We're having a happy day around here! Our day started with present time (Snick couldn't wait!). We gave Daddy a framed copy of the collage above, which I think went over well. After church, we had a yummy dinner (pulled pork sandwiches with all the fixin's). That's more of a my dad meal, but it seemed appropriate for Father's Day. Luckily, the Dad in our house likes it too!
We followed up with peach and blueberry cobbler and homemade coconut milk ice cream, in honor of our lactose-intolerant Dad. I'll have to work on that one - I wasn't much of a fan, although he seemed to like it!
We have the best Dad and husband! He really is all those things above, and we love him so much! A more devoted and dedicated father would be impossible to find! We're a lucky bunch to have him.
On a more lighthearted and somewhat related note, Snick and I found this video this week while we were doing preschool. The lessons right now are all about baby animals, but sometimes the lesson leaves a little to be desired in the way of actual information about those animals. So we spend a little time online afterwards looking up some info. One day this week, we talked about baby seahorses, and the role their daddies play. Did you know that seahorse daddies carry the babies, and give birth to them? We found this video quite astounding.
Maybe we could learn a thing or two from the seahorses? Most of the time, I don't mind all this pregnancy and birth stuff, but maybe we could switch off every once in a while? ;)
Two quotes from Snick in the last 36 hours or so...
We're driving down the street. We pass a couple walking a small dog.
Snick says, "What was walking with those people?"
I say, "I think it was a dog."
Snick says, "No, it was a skunk."
Dad and I laugh hysterically, and I say, "I don't think they would want a skunk for a pet."
Snick replies, "Mom, skunks aren't pets. It was just walking with them."
Obviously.
Every morning, Snick climbs into bed with me and gives my tummy hugs and kisses. Lately, he tries to feel the baby kick. Often, he'll feel a hard spot where the baby is poking out his bottom or his knee or foot. It's like a little treasure hunt. In the past couple of days, Snick has felt my ribs and declared, "I found a hard part!" so we've discussed what ribs are a couple of times.
This morning, he felt my ribs and asked, "Mom, is that a hard part of the baby, or are they your reptiles?"
I'm just relaxing here on the eve of my thirtieth birthday, and I thought I'd make a little list of thirty things that make me happy right now. I might even add some pictures, if I don't get too lazy! *Update - almost too lazy, but you're in luck!
1. Snickerdoodle, Fleep, and I survived five weeks on our own (and Dad survived five weeks all by his lonesome, working and coming home to a hotel room somewhere, poor guy!).
2. He's back! And he surprised me by getting home two days earlier than I expected. I thought he was flying in on Thursday, but on Tuesday, after a sharp knock on the door, I found chocolates and a card that had been ding dong ditched (one of our favorite family pastimes - wait, you don't teach your three-year-old to ding dong ditch? ;) When I saw my husband's handwriting, I couldn't believe it. At first, I thought he'd sent it to a friend, and had the friend drop it off for him. He had done a great job, getting me to believe that Thursday was the day. It was pretty awesome to go outside and find him waiting for us! I asked if he'd arranged for an earlier flight or if he'd just told me the wrong date all along, and he said it was the second one. Sneaky, sneaky!
3. Have I mentioned how awesome it is to have my husband around? He
keeps me company, complements me on the food I make - but also knows
when to suggest dinner out, plays fireman/ambulance driver with Snick,
listens to my gripes - and he's always on my side, lifts 40 lb. Snick
into the shopping cart, carries the groceries, etc., etc., etc. I don't
think I'll ever consent to another long business trip again! :)
4.
Baby wiggles. Snick is LOVING baby wiggles right now too, and that just
makes it even better. He loves to feel to see if the baby is kicking
(which he always "is" - even if I can't feel it), and his eyes light up
and he gets a huge smile on his face whenever he feels something, or
even better, when he occasionally sees the wiggles!
5. I have this (Chocolate Ice Cream)
chilling in the fridge right now, waiting to be churned up tomorrow.
And I really can't wait. Of course, I swapped out the refined sugar,
used whole milk instead of half-and-half (because sometimes homemade ice
cream can feel a little like frozen homemade butter), and added a
little salt and ground red pepper, a la Alton Brown's hot chocolate
recipe, and WOW. I really really hope it has a great texture, because the flavor is amazing. I kind of want to go drink it right now.
ok... I might have to be a little more concise on the remaining 25 things...
6. Gorgeous weather.
7. Family (both mine and husband's) who live nearby
...and a Grandma who plays the Wii...
8. Young Women feels much less crazy than it used to!
9. A cleaning routine that is working (for now!)
10. Sewing up little things for the baby - right now it's a cut chenille blanket like this one, from Aesthetic Nest.
I CANNOT WAIT to get it done and washed and dried and fluffed up! I
made one for my new niece last fall, and the one I'm currently working
on is in shades of orange, turquoise, and yellow. Just need to get the
binding on, and then I'll be done (and on to the next thing...)
11. The Book of Mormon - I challenged myself to read the whole thing while Matt was away, and I almost made it! It's been so good to immerse myself more fully in the word of God.
12.
Netflix. Can I just say how necessary Netflix is when one is the
sole-caregiver of a very energetic three-year-old for five weeks?
Sometimes, Mama just needs to get something done - or do nothing - and
in either case, Netflix saves the day!
13. An unexpected *handmade* birthday card from a new friend.
14. My gallery wall.
15. The fact that my Easter decorations are still up - it helps that they're bright and colorful, and not too Easter-y.
16. Taking Snick to his first carnival.
17. Awesome friends - I had SO MANY PEOPLE offer keep Snick for me
while I was on my own, and I took them up on it when I went to
appointments, Young Women stuff, and even out to the mall just for some
me-time. I have the very best friends.
18. Seeing my baby sister
graduate from high school - very surreal, but she did an awesome job on
her valedictorian speech, and we're all so proud of her!
my family is awesome
19. Spending time with this little chunky monkey. Love her!
I think her daddy should use this as his facebook profile picture!
20. A basil plant that is actually growing - I kill most green things.
21. Snick loves The Piano Guys on Youtube. He could watch them all day. And I love it. This one is his favorite. He giggles and giggles.
22. Taco Salad. Perfect food.
23. Green, everywhere I look -
I used to think my mom was weird for marveling at how green everything
is here in the summer, but now I do the same thing. It's like a jungle! I
love it!
24. The beach. Growing up in a family where we only went
to the beach once (when I was 7, and some of my siblings weren't even
born yet), somehow we all ended up loving the beach - correct me if I'm
wrong guys. I think we all love it. We had a fun Memorial Day trip to a
beach where there were fossilized shark teeth! There was also this
silt-y sand that Snick loved rubbing all over his body, and then
splashing off. So gross, but so fun.
25. Baby body parts poking out. Fleep has been consistently head down since I started feeling distinct kicks. Little flutters down low (hands), and big kicks up high (feet). Lately he's started pushing his bottom out on one side or the other. The other day, I felt that familiar bulge, but I was shocked and amazed that I could also feel the zigzag of a thigh, calf, and foot! It's a real baby in there! :)
26. Being in a groove. I feel like I've finally worked out a lot of things, and come to a comfortable place where everything's going smoothly. Cue new baby in about 11 weeks to throw that all off!
27. The pool is open. Need I say more? That's where we're spending our summer.
28. Preschool in a box. We are using Mother Goose Time, and it has been sooo great to have some fun activities that Mom doesn't have to think a whole lot about!
29. Having a "backyard" - the condo we're renting is on the ground floor and the patio opens to a grassy area. We're the only ones who pretend it's our backyard, so it must be ours, right? We play baseball, golf, frisbee, and when the weather gets a little warmer again, we're going to break out the baby pool!
30. 30 years of a beautiful, blessed life, full of amazing family and friends - and many more years ahead!
I woke up early this morning (as I often do lately) and wondered, "Was it six years ago today or tomorrow?" I had to get up and consult my journal - the white one with red and pink hearts that I serendipitously started the day I met my husband, and even more serendipitously filled up the day we got engaged. When I found the right entry, sure enough, it was six years ago today that he first held my hand.
We'd been on two dates and seen each other a handful of other times up to that point. At the time, I would have said it was far too early to know what the future would hold. But in retrospect, knowing what we know now, when I read those words I wrote so long ago, I think I already knew he was the one.
I mean who else could make me laugh so hard I'd inhale my gum and then still like me when I coughed it back up?! True story.
After our second date, during which we drove around the entire DC Beltway, he thought he'd blown it. He thought that was a pretty lame thing to do with a date, and that I'd probably never want to go out again. I, on the other hand, had had such a great time, just talking and laughing with him, that I hadn't even noticed that his car had no muffler.
So when we saw each other a few nights later at a church activity, I think he was pleasantly surprised when I suggested that we leave, and go find that park that we'd been trying to find while driving around the Beltway. Off we went, me driving, and him navigating, and after another little detour, we found the spot - Gravelly Point just north of Reagan National Airport.
As we walked along in the dark, I could tell by his unusual method of walking and arm-swinging that he wanted to hold my hand, and I didn't make it too hard for him. When he took my hand, a sense of excitement and comfort washed over me, mixed with only a touch of that "AAAH! Try to act natural!" feeling. I had never felt so comfortable with anyone before, and that's how I should have known he was the one for me.
we have baked (granola, cookies, garlic bread, and more granola)
we have had fun playdates with fun friends
we have cleaned the house
we have let the house get messy again, and then cleaned it again, and then....
we have rearranged the furniture (inspired by a dream I had!)
we have revised the budget and adopted the cash envelope system
we have made homemade yogurt, chicken stock, and tortillas. and whole wheat bread that rose like a brick
we have sewn up lots of baby pants
we have almost completed a new quilt top (a Christmas present for someone! am I on the ball or what?!)
we have seen and killed three house centipedes recently {shudder}
we have had two dates in two weeks (go us! we're usually not that good) one was an at-home Q&A session followed by a movie, the other was dinner out at a hibachi grill - so yummy!
we have had lots of early mornings, and consequently some early evenings
we have found a perfect playmate for Snick - they are new best buds!
we have tried out almost every possible thomas the train name for the baby - the only one still in the running is henry. percy was vetoed early on.
we have found the hypnobirthing cds! (they were hiding behind the couch)
we have put taco salad in the permanent menu rotation because we can't get enough of it
we have watched an inordinate amount of netflix
we are growing (me - out, Snick - up)
we have snuggled
we have hugged
we have danced
we have blown bubbles
we have played baseball and soccer
we have gone for long walks (like four hour long walks!)
we have played at the playground
we have started swimming lessons
we have been feeling the baby kick and squirm
we have read books - Cows to the Rescue! is a new favorite
we are gearing up to learn how to read - Snick has more and more interest every day
I sewed up a pair of big brother/little brother PJ pants tonight, and I couldn't wait to see if they fit Snick, so I went into his room, manhandled his little sleeping body into those pants, and then, because I couldn't help myself, turned the light on and took pictures! What is wrong with me? Lucky for me, he slept through the whole ordeal and is wearing those new PJ pants, which should be a fun surprise in the morning!
Snick continues to be obsessed
with the baby, whose name has evolved into Squishy Baby (always
accompanied by a pinch to my tummy). The baby is never far from his
thoughts. The other night, Daddy was reading a book to Snick, and at the
end, he said, "I like that book." Snick replied, "I like the baby." This morning, as we were headed home from a walk to the park, we ran into a friend who has a brand new baby. After we talked for a few minutes, we parted ways, and Snick said, "That was a really cute little brother. But we have an even cuter little brother!!" Yes, even though we've never seen him, I can safely say that we will think he's cuter, because that's just the way it works!
Snick has a pretend window on my tummy that he can look into to see what the baby is doing at any given moment (sleeping, swimming, and blowing bubbles are the baby's preferred activities, it seems), and sometimes, Snick pretends to take the baby out to show him something, and then he pretends to put him right back where he came from.
When Snick is upset, he often wants the baby to comfort him. I'll give him a hug, and he'll yell, "NO! The Baby!" The other night, Snick woke up just before we turned in for the night, and I knelt down beside his bed to give him a hug. He told me he wanted the baby, so I stood up, and he hugged and kissed my tummy. Then he happily laid down, saying, "The baby needed a kiss," and went right back to sleep.
Saturday's Youth Conference turned out differently than anyone
expected! The bus company that was supposed to take all of us to Ellis
Island for our Family History themed conference called the organizers at
8:30 p.m. the night before and announced that there would be no buses
the following day, due to a subcontractor's bankruptcy three months ago.
I can't even imagine being on the receiving end of that phone call. So
frustrating and disappointing. We all arrived at the church at 4:15 a.m.
the next morning, none of us knowing what was going on, until they made
the announcement at 5 a.m. that the show would go on! They showed a
movie for most of the kids while the leaders and the youth planning
committee had a 30 minute pow-wow to plan the day. The kids were such
good sports and we heard very little complaining. We adapted the
activities that had been planned for Ellis Island to our new
circumstances, and the kids ended up having fun and learning stuff, so
that's what's important!
I, for one, was so glad to cut the eight hour bus ride out of the day, so I could come home at 2 p.m. and take a nap! My body was not meant to get up at 3:15. Or walk five miles. Or both on the same day.
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