So Did I Pass or Fail This Test?

That was the question Aaron posed to me when we were trying to get pregnant the first time. Passing or failing this test all depends on your point of view.

When we had Everett we meticulously planned everything. But as John Lennon said, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." Life happened and our beautiful plan went up in flames.

As for baby #2, there was no plan. We had heard the words time and time again, but it wasn't until after we had Everett that we really learned that as far as family goes, there's no perfect financial time to have a baby, and even if there was - it could all change in an instant. (Try going from 2 incomes to zero income plus a baby within 3 months - that was NOT in the plan!) We were (and still are) very concerned with the very thin line that separates living our lives through building our family and just being plain stupid. I guess which side of the line we're on all depends on your point of view.

We found out we were pregnant a week after we moved in with Aaron's parents. It took us a couple of days to snap out of the shock and "what the heck were we thinking?" phase. We adjusted our thinking, relaxed and moved over to the "woo hoo! We're having another baby!" phase.

No matter the financial circumstance, what I do know is that this baby will be loved and adored. I can't wait to kiss this baby's cute little face. I'm excited to see our family grow and I know there is plenty of love to go around.

We know "love" doesn't buy the diapers, but through hard work we'll figure out a new plan and find a way to make it work. With that as my point of view, I think I passed this test with flying colors.

It's Not A Party 'Til Somebody Pukes

Sunday, we had Everett's birthday party. The entire family was there - it was great! We had pizza, salad, chip 'n' dips, fruit and three cakes. Everett spent the day being passed from family member to family member and was the center of attention, as it should be!

About 20 minutes into the party, Everett had an announcement to make: But it went unnoticed for about a half hour. When his shirt was finally noticed, there were cheers all around! Yup, Everett is going to be a big brother! Oh boy, here we go again! (More on that later...back to the party!) After we ate, we opened presents. Ev was interested for about the first 30 seconds, and then was ready to do something else. It's the same way with every one-year-old, which is why I requested no gifts - but that request was ignored by his generous family. Next came Ev's big moment to eat some cake. Most moms envision this moment where the kid smears gobs of icing and cake all over their face and there is a flurry of photo taking to capture the moment. Not so much with my kid. He touched the icing on the cake and was immediately irritated that it stuck to his fingers.We tried to get him to taste the icing to no avail. Finally, I took the tinest pinch of cake and put it in his mouth. He immediately gaged once, and on the second gag completely hurled his squash and applesauce all over the highchair and his shirt. Lovely. So, that magic moment was gone for me. Maybe next year...After we got him changed into his 3rd outfit of the day, we gave hugs and said goodbye as our guests headed home. Aaron, Everett and the cousins went in the spa while I cleaned up. By the end of the night, I was exhausted. It was worth the effort, though. What a great day.

My sister-in-law was even sweet enough to hide a piece of chocolate cake for me, which I will happily eat tonight - very slowly - all by myself.

Happy Birthday, Baby!

Yesterday was Everett's 1st birthday. When he woke up in the morning, the first thing I did was cuddle him and sing "Happy Birthday" to him.

Having my little one reach this huge mile marker had me thinking all kinds of weird thoughts yesterday. Later that morning when I was giving him his bath, the thought popped up, "Next year, you won't be able to bathe him in the sink." My heart sank. I'd have to put him in the tub, maybe I could just buy a bigger sink?When I was giving him a bottle and rocking him for his nap, the thought popped up, "I wonder how many more times I'll get to rock him to sleep." My mind didn't stop there. How many more times will I get to cuddle my little one in the middle of the night? How many more times will he jump up and down in his crib in the morning because he's excited to see me? How many more times will I get to smell his soft fuzzy hair after his bath? The thoughts kept coming all day long. I love this kid more than anything, and I just don't want to miss anything or take for granted the short time I have with him while he's a baby. Aaron's Grandma always said, the first steps your baby takes are the first steps toward walking away from you. Oh little one, I'm sorry to be so mushy and weepy. I can't help it. Just give me a day or two to snap out of it. Sunday the whole family is coming over. Then, we shall party.

Sweat Shop

This weekend, Ev and I helped Aaron at the Label shop. Aaron and I put together some portfolio folders so he could pound the pavement this week in search of some new clients. Aaron said having us there was kind of like running a sweat shop with women and children. While we were affixing labels, Everett had a run of the shop in his walker. There was plenty of dirt, ink and equipment to get into. He managed to quickly find all of these things on his own. He loved to pull the empty label paper out of the trash and it would quickly get tangled.As soon as he found them, the label cores were all over the floor.We still don't know exactly what he got into, but he managed to give himself a Hitler mustache. Aaron's first thought was to wash it off, my first thought was to grab the camera. Almost instantly, his feet were filthy from the shop floor. Aaron suggested we start calling him Pig Pen.
Although Everett came close to single handedly destroying the label shop, Aaron said he was so happy that he got to spend the day with his boy and his wife.It's not very often we get to spend the whole day together. It was well worth the inconvenience of packing all the baby gear and having my son covered in dirt in order to spend the day with Aaron. Ev and I just love being around him!

Taking Myself Off of "Pause"

For the last year I have been on "pause".

Since the baby, I have been on survival mode and my looks have gone to hell in a hand basket. I am the first to admit this, I am fully aware of how awful I look. A couple of months ago, I had a complete meltdown (connected to "that time of the month", no doubt) and I have been getting myself back on track. It didn't help that my mom called me two weeks ago concerned about how crummy I looked and was coming up with ways she could help "fix me". Oh boy, this is bad.

I started eating better and lost 10 pounds. I still have a LONG way to go, but hey, it's a start. I have been on a hiatus since we've been moving, but I haven't gained any weight back and I'm anxious to get back to eating better.

I scrubbed the inch-thick calluses on my heels and painted my toe nails a bright pretty pink. I'm starting to feel more and more like a girl again.

Today is another big step in the right direction. Shortly after Ev was born, my contacts wore out and I was trying to save money and decided to just wear my glasses instead of paying for and eye exam and more contacts. Although saving the money sounds great in theory, my self esteem took a huge hit in the process. I hate how I look in glasses. My ears are lopsided so my glasses sit crooked on my face.I can't tell you how many times Everett has ripped them off of my face. They get smudged and block my clear view, they steam up when I'm doing the dishes, and do you have any idea how hard it is to put on makeup when you can't see your face? So this afternoon I have an eye appointment to get new contacts and I'm ditching these glasses. I'm so excited!My next project to get myself back on track: My pathetic hair.