. And Meg and Kate are sound asleep as I type. With the exception of the dryer humming and my keyboard clicking, the house is silent.

(Contented) Sigh.

Don't get me wrong: having company is great. I'm alone often, so having somebody here when I come down the stairs after bedtime routines is usually a treat for me. But, after a couple weeks of schedules being disrupted, routines tossed aside, and a hint of general chaos, having nobody here is kinda great, too.

The Birthday Palooza 2009 is officially in the books. We all enjoyed the excitement, though at times it was a bit of a struggle. I think I overbooked us, quite honestly. From the time that Jim's family arrived until Jim's mom said goodbye at lunchtime today, we were go-go-go. At times, it felt nearly nonstop. From the Aquarium to a bbq dinner . . . from dance class to a Costco run to Target shopping . . . from birthday party to present opening . . . from purple birthday pancakes to another bbq to a movie in the basement . . . from the pool to naps to more presents to bed to the doctor to lunch with Grandaddy. It was probably the busiest seven days I've lived since before Meg and Kate were born.

The girls loved every minute, and the first and third birthdays were certainly celebrated to their fullest. I think Meg will be sad tomorrow when she does not have a present to open -- she's opened at least one treat every day since June 18th. And Kate, she'll miss the hub-bub of activity. And I think she is already resentful of the fact that Great Grandma's departure meant that the gates had to go back up in the halls to keep her from her beloved staircase. Back to normal around our house.

Jim left yesterday for his week, and the girls and I have no real plans (except dance class) for the rest of the week. It's nice. We'll see where each day takes us.

Enjoy some (all found on our Picasa site) of the party highlights below. And I promise -- no more birthday posts. I know enough is enough. I've already vowed that next year we will go on a beach vacation for the birthdays . . . Birthday Palooza 2010 might be a little lower key, but that is OKAY with me.

Oh -- and I would be remiss if I did not thank EVERYONE for helping to make the past week so much fun. Paulette and Stan (my inlaws) were fantastic and helpful in every way possible. No task was too extravagant or too silly. Jim was my knight in shining armor, as usual . . . always swooping in to fix a problem or diffuse me if I got too wound up. Julie and Greg were great to give me a night off and host dinner at their house Sunday. And even my friends Keisha and Tricia were awesome to help so much at Meg's Pool Party Monday morning. I could not have done it without everyone -- so a million thanks all around.

And if you want to know how I was really feeling at the end of the day yesterday, check out the picture Jim must have taken of me as we were opening the last round of gifts and I was making the 'thank yous' list . . .

Happy Birtthday to Meg

Dear Meg-a-loo,

Today you are three amazing years old. Three years ago tonight, your dad and I were probably just sitting in the hospital room staring at you, so amazed at the gift God had given to us. Three years later, we tucked you in to bed on your birthday, dancing in and out of your doorway while saying our good nights with you giggling at our silliness. We can't believe how fast these three years have gone by.

In this third year of your life, you went from a little babbling toddler to a darling and talkative little girl. You were potty trained . . . and in one short year can now go to the bathroom all on your own. You can help me with things around the house, you can put on your own clothes, and you can get yourself out of the car without assistance. You go to preschool and dance class and leave me in the dust . . . never worring about Mom or even glacing to see if I'm still there. You are a very independent little girl . . . if I were to list all the things you do without me, it would probably bring tears to my eyes. You are growing so fast.

I think that your language explosion this year has been your biggest achievement. When Kate was born at your second birthday, you could barely say "Kate" or "Baby" or even "Mommy." I remember how little you could say and how I could not wait for you to become a chatterbox. It happened in just 12 months time. Now you say things like, "Kate won't cooperate with me!" and "Mommy, I wuv you so much." You and I have fantastic chats . . . my favorites usually taking place either in the car or in your bed at bedtime. You tell me how you feel about things, what you think, what you like and don't like. It is simply wonderful. And your memory never, ever ceases to amaze me (or anyone who knows you). You make connections between things that are happening now to something you've experienced in the past; you connect stories and books to real life occurrances. We don't dare mention something that we might not want you to think of later . . . you will always remember what we say. Your intellect is growing by leaps and bounds each and every day. I couldn't tell you how many times your dad and I have raised our eyebrows at each other in awe of something you knew, something you said.

You are so sweet and kind to that sister of yours . . . most of the time. I know you love Kate with every ounce of your body, though at times your might express it in some non-traditional ways. Your love for her is so natural and so true that even when you might find yourself jealous or unhappy with her, you can still turn around and give her a hug or a genuine "Sorry, Kate." You two adore each other. I'm one lucky mom to be able to watch your love grow.

Your third birthday was quite 'purple' -- you had purple pancakes for breakfast (at your request, of course) and wanted to wear your purple Tinkerbell dress with purple hairclips and purple flip flops. We had a bbq at Aunt Julies and then came home to snuggle up with popcorn and a movie in the basement. You went to bed dreaming of your big third birthday party which will take place at our neighborhood pool tomorrow. It was a good day -- you said so yourself.

Happy Birthday to my big girl. Meg-a-loo. My monkey. Meg-delicious. Your daddy and I love you very much, and we can't wait to see you hold those "4" fingers up this time next year. (Well, maybe we can wait a little -- like I said, you are growing up so fast!)

With love --

Mommy

A Deep Breath . . .

The week has been a total blur because we've had so much going on including birthdays birthdays birthdays galore that started on Thursday with our trip to the Aquarium and the cake for Kate and is still going on today with Kate's first birthday party which was a total success and a lot of fun for everyone involved including my Grandmother (what a treat to have her here!) and a lot of close friends and family. Speaking of family the Dahlbys have been here for several days now and we are really enjoying their visit and all the celebrating we've been doing not only for Kate and Meg but also for Aunt JuJu and Uncle Greg and all their wedding stuff by the way we went and watched Julie try on wedding dresses Friday afternoon and what a great time that was of course there were tears and lots of smiles on that occassion. Meg's birthday is next and should be great because she is finally at the age where she understands what is going on and knows that she can request special things like purple pancakes on her big day which I'm glad is finally here because she has done a pretty good job of taking a back seat to Kate over the last few days as we celebrated little sister. Tomorrow we are going to JuJu's house to party it up with a birthday bbq and cake then Monday is the pool party that Meg has been soooo looking forward to with her Ariel cake and the Ariel party supplies that have been taking up space in my dining room for about two weeks now.

It's been a whirlwind. Birthday Palloza 2009 in full force here!

Happy Birthday to Kate

Happy Birthday, Dear Kate, Happy Birthday to You.

You are my baby girl . . . though you are not quite such a baby anymore. Still somehow, even if you have a little sister or brother in the future, I'm going to think of you as my baby firl for a long, long time. You are my peanut, my itty bitty. My little Katy-did.

I've loved watching you grow in this first year of your life. From wailing in the car and crazy insane spit-up incidences . . . to your sweet, sweet smiles before 6 weeks of age . . . to giggling at your sister when you were so tiny . . . to sitting up so early and then army crawling a month or so later . . . to those first precious steps at Aunt Julie's house . . . it's been an amazing year. What a first year you've had.

I'll admit: your arrival blindsided me. I wanted to have you in our family so, so badly, I never stopped to think about what exactly a little sister would mean to us. At times, this was by far the toughest year of my own life . . . and I'm sure it was hard for you at times, too. But it was worth every single second. I would do it all over again exactly the same way in an instant.

There are so many priceless things you do that make every day of my life that much more special. When you are tired, you snuggle into my neck with that lovey and pop your first 2 fingers right in your mouth. When you are done eating a meal, you play with your food and give me the most devlish grin to see if I notice. You do 'Touchdown!" and clap your hands with such avengence, I can't help but laugh at you. You can huff and puff on a pinwheel with the best of them, which I think is your cutest trick to date. You proudly show "1" on your fingers when asked your age, and you waive bye bye to nearly everyone that passes by you. You simply ADORE your sister, which is one of the most amazing gifts of all. I could go on and on, but each little thing you learn makes you that much more adorably special to me.

Your first birthday was a treat for everyone. We took you to the Aquarium, and you 'ooohed' and 'ahhhed' and pointed at dozens and dozens of fish. You got a new swing for the backyard, and you were overjoyed to take the first ride on your first birthday afternoon. After dinner, cake was your big treat . . . and BOY did you go to town! It was a day all about celebrating you, little sister. And, if I'm not mistaken, you soaked it up like a sponge.

Happy Birthday, Kate. I look forward to sharing many, many more candle-blowings with you, Buga Buga.

It's Come to My Attention

I've noticed a few things lately.



How much I miss my dad's voice. The new electro larynx is working great . . . we can communicate without problem. We talk on the phone easily these days, and he's graduated from using the 'straw' piece in his mouth to just pressing the device to his throat for speech. It's really been a smooth transition. But, I miss his voice. If I call him on his cell phone and he misses the call, I can still hear his voice on his old voicemail. That always spooks me out . . . catches me off guard each time it happens. The funniest thing is that I think I'm still hearing his voice when he talks. I don't notice the monotone, robot-like sound of his new speech. When we are together, I think I just hear his old voice in my head . . . the way he used to inflect his speech, the sound of his 'accent'. I really do think that my brain is just processing it as if he were actually talking to me . . . like he used to.



But when he's not talking to me but someone else . . . and I really listen . . . I can hear the robot. And that's when I really miss his voice the most.



How much food we eat. I've always said I wanted a big family . . . and now that we have 2 growing girls both eating breakfast/lunch/dinner, I am starting to get a grip on the amount of food a big family requires. We are eating a LOT more food these days.



For example: a box of Eggos has 10 waffles. In the past, I could get one box and it would last about 2 weeks . . . we don't eat waffles every day, and when we did, it was just one or maybe two at a time for Meg. The Eggos lasted a while in our freezer. Now when we have waffles, we use up about half the box in one sitting. Meg now eats 2 waffles, and Kate will eat 1. And, since they are eating waffles and it's just easier, I usually eat 1 or 2. So that's like 4 or 5 waffles at one meal. A box of Eggos now lasts about 2 breakfasts. Juice and milk are the same deal . . . now that Kate is on the food train, we go through both a whole lot faster than we once did. Fresh fruit, too . . . 2 bananas each time, so a bunch does not go as far as it used to.



At least I don't have boys. I hear that they eat you out of house and home as they grow up.



How jealous Meg is of her little sister. Now that Kate is walking, Meg has started to really show her true colors. And the brightest color right now is GREEN . . . the kid is so jealous of the attention Kate is getting. Meg does all kinds of things to divert any Kate-attention her way . . . pushes Kate down, sits on her, fights her for my lap, acts out at the kitchen table.

I had not really noticed the amount of jealous big had for little until recently. I mean, I knew it was there . . . but now it is totally in my face all the time. "Meg, please get off Kate." "If she cries, that means she does NOT like it!" "You know that sitting on her is not the best choice you could make." It's constant.

The best of friends, the worst of enemies. That's what I've heard about sisters. Who knew it started with they were so young?



Side note: I'm really tired of people saying that their older kid is not jealous of their younger sibling. C'mon, people. The big kid is jealous -- it's totally natural -- and it does not make him/her a bad kid OR make you a bad parent. Maybe big sibling is not pushing little sibling out of the crib when you first bring new baby, but they are still jealous. And, if it's anything like our house, the jealousy does not really set in until the baby becomes a toddler with a personality of her own. There IS jealousy between siblings -- stop kidding yourself.


How much I love our house. Seriously, I love this place. With each little project we tackle, the house is becoming more and more our own. Two years in, and this place is getting better and better. And it's impossible for me to imagine moving from here ever. It's a great house. We fit so well here. I'm home a lot . . . that's what having 2 young kids so close in age will do to you . . . but I don't mind. I've become quite a homebody because I freakin' love our house.

Why my dad always took me everywhere with him. When I was growing up, I always went along with my dad on pretty much any errand he had. I have vivid memories of him appearing in my bedroom doorway and saying, "You want to go along with me?" to which I would pop up and answer, "Of course!" The grocery store was our playground -- we'd bring a calculator to record our purchases and see if we could get within $2 of the final total of our bill. Just for fun. As I got older, I can remember having arguments with my dad because I did not want to go along with him to the store or to the movies or to the post office. I was just 'too cool' or 'too busy' at times. I didn't know why that bothered him -- but I'm understanding it more now. I also remember fighting with him in those teenage years because a trip to the store required a full shower and hair washing on my part . . . heaven forbid I be seen out in public in a state of disarray. Even though we might have quibbled as I aged, I'll always remember all the errands we ran together and how much we had fun doing it. For me and my dad, it was just what we did.

And then, just last Sunday, Meg and I were out together . . .and I realized in one quick instant why my dad always invited me along. Meg and I ran to the mall for a Father's Day present for Jim, just me and my big girl. As we were walking together through the mall, Meg pulled in close to me and slipped her little hand into mind. There we were, hand in hand, and it hit me: I will forever have a buddy. I will always have someone to take along and keep me company as I shop, and run my errands. I realized quickly that I'd brought Meg along with me that afternoon as my companion and not my obligation . . . I didn't have to bring her with me (as is sometimes the case), I wanted to. I had more fun with her tagging along than I would have had by myself. Meg was my buddy. And that is why my dad always took me along . . . he loved to have a buddy.

But dad only had one buddy -- me. I am so lucky that I already have two.


How little privacy we have. I guess I've started to notice this in the past week or two, since my visit to the Gyno and the meeting with Ms. Mirena. We just don't get a lot of privacy around our house. Meg is in our bed each morning at about 7am, saying her good mornings and asking to watch Super Why! while mommy (and daddy on weekends) get a few minutes to stretch and wake up. Meg is in the bathroom with me all the time . . . especially in public. It's a rare occasion when I can visit a public restroom without my shadow right behind me. Meg and Kate are both under foot as I move around the house all day long . . . following me from room to room, playing with toys and books I have stashed in corners all over the house. And keeping a secret? You'd better be careful what you say out loud when Meg is around. If she hears anything -- even if it's beyond her comprehension or not meant for her to hear at all -- she will almost always repeat it in some way later to someone.

Secrets and privacy: not happening much around here these days.

How fast time goes. People say that all the time -- especially once kids are around. But as I sit her and type, the party paraphernalia for my daughter's first and third birthdays is strew about the dining room, and my 'to do' list for party planning is getting shorter and shorter. My babies are about to have birthdays . . . one more year in the books. One more year gone. I can't believe it.

Spaghetti Sunday

My parents are staying with us . . . it's a long story that I (quite honestly) don't feel like explaining. It has to do with my dad's health, their proximity to the hospital should something go wrong. The 'rents are here through Tuesday, and we are enjoying our time with them very much. It's keeping us busy . . . mostly because, while they are here, I feel the need to tackle any and every odd job I've been wanting to do around the house. Might as well take advantage of free babysitting, as I see it.>

In between projects, we've been enjoying our time together . . . particularly around the kitchen table. We all come together to eat. My dad has commented on how 'alive' our house is, beginning first thing every morning with breakfast. Meal times are pretty lively around here. Probably because BOTH of my kids won't miss a meal. When it's time to eat, the girls are ready and waiting.

When my mom volunteered to make spaghetti for us all tonight, I knew it would be a perfect meal for us. A perfect dinner to end our weekend and our long, long week. And -- I also knew Kate had yet to experience the lovely mess that is spaghetti -- so I thought we'd all get a kick out of seeing her go at it.

Who would I be if I did not have my camera right there to document such a milestone?

Before

During

After

Straight to bath for Kate, after an initial hosing down in the sink. When we talked about 'hosing' Kate down before bath, Meg became very upset that we would not hose her down, too. She wanted me to literally take her outside and spray her with the green garden hose. Though it might be tempting to hose her at times when that angel of mine is not being so angelic, tonight it was just plain funny. Need-less-to-say, Meg did not get 'hosed down' after her meal.

The week started with Mirena Monday and ended with Spaghetti Sunday. It was a long week. A few good things happened, a few not so good things. But it's over.

And now it is officially here: Birthday Palooza 2009. Commencing Wednesday. Here we go!

Favorite Photo(s) Friday

It's been a while since I did a 'Favorite Photo Friday' -- but our week has been so busy, it's about all I have time for today.

This week:

Kate REALLY started walking. It's official: she prefers walking to crawling. It started on Tuesday . . . she totally took off. Jim has been gone since Monday, so he's going to be floored when he comes home tonight to a totally walking Kate.

Meg had her first dance class. She LOVED it. She came home and showed me all the stuff she learned. Safe to say: dance is already going better than swimming.

New lanscaping. A big 'ole bush that was an anchor in our landscaping died iver the winter, and we decided to have a few things freshened up as a result. It looks awesome. I always hated the landscaping (or lack thereof) at our old house, but I LOVE the landscaping here. The new curb appeal (landscaping and trim painting both done this spring) of the house certainly makes me happy!

And last, but not least, my dad's battle with cancer continues. There was an ER trip last weekend which resulted in a necessary biopsy on Thursday. All day was spent at the hosptial . . . ambulatory surgery, PET scan, CT scan. We will have the results next week . . . but the doctor used the word 'suspicious' several times in relaying the procedure prognosis to me, so we are all holding our breath big time.

Fwimming Lessons

Meg had her first Swimming Lesson last week -- or 'fwimming wesson' as she calls it. Gotta love that 3 yr old 'accent' of hers.

I was all excited for her . . . we'd talked it up, as we tend to do for new experiences. Meg is the kind of kid that does very, very well in pretty much any situation if she knows what to expect. And what is expected of her. So, with a new endeavor like swim lessons, I had already begun preparing her for what she would be doing in the pool. without mom. for days before the lesson. I really want this kid to learn to swim on her own so that she won't cling to me or the side . . . so she can have as much fun in the pool as I did as a kid.

Funny, it wasn't the 'without mom' part of the whole thing that seemed to bother her. She just flat out, no joke, did NOT want to participate.

I've signed Meg up to learn the very basics of swimming from a neighborhood college girl who teaches lessons out of our neighborhood pool. Her lessons are one-on-one, take place in our pool, and last 30 minutes. Nothing too high stress, nothing fancy. And nothing terrible expensive. (Thank goodness for that last one.) I would love for Meg to be able to hold her head up in the water and not fear swimming without a vest by the summer's end. But -- quite honestly -- I really have very low expectations of this whole thing. If it's just one step closer to actual swimming, that will work for me.

Ms. Alli had Meg in the pool at 4pm last Tuesday, and off they went. They sat on the steps, talked (they had actually already met in the days prior to the lesson), blew bubbles. Meg put on her goggles and put her face in the water. As a mom watching from the out-of-sight sidelines, I was stoked.

Then, it all came to a screaching halt. Meg just was not going to do anything else. She kept telling Alli, "I don't want to," and I could see her eyes wandering for something else to do. Meg said she was "afraid of the water" -- which was nothing more than a dramatic plea for ME to get her out of her lesson. That kid is about as afraid of water as Janice Dickenson is of plastic surgery. She freakin' LOVES it.

The lesson, which was halted before about 4:15pm, continued for a little while more. . . but then even poor Alli, the instructor, gave up hope after about 10 more minutes. I gave Meg my 'stink eye' as I dried her off, all the while questioning her refusal to participate. I paid Alli for her time, and we scheduled another lesson. I'm chalking this one up to a $15.00 'get to know you' session, and I'm still holding out hopes that this week will go better.

As you can imagine . . . we've been talking up her lesson even MORE this week. We spent the weekend swimming with our buddies in Florida, and we totally played the 'look how big THEY are to swim by themselves!' game. Peer pressure -- I'll take it when it's helpful. If that doesn't work, maybe we'll just throw her in and see if she can swim. Lots of kids rise to the occassion when they are forced to do something new, don't they?

Okay, so maybe we won't do that. At a public pool, that might be cause for some really nasty looks and possibly a call to DFACS. I guess we'll just take it one lesson at a time and hope for the best.

(At least Kate had fun on the sidelines, as seen on the right!)

Mirena Monday

Parental Advisory -- if you don't want to know about our contraceptive life, don't read this.

Just had to post it . . . I got an IUD today. That's an Intra-Uterine Device, for those of you who are not in the baby-preventing mindset. It's supposed to last about 5 years, being pretty much maintenance free, and prevent something just short of 100% of pregnancies.

I really cannot believe that I'm even using contraception. It seemed like something that I would never ever consider, once we finally had a baby. Just 4 short years ago, I was lost in the sea of infertility, trying so desperately to get pregnant. Jim and I were beside ourselves . . . wondering if we would ever have a baby of our own. Obviously things worked in our favor at long last, and Meg was born in June 2006. Fast forward to just 2 years ago, and I was desperate once again for a baby because we had miscarried our first pregnancy following Meg. I had no idea of that miscarriage was a sign that Meg was a 'fluke' pregnancy or if it meant we'd be headed back to the RE for another IUI or two. Safe to say, contraception was something I never thought would be needed again.

Hindsight is 20/20, as they say. I can look back now and know that it was a lot of drama all for nothing . . . now that we have 2 beautiful girls. And I'm fairly certain we cured the infertility . . . which my doctor said happens quite often for couples that take a while to conceive baby # 1. We got pregnant with both Baby 2 and Kate on first tries, no help from meds or doctors. I never thought THAT would happen, but it did. So . . . we've run the gamut . . . we've been infertile and super-fertile. And now we had to decide what to do if we did not want to have another baby just yet.

Now that Ms. Mirena is (hopefully) doing her job, we are just holding off that new-found fertility for a while. "Family Planning" is in full swing around here. Yes, we will have another baby. The 'plan' -- and I use that word as loosely as humanly possibly because I know it's impossible to plan -- is to wait until next summer to get pregnant again. That would put Baby 4 being born about the time Meg goes off to Kindergarten. Great timing, we think. We'll see. Time will tell . . . and I'll look back at this post one day with that 20/20 hindsight and a totally new perspective, I'm sure.

Here's to Mirena. May she and I (and Jim, I guess) become true buddies over the next year . . . and may she take her eviction well when the time is right.

On the Road Again

Does it feel like we've been traveling a lot lately? It does to me. And I've enjoyed it all VERY much.

Like I said last week . . . I feel like I have been house bound for a while now. The past three summers have been filled with baby, moving, more baby. This summer, we are taking full advantage of not being pregnant (and when I say WE, I mean ME) . . . we've been hopping all over the place already, and it's barely June.

Last week's destination of choice: Destin, Florida. Beautiful, beachy, sunny, sandy Destin. Home to Jim's great college friend, where he and his family live just ONE BLOCK from the beach. They've been inviting us to visit for -- oh, just about forever -- and we've not been able to go. But this summer -- Summer 2009, now known as the Summer of No Baby -- we were sure to take them up on the offer to come stay for a while.

We arrived Thursday, and the trip was a hit from the very beginning. Our host family has 2 daughters -- ages 5 and 4 -- so Meg was totally ready to party with her girlfriends from the moment we got out of the car. She handed them treats we'd brought, checked out the play room, then promptly put on her suit and jumped right in to their swimming pool. The first evening was fantastic . . . the girls played, the parents caught up, and we all talked a little about what we were going to do with our time together.

The rest of the trip just fell into place. Friday morning: beach bound, of course. Four adults, four girls, and a whole LOT of beach gear headed out to the Emerald Coast . . . I had forgotten how beautiful the beaches in that area are! WOW! It was a cloudy-but-PERFECT morning, followed by some pool action in the afternoon. Dinner was at Camille's -- a local's favorite -- and the girls were in bed by 9pm.

Saturday we decided to hit the Gulfarium (and I did not object b/c I'd gotten a bit too much sun on Friday). We visited with our host family's family, who Jim knew from his college days of having Thanksgiving with them. We even managed to find two perfect Adirondack chairs for our yard . . . something we'd been searching for and found happily in beachy Florida.

On Sunday, we didn't want to leave. We went back to the beach, back to the pool, then finally . . . and sadly . . . packed up and came home. Back to the land-locked city of Marietta.

What a great trip it was . . . long enough to leave us wanting MORE. Maybe we will have to find a way to get back to those beautiful beaches again. The girls had a BLAST -- Meg and her buddies did not stop playing together except for bed times and meal times. Those three little girls got along sooo well . . . it was truly a vacation for me to have Meg entertained like that for so long! Kate was happy to follow along when she could . . . and the rest of the time she was showered with affection by any adult that came her way.

Jim and I thoroughly enjoyed our time in Florida. We left saying what a great trip it was, how great it will be for our two families to grow up together like this, and trying to think of a time we can go back later this year.

Now that we are home, I think that is it for our traveling for a while. Jim has a BIG 'go-live' on a project in a month or so . . . and we have Birthday Palooza coming to town in just over a week . . . so we'll keep busy here in Northampton for a while. Ahhh, our neighborhood, Northampton. Maybe I can pretend we are in the 'hamptons while we are out at our pool this week.

(Okay, so it's nothing like the beach . . . but I can dream, can't I?)

Destin 2009

Guest Lists

Birthday Party Planning is in phase 2 around here: plans are made, and I'm putting them into action. Making signs, banners, tying ribbons, collecting party favors.

I've mentioned that we are doing 2 parties this year -- because Kate absolutely deserves her own first birthday party. So, the 1st Birthday Bash is here at our house, family and a few (mostly kid-less) friends. That's on a Saturday. Then, on the following Monday, Meg will celebrate her big third birthday. At the pool. With her friends. Her party was supposed to be the 'small' one . . . but it's quickly gotten out of hand.

It's so very hard to create a party guest list and NOT hurt feelings. This year, that is times TWO for us. When I sat down to make the list for Kate's party, it was not hard. Family. A few friends that would probably not be able to make it to a Monday afternoon pool party. A few friends that we wanted to invite to BOTH parties. You'd think that would be easy . . . but then I remembered that families can be tricky sometimes. You love them all, but they might not all love each other. In the end, I just invited them all . . . and I hope they all can make it. That was the easiest solution.

Meg's list was harder. I started with just the kids SHE spends time with. She is a regular kid now, and she has her own friends that she would like to party with. The list, originally, was about a dozen. Throw in a few other friends that we might not see that often but would be sorely missed at the celebration. And, since the party IS in our neighborhood, I added a few families we know and see often around the 'hampton. Now her party -- which I honestly wanted to be SMALL -- is up to 27 kids. That is the opposite of small.

And the sad part -- there are still kids I would like to invite. I feel bad that I've had to leave people out. There are friends we see when we hang out with other groups, preschool friends (I didn't invite even ONE from her class!), old buddies from mom-and-me classes, and some other random people that I just could not invite. I wanted to . . . but for the sake of keeping the party small (ha!), I just didn't. And there are even a few friends who were invited to Meg's party or Kate's party who I think would really have liked to come to both.

I can't please everyone, but it doesn't stop me from trying. Or for feeling bad about not pleasing the entire crowd. If you are reading this and are upset about the invite/not invite, don't hate me. I'm sorry in advance, and I can just ask for understanding.

Then again -- some people might be relieved NOT to be invited. Why should I assume so many people would want to celebrate with us? See? I can't win.

I'll just go about my party planning -- see pics below -- and look forward to some rockin' celebrations around here in a few weeks. I'll keep you updated as the plans fall in place.

Party junk that is taking over our dining room.

Stuff for the decor/signs I'm finishing up . . . and the party plates/colors for Kate's party.

Kate's party attire -- I made the tutu. SO easy -- if you have girls, don't ever buy one! I just tied tulle in knots on a piece of ribbon. Ta da! Custom Tutu to match the party shirt.