Labor-free weekend

We just returned last night from a family marathon of sorts–exhausted and happy. My cousin and his wife were in from Florida, and they got to meet M for the first time. Of course, they were smitten! Every time M walked into a room where they were, she was so happy to see them. In the mornings, they’d come down for breakfast (you know, about 2 hours after M’s been up, running around) and she was ESTATIC that they were still there. It was really sweet. We got the whole fam together 3 days in a row, and it was really nice. M had fun with her cousins, Anna and Noah. Apparently, she’s reached the age where she can “run with the kids” now–she just did whatever they were doing, happy as a clam, hours past her bedtime. Does it get any better than that? Oh, and there was carrot cake in honor of my upcoming birthday. That was pretty great too.

Monday we hit L’s side of the family, and again, she “ran with the kids”….6 kids, all under the age of 4, completely getting along for the 4 hour visit. How crazy is that? They all (well, not baby Jimmy) played in the sand box and on the slide, Uncles supervising but really getting involved. Uncles kabitzing, Aunties kabitzing, Grandpa dozing on the couch. M did slow down enough to hang with Baby Jimmy for a little bit, as you can see:


It was baby’s 2 month b-day. He’s celebrating by taking 5-6oz every 3 hours!!! Oh those were the days….

We went to the doc this afternoon–M’s ears are clear, and she’s made a full recovery from her first ear infection. Now if only those molars would come through once and for all.

No news on how much $$ was made on the Ball…I’m eagerly awaiting the wrap up email.

Mama’s girl…..is a great mama!

So here’s the Divine Miss M, looking to be about what, 7, 8 years old here in her polo shirt, pushing her doll.

For her *last* First birthday party this weekend, she recieved a diaper bag for her baby–now she can travel in style, with all assorted things needed when traveling across the living room with her brood.

Today she was feeding baby–going through all of the good things to eat in the fake-food department, and carefully choosing what it was she was going to feed the babe. Her choices? Blueberry muffin and a pear. I couldn’t have picked better myself. The cutest thing? She makes the “mmmm” noises as she shoves the plastic food at the baby doll!!

She had a lovely domestic afternoon, which I was glad for, given how the evening turned out. Within the course of about 15 minutes, she smacked her head on the dining room table (slipping off the stool she was STANDING ON) and then fell down the last two stairs while attempting to swing on the banister. She has a goose egg on her forehead and a puffy lip from where she bit it. OUCH!

In other news, the new school term is off to a good start. I’m liking being the 2nd in command. It’s really nice to leave all the school stuff at the door and not really think about it until the next day. Last week I worked more (no students, just prepping for the new term) and really didn’t do any errand running or anything before I picked up M at her school. Last week KICKED MY ASS. I am so not ready to work more than 25-30hrs a week outside the home. Holy cow. Seriously, tired like caring for a newborn tired, but w/o the new mom high.

Speaking of the new mom high, I started telling M stories in the bath tub today about when she was a “baby”–tales from last fall when we would sing her to sleep, walk around the back yard for seemingly hours because she like outside better than inside. How we gave her baths in her little tub, and they were just long enough to get her clean. I told her all these things and sang some the songs we used to sing all while she played with her foam letters and the pitcher from her new Elmo bath toy. How do you go from having to be given a sponge bath because your umbical stump can’t get wet to POURING WATER on yourself in splasing in 12 months or less? I mean, seriously!

One is Fun!!

Baby Girl turns one today!! It’s hard to believe that one short year ago she had only just arrived, and wasn’t technically a member of our family yet. That we drove to the hospital 3 days in a row, and didn’t come home with her until August 5th. That her room as only been hers for 12 months. That I haven’t always been a mom. One thing’s for certain–the blog may be called “gotcha baby”, but she’s certainly the one who’s got us by the heart strings.

The hospital stay is the next installment on Memory Lane, it should be posted soon!