one little monkey jumping on the bed

these photos are kinda like a virtual flipbook of sorts.  if this were a video, TRUST ME when i say that you’d hear TONS of giggles.  (& yes, in the background, you’ll see 2 HUGE overflowing baskets of clean/folded laundry that i haven’t had a chance to put away in, like, for-evah.  but at least it’s clean.)

my two faves

so big!

this photo was taken on saturday.  she’s starting to look more like a kid than a baby now!  when did this happen?  i know that every post that i write is like “where did my baby go?”, “slow down, kiddo!”, “how did she get so big?”.  but, people?  seriously?  how does this happen so quickly?  she’s more awesome every day and i could just burst with pride whenever she learns a new word (or animal sound...hearing her ‘meow’ is just the cutest e.v.e.r.).  

(& i know that this photo isn’t too great, technically...but i love her expression and i think the lens flare adds a really dreamy feeling that i just love.  so there.)

babies don't keep

Oh, cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,

But children grow up, as I’ve learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.

I’m rocking my baby, because babies don’t keep.

(a little snippet of the 1938 poem by ruth hulbert hamilton)

could this be more true?!?  a few nights ago, when the A monster woke us up with her delightful screams at 2 in the morning, i actually got excited that i’d get a chance to hold her.  no, i’m not a psycho.  at least, i don’t think i am.  but she’s growing up so. insanely. fast and i’m really relishing every minute that i get to snuggle with her because i know it won’t be long before she’s squirming to get down and run (which she already does most of the time).  so there i was, in the darkness with my messed up hair and smeared makeup, and i just clutched her to my chest and rocked her for 15-30-45-60 minutes...just listening to her breathing and enjoying her warmth.  (seriously, why do babies turn into OVENS when they sleep?  it’s the greatest.)  the house was so quiet and i just thought about all of the changes that we’ve been through over the past year...i mean, i was still a crazed lunatic a year ago, scared of breaking my baby, and now i feel like being her mom is the most natural thing in the world.  i love having a little buddy that i can take to starbucks (we had breakfast there last week, and it was pretty much super supremely awesome) but i can’t help but feel nostalgic when i think about how insanely tiny she was just a few months ago.  i mean, she needs hair clips now!  whoa.  and like, she can say things.  and she wears shoes.  ohmygod, it’s happening SO fast!  it’s a good thing that this journey is so much fun, because i feel like if i close my eyes for too long, i’ll be buying her her first flicker razor and teaching her how to shave her legs. 

to summarize:  i love my A monster more and more every day!!!  even when she comes between me and my pillow.  also, i should start thinking about who can teach her to shave her legs because i’m not too great at it.

toddlerhood

first, i’ve heard a few comments from readers saying that it’s been a while since i’ve updated this blog.  you’ll notice that this happened right around the time that the A monster started walking, then running, then climbing!  oh, the climbing.  (note to those readers:  i am writing TWO this evening!  TWO!  so there.)  i officially love the toddler stage, though.  the amount of personality oozing out of this child is just amazing...she says hi to everyone, everywhere, and she still proves to be quite the comedienne.  her antics cause me to laugh until my cheeks hurt, which is obviously her goal because once she realizes that she’s being funny, she won’t. stop. until. i. can’t. breathe.  she also seems to be learning a new word every 5 minutes, and i’m grateful that none of them have been ::ahem:: unladylike (yet).  for the most part, i’ve stopped using language that would make your mother blush, but this kid LOVES the black eyed peas, and i must say that will.i.am has quite the colorful language.  but, i digress.  i know that most of the readers of this page are most interested in pictures of the A monster, so i’ll get to it.  most of these pics were taken over this past weekend, when the weather was so perfect that you could scream (and we had 3 days together to soak it in!). enjoy!

the journey to toddlerhood begins, inevitably, with a fat lip (and bruised cheek).  poor munchkin.

my girls.  in the crate.  another mother-of-the-year post, i suppose.  but i couldn’t help but post these because they’re making the same face in each photo!  eyes open!  eyes closed!  good thing we splurged for the bigger crate, because they love hanging out in there together.  i’m sure it’s wrong on some level (or, on every level) but that’s a battle that i have chosen not to fight.     

happy fourth!

We had the best fourth of July.  It included the following American, patriotic, fun activities:

-breakfast at a diner
-parade!
-sunshine
-watermelon
-swimming in the pool
-corn on the cob
-& of course, family

It was one of the best days we’ve had in a long time.  Very relaxing, but fun relaxing (instead of laying around on the couch relaxing).

one.

Twelve months.  One year.  That’s how long it has been since my beautiful baby entered this world.  It has been, by far, the fastest year of my life...and the most wonderful, most challenging, most fun, and most terrifying.  Milestone-wise, she is thisclose to walking (the doc predicts that she’ll be doing it within the month), she says about 20 words, is cute as a button, weights 18.75 pounds, and is 29 inches long.  That pretty much sums up the magnitude of the changes that have happened over the past year.  (Except the cuteness part -- she was cute as a button when she was born, too, so that hasn’t changed too much.  Although she doesn’t have soft craters on her head anymore, so I guess she is a bit cuter now.)

To celebrate the little lady, we had 30-40 of our closest friends & family over to the abode for a bday picnic.  The weather cooperated (thank gawd) and there were no major catastrophes.  The only bad thing that happened was that I forgot to take any pics of the setup, which was a shame because we put a lot of effort into the look & feel of the party.  I mean, Martha Stewart was consulted and her advice was heeded, as I ordered asked my sweet sister to make a million tissue paper pompoms to hang from our maple tree.  Unfortunately, there is no visual proof that this effort was made.  Sadness.  We do have some of the most important pics, however...the pics of A eating her first piece of cake EVER!  (Can you imagine going an entire year without cake?!?  Poor baby.)  It was awesome, actually...she tasted the cake herself, but thought it was awesome enough to share it with both of her parents.  The sweetness could not be rivaled.  

Oh, and our friends/fam SHOWERED her with gifts...I mean seriously, our living room was full of stuff.  I think we need to build an addition for some sort of play room, because this kid has like a hundred million things to play with.

Alright, here are a few pics:

First and foremost, the cake.  (oh, and in case you’re wondering, the 2nd candle is for good luck.  we always do a +1 candle on our cakes.)

& now, the princess:

blowing out the candles

being cute

that looks ah-mazing!  i can really eat it?!?

hmm...

try it, momma!  it's awesomeness!

you too, dada!

it was a's cousin's bday too...so we got a few "tool"-themed cupcakes for him.

opening gifts with the cousins

checking out the new toy chest

relaxin in the adirondack chair that grandpa and grandma MADE!

a new wagon from uncle g!

the lone photo of the decorations, after daisy started attacking them

proud mama, tired baby.

cape may

So, for the Hubs’ birthday, we all trekked down to Cape May for a few days together as a little family.  It was AWESOME to get away for a bit and just spend time relaxing.  Long walks, a visit to the zoo that made Little A squeal in delight (and then cry like crazy when she’d had enough), ice cream, sunshine...all ingredients for a great few days.  In Bad Mommy Moment #347, Little A fell off the bed.  Yup, that’s right.  The guilt has been running through my veins HARDCORE, but it just happened SO quickly that I didn’t have time to stop it.  I was literally standing right next to her, and shifted my eyes for a second and she sat up, spun around freakishly fast, and launched herself backwards onto the floor.  After a major tear session and a short nap, we realized that she couldn’t crawl.  But, long story short, we brought her to the doctor and it was just some minor bruising inside her shoulder that is ALREADY healed, and she’s crawling like a champ again.  Good one, Momma.  I am slowly getting over it, but MAN, the guilt is bad. 

That aside, we had time just to be silly and hang out together, and this video is an example of that.  The Hubs is being SUPER hilarious (as usual, of course) and Little A is getting a real kick out of his comedy.  If you like watching baby giggles, you’ll enjoy this clip.