I've been just on the verge of slipping under the weather for the past week. I have yet to cross over into the full blown sick category, but the threat has been quietly making a quiet and persistent presense in that one spot of my throat reserved for illness.


It could be that my schedule - in addition to work, mothering, and church - has been PACKED full of stuff to do. Not shopping, mind you - I finished that up the first week of December (thanks to some epic determination and planning on my part). No, from Dec. 3 to Dec. 22 my calendar shows 21 (literally) holiday/birthday/baby shower events to attend. I have six left. (And in those six days I'll be making three significant drives, although Kenny will be the one doing the actual driving; I'll be sipping lemonade, popping cough drops, and trying to sleep in the front seat for those trips.)


I'm sorta exhausted.


I fantasize sometimes about simplifying, but our families are too big, we're actively involved with our congregation, and we have a lot of friends. I can't complain. Plus, a simple December would entail holing up in some frozen tundra miles away from civilization. Just not realistic. So, while things are crazy, we're pretty fortunate. Plus, when the parties turn into to this...


...there's no room for whining.


(Notice my sweet girl's round head in the top left (behind her mother's big head). I haven't wanted to leave her with a sitter every night (especially because I work and that's the only time I get to see her). So she's tagged along to most of the events. And she's been a trooper. A little party-animal-in-training.


Happy Friday.

Oh yeah, the image above was taken with the ever-awesome Smilebooth thanks to the Kaisers of The Image is Found Photography. Love those guys.

The milestones are bittersweet

Once upon a time we had this baby who barely opened her eyes for more than a few minutes. And then, all of a sudden, she started staying awke. Then came cooing and smiling and giggling. There was also the rolling and sitting. Currently we’re waiting (with some degree of dread) for unintentional scoots to become full blown crawling.

When The Girl reaches each of these milestones we can’t help but feel some sadness as we reel from Time rushing by. The baby we brought home yesterday is practically a teenager today. Or so it seems. With each milestone comes some more independence and with it, a reminder that she’ll one day be gone .

And, for the most part, that’s okay.

Really. It is. I’m okay with the thought. I’m okay even with the reality of it all. I just wish sometimes it didn’t happen so fast. Or that I could rewind every so often just to remember. So while I cheer and clap over every little development (i.e. “did you see that Kenny?! She picked it up with her fingers intead of her whole fist! Etc.) I always endure melancholy moment with each new accomplishment and skill.

Today, amidst her normal all-vowel babbling, The Girl said “mama.” It was awesome. For a long time I've gleefully watched her intently (but silently) move her mouth in imitation of my own as I've said that very word to her. Over and over again. Her finally saying it came with less sadness as other milestones. I think it’s because this one doesn’t remind me of her leaving someday (the way rolling and crawling does – not to even speak of walking, because when I think about her walking I can’t help be think of here driving, and suddenly I’m handing her the car keys and then she’s away at college and finally married with kids of her own – AHHHH!) . No, her learning to communicate is exhilarating. It will enable our relationship to grow closer. Even when she’s gone we can chat. And the fact that her first deliberate consonant-vowel combo was mama just melts. my. heart. Of all the things she could have said, she said Mama. Thank you Universe for that. Even when she’s gone, I’ll still be Mama.

(And yes, I know that she doesn’t get the meaning of the sounds she’s making. I know. I even know that someday I may occasionally long for the silence of those pre-verbal days. But I don’t care. She said mama. I love it.)

On a quiet Saturday evening...

I made it exactly seven months and five days.

Seven whole months of being meticulously cautious in the handling of my girl after feeding her had resulted in not a single instance of being vomited on anywhere above my collar bone. I truly thought I was out of the woods regarding this danger. That was my first mistake. The second was actually lifting my girl high over my head too soon. I looked up at her smiling, giggling face, my own mouth opened wide with a smile to match her's. But then…I could see it coming. Straight. For. My. Mouth. Time slowed and I began to wax philosophical on the danger coming my way and the meaning it held. However, thanks to lightning-fast reflexes (and due to a HUGE aversion to vomit), I managed to turn my head just in the nick of time before It hit. I felt the tidal wave of warm white-ish yuck collide with my left cheek and splash into my hair, down both the front and back of my shirt, and onto the couch behind me. With one infected eye tightly shut I managed to put the still-smiling girl gently back down while yelling for Kenny to come save me. Fearing a true disaster, he ran in geared with paper towels, sponges, disinfectant, etc. He got one look at me and busted up laughing, which he continued to do as he helped me clean myself up. Getting it out of my eyes was bad, but at least my mouth stayed fresh. Small victory, but a victory none-the-less. I’ll take it.

I feel I’ve learned a valuable life lesson here regarding parenthood. Don’t get comfortable or let your guard down because just when you think you’re safe and that all is well, your kid is just waiting to metaphorically throw up on your face.

Happy Monday.

Accomplishment of my day (thus far):

I used the word “malaise” in a sentence for the first time ever (written OR spoken). The bigger accomplishment is that, for some reason, the word just popped into my head. There was no deliberate effort to incorporate said word, it just happened.

You know I’m desperate to feel like I’m actually accomplishing things when this is what I’ve got to show for myself.

(Insert a sigh.)

I am hopeful, however. Notice the title of this post includes the parenthetical “thus far.” So, wish me luck that by the end of today I’ll have earned bragging rights for something more significant.

That’s all.

Wait – I just though of something! I can always brag about the accomplishment of friends – it’s my favorite thing to do! Yesterday, our friend Skyler raced in his first FULL Ironman competition – and finished with a very respectable time, no less. I’d be lying if I said Kenny and I weren’t following his progress ALL day yesterday (which includes the three hours spent in church meetings). We wanted to be there, cheering him on, but hopefully he got the encouraging vibes we were sending his way all day.

Congrats, Skyler! You are amazing.

And now I’m done for real this time.

I spent a lot of time driving this weekend as part of a mini-vacation we took. As such, I had a lot of time to think and reminisce.

As I reflected on my teen years, particularly my choices and the way I reacted to certain things/events, I really just wanted to reach back and punch myself in the face. A lot. I’m sure my parents felt the same way at the time.

Mom and Dad…thank you for having the restraint not to do so.
I love you both.

And it begins.

This is Taylor (holding Lola Dee).
This is her boy, J.
This is Lola maybe about to get her first kiss.

For the record I did not prompt this. Actually, I'm fairly certain J didn't think anyone was watching.
Just like her mama, she's into the older boys.

(Just typing that sentence stressed me out. )

Sometime's we're famous...again.

Actually, the lovely ladies who threw my baby shower are the famous ones this time. The shower was just featured here on Bump Smitten!

Just looking at all those photos blows me away all over again - they pulled out all the stops! I mean mini classic books for cupcake toppers?! There was even pages in those books! How I got so lucky is beyond me.

Check it out and drop some blog-love for the gals in the comments (extra for Amelia for all those beautiful photos). They deserve it.