Saturday, February 26, 2011

Strongly considering

Throwing out all of our heretofore collected kid tableware and replacing it with these.



































They even have the bee that matches MB's backpack.



































That bee gets me EVERY TIME!

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Hanna Andersson is a crack dealer

And that statement is not libelous because it is totally true.
Proof:


























Hanna Andersson Baby Sleepers = crack.
I picked up several of them in size 0-6 at Costco for $11 each. And they are heavenly. The 100% organic cotton is soft and thick. The zipper is sturdy and not annoying. The seams are indestructible. 

But eventually, Chunk is going to grow out of them. The very thought makes me a little panicky. And guess what Costco doesn't have?

Any other sizes.

And so, I now find myself in the classic crackhead's dilemma: I'm hooked. I can't possibly live without them. I can't possibly pay full price [$25] for the several of them that I would need to properly wardrobe my baby for sleeping.

I am at a loss. WWACD [What would a crackhead do]??

MB the foreman

I don't remember if I've mentioned this on the blog, but we've been redecorating our den. I can't wait to show you the results, but it's a slow process since work usually only takes place during weekend nap times. 

Last weekend we finally got around the changing the paint color in the den. In order to get the project finished and put the room back together before another exhausting work week, Lee had to bring in some help.

























MB: Daddy paint this?
LIII: Yep.
MB: Be tareful, Daddy.
LIII: Ok.
MB: Don't faaaaallll! You hurt you self.
LIII [standing on a chair]: I won't fall. Thank you for the warning.
MB: Daddy, you doing GWEAT!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

For the Fink Files

I remember the day I realized that I had given birth to a fink [fink- n. one who is not to be trusted]. 
It was this day.



I was sitting at the desk, just as I am now. I had swaddled a weeks-old MB in a Swaddle Me blanket and put her in the bouncy seat asleep

Or, I thought she was asleep. So I sat down to check my emails and when I turned back around, this is what I found. 

HA MOMMY! Fool'd ya. 

So I took a picture to send to Lee at work and called him to inform him of our fink progeny. 

Today I took more pictures for the Fink Files. Should we ever need proof of MB's total fink-dom, we will be well prepared.
























Should I mention that this was 20 minutes before we needed to leave for school and the baby still needed to be fed?

What else could I have done besides get the camera?

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Valentine's Day

I thought I'd try things a little differently this year and post about Valentine's Day after everyone else has moved on. :)
Or maybe I'm just way behind.
Either way, here is my Valentine's Day post.

Lee and I have *gasp* never been out to dinner on Valentine's Day.  For our first Christmas together I gave him a grill [I know, great gift, right? He gave me a duvet cover.] Anyway, so for Valentine's Day, shortly thereafter, we decided to grill lamb chops.
And then, on my two hour drive up to Richmond from Rocky Mount, I stopped for gas and locked my keys in my car. With the car running.
And then, I forgot to put the bread in the oven.
And then, [if you know us well, this is not a surprise] we got in a huge fight.
About the bread.
This was the first major fight of our relationship. Happy V-Day, US!
And then we got over it, and we've been grilling lamb chops every year since then. Except last year, when there were no lamb chops to be had.







































And every year we laugh about my having forgotten the bread, but I don't think I've ever forgotten the bread again [on Valentine's Day, at least. On other days, bread is no guarantee.]

























So another Happy Valentine's Day to Lee!
I'd rather fight over bread with you than eat it with anyone else.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Baby Boy Love, Cont'd

Ok, so what was I saying?
Oh yeah. I love that boy.


We have a telepathic relationship whereby we have the following conversation on a daily basis:

L4: Mama, what is she doing NOW?
Me: I don't know, buddy. I just don't know.
[We share a knowing glance.]
L4: I'm going back to sleep now, k?
Me: Ok buddy. You do that.
L4: [snoring]

I'll make it quick...

Because there's nothing that wakes up a sleeping baby like a Mama who sits down to accomplish something.
























I have to say this about my littlest Valentine: before he was born, people told me it would be different with a boy.  Mothering would be different, I mean. And I could never quite imagine what they meant. But now I get it. And I love it.

And now he is demanding his mama, so I'll have to tell you more about it later.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

She reads!







































Daddy: MB, what does your shirt say?
MB: Uuuuummmm, I hawt MB!!!!!
Daddy: Nope!
MB: IT DOES!

And she's sort of right. She's gifted that way.

There's always something...

That's sort of my mothering mantra. What I learned after fretting over everything with MB when she was a baby was that if I'm not worrying about one thing [naps/eating/OMG she just coughed weird!], it's another. Always.  You [Lee!] might be reading this and thinking that's a pretty pessimistic view, and it may be. But the other side to it is this: whatever I'm worried about at this minute will soon be over. And looking back on it, I will have forgotten what I ever worried about.
























My baby has eczema, which I know, is way down the list of infant ailments to fret over. But I married into this sensitive skin business, and I don't have much personal experience. When I wake up in the morning and my happy baby's face is an angry color, I panic.

And then I picture him, twelve months old, hanging from the ceiling, chasing MB around and saying Up! Up! Up! twenty times to twenty-one times saying Down! Down! Down! 
























And then I breathe out, slather his little body with Eucerin for the third time in a day, and watch him coo with delight as my fingers tickle his second chin.

And my heart sort of explodes a little.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Hands-on

Mary Bullock was a little Sicky Sickerson last week, so she was out of school for several days. I love that girl to pieces, but the two of us together all day for days and days on end-- especially stuck in the house-- is not good for either one of us. Or the house, which looked more like a disaster area than a home.


So in our never ending quest for activities, we headed over to the Hands On Children's Museum. I'd purchased a membership on Groupon a month or so ago and finally had the perfect opportunity to check it out.

She went from crying to smiling in less than an hour and for not very much money. I'm not going to say it's the awesomest place I've ever been, but to a two year old who loves a) choo choo trains b) grocery stores c) fire trucks and let's not forget d) not having to sit around watching Mommy feed that baby, I'm sure it seemed like Shangri-La. And that's good enough for me!