Checking in

The Decembers (and I thank you again for not kicking me out when Nate was born in January) recently organized a onesie swap. We traded names and designed original onesies for each others babies. While I had fun creating for cute little girly girl Abby, we received 5 super cool ones from Laura.

LMDO = Laughing my Diaper Off – which Nate does on a regular basis whenever his sister is around.

I was so intrigued by the sign language one – what could it mean? Love? Cute? Milk? I finally asked and it translates to NATE. Why didn’t I think of that? Now we love it even more.

The others are so great too – so masculine & hipster.

I am so very blessed to have met up with this bunch of wonderful baby Mamas.

Thank you cousin Jackie for our turtle sandbox - Annabelle loves it! In fact as soon as she saw it her first comment was "This is stupendous" (credit Fancy Nancy on that one)

We played with all our toys and Annabelle couldn't resist a little taste - don't think she will be doing that again.

Come on Annabelle; let’s walk out to the mailbox.
She runs in her room.
Do you want to go with me for the mail?
She emerges holding her sandals, sunglasses on, bunny ears from Easter on her head (where did she find these anyway?)
It was after dinner on a warm evening – neighbors were out washing their cars, reading on their porches, taking care of their flowers. Everyone had to stop to admire Annabelle and her choice of going-to-the-mailbox attire.
We head across the yard, take a detour through one neighbors yard so Annabelle can flirt with the older kids, another stop at other neighbor to admire his flowers, speak to another walking 4 dogs. Get to the mailbox, find it empty. Head back. Stop at the playhouse, back to see the kids again, over to the swing, around the house for good measure and back to the porch where Tom says “I think your Mom already brought in the mail”
Seriously, this is why I get nothing done.
I love it.

There was this time in my life I now refer to as BC, Before Children. Although 35 years long, I don’t remember a whole lot of this time. But I know this, I had all the answers. After all I had spent many a time observing other people raising their children so of course I was well qualified to know what they were doing wrong. I smugly held the knowledge of how I could do better if only given the chance.

Case in point: My children would never be commercialized. They would play with old fashioned blocks, toy trains, Golden Books. No my children would not be made into walking advertisements for Disney; I would not pay money to further profit the man. No character toys, clothes and so on.

You know what I found out? These things make my daughter happy. I learned from the start there wasn’t much I wouldn’t do to make my daughter smile. So as the Sesame Street shirts and Dora cell phones made their way into my life I realized my resolve was broken. From the first time Annabelle read a Thomas the Tank Engine book she was smitten. I swear when I am old and demented I will be reciting “Happy Birthday Thomas” as it is forever embedded in my brain after reading no less than 5000 times between ages 6 & 18 months to Annabelle.

As I sat at my dining room table the morning of my daughter’s 2nd Birthday Party I looked around at the Minnie Mouse theme, Dora placemat, Elmo booster seat that surrounded me and realized back then, I really didn’t have all the answers. Hearing her say “Annabelle is very pleased” upon seeing the decorations I knew I was finally getting a clue.

He is so super cool - it is hard to believe Nate is only 4 months old - I feel like I have known him forever.

We went to the ped today, his stats are

weight - 15 pds 8 oz - 60th percentile
height - 27 inches - 97th percentile
head - 17 inches - 90th percentile

I was suprised at the weight, I thought he was closer to 17 pounds but I guess he is fitting into 9 month stuff because of his height. 'Either way - he is absolutely perfect.

In this picture he is doing his favorite thing, kicking his socks off and cracking up laughing at his sister.