Photo Dump #2: Christmas

Checking out what Santa left while enjoying her morning mild. Silly Santa didn't have enough time to actually wrap her gifts this year.

Examining her new ride.

And her Little People Farm.

Apparently the place mats at my grandmother's place were more interesting than her gift from my aunt and uncle.

Watching Aunt Becky put Claire's hair into ponytails and wondering when Mommy will get brave enough to try it on her hair.

Watching her cousin Kaylee open her presents over Ed's grandmother's was more fun than opening her own.

Watching Daddy open her Elmo Alive. I'm still not sure if she likes it. Sometimes she seems to and other times he just pisses her off. And yes, that's the Little People train in front of her. It was a very Little People Christmas.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh...finally feeling the effects of barely napping all day.

Photo Dump #1: Kathy's Party

Abby and Paige hanging out.

"Uhhh...why does she keep trying to hug me?"

Claire Bear hamming it up for the camera. I love the sippy cup under the arm trick.

Ms. Meghan reading to Abby and Paige.

Jordan strutting her stuff.

Val and Don playing with Jordan.

Becky and Ryan. Isaac slept in the carrier the entire time.

The place was chaos, I tell you!

And for your viewing pleasure...a little Ring-Around-the-Rosie action!

Wheezy

That's my new nickname for Abby right now. I'm listening to her taking her nap and every breath she takes is a wheeze. I hope this thing clears up soon. I wound up taking a sick day today to take care of her, but I don't think my manager would appreciate me pushing my luck with another one. She seemed a little better when she woke up, but just got worse as the morning went on. Blah.

Yes, I'm a Slacker...

But, hey...I'm a busy woman! :P And I'm exhausted!

Christmas was fine this year. Not great, but fine. It would be so much better if I didn't have to work retail. Every other time of the year it's fine, but from Thanksgiving to New Year's, it sucks! It was 500x harder this year because I just wanted to be home with Abby. Unfortunately, this is not the time to go looking for something new, so I fear next year will be just as bad. Actually, it will probably be worse since she'll be much more aware of the whole Christmas thing and I will want to be there to experience it with her.

But enough crying, the actual holiday was nice. I had to work Christmas Eve until 4:30, then I ran home to get dinner started for my mom. She came over with a sack full (literally) of presents for Abby and some nice things (cash!) for me and Ed. We had my yummy homemade lasagna for dinner and then watched Abby play with her new toys for awhile.

Then Christmas Day we had to run around like crazy people. I was sad that we didn't make it to church, but Ed was very sick and barely slept that night, which meant that I barely slept, which meant that neither of us was feeling like getting up and getting the baby ready to leave the house that early. Next year we'll go, I swear! As it was, we had to go to both of my grandmothers houses, back home for an hour (during which time Abby refused to take a nap), to Becky's for a little over an hour and then to Ed's grandmother's. My poor child got about 20 minutes total of a nap that day. Luckily she was having so much fun she didn't even notice.

The baby got lots of really nice gifts. We have to go through her toys to put away the really babyish stuff to make room for the "big girl" toys. She even got a hand-me-down toy kitchen from Aunt Becky. Good thing we got the upstairs playroom just about situated. Actually, our whole house is a playroom...but that's what happens when you have a small house and a child who gets lots of toys from lots of people. I guess that it's better that we spread it all out anyway, so she doesn't get too overwhelmed in any one place.

Right now my poor Abby is sick. I guess she caught Ed's cold. She woke up yesterday with a cough, awful chest congestion and a low-grade fever. Good times. We were hoping it would be a quick thing, but she was even worse this morning. Ed had to cancel two of his appointments for today and I skipped my lunch at work and left there at 2 to take over. If she still has the fever tomorrow, I'm going to have to call out. I already told my manager and he's cool with it, so I'll just do what I have to. Hopefully she'll be feeling better, but after the fun with her tonight (whiny, whiny, whiny), I doubt it.

Anyway, that's it for now. I know I owe you pictures, but the camera is in a diaper bag, which is in Abby's room where she is finally sleeping. So, you'll have to wait a little longer!

The Home Stretch!

Today is my last day off until Christmas. At least it's almost over! I'm spending my day off trying to fight a cold that's pretty much won at this point. Blah. I've managed to avoid all of the icky sicknesses that have been going around the store until this point, so I'll consider myself lucky. Compared to what some of co-workers had, a headcold isn't too bad.

I've just been crazy this week. Today is the first time I've been on the computer at home in days. I had 80 e-mail (95% junk) and 30 Facebook notifications. Oy. At least I got all that sorted through and I'm going to go rest on the couch and watch the last episode of Dexter until Abby wakes up from her nap. I'm so happy that my work schedule is pretty much back to normal at this point. Those late nights were killing me...emotionally and physically. Plus, I was seriously losing my mind. Especially at work. Let's just say that last week was not a good one at all.

Off to rest. Perhaps I'll update again later. Don't cross your fingers though. ;)

If I Had a Memory, I'd be Dangerous...

Gah! Today is my day off (thank goodness) and I ran to my store this morning with Abby to pick up a few more things I needed while we're still getting our employee appreciation discount and to pick up my current paycheck stub. I usually go months without picking up my stubs, but our extra discount also applies to Gamestop this weekend, and I have to pick up a game for my SIL's stepsons. In order to prove I'm a B&N employee, I have to have my stub. Of course, I forgot to ask for it while I was checking out. So now I have to remember to get it tomorrow when I work and I'll have to get to Gamestop sometime on Sunday when we have a million other things we need to get done. Good times.

At least my two weeks from hell are over. I have one last bookfair on Monday and then they're all done for the season! Hooray! The last couple days were very stressful, so I'm glad to be off today. After Abby wakes up from her nap, we're going over Aunt Becky's house so I can help make the cookies Becky needs for a cookie exchange tonight. If she ever decides what she wants to make, that is!

Ho Ho Ho...

My mom and I took Abby to see Santa on Friday. I was a little nervous about it since my child is much more opinionated this year about who's holding her then she was this time last year. It was fine though. The Santa at the mall was awesome and grabbed her as I was pulling her out of her stroller. That way she didn't get to see who I was giving her to. He danced with her back to his chair and then put her on his lap for the picture. She wouldn't smile for anything, but at least she didn't cry. It was better than I thought it would be.

While we were there, we stopped at the kids shoe place on the upper level by Sears to get her feet measured. Apparently they're going out of business, so their shoes were all buy one, get one half-price. For the Stride Rites, that turned into a pretty good deal. Her feet were measuring between a 4 1/2 and 5 wide, so my mom got her a pair of walking shoes in a 5w and a 5 1/2w, so she has room to grow. One less thing to worry about. :)

Yesterday was the beginning of my second week from hell in a row. I just need to get through tonight, tomorrow and Thursday and then things go almost back to normal. I'm sick of having to pick Abby up from daycare to get an extra 40 minutes or so with her just to have to leave for work again. Abby isn't too happy about it either. She gets very upset when she sees me put my coat back on. At least it's almost over.

Oh...one last thing. Anybody have any suggestions for an appropriate Christmas gift for my daycare provider? How much is appropriate to spend? I just don't know...

Christmas Questions

When do you start​ Chris​tmas shopp​ing?​ Usually the beginning of November.

Are you finis​hed shopp​ing?​ No, but I should be by the end of this week. I'd been waiting for our Employee Appreciation Days at work.

How many peopl​e are you buyin​g for? About 15, although most of them are kids. Ed and I cut back a lot this year and aren't exchanging gifts with each other or with our sisters/brothers-in-law (brother-in-laws?).

What are you leavi​ng out for Santa​?​ Milk and cookies. I'll bake some chocolate chips cookies sometime that week.

Name 3 thing​s you want for Chris​tmas:​ Cash, a Wii and clothes. I'll get the cash. I guess I should have said peace, love and goodwill toward man.

Are you trave​ling this year?​ Just to see the grandmothers and family in/just outside of the city.

What kind of stock​ings are hung at your house​?​ Ed and I have plain, velvety ones. Mine is red and his is green. I found a really cute one for Abby at 5Below a few weeks ago. It's white and purple and has a snowman on it.

Do you have a firep​lace/​ chimn​ey?​ Sadly, no.

Favor​ite thing​s to get in your stock​ing?​ Growing up, we would always get a Christmas Pez dispenser and refills, Lottery scratch-offs and fun little toys. You always knew what to expect. Ed's not very good with the stocking stuff though. He tends to do things like travel shampoos. Lame. Although last year he put a couple pair of my favorite kind of socks in there.

Any famil​y tradi​tions​?​ The new ones seem to be that I work on Christmas Eve day (blah) and then my mom comes over for dinner (lasagna). Becky and her family stop by at some point to do gifts. Then Ed and I would open our gifts to each other (although not this year). Then Santa comes overnight and Abby will open her gifts in the morning.

What foods​ does your famil​y have every​ year at Chris​tmas?​ Ham. I love ham.

Who is the most fun to buy for? Abby. Actually, any of the kids. Toys are fun!

Who is the easie​st to buy for? Abby

Who is the harde​st to buy for? Our parents

Who gives​ the best gifts​?​ My mom gives cash, so that's always nice. :) My sister was always really good with the gifts too, but we don't exchange anymore.

Any movie​s/​speci​als you have to watch​ every​ year?​ I love Christmas movies and specials. There are very few that I won't watch. I've been DVRing them to "watch" with Abby, but we all know they're really for me right now. In a couple years she'll appreciate them too.

Who passe​s out the prese​nts?​ Everyone

Main store​s you have shopp​ed at this year:​ Target and B&N

What kind of tree do you have?​ We usually use Ed's grandmothers old artificial tree. This year we might switch over to a smaller one that my mom got for free in Atlantic City so it will take up less of Abby's play space in the living room and so there's less to keep her out of. We'll switch back to the bigger one in a year or two.

What are your 3 favor​ite ornam​ents on your tree?​ Cookie Monster! Becky and I both loved the same Cookie Monster ornament that hung on our tree growing up. We would always fight over who got to hang it on the tree and then we fought over who's tree it was going to hang on. Finally I found an identical one on E-bay and Becky bought it for me for Christmas a couple of years ago so we could both have one. Also, my ornament that we got from our honeymoon in Disney. It says 2001 and the back says, "This is only the beginning." Last, but not least, the Baby's First Christmas ornaments that *I* had to buy last year since nobody else bought one for Abby.

What adorn​s the top of your tree?​ An ugly star. It was the only thing that would fit since we have a tall tree and low ceilings.

Do you colle​ct anyth​ing Chris​tmasy​?​ Just ornaments and decorations. No particular type.

Whose​ kids are you buyin​g for this year?​ Mine, my nieces and nephews (which, including the "step" ones, makes 7 all together), our younger cousins

Can you name all 9 reind​eer?​ Yup

Ever watch​ Ernes​t Saves​ Chris​tmas?​ Nope

What'​s your favor​ite Chris​tmas drink​?​ Egg Nog. But it makes me sick, sick, sick!

Do you like Eggno​g?​ See above.

What flavo​r candy​ canes​ do you like?​ Peppermint. I'm a traditional kind of gal.

When do you take your tree down?​ January 2nd.

Is Chris​tmas still​ magic​al for you? Unfortunately, working retail kind of kills the magic. I'm hoping to get it back in the next year or two once Abby really starts to understand what's going on.

What is your favor​ite thing​ about​ Chris​tmas?​ The traditions, being with my family, the memories. My parents always made Christmas special for us and I love to look back at those times and I hope I can make it as wonderful for my kids.

Do you donat​e at Chris​tmas time?​ Here and there. A few books to the bookdrive at work, a toy to a toy drive. One day, when we are no longer living paycheck to paycheck, I'll do more.

Do you make sure to remem​ber the TRUE meani​ng of Chris​tmas?​ Yes. We're even going to attempt church with Abby this year. Last year we were going to try, but she was being way too out-of-sorts, so we watched mass on tv instead. At least we tried.

How many nativ​ity scene​s do you have in your house​?​ My Little People one. I love it and it's NOT a toy! I might have to get Abby her own...

Photo Dump

Apparently I haven't done one of these since Abby's birthday party. D'oh!

Just had to start out with this oldie, but goodie. It's a footnote to Becky's Scary Santa post.

Go Ravens!

My child feels the need to climb on everything!

And she is officially a bookworm like her mommy. All day long she's bringing books to me to read to her. I love it!

Playing in the awesome indoor playground that her grandma bought her for her birthday. It has a ballpit, a slide and a swing. Her favorite things are to climb up the slide and dive into the pit. She's a bit of a daredevil.

Trying to figure out how to climb onto the top of the slide from the ballpit. And yes, she managed to do it.

And up the slide she goes.

Attempting to feed herself with a spoon. And that was Daddy that gave her dinner in one of our good bowls. Mommy knows better!

Playing with Claire over Aunt Becky's. Aunt Becky decided to put the princess dress on her since Claire now has definite opinions about what she'll wear. And I'm so mad this picture came out blurry. It looked okay on my camera screen. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

Even a princess needs a juice break every now and then!

Finally...A Post!

Sorry...it's been wacky around here between the holiday and work. Plus, our computer was crazy slow for a few days. But anyway, I hope everyone had a super Thanksgiving. Ours was lovely. I cooked and Ed's family and my mom came over. I was exhausted by the end of it, but everyone had a good time and the food was yummy...so it was a success.

Unfortunately, work is now in full crap mode. But, it's only for a month. I'll make it through. Hopefully my child doesn't forget me between this week and next when I work late 8 out of 14 days. Blah.

Speaking of my Abby-doodle...apparently she woke up on Sunday and thought to herself, "I think I'm ready to learn how to walk." Heh...she's been all about the walking ever since. She's taken several single steps on her own and is cruising around the furniture with only one hand. She also wants us to walk with her around and around the house. Usually she'll go about halfway across the room and then decide that she's done and will refuse to move another inch. But now we putter out before she does. She'll be off and running before we know it...and then we're really in trouble!

Okay, I've officially updated. Now I have to go finish getting ready for work.

Don't Wanna Go to Work!

Especially since tonight is the night of our craziest bookfair of the year. I'm exhausted just thinking about it. Last year was so wonderful when I was at home on maternity leave and enjoyed every moment of not working. Maybe in a couple years I can time it that well again. ;)

Yesterday was a nice day. It was my turn to sleep in and once I got up I made pancakes (which Abby loved). Then my mom called to see if Abby and I wanted to go visit my grandmother with her. We were there for an hour and a half or so, then we went home and watched the awesome Ravens game. Yay Ravens! Unfortunately Abby's nap schedule got all out of whack, so she took it very late and I had to wake her up for dinner. Then she was cranky for the rest of the night until we put her down for the night at 7:15.

Today Abby let me sleep in until 7:45. We played for awhile and then I took her to daycare. I got a couple errands done and now I'm killing time until I have to go to work. As usual, I say blah!

Slacker Friend

Belated "Happy Birthday!"'s to Kathy and Val. It was a crazy week and I barely got to get on the computer at home. But I thought about you on your birthdays, if that's any consolation. Poor Val didn't have a very fun birthday, but at least Pheonix seeems to be doing better.

So, obviously I had an exhausting week. I worked late Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I was so thrown off that when my alarm went off yesterday morning, I listened to it for ten minutes thinking "is Ed ever going to get up?" before I realized that it was for me. Right now I'm enjoying my last Saturday off until after Christmas. Probably until after the New Year. This week won't be too bad. I work late Monday for a bookfair, but then I open Tuesday, I'm off Wednesday and Thursday and then open Friday and Saturday. But the first two weeks of December are going to suck again. Remind me why I work retail...

Getting Things Done

Wow...it's only 11:00 am and I've managed to get a lot (well, for me it's a lot) done today. Go me! Abby woke up around 7 and we hung out here until 9ish. Then I got her ready for daycare and off we went. It was funny actually...since the weather has finally gotten colder, I put her in her hat and mittens this morning. She spent half of the car ride staring at her hands trying to figure out what the heck she had on them and then spent the second half trying to figure out how to get them off. She cracks me up.

After I dropped her off, I went to Toys R Us to try to buy an Elmo Laptop for the second time. I bought one at Target last month as a Christmas gift for my niece Kaylee. It went upstairs with the rest of the presents I've bought so far. While I was at work on Saturday, Ed decided to open one of the birthday toys that we put away for later for Abby. Guess what he decided to open. Yup, Kaylee's laptop. I could have killed him. Of course, when we went back to Target, they no longer had any. But then I got a 15% off any item coupon in an e-mail for TRU, so I decided to give them a try. They had it, but for $5 more than I bought it for at Target. At least with the coupon it evened out. If anybody didn't get that coupon and would like a copy, let me know and I'll e-mail it to you. It's good through the 20th.

After TRU I went to a clothing store in the area and got a sweater that was half price for me. Then I tried the new Aldi (spelling?) grocery store that opened up in Golden Ring. Interesting place. They have some name brand stuff, but it's mostly off-brands. I was told that their milk prices were good, so I really went to get a gallon of whole milk for Abby. I picked up a few other things as well. The prices are definitely low, so that's a plus. The sucky things about it are that they don't accept credit cards and they don't bag for you. But, if it's saving me money, I'll suck it up.

Now I'm killing time until I leave for work in an hour. Blah for work!

Christmas is Here!

Or at least it is for me since I'm one of those fools working in retail this holiday season. The Avenue had their annual tree lighting on Friday night and the Holiday Parade on Saturday. I was off on Friday, so I can't comment on how the tree lighting went (although they brought Santa out on a dog sled, which I thought was rather cool). I can tell you that the parade was pretty lame. Of course, it was rainy and yucky out, so I'm sure that didn't help. But even the parade itself didn't measure up to years past. Oh well.

This week is one of my four bookfair weeks. Good times. Tonight's was a good warm up for the big ones that are coming up. Last night we had our all-store holiday meeting, which was actually a lot of fun. We made it different this year and kept it light and entertaining. It seemed to work too because a lot of booksellers were commenting today that it was the best holiday meeting they've ever been too. We even did a potluck and there was plenty of leftover goodies for today, so that was a bonus.

In Abby news, she's still not walking although she's been balancing herself more and more. I'm not worried about it though. When she's ready, she'll go for it. We're just late walkers in my family. Today she fed herself with a fork for the first time. Although Ed said that she got annoyed that the food wasn't getting to her mouth fast enough, so she would supplement forkfuls with handfuls. Whatever works. She's had a little cold since last week. She's doing better but the nose is still running off and on. Hopefully she'll shake the last of it soon. And she's really, really into books now. Yay! She's forever picking them up and handing them to us to read to her. Hooray for books!

Abby McCrankypants

Abby finally managed to catch the cold that's been going around. I thought she'd get it sooner, since Becky and her family got it last week and then my mom had it when she babysat Abby on Thursday. She was fine until Saturday night when she was restless all night and actually woke up for almost an hour around midnight. Good times. She slept fine on Sunday, but then was a very unpleasant baby at daycare yesterday. She had another rough night last night, so we decided to just keep her home today. I have an event tonight, so I wasn't going in until 1 anyway, so I just took a half sick day and will go in around 4. That way Ed can keep the couple appointments he had today and then take over for the evening shift.

This weekend was nice. Ed's birthday was Friday, so the three of us went out to dinner at Damon's. Abby loved it...she had grilled cheese and apple sauce and had the best time looking around at everything and everyone. Saturday morning Abby and I made the spur of the moment decision to go to Arundel Mills so that Ed could sleep in. We got there an hour before the mall even opened, so we did a lap around the place, had breakfast and then did a little shopping. I got a Christmas gift for my youngest cousin and got Abby a couple of Christmas sleepers that were half-price at the Carters store. We didn't inherit much holiday-themed clothing this year and I have a thing for putting her in Christmas apparel. I picked up a couple of really cute Christmas shirts at Old Navy last week that were on sale 2 for $10 (usually $10.50 each), so that was exciting for me. It's the little things in life.

Ed managed to get a lot done around the house over the weekend. We got some hand-me-down gates from our friends Dave and Deb, so we no longer have to rely on a cardboard box full of Aflac brochures to keep Abby off of the staircase going up to the top floor. He also finally put together the playset that my mom bought her for her birthday. It's really cute. It has a ball pit, a slide and a swing. She loves the ball pit and the swing, but her absolute favorite thing to do is to try to climb up the slide. Oy.

Sunday was my day to sleep in, so Ed and Abby played downstairs all morning. Then we watched the awesome Ravens game and just bummed around all day. Fun!

Hopefully Abby will feel better tomorrow. Our schedules are insane right now, so Abby is actually spending tomorrow night at Ed's parent's house. I have to work late tomorrow and Thursday, and Ed has a late meeting tomorrow, so it was the best solution. At least I'm off on Friday, so we'll get the day together then. Is it January yet?

The Election is Over!

Praise the Lord. I voted in the afternoon and was in and out of my polling place in five minutes. Go me. And that's all I have to say about all of that.

Right now it's another night alone for me. Ed had a late enrollment, but should be home soon. I had to work late for a school bookfair, so Grandma came over to babysit. Abby was starting to get upset when she realized that I was leaving, but then Grandma opened a pack of Gerber fruit snacks and she forgot all about me. Have I ever mentioned how much my child loves to eat?

Tomorrow and Friday are normal, but then next week really starts my month and a half from hell. I'm pretty much working late three to four days every week (except for Thanksgiving week) until the third week of December. It's mostly bookfairs with a few booksignings thrown in there for good measure. I hate this time of year. Maybe I should just try to get knocked up again in the February/March time period so I can skip it again next year. Or not. Maybe the following February/March...

Ahhhh Boo!!!

All of a sudden Abby's become a little parrot. It's very funny. My mom was almost getting her to say "I see you" yesterday. Then today we were playing a peek-a-boo game and I kept saying "ahhhh boo!" and she started trying to say it back. Then Ed got her to say "up" a little after that. She's so much fun. :)

Halloween was pretty uneventful. We decided to put off the trick-or-treating for one more year. It's not like she's eating the candy yet and it's the last thing that Ed and I need. Plus, we're not the most social people in the neighborhood, so it's not like I was dying to go to the neighbors' houses to show her off. Maybe next year we can mooch off of someone else's neighborhood and go trick-or-treating with a friend (or cousin).

My mom did take her to the elementary school yesterday afternoon to see the Halloween parade. She dressed Abby in her kitty cat costume and walked her over in the stroller. She said that Abby had a ball looking at all the kids in their costumes, doing a two-handed wave at everyone and saying "Hi!" constantly. I'm glad she got to have some Halloween fun. :)

Here's the kitty cat pictures:

She was very cute in the costume. I was shocked she kept the hood on without a fight. For the longest time she wouldn't let me put anything on her head and then in the past couple weeks, she all of a sudden doesn't mind. Maybe she realized that it was keeping her head warm in the cold weather. Or maybe she's just a fickle one-year-old. ;)

Blah

This weather is getting to me. Work is getting to me. Ed's schedule is getting to me. Thank goodness for my Abby-doo because everything else is sucking right now. But, this too shall pass. That is all.

I Accomplished Something!

Yay me! I actually wrote all of Abby's birthday thank you's. Now I just have to get envelopes and stamps so I can actually send them off. The invitations I used came with thank you postcards, but I want to send her one-year photos with the cards, so I have to put them in envelopes. I guess I'll run to Staples at some point tomorrow. And Tracy, could you please e-mail me your address? I wrote one for you and I need to send it somewhere!

Today will be fun. I'm taking my mom to see Beauty and the Beast at the Dundalk Community Theater for her birthday (which is tomorrow). We're also meeting my friend Carrie there. My friend Sam is in it (he's the cheese grater...hehe!) and my other friend Rob is the stage manager. It should be fun. I'm taking her out to dinner afterwards, so it will be a lovely evening all around.

She's Got her Daddy's Veins

It's a good thing too because mine suck! The blood draw is over and done with. Hooray! It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. We got there about seven minutes after the place opened and there were already three people ahead of us! Thank goodness we got there when we did. We only had to wait about ten minutes, so that wasn't too bad. At least Abby was in a good mood. When we went in, Ed sat in the chair and held her, while I held her other hand and tried to distract her. She was fine, even when the nurse put the band on her arm, until she grabbed her arm to hold it out. She didn't struggle at all, just cried. It was very sad, but at least the nurse found a vein on the first try and filled both tubes up very quickly. Abby was done crying by the time we got to the car. So, not nearly as traumatic as it could have been. She was happy as can be by the time we got to daycare, which is where she is now. I have a bookfair tonight, so I have to get ready to leave soon. Yeehaw!

Yay for Bathtime!

Praise the Lord...bathtime is fun again! I don't know if her problem was the diaper rash or what, but all of a sudden the tub is no longer a battle zone. I've just been dumping all of her bath toys in there with her and she's happy to sit and play while I wash her. It's nice to have a clean baby again. ;)

Yesterday was crazy busy. I took Abby to her friend Carter's birthday party for a little while where she had fun eating pizza and watching all the other kids run around. Then we had to run back home to grab some stuff and head out to my MIL's for a birthday dinner for my SIL and Ed's grandmother. Good times. Abby had a blast playing with her Pop, trying to keep up with her cousin Kaylee and eating everything on the table. She had beef, potatoes, some vegetable medley (carrots, peas, corn and beans), broccoli, most of a roll, and almost a whole piece of strawberry jello stuff. And then she still went after Kaylee's crackers. Sheesh!

Today was just a Monday. Back to work, Abby back to daycare. Blah. Tomorrow we're going to try again to get her blood drawn. Wish us luck!

Piggie Girl

Abby must be going through a growth spurt or something because girlfriend is eating like crazy right now. Last night was the funniest. She had a late lunch, so we figured that she wouldn't want dinner until after 6. Not so much. By 5:30 she was whining because she was hungry. So, she ate some cheese, a level 3 dinner and some diced peaches. Ed and I decided to order pizza for dinner and it got here about 6:30. We ate it downstairs while Abby was playing. As soon as she saw we were eating she came right over and pretty much let it be known that she needed to have what we were eating. So, she wound up eating an entire Pizza Hut cheesy breadstick. That kept her busy for awhile, but she finished it before I finished my pizza. So, I figured I would give her a mushroom, thinking she wouldn't like it and would decide to go back to playing. Uhhhh...yeah. Apparently my one-year-old loves mushrooms. She had about three off of my pizza before I finished. She just cracks me up!

Turning to the Dark Side

Yes, I did. I finally made a Facebook page. Becky succumbed first and found some interesting people, so I finally gave in. I still refuse to even consider a MySpace. I'm an adult, dammit!

So, my mom and I attempted to get Abby to LabCorp to get her blood drawn, but when we got there the waiting room was completely full. It would have been at least an hour wait and I know that my child would not stand for that. I'm going to try again when they open one day this week. Hopefully they'll be less crowded then.

Abby and I went to see Becky and the kiddies this afternoon. The boys are getting big...relatively speaking. They're still little peanuts, but at least they're bigger peanuts then they were a month ago. Speaking of which, Happy Monthday Ryan and Isaac!

Tomorrow I have to go to work for a half day. I did a half today to make up the difference. That way I can at least stop by Paige's birthday party for a couple of minutes before I have to hit the road to get to work. We have a children's author coming in for a reading and signing. He's a pretty good author, so I'm praying for a half-decent crowd. But, seeing as how it's on a Saturday evening at The Avenue, I'm really not sure what to expect. I better get at least a handful of people!

Okay, off to bed. I'm exhausted. It sucks to get old!

12-Month Checkup

Gah...that was fun. Actually, it was fine for the most part. Her appointment was for 8:45, so we got right in without having to wait, which rocked. The traffic getting there sucked, but I think it was a fair trade-off. My little chunkamunk is 25 lbs 7oz, which is the 95th percentile, and she's 31 inches, which is also the 95th percentile. Abby is most definitely "so big!"

Everything else looked good. We were a little concerned about her feet since Ed and I both had to wear a bar between our feet when we were toddlers because we were both pigeon toed. The doctor said that hers look good right now. There's still a lot of flexibility in there, but we should take care to make sure she doesn't sit with her legs under her because that could effect the way they turn. We also asked him about eggs and the flu shot. Ed, his dad and his grandmother all have egg sensitivities. We haven't been brave enough yet to feed her any. The doctor said to just go ahead and give her a scrambled egg and monitor her for any reaction. If she's okay, we should call to set up a time to bring her in to get the flu vaccine.

Speaking of shots, there were three yesterday. The first two were fine, but that third one was a doozy. I even heard it go in. Ouch. Her face got bright red, her whole body stiffened, she tried to yank her leg away and then she started wailing. Oy. She would not stop until we got her out of the examining room and she finally felt like she was safe again. Then we got the paperwork to take her to get blood drawn for the lead test. That should be fun. I think my mom and I are going to take her on Friday after I get off of work.

I have my annual teacher's open house at work today, so that should be another joyous experience. Work is not fun this time of year. As much as I don't want another fall baby, at least my maternity leave last time was my get-out-of-jail-free card for October and November craziness at work. Perhaps I should reconsider the preferred timing of baby two. Not that we thinking anytime soon. But, eventually. :)

Birthday Party Photo Dump

Abby's Baby Elmo cake, which turned out very cute.

The zoo that was my living room.

Abby and Paige admiring one of Abby's Elmo gifts.

Taking a quick juice break as everyone else plays with her new toys.

Enjoying another cake.

Yay for cake!

So Sleepy

Our schedules are so messed up right now, it's not even funny. But, I'm back to work now, so things should be getting somewhat back to normal. Abby's party on Saturday turned out well. I thought I was going to lose my mind because of all the people in my little house! My living room was overrun with babies and their mommies. It was crazy! But Abby got a lot of fun gifts (she got about five different Elmo toys!) and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. The only bummer was that I promised Ed that we would save the cake-cutting until his mom got there...which wasn't until 2 1/2 hours after the party started. So, by the time we got around to it a good chunk of our guests had left. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. So, we have a lot of leftover cake. Oh well. I'll post pictures as soon as I remember to bring the camera up here to download them.

I don't know if it was because she didn't get a real dinner on Saturday or what, but Abby woke up at 1:00 am that night and basically didn't go back to sleep until after 3. Oy. We just totally gave up at one point and let her crawl around her room. Finally, we put batteries in her Ocean Wonders Aquarium, which we had just been keeping on the crib so she could play with the rolly toys on the bottom, and she was fascinated enough by it that she didn't even notice when we left the room. She fell asleep soon after it stopped. We were hoping it was just a one time deal, but she woke up again last night. This time, I went in to change her diaper (she has a terrible diaper rash due to a brief bout of diarrhea) and rocked her for a little bit, then put her back down and let her cry it out until she fell asleep. Keep your fingers crossed that she sleeps through the night tonight.

In other fussy baby news, she has also decided that bathtime is evil. I think it's because I decided that she had outgrown the duckie tub and was ready for the real thing. Ever since, she's acted like I was killing her when I put her in the tub. She won't sit, just stands, sobs, and hangs onto me for dear life as I try my best to wash her. Not fun at all. I think I might just blow the duckie tub back up for another couple of months and then try again.

Tomorrow we take her in for her one-year checkup. That should be fun. At least Ed is able to go with us, so that will make it a little less stressful for me. Hopefully I'll have time to post her stats tomorrow.

Abby's First Year!

And here's her birthday video. I'm warning you ahead of time that it's five minutes long. I had a hard enough time keeping it to five pictures per month, I don't know how I could have made it any shorter. But, I love it and I tear up each time I watch it. Enjoy!

Abby's 1st Birthday!

***The link toward the bottom should work now!***

My little baby is a year old! How did that happen? It seems like only yesterday I was in the hospital enduring all measures of discomfort and indignity. But, the end result was definitely worth it. :)

Today was very busy. We went to the farm and saw some very cool animals. Seriously, who knew that all that was behind the little shop at Chapel Hill Farm? It was very cool and even though she didn't quite know what to make of it, Abby seemed to enjoy herself.

Checking out the bunnies and goats as well as she could from the confines of her stroller.

"Uh...Mommy? Aren't you going to try to keep this crazy thing from trying to eat me?"

After the farm, we went to the park and she had fun swinging with Grandma and watching Claire play.

Wondering if anyone was ever going to give her a push.

Grandma is funny.

After the park, we came home and ate a little bit and then took a (way too short) nap. Then we had lunch and opened the presents from Mommy and Daddy.

Checking out her card and babydoll.

Opening her basketball game. We also gave her the Fisher Price piano. It's awesome.

Then we went to Sears to get her portrait done. Unfortunately, they were over-booked and under-staffed, so we had to wait about 35 minutes before we got to go back. By that point, all Abby's patience had pretty much run out, so we didn't have the best session ever. But we did get a couple of really cute shots, so that's the important thing. If you would like to see those pictures, here you go! If you're wondering about the too-short bangs, it's not my fault. My MIL took it upon herself to cut them when Abby was over there earlier in the week. :(

Grandma made an encore appearance for dinner around 6 and then we gave Abby her cake. It would surprise nobody that she rather enjoyed it. She was very tired by that point, so she didn't put on much of a "show," but hopefully she'll be ready to rip into it on Saturday.

"What the heck is this?"

"You people have totally been holding back on me!"

Silly Mommy and Daddy waited until the end of the day to take the official monthday shot. So, this is the best we could get.

Oh well!

All-in-all, it was a good (but exhausting) 1st birthday. Yay, Abby! :)

Here, There and Everywhere!

Just spent the morning running errands. And the vacation fun just doesn't end! I dropped Abby off at daycare, returned a book-on-CD to the library, returned a DVD to Blockbuster (Forgetting Sarah Marshal...hysterical!), stopped by the store to get a mileage check cashed and to pick up a couple things, went to AC Moore to use my 55% off any item coupon to get a picture frame so we can finally hang up Abby's 9-month portrait, went the bank, went to CVS to take advantage of their good ExtraCare Bucks deals for the week, and finally to the dollar store to get some wrapping paper and extra plates for Saturday. And I'm ready to go back to sleep!

But, alas, it's not meant to be. Back to cleaning for me! Today I'm working on the living room, kitchen and downstairs. Tomorrow Ed's going to do the sunroom and his bathroom while I'm out and about with Abby. We're meeting my mom, Becky and Claire at Chapel Hill Farm around 9:30. I figured it's free, closer and probably a better choice for Abby right now. We'll go to Weber's next year. I'm hoping to be home by 11 so she can go down for her nap in order to be nice and fresh for her portrait appointment (Sears!) at 3:30. My mom's coming over at 6 for dinner and to watch Abby have her first cake experience. I can't wait for that. As much as my child loves to eat, she will be in heaven. I'll definitely post pictures. :)

Yum!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...steak! Too bad we're poor and can only eat at someplace like Ruth's Chris when we have a gift card, but I guess that just makes us appreciate the rare treat even more. Dinner was yummy...especially since we discovered that Ed's $100 gift card was actually a $200 gift card, so we could spend without thinking about prices at all. We got the calamari (best I've ever had), and we each got a salad and a fillet. We split two sides and then they gave us a free dessert since it was our anniversary. Even with tax and tip, we still have about $50 left on the card. Don't know when we'll ever spend it, but at least it's there. And I'm still stuffed!

And thanks to everyone for the anniversary well wishes. :) We're definitely getting old though. After dinner we decided we just didn't feel like doing anything else and we went home and watched our shows. Gotta love it.

Today I'm cleaning a little more. I did Abby's room since she isn't home. She's still over her Gram's house. My MIL actually took Abby to the mall where they met Ed so she could buy Abby shoes for (part of?) her birthday present. Ed said that Abby was hilarious trying to figure out what the heck was on her feet. Her foot size is a 4 1/2 and she's in the stage 2 shoes, whatever that means. She's not walking yet, but she does need the shoes to at least keep her feet warm when she's outside. She's not a sock fan either and will take them off as soon as I get her in her carseat. Oh how I miss the days of the BundleMe.

Just two more days until Abby's birthday! My mom and I were going to take her to Weber's Farm, but apparently they did away with all the cool stuff that she would have enjoyed. Now we're thinking of just taking her to Chapel Hill Farm to see the animals and pumpkins and such. I'll have to think about it a little more. Then she has her picture appointment at 3:30 at Sears and then my mom is coming over for dinner and to see Abby's first cake experience. I want her to be prepared to put on a good show on Saturday. ;)

Break time over. Off to clean some more. Yeehaw!

7 Years!

That's how long Ed and I have managed to be married without killing each other! Just kidding, we're still very much in love...just a little stressed. But, that's life. Right now I'm spending our anniversary cleaning. Fun! I did a total scrub-down of my bathroom and now I'm mentally preparing myself to get to our bedroom. I have two hours and then I need to start getting ready to go out tonight. We're going to pick Abby up from daycare, drop her off at my in-laws and then head to Annapolis to have a yummy dinner at Ruth's Chris. Yay for us! :)

"Hi!"

That's what we decided Abby's official first word is. "Hi!" She says mama and dada, but it still seems more like babble than actual communication. The "Hi!" she means. Sometimes you can even get her to say it on cue. When I'm on the phone with Ed or Grandma, if I hold it up to her and tell her to say it, she usually will. She also tries to say "kitty cat" and "brush," but they're not quite understandable yet. But we know what she's talking about. ;)

We're still not walking yet. She's not even that into trying to practice. She'll do it a little, but then she wants to crawl instead. I'm not worried or anything, she'll do it when she ready. Plus, I have enough trouble keeping up with the crawling. I can wait a little longer for the walking!

Everything else is same old. I've been crazy busy at work and am exhausted by the time I get home. We have a bookfair tonight, which is why I'm home right now. I have to leave in about ten minutes though. Ed's on baby duty for the rest of the day, or at least until he drops her off at his mom's house so he can play softball tonight. Actually, I'm happy that she's going there tonight. Our anniversary is next Monday and his mom offered to watch Abby overnight. It's been a couple of weeks since she's watched her, so at least tonight will give Abby a chance to get used to it over there again before next week.

We're actually going out to a nice dinner for our anniversary. Ed earned a $100 Ruth's Chris gift card from work, so we're going to get some really good steak. Woohoo! We may or may not catch a movie afterwards, depending on how we feel and what's playing. It will be nice to have a night out with just the two of us, although I'll miss my baby like crazy!

Okay, I have to go find some black socks and get to work. Have a super day!

I Finally Saw the Boys!


Yay! It was very exciting, I tell you! I was going to go alone, but then Ed announced that he would like to see Ryan and Isaac too, so the three of us went together. Luckily, Grandma was also there, so she got to play with the girls while I cooed over the boys and Ed talked to Scott about sports. It was so weird to pick up Isaac for the first time. After lugging around 26 (or so) pounds of Abby on a regular basis, to hold a 5 pound infant was like holding a ragdoll. My mom had the opposite problem when she tried to pick up Abby after holding Ryan for awhile. But both boys are very cute and tiny and sweet. :)


Unfortunately, I remembered to bring my camera, but neglected to actually use it. You'll just have to keep depending on Becky to provide the pictures. Claire was in rare form. Usually she doesn't want to have much to do with Abby, but she actually got excited to see her and played with her very nicely. I guess the baby brothers made her more receptive to other kids. It was nice to see the two of them together. Just wait until next year once Abby is able to keep up with her. That should be fun.


Other than that, it's been a lovely, non-eventful weekend. We didn't even leave the house at all yesterday. Who wants to go out in the yucky rain? Abby was thrilled to have a day at home with both Mommy and Daddy. She hasn't gotten too much time with the both of us together recently. It's only going to get worse, but at least it's just temporary. Things will go back to normal in January.

Wacky Week

And the worst is yet to come! All I wanna do is go visit my sister and Ryan, but just haven't had a chance yet. Boo! Oh how I wish I could be a stay-at-home mommy. Tomorrow I work late because of the first bookfair of the season and then Friday I have a huge lunch-time event. I've barely seen Ed all week. He umpired the late games on Monday, he umpired the early games yesterday and then had a 10pm enrollment, then tonight he's umpiring again and will have to go to bed almost as soon as he gets home because he has to get up at 4am. Blah. My mom is watching Abby tomorrow afternoon and then Ed will pick her up when he's done for the day.

I guess it's good preparation for the upcoming months. November and December are going to be hellish around here. It's the busy season for both of us. I'll be working late almost every weeknight starting in the middle of November until the second Tuesday in December. Then I'll be working most weekend days. I have no idea when I'll get to spend any time with Abby. I guess I'll just keep her here in the mornings and then take her to daycare around 11 so I can have enough time to get ready for work. We're going to have to depend on my mom an awful lot...she'll just have to take Abby with her when she goes to Becky's house to help her out. Is it January yet?

Blahness

Have I ever mentioned how much I hate Mondays? Cause I hate them a lot. We didn't even have our usual Monday Morning Manager's Meeting because my manager came in late. That really sucked because not only did I get there at 7:00 for no real reason, but it made the day seem much longer. At least I took my shower last night, so that was an extra half-hour I got to sleep. Woohoo.

So, Becky and Ryan are home. Yay! Read all about it on Becky's blog. Hopefully Isaac won't be too far behind. I would like to be able to come visit this week, but that depends on how everybody's schedule works out. Between taking care of Claire and Ryan and getting to the hospital to see Isaac, Becky's days are pretty full. I have to work around my work schedule and Abby's schedule. Plus, Ed has a crazy schedule this week between enrollments and umpiring, so he's not much help in the Abby department. But, I will try. I'm dying to see my nephews! :)

Tonight is the beginning of the television season! Hooray! Heroes and How I Met Your Mother, two of my favorite shows, start tonight. If you don't watch HIMYM, you must start! It's one of the funniest shows on tv and way underrated. That's my television plug for the day. Prison Break and CSI Miami, two more of my shows, are also on tonight. Our DVR definitely works overtime on Mondays.

Off to try to get a little rest while Abby takes her post-daycare nap. Have I mentioned how much I hate Mondays?

A Little More Baby News

Well, the good news is that Ryan will move in with Becky later today. Yay! :) She's actually staying until Sunday, so he'll be going home with her then. The not-as-good news is that Isaac will still have to stay for another two or three weeks. Poor little guy. Even once his breathing is acceptable enough for him to leave, he still has to learn how to suck and whatnot. Right now he's being fed through a tube, so he's got a lot to learn. I'm sure he'll figure it out quickly.

Everything else here is same old, same old. Apparently my daughter thinks she's a cat, as evidenced by her attempt at eating a handful of catfood at my mom's house. My mom's pretty sure she got most of it out of her mouth, but she may have swallowed a piece or two. If nothing else, at least it will be a good story to torment her with in six or seven years! As long as she doesn't start meowing, it's all good.

Does anybody else watch America's Got Talent? I love, love, love Nuttin' But Strings! Having played the violin (very poorly) from the 5th grade until I graduated from high school, I know how difficult an instrument it is to play. These guys play their violins beautifully, while playing their own compositions, while infusing hip-hop with the classical, while dancing and stomping around the stage. It's crazy and awesome. And that's my plug for everyone to vote for them. ;)

More Baby Talk

Sorry, still no pictures, but Scott has been just a little distracted. The babies are doing about the same. Ryan is still strong and may be out of NICU in a couple days. Isaac spent most of the day in a "baby house" to help keep him warm and to minimize any outside stimulation. He just needs to chill right now. The x-ray they did of him this morning was looking better than yesterday's, so that very good news. They should keep getting better every day.

Becky actually did get to go up to see them last night. Apparently the night nurse was more accommodating than the earlier one. She's seen them on and off all day today and actually got to nurse Ryan and hold Isaac. She's still trying to wrap her head around the fact that both babies are hers. Physically, she's in a lot of pain from the c-section. She's mad at me for telling her that the c-section wasn't that bad. I never said it was a day at the park, but I really didn't think it was too horrible. But they did have to pull two babies out of her, so that can't help matters too much.

Since I was actually off today, I was able to go visit again. I didn't see the babies because Scott was home with Claire and it's not that easy for Becky to get up to NICU. In order to see a baby in NICU, one of the parents has to accompany you. The grandparents are allowed up by themselves, but they can't bring anybody else with them. It's all good, I know I'll be seeing them plenty at home before we know it. :)

Becky is scheduled to come home on Saturday. Not sure about the boys yet, but we'll all keep our fingers crossed that they'll both be able to come home soon.

The Boys are Here!

My adorable nephews Ryan and Isaac, that is! Go to Becky's blog for full details!

Photo Dump

New pictures! Yay! Enjoy these because I didn't get to do the cool photo birthday party invitations that I was hoping to do. Ran out of time and decided I didn't want to spend the money. Generic Sesame Street invites it is! Speaking of her birthday, I went to Toys R Us today to get her birthday presents. Their Fisher Price baby toys are 30% off, so I got her a couple of cool new things. One more thing I can check off my to-do list.

Okay, now the pictures for real.

Trying to get her Cheerios out of the Snacktrap. If you don't have one, I highly recommend it!

Cheese, glorious cheese!

Cruising in her hot ride.

Saying "Hi" to Daddy after her nap. We keep moving her crib further and further away from the wall because she keeps trying to grab the video monitor wire.

Playing with her very cool house, thanks to our friends Dave and Deb.

Well, that's one way to deliver the mail!

Yeah, we're in trouble already.

Yet Another Busy Weekend

Someday I'll be able to just relax on the weekend. Yesterday we went to a 4th birthday party. The weather was horribly hot and humid, so sitting outside was not particularly comfortable, but we made do. Abby finally got over her anti-crawling-in-the-grass stance and starting crawling all over the place. Oh well, so much for being able to keep her contained outside. She had fun with her friend Paige, eating Mommy's mac and cheese and Daddy's ice cream, and swinging in the baby swing. Mommy was happy when we finally went inside. I hate hot.

Today we invaded Becky's house for a girl's-day brunch/mini shower. Becky got some very cute clothes to add the boys' closet (which is huge by the way...I wish my closet was half as large!). The nursery was finished by the grandmothers and Scott yesterday and is cute, cute, cute! Planes and trains as far as the eye can see. Anyway, good food, good conversation, no kids (besides Claire). It was a very nice change of pace. Hopefully we kept Becky's mind off her discomfort for at least a little while.

Now to order invitations for Abby's party. I need to get them out ASAP. I'm such a slacker!

Sickie-Poo Baby

Poor Abby is not feeling good today at all. She sounded a bit congested last night and this morning, but apparently it got worse while she was at daycare. By the time I picked her up, her poor little nose was running like a faucet. She felt warm too, so I took her temperature and it was a little high. She didn't want to take a nap when she got home, so I just tried to keep her occupied so she would forget that she didn't feel well.

One thing's for sure, being sick doesn't diminish her appetite. She still had a full dinner (a handful of Cheerios, a whole level 3 dinner and half a jar of carrot dices) plus 4 ounces of a bottle before she went down for the night. I made the mistake of trying to clear out her nose with the bulb before I put her down and she cried like I was killing her. Oy. I finally got her calmed down enough to put her in the crib, which just got her started again. I cuddled her a little more and then put her down for good. She cried for a couple of minutes, but then went down. I can tell she's still congested, but at least she's sleeping. She's at Ed's mom's tomorrow and my mom's on Friday, so at least she'll get plenty of love and attention while she doesn't feel well.

Hopefully it will be a quick thing because we're supposed to go to a birthday party on Saturday. It's for our friends' 4-year-old son. I always look forward to their parties because, much like mine, the food is always good. ;) I'll have to remember to take a blanket for Abby and I to hang out on, since it's probably going to be outside (if the weather cooperates) and she won't stand for just being held by us the whole time. She doesn't walk yet and she is very much opposed to being in the grass, so a blanket it is! Their backyard is pretty big, so it shouldn't be a problem, but I guess I'll e-mail Deb just in case.

Sunday is our get-together, mini-shower for Becky, but with her now being on bedrest, who knows what is going to happen with that. Hopefully her hospital appointment on Friday will go well, so we can still have it (at her house). I'm sick of looking at the huge baby bag of boy clothes that's been sitting in my room for over a week now. It was kind of novel to shop for boy stuff, but girl clothes are still much more fun! Anyway, happy thoughts for my sister please! Let the boys cook for just a little longer and let her be able to stay home until they're ready to join the world!

11 Months Old!

Wow, where has the time gone? In just a month I will have a full-fledged one-year-old! So weird!
Anyway, our biggest accomplishment this month was the mastering of the pulling up. She's so good at it now that she can even use a wall to pull up on. She gets into everything and makes us laugh all the time. She's getting much more independent and will let you know exactly what she thinks at all times. She understands the word "no," but mostly thinks it's funny when we use it. She's a fighter at daycare and doesn't let the other kids push her around. Her favorite things are laughing and eating...and I mean eating! She hasn't met a food she doesn't like...including the fruit dices that she had a questionable first experience with. Now she loves them too. She is the most amazing little person and I couldn't love her anymore if I tried. :)

Official monthday picture (complete with top teeth):

Yay for Baby Sales!

Target and BRU both have some rocking sales starting tomorrow. Target has lots of baby stuff on sales, including clothes, Gerber 2-packs (I think they're 89 cents each) and diapers. Their Luv's boxes are $15, if you buy 2 you get a $5 gift card. Go here to print out 2 $2 off a Luv's box Target coupons and then combine those with any manufacturer's coupons you have and you can get a pretty good deal. I'm going to go early tomorrow before they sell out of the size 4 boxes. Saving money is fun!

So, how 'bout that rain today? It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be...but it was still a lot of rain. Now it's just windy as heck. At least tomorrow is supposed to be nice for the Raven's opener. Not expecting much from them this year, but much like the Orioles, I still like to root for the home team. At some point tomorrow we're also planning on dropping by Becky's to drop off some baby stuff she needs back. I went through all the clothes I had to pull out as much gender-neutral stuff as I could. At least she should be okay on onesies and sleepers, if you count the gifts she's received/will receive. But with two babies, who knows how much is actually enough.

Abby is now up from her late nap. Time for dinner!

Wacky Day

I had to go to a work meeting downtown at 5. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate to drive downtown? I'm not a big fan of driving period, but it's even worse down there. I get confused and flustered and nervous and it's just bad. Unfortunately, due to baby-related timing, I had to go by myself so I was forced to drive. Luckily it was at the Holiday Inn, so it wasn't too hard to find...but still. Blah.

The meeting was okay. A little dull, but at least I was being paid for it. I had to be out of there as soon as it was over because Ed had to umpire the late games tonight, so I had to get home to take over baby-duty. I had been wondering earlier whether or not the garage there took credit cards, because I never have cash on me. In my rush to get the heck out of there though, I forgot to check. Naturally, as I get to the booth, I notice the sign that said "No Credit Cards."

Argh! Who doesn't take cards in this day and age? Luckily for me, my work peeps happened to amble along at this time, having made a pit stop before heading out to their cars. One of them was awesome enough to lend me some cash so I could get out of there. I have no idea what I would have done otherwise. Stupid, dumb non-credit-card-taking Holiday Inn garage!

Anyway, when I got home I was dismayed to discover that Ed thought it appropriate to let the baby take a **very** late nap. I had to wake her up at 7:40. Good times. She was a little perturbed to be woken up like that, but got over it once I put her in her highchair and put some cheese shreds in front of her. She had cheese, a level 2 "Pineapple Glazed Ham" jar AND an entire Gerber "Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Glazed Carrots" side. That child loves to eat! She ate all that and even drank 3 ounces of formula an hour later before I put her down for the night.

Monday at her Gram's house, she tried zucchini and raw tomato for the first time. She loved both things. The only food that she's tried so far that she hasn't loved are those Gerber fruit dices. I'm pretty sure that's just a texture thing though. She actually got so upset when I put one of those in her mouth that she made herself throw up. Not cool. Sunday was hilarious. I made my famous (in my "circle" anyway) mac and cheese. I took a plate of it outside where we were sitting on a blanket with Meg and Paige and Kathy. I was feeding Abby some of it one noodle at a time. Needless to say, she loved it. After my plate was gone, Meg somehow wound up with Conner's uneaten plate of it, so she started to feed some to Paige. My shameless child sees this, double-time crawls over to Meg and proceeds to perch herself next to Paige on Meg's leg with her mouth wide open. It was absolutely hysterical. And very, very sad at the same time. Oy.