Things That Make Me Feel Good

1. Sunshine, blue skies, green grass, spring flowers, and gentle warm breezes. Spring is here and my mood is sky-high happy about it.
2. When I ask Gabbie what she wants to be when she grows up, and her immediate answer is, "A mommy. Just like you." It makes me feel like perhaps I am doing this mom-thing right.
3. When Sophie asks for, "More kisses. Here, and here, and here." When I oblige she giggles, and then returns the favor.
4. When Baby Brother kicks. There's nothing more comforting for a pregnant lady than good, strong, regular baby kicks.
5. When my husband looks at me over the chaos all around us, caused by two lovely, energetic children, and agrees that these girls, and the boy on the way, were absolutely the best decisions we ever made.

Things I don't want to forget

The way Sophie says, "No," with her lips pursed.

How absolutely adorable Sophie is these days. Everything she does is just so cute, and Aaron and I aren't the only ones that think this. Everyone who spends time with her comments on how adorable/cute she is these days. It's pretty amazing. I was joking with my sister that Soph has my looks and Aaron's charisma, so she's going to be unstoppable.

Sophie also thinks that Gabbie is the best, coolest person in the whole wide world and wants to be exactly like her and do everything that Gabbie does. Aaron and I joke that we just have to do a good job raising Gabbie, and Sophie will follow suit.

Gabbie has had a rough month, getting anxious about leaving her daycare and heading to school at the beginning of September. Some of her friends are headed to the year-round school we have in our district, and so their last day is today. She is so, so much like me it's scary sometimes: equally excited and worried about every change. She's also home sick for the second day in a row, and so she's missing her best friend's last day, and I am broken hearted about this. So many changes are happening so quickly for her, and she's really starting on her school journey and leaving behind all thing toddler. How did this happen already?!?

We had an absolutely excellent day at the lake with my family this weekend, and were all sad to leave on Sunday afternoon. (Gabbie cried quite a bit when we had to go, because she was just having so! much! fun!)

Some pictures of our fun:

Gabbie and I, waking up in the cabin under an open window, with the sun rising and the birds singing.

Our early-morning view from the porch swing (moments before Gabbie bit it and started crying, and I was afraid she was going to wake up everyone).

In the water. Gabbie was a little tentative at first, while Sophie is a total fish and loved the water.

 The next day, at about 12:00. I tried to keep her awake, and it was literally not possible. Also, hilarious.

It's Baby Day!

That title may be a teensy bit misleading, but rest assured, I am NOT PREGNANT, nor have we made any decisions about whether I will ever be pregnant again.

However, the baby in question will be related to me, and today we find out, hopefully, about the baby's health and sex, as it's Big Ultrasound day for my brother and sister-in-law. I now understand how my sister felt when I was pregnant. I am so excited I can hardly stand it. Technically, I am already an aunt, as Aaron's brother has two girls, but this is different. My baby brother is going to have a baby!

And so, it's April

The other day Gabbie and I were doing a kid's yoga routine, and we were doing child's pose. Sophie had been playing on the other side of the room, but chose that moment to come over and sit on my head. I couldn't stop laughing for about ten minutes after that.

Then, this past weekend, I was explaining something to Gabbie, and when I was done, she responded, "Okay. Gotcha." It was just so grown up, and it caught me off guard, and I was off to chuckling once again.

The story continues on as it has, work is crazy, and I'm now convinced that the slow period following the craziness that I used to get has disappeared forever. I took on this role, not quite realizing the scope and the national recognition and that I now had to be much more careful, serious, and political. I don't mind it so much, but I'm also not quite sure how I got here. I went into my Masters program because it was kinda sorta related to what I liked in undergrad, and then I got an internship at my company, and now, nearly 9 years later, I have a career. Not a job, but an honest-to-God career. It feels pretty amazing to be here, but I wouldn't mind slowing down sometime.

Most days, though, I leave the work at the office, and shed that skin through a chat with my mom (hands free, of course) on the drive from work to school, and arrive, refreshed and simultaneously exhausted, with a smile on my face to greet my girls. The last three hours at work are spent missing them like crazy, and I can't hide the glee when they run up and hug my legs. They are, of course, the reason that I put up with the work craziness, so I can give them the best life possible.

Yesterday Sophie had to stay home for some gross, illness related issues, of which I'll spare you the details. I gave Gabbie the choice of whether or not to go to school, and she chose to stay home with us. We ate breakfast, played, ran errands, ate lunch, played, napped, planted some wheat grass for Easter decorating, ran another errand, and played some more. It was the kind of day where I could pretend that I was nobody other than a mom to these sweet girls, and it was rejuvinating and fantastic, and something that I desperately want to do more often.

At least we'll have a place to stay if we want to head to the Southwest

I don't write about my family on here much - there's nothing to complain about and bragging on how awesome my parents and siblings are would get tiresome for those reading, I'm sure. However, on top of all the big things I have going on personally - the new baby, only a few weeks of maternity leave left and the mixed feelings about that, and so much more - I also have to deal with the fact that my baby sister, who has never lived more than 90 minutes away from me, is moving all the way across the country in just a couple of weeks.

I also have to deal with the fact that my baby sister is in fact not a baby, but a big shot accountant who is moving in with her long-term boyfriend who is working on his Ph.D. She is definitely NOT a baby. I can't handle the fact that she's so grown up (or that my baby brother, the middle child, is now in his late 20s; how did we all get so old?), or that she'll live a 30 hour car ride away instead of a quick hour and a half.

I'm happy for her, I really am, but I am going to miss her like absolute crazy. Not only is she my sister, she's also one of my very best friends and one of the coolest people I know. She's also one of Gabbie's absolute favorite people. We're all excited for her new adventure but also prone to tears at the drop of the hat when we think about how infrequently we'll get to see her. We already get teary every time we think about how infrequently we get to see my brother, who lives on the East coast, and he's only 9 hours away.

It's time, though, for her to move on to the next phase of her life. She'll be able to come home at least a few times a year, although her first trip back isn't scheduled until September. In the meantime, thank goodness for Skype!

Ways in Which my Weekend Sucked

1. Experiencing pregnancy hormones that make me weepy at the drop of a hat
2. Carrying a baby that likes to bounce on my bladder making running errands quite interesting.
3. Wanting to eat out on Saturday night but being thwarted by the large crowds brought into town by the MSU/Purdue game (GO STATE!) causing hour plus waits at every restaurant in town.
4. Dealing with the worst heartburn I've ever had.
5. Aaron having an issue that makes it hard for him to move/lift things and causes him a lot of pain, but also having him not listen to me and do three hours plus of yard work that just made things worse.
6. Gabbie not using her listening ears. At all.
7. Burning the batch of granola I made that I had been looking forward to all week.
8. Not having ingredients I needed to make dinner yesterday (I fudged the recipe and it still turned out pretty darn delicious)
9. Slicing through my fingernail (near the cuticle) with a sharp serrated knife while trying to slice bread. (OUCH!)
10. Having my back go out last night.

However, my weekend was spent hanging out with my family, engaging in lots of cuddling and smiling a lot despite all the suckage, and really, no amount of suckage outweighs those things.

Vacations

It is a little bit sad that attending a conference feels like vacation to me, but right now it does. I'm sitting in a cafe, working, drinking some coffee (decaf, sadly), and it's QUIET. And wonderful. Tonight I have a hotel room to myself, and even if I don't sleep well, I don't have to worry about disturbing anyone else while tossing and turning. I can even go to bed at eight and not feel guilty, like I should be doing something else with my family or that I'm leaving too many things for Aaron to do.

Aaron and Gabbie are also on "vacation" this week. Aaron has the house to himself, with no one else constantly messing it up. He can come and go as he pleases, and has a man-date scheduled for tonight to go out for beer and burgers. Gabbie is at my parents' house - we arrived last night and she has already been spoiled rotten. She literally pushed me out the door this morning. She wants her "Gwama" all to herself, thankyouverymuch.

It has definitely been a LONG past few months and we were all in desperate need for a break from one another. I'd like to say that things will be slowing down after this week, but I can't. I have another project ramping up at work (plus a new one we just landed that has to be fully set up and ready to go before I go on leave), and then of course finishing getting ready for the baby. I've always told Aaron that maternity leave is emphatically not a vacation, but it's kind of starting to look like one. Add in a brand new baby to snuggle all warm and cozy when it's so cold outside, and it's looking downright luxurious. I know once reality sets in those first few weeks, it will be far from the idyllic scene I imagine right now, but I'm really, really, looking forward to it.

An Adorable Addition

So, as I alluded to last week, there are some exciting things happening in our family right now. There's a new, higher, position in my company that is looking more and more like a possibility for me, Gabbie got the all-clear from her orthopedist last week who told us that Gabbie's hips now look completely normal and we don't have to schedule any more visits for her, and then, of course, there's this:

That's right, we're working on becoming a family of four, and I couldn't be happier about it! We had our first appointment with the doctor yesterday, and everything looks great. I mean, look at that tiny nose, mouth and eye on that cute baby up there! It was so awesome to see the baby and watch it move around. At one point Baby J (our current nickname for baby #2) jumped, which was awesome to see. The baby was moving and wiggling around in there the entire time the ultrasound tech was doing her thing.

I'm about 11 1/2 weeks along, but am outing myself now both because we saw the baby's little heart beating away nice and strong, and because I'm out in public lately as it's pretty impossible to hid my burgeoning baby belly already. I'm due in mid-December, and if the pregnancy continues to fly by the way it already has, that day will be here mighty fast!

What is it with old men at Lowe's?

Several things that are too short for their own entry:

1. Many of my family members have been teasing me lately for something really weird - the amount of toilet paper I use. Apparently I go through it much faster than the average woman, even though I think I'm using a completely normal amount. The whole thing came about because we went through an entire roll of toilet paper one weekend when I was visiting, and they say that it takes them about a week to go through a roll on a normal basis. So I'm curious. How much toilet paper does a regular person use then, per visit to the throne? I'd say I use about 10 squares. Is that a ridiculous amount? Am I using way too much? I guess I just want to gauge whether I'm the weird one or if they're abnormal.

2. I am very excited about the 3-day-weekend coming up. We have a party on Friday night and then nothing else planned for the entire weekend, save for daily family naps. Seeing as how we've all been going about a hundred miles an hour for the entire month of May, I'm more than happy that we're ending it by relaxing.

3. Tomorrow morning we have what is, hopefully, Gabbie's last appointment with an orthopedist about her hips. She has to get an x-ray and then see the doctor, and if all is well we won't have to see the doctor again. I'm really keeping my fingers crossed on this one. We haven't seen any problems - she's walking, running, jumping, riding a bike, and dancing just fine. In fact, she never really stops moving. Still, I can't help but worry a little bit. We're keeping our fingers crossed that it goes as well as we expect it will.

4. If I have to watch Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs one more time in the near future, I may scream. Gabbie wakes up requesting, "Ice Age?" We indulged her on vacation and were very thankful the movie kept her busy while we were working on refinishing our deck last week (expect a post on that soon), but now she expects to watch television, and especially that movie, whenever she wants. I'm sure all the spoiling she received over the weekend didn't help my cause, but seriously. It was on our tv about 10 times last week, and I'm thinking that's about 8 times too many.

5. There's something exciting happening next Tuesday that I can't wait to tell you all about after the fact, and it has both Aaron and I up at night with anticipation. This is why we're looking forward to the family naps this weekend so much. Between croup and anxiety, we're quite the sleepless bunch.

6. So, the title. Several months ago we were at our local Lowe's and an old man stopped us to give Gabbie a dollar coin. A little weird, but we said thank you and were on our way. Then two weekends ago when we were there picking up deck supplies, another old man stopped us. This time, without asking us, he handed a sucker directly to Gabbie. Well, we said thank you, and again headed on our way. Since Gabbie has never before had a sucker and had basically no idea what it was, plus we wanted to avoid a meltdown in the middle of Lowe's that would most likely occur if we took it away from her, we let her hold it. She just held it and looked around and we figured we'd take it away when we were leaving and it would be no big deal.

At one point Aaron and Gabbie took off to find brushes while I was waiting for the paint guy to mix up a color sample of paint for Gabbie's room. Apparently Aaron was looking at the shelf, then looked back down and Gabbie had the sucker unwrapped and in her mouth. When they got back, I freaked a little (on the inside; I still didn't want to cause a fit), but I guess if anything bad were going to happen it would be too late - she had already had it in her mouth. Thankfully, she's just fine and the guy apparently had no bad intent (we didn't think he did, but you can never be too sure), but I still worried a little the rest of the afternoon.

Seriously, old guys at Lowe's, what's up? Why must you give candy and other goodies to strangers' kids? Is it just me or is this weird?

Getting Bigger Every Day

Oh, man, last week got away from me. I kept thinking, oh, I'll just blog tomorrow, but then tomorrow would be gone and I don't know. The past few weeks have flown by and I don't know how they went so fast.

So, anyway, there was the trip to Kansas City, which went very, very well, and was very, very fun. Gabbie was a champ and did better in the car than I did even. I was ready to get the heck out. She just wanted to play some more. Here she is watching a movie, holding the iPad all by herself:

Everything on the way there went swimmingly until we offered her some licorice and then about 40 minutes later, and with approximately 40 minutes left on our drive she got car sick. It was, well, a less than pleasant experience. She would retch and then cry, "Yucky!" and then repeat the cycle. We got her all cleaned up at a gas station but she threw up a couple more times during the remainder of the drive. I have to say, nothing cements the fact that you are a parent quite like catching vomit in your hands and not flinching. Not to say that I didn't pull a Lady Macbeth the rest of the night, feeling like I just couldn't get my hands clean enough.

Anyway, sorry about that grossness.

We all had a great time at the parties (there were two) and Gabbie had a blast playing with my aunt's small dog. Gabbie put her on the leash and walked her around the house, and also gave her lots of hugs. Gabbie was a much bigger fan of the dog than the dog was of her, but the dog is also very patient and deserves a medal for putting up with a toddler for two days straight.

Since we've been home Gabbie has been a major daddy's girl. Aaron didn't go with us and she obviously missed him a lot. She started calling him Dad instead of Dada this weekend (she's been calling me Mommy instead of Mama for a while now). It's adorable and incredibly sad all at the same time. My baby is getting so big! She'll be two years old in just over three weeks? How did this happen?!?

Just to illustrate how big she's getting, look what she helped me make yesterday:

They're mint chocolate cupcakes, and she helped me count out the cups, pour liquids into the bowl, and stir the batter together. She also put all the liners into the cupcake pan all by herself. I'm really in disbelief of how big she is getting these days. My baby isn't so much of a baby any more!
This week she goes on her first airplane trip. We're headed to Florida to visit my inlaws. I'm even more nervous for this (including for my own issues with regards to air travel) than I was for our long car trip. It should be interesting to say the least. We bought her a seat and are taking her carseat with us, so hopefully that will make her more comfortable. Now we just have to figure out how to keep her awake until flight time so she naps the whole way there. It will be a challenge, that's for sure!

On Thursday morning at about 7 a.m., Gabbie and I are setting of on a road trip with my parents. I am equally excited, anxious, and terrified because while the trip ends up at my grsndfather's 90th birthday party which should be a blast (no, really) the at least 13 hours in a car with my toddler is, at this point, a giant crap shoot. Will she be her fairly normal angelic self? Or will this newer, testing out boundaries, independent minded toddler rule the day? I am if course hoping for the former rather than the latter, but it truly is a wait wnd see sort of thing.

We're loading up on snacks and items to keep here enteretained. So far we have the iPad loaded with three of her favorite movies, a travel-sized magnadoodle, crayons, a coloring book, stickers, and plenty of other books to read, and, of course, a couple of binkies to shove in her mouth to keep her quiet if needed. I've also loaded up my old iPod nano with some kids' songs and bought her a pair of adorable toddler-sized headphones. This may sound like a lot, but I'm reslly kind of just hoping it will be enough. I feel like I can't be too prepared for any possible contingency. I also have to admit that I'm pretty happy we're riding down in my dad's truck. With all I'm bringing I'm pretty sure we'll be sble to use the extra space.

So, wish me luck, and if you don't hear from me, at least you'll know what caused my head to explode.

What I have been busy doing instead of going anywhere near my computer

• Going to Aaron's cousin's baby shower, where I ate my first piece(s) of red meat since Christmas and where Gabbie discovered how much fun balloons can be.

• This was also when I had to field/deflect about a million people asking me when we were going to add another baby to our family. Thankfully, I was able to deflect some of those questions by showing up with chocolate chip cookie pie. Several family members tend to get upset when I show up without pie, so I decided to give them a pleasant surprise, and they were too busy stuffing their faces to ask about a new bambino.
• Getting a surprise visit from an aunt who got stranded at the Detroit airport, and called us about an hour before she got here. Related: cleaning the house in record time.
• Freaking out when we realized the opening ceremony of the Olympics took up so much space on our DVR that it automatically erased Shrek, Shrek 3, Kung Fu Panda, and Horton Hears a Who. These are the only way we make it through weekend mornings when Gabbie wakes up at five. Put on one of those and the adult can snooze on the couch for an extra 90 minutes. So, as you can see, this is a tragedy.
• Stressing out about my annual review (it went much better than my freaked-out-for-no-reason self expected).
• Stressing out about my dad's gall bladder removal surgery (it went fine).
• Drinking more whiskey than was prudent between those two events, and therefore barely making it through a 7:30 a.m. meeting today.

Christmas: Never Late Than Never

So Christmas happened recently, and it was busy but wonderful.

We got to dress up in fancy clothes:

(This is the best photo we got of her in her Christmas outfit, but trust me, she looked even more adorable than even this.)

We opened up presents, and were so busy opening and then playing with them that no one ever looked at the camera:

We put bows on our heads:

We got teddy bears that were bigger than some of us:

And then Aaron did this:

He won't shave it off because he knows it bugs me. And I deal with it because I love him. It's the little things.

It was a wonderful Christmas, even if it did fly by and we travelled all over the state.

It's just a list-making sort of week

Things I'd like to eat right now:
1. Pumpkin spice muffins with whipped icing
2. Sloppy Joes
3. Steak fries
4. Buffalo Wings

Even with what's listed above, I'm pleased to let you know that, with the exception of some time o' the month eating yesterday, my diet has been going quite well. I'm seeing much less muffin top today, and in my book? That's an accomplishment.

Things I'm excited about that are happening this weekend:
1. Going up to my parents' house to celebrate my dad's birthday
2. With my parents, sister, and most especially my brother and his wife, who we convinced to come last week and it's a surprise for my parents! This is going to be so much fun! It has also been a great test of my ability to keep a secret; something I'm not normally so great at.
3. The ensuing board game marathon that is sure to happen. Note to self: don't forget to bring Apples to Apples and Catan Expansion Pack (There I am, showing off my nerdiness once again)
4. MSU vs. U of M. All I have to say is GO GREEN!
5. Wine. We always drink lots of it up there, and I love it so.

(Stupid) Things I still have to do before heading out of town:
1. Work for several more hours.
2. Pack
3. Run errands (I'm going bra shopping, and I hate bra shopping)
4. Find something that will entertain Gabbie in the car
5. Avoid lunch-time temptation in the form of a potluck lunch celebrating this weekend's big game.

Oh Happy Day

Yesterday was a wonderful, relaxing, fun day during which I spent exactly zero minutes on the computer. We lounged around for the morning, went out to lunch and roamed around the downtown area of a nearby quaint little town, went to dinner, and then Gabbie went to bed early so I had time to knit before I hit the hay. Additionally, it’s the day before a long holiday weekend, we’re going to a baseball game tonight (I haven’t been in 2 years and can’t wait), and my best friend is visiting this weekend. Consequently I’m in a pretty good mood this morning.

Then, this morning, I stopped by Metalia’s site, and found this gem: People of Walmart. I haven’t laughed quite so much in a long while. I hope it makes your Friday as fun as it has made mine.

Father's Day, Preemptively

Being able to be a parent alongside my husband is one of my favorite things. He’s an absolutely awesome dad and has been from moment one. Not too long ago he confessed to me that before Gabbie was born he was terrified. He didn’t know what to do, how to handle babies, how he was going to handle being so responsible for someone else. Then, as she was born and placed on my chest all of these fears melted away, and all he wanted was his turn to hold his beautiful, wonderful baby girl. He said it was hard to be patient, but also knew that I had first dibs what with the pushing her out and stuff. Even though he had never held a baby before, he was a natural. He changed all of her diapers in the hospital and cuddled her as much as he could. Definitely a proud papa.

All along he’s shared equally in all the hard work of being a parent. He changes all types of diapers, even taking the stinkiest ones so I won’t have to deal with them. He gives her baths, gets her ready in the morning, is in charge of dispensing medicine, and even regularly gets up with her in the middle of the night. I’m so thankful to have a partner who is as interested in all the hard work as he is in the fun times, and I definitely realize how lucky I am.

We’re both constantly amazed at how much we love her, and even though it is hard (really hard) work to be a parent, it’s also more fun than we’ve ever had before. Watching Aaron and Gabbie together is pure pleasure for me. The sound of their laughter when they’re wrestling on the floor is a delight, and she often instigates because she finds it so much fun to tumble around. One of my favorite sights is when they’re on the couch together, watching some sporting event, each with their snacks balanced on their laps, hands absentmindedly picking up a chip (him) or sweet potato puff (her) while concentrating on what’s happening. When he’s playing a video game and she’s awake, there’s nothing more she wants than to get in on the action. And it’s a testament to how much he loves her that he takes the batteries out of his second controller and lets her play with it, though even I am afraid she might break it.

I didn’t have this type of father-daughter relationship. My father died while my mom was pregnant, and she and my dad didn’t marry until I was nearly three. Even though we had a hard time getting along while I was growing up, and I respect and love my dad so incredibly much, we definitely didn’t have this. It’s wonderful that Gabbie is able to have this type of relationship with her dad and it delights me to no end to watch them build such a strong bond. 

Aaron deserves the very best Father’s Day for being the very best dad. I offered to get a babysitter so we could go out to a movie and to a steak dinner, but he declined. There’s nothing he’d rather do on Father’s Day than be a father, so we’re spending the day together as a family and getting in as much daddy-daughter time as possible. I wouldn’t want it any other way, and I’m so happy he feels the same.

Happy Father’s Day to the best dad I know. I love you!

This post is totally not like me, I know

So, yeah. I have a bodily function issue to discuss today, and here we go: is it just us, or does everybody poop less while on vacation?

See, we were all worried because Gabbie didn't have a dirty diaper for two days when usually she has two a day. Then we got home and realized that she wasn't the only one that hadn't gone, and home is apparently the ultimate laxative, because the second we pulled in the parking lot, all three of us had to go (and only one of us had immediate relief via her diaper). 

It's just so weird to me. I mean, we eat more and worse than normal, so you would think that everything would at least be normal if not more than normal, but then nothing happens, and I never realize it until I get home. 

I guess the major lesson learned here is to ease up and not worry so much about Gabbie, because she's just being normal, or at least normal when compared to the rest of her family.

Also learned on vacation from everyone else? I have the cutest, funniest, smartest baby they've ever seen. I mean, seriously. Look at her:

Weekend Tripping

Do you want to know the worst/best reason to take a weekend trip? It’s when your grandma (who is nearly 90) calls you up and informs you that she’s moving to Oklahoma, and she knows that’s far away, so could you please come visit so she can see you one last time?

Heart? Broken.

So we’re off this weekend to go spend some time with her, and to let her spend some time with Gabbie, her first (and likely only during her lifetime) great-grandchild. I’m excited to head down, if not somewhat dreading the long ride in the car with a 1-year-old. We’ll see lots of relatives. Aaron and I will escape on Saturday or Sunday morning to have breakfast at our favorite breakfast restaurant, just the two of us. And we’ll get in as much time as possible with Grandma.

It’s been hard leaving after a visit with her for years. At that age, you don’t know when the last visit will be, but knowing that she’s starting to fade and she’s moving far away makes this even more likely to be the last visit. I’m going to be a wreck the whole way home, for sure. It feels like I just lost my other grandma, even though it’s been about a year and a half, and I’m not ready to lose another one. I know, I’m lucky to still have most of my grandparents alive, and it’s not something I take for granted, but I’m still not ready to lose them.

An Ode to my Husband

I will be the very first to admit that my husband is quite a catch. Not only is he handsome, smart, and funny, he's quite handy around the house too. He cooks, cleans (no, really, he cleans a lot - he is a neat freak), and is an awesome father. He tells me regularly that I am the best thing that's ever happened to him. He indulges my sense for adventure. He doesn't give me too hard of a time about what a dork I am. I absolutely love him more each day than the day before, and seeing him be a dad to our daughter doubled that love faster than I could believe.

I, on the other hand, am admittedly probably hard to deal with sometimes. I'm messy. I would rather play than clean. I love too cook, but I hate to clean up after myself. I'm also an excellent procrastinator, which probably makes him nuts, the driven, active person that he is. He's practical, I'm a daydreamer. He understands a budget, I always have to be reigned in (although, I am much better at not spending money than I used to be). And really, I can't stress enough how messy I am and how that basically makes me the antithesis to his clean-freak-ness.

However, there's one thing for which I'm a stickler that he can't seem to grasp. It's really so incredibly simple, I don't know why he never does it. His failure to implement this task on a regular basis drives me absolutely batty. It's his fatal flaw, in my opinion.

What could he do that's so horrible, you ask?

HE NEVER REPLACES THE TOILET PAPER ROLL.

He'll use the last square, and even take off the empty roll. He'll put the holder back into its place. However, he never puts toilet paper back on the holder. It's not like we keep the toilet paper far away either. You can reach it in the vanity without even stretching. It's so simple. So why, oh why does it never get done?

(I'm sure you can guess what just happened that inspired this post. GRRRRRRR!)

Happy (Belated) Easter!

Getting ready for church.

Miss Gabbie was so squirmy on Easter morning (maybe she got sugar by proxy (or breastmilk, actually), because I sure as heck loaded up starting at about 7 a.m.) that this is far and away the best Easter picture we got. She looked adorable in her dress and had lots of fans at church because of the adorableness. (As an aside, spell check is totally letting adorableness fly as a real word. Sweet!)

We had a lovely weekend, and I'm glad we have my little sister's graduation next weekend so she gets more than one use out of this dress, because it's completely impractical. She can't crawl in it at all, and that made her pretty mad.

Also, the shoes she's wearing(which you can barely see) were mine when I was a baby. We were looking at my baby pictures this weekend, and she does look a lot like me, just with a smaller head. She gets that from her dad. We saw those shoes in a few pictures as well as the bonnet she wore later on, which was also from my babyhood. (Babyhood is a word according to spell check too!) I'm so glad my mom saved so much of my baby gear. It has been a lot of fun pulling things out to try on Gabbie, and in my opinion, she looks way more cute than I ever did.