Life
Four magical, beautiful, challenging, fulfilling, amazing, hilarious, wonderful years.
I have learned a lot these past four years - about devotion, sacrifice, partnership, frustration, patience, friendship, and love. I always dreamed - but never knew - that I would be married to a man like Paul. He challenges me, he grounds me, and he inspires me. He loves unconditionally and forgives whole-heartedly. God has truly blessed me with this man.
Happy anniversary, darling.
Well, more like, hear our tales of mediocre weekending whilst wrangling a wee one.
Equally exciting, I'd say.
(These weekend recaps seem to becoming a thing now. Is it a thing? Are we a thing now? Should it be a thing on the blog? Am I asking too many rhetorical questions?)
Emma seems to be secretly washing her hair in human growth hormone when I am not looking. Her luscious locks are beginning to reveal some curly goodness. I may call her Shirley Temple from now on.
Or, you know, Crazy Eyes.
I wonder if there are any contraindications to the consumption of bath water. I mentioned that bath time has been a real sanity-saver lately, all hail bath time. HAIL. But lately she has taken to plopping in front of the faucet, filling her various cups with the water, drinking them, then discovering that she can just put her face full on, open-mouthed under the running water. Many coughs and splutters ensue.
I remind her that she lost her gills sometime in utero and she says something about the man keeping her down.
In case I was holding on to a sliver of hope that her baby-dom was still present, I had the reality check that we are in full-blown toddlerhood around these parts. I'm talking attitude, babbling talk-back, tantrums, I-can-do-it-myselfing, dramatically throwing oneself on the floor, dead weight hand-holding, and the like.
Baby no more. Pretty soon she'll be asking me for the car keys. Wait, she already does that. I was like, no way, not until you're like 16 months.
Someone also discovered the magic and glory that is the fudgsicle. She's a goner.
"Can I get an AMEN?" - Emma
Okay, other parentals out there, did your 14, almost 15 month-old ever go back to crawling and rolling around on the floor? She's been doing some funny baby-esque movements and I'm wondering if it's a phase. Unless she secretly knows my unwavering desire to fill this house with more babies.
Happy baby pose, namaste.
You better believe Emma and I got compliments on our matching-ness this weekend. I'll be ready for my straight jacket any day now. Can't. Contain. The. Crazy.
Cousins, identical cousins.
Gag.
It was rather warm this weekend so we spent some time in our skivvies. Her, not me. Wait, what.
Girl, put your clothes on.
When she tries, she cleans up goooood.
Aww, look at those beautiful faces. So much promise, so much love. I wonder what mom is doing...
Seems about right.
(Early anniversary dinner means popping bottles -- of the milk and spirit varieties.)
Of course, Emma and I are still trying to kick these bugs that have made our bodies their perma-hotel California. I am on the congestion-throat ache phase. She is on the post-fever-rash phase.
Also the clingy-can't-be-put-down phase.
And the no-personal-space phase.
I'm under that dog pile.
Let's run off the crazy, pleaseandthankyou.
Run Forest, run!
How was your weekend?
While I am still suffering (in complete NOT silence) from my cold, we have been enjoying some good old fashioned shut in time while I try to avoid spreading my germs around the city. That means extra opportunities for cabin fever.
Something that always buys us a few moments of sanity is our beloved bath time. Emma can be in the throws of her nightly fussy countdown and somehow a bath pulls her out of it.
And I am given endless opportunities to laugh at her hair.
Have a wild weekend.
Happiiiii FREEDOOO! (That's Happy Friday in crazy.)
Another week has flown by here at headquarters. I went back to school for my LAST QUARTER OF DENTAL SCHOOL EVER. In case you forgot, I am sticking around this summer even after graduation to make up clinical time that I missed while I was popping out Emma, trying to master the swaddle, and figure out that whole breastfeeding thing (AKA maternity leave of absence).
Emma has been a hoot and a half (<-- what am I, 76?) lately and her prime time is in the wee hours of the morning. I guess she is taking after her early bird momma. She doesn't just wake up and roll out of bed, she shoots up and is ready to take on the world 0.2 seconds after her eyelids pop open. We have also been putting her on the toilet in the morning to get her familiar with the porcelain throne (I am hoping it makes potty training easier in future). Too much information? Moving on. She then attempts to run around the apartment sans diaper coverage. I don't so much call them "accidents" as "on purposes". I swear, she pees on the floor just to see me react.
Pssh, ya big bully.
Emma loves to get ready for school, help me pack her food bag, and basically pushes us out the door. Seriously, she's starting to push the doors trying to open them. Thank God our door handles are just out of her reach otherwise Houdini Emma will be her new nickname.
Another exciting happening over at headquarters is that Paul received another promotion! Ya hoooo! Who could have accounted for that?
Chirp chirp.
Get it? Accounted? He's an accountant.
And moving on.
But really, I am incredibly proud of him and all of his hard work. Only four short years ago he picked up his entire life to move with me to San Francisco for school but he has truly accomplished so much while we have been here. I am grateful for such a hard-working, dedicated, enthusiastic, tough, and wonderful husband.
I hope you all have a super duper weekend!
Whewwww. WHEWIE. Whewwhoohoohoo.
On Sunday, we got home from a little two-ish week trip back and forth from SF to visit our families. Due to Paul's work schedule we couldn't stay down south for two weeks straight so we spent a lot of time in the car traveling between SF, Paul's hometown, my hometown, Disneyland, my hometown, SF, and Paul's hometown again.
Like I said, whew. I am pretty sure my back has molded to the backseat of my car. Oh the backseat you ask? Yes. I am still exiled to the backseat while little miss screams-a-lot prefers company during her waking hours.
As I am no longer riding shotgun these days during those longer car rides, it allows me the perfect opportunity for many carseat photo sessions and general road trip shenanigans.
Thankfully Emma has always been a good car sleeper and usually knocks out for a good portion of the trip but when she is not sleeping, you better believe she needs some form of entertainment. Or else...
Oh jeez that sounds intimidating.
Not so intimidating now are you?
Motherhood at its finest my friends.
The anatomy of our road trips usually involve Emma's naps, stops for food and diaper changes, and a few "are we there yet"s. But when Emma is particularly rowdy, anything within arm's reach becomes a potential entertainment device.
Sunglasses, baby wipes, water bottles, hair clips, wallets, fast-food straws, and the list goes on and on.
We attempt to have some good times while we are roasting under the summer sun and the car's air conditioning barely kisses our cheeks. But that makes for some good old-fashioned sweaty fun in my book. And by fun, I mean try to survive.
But with sweat, comes great responsibility...
...for making epic mohawks.
Side note: We also did a switch-a-roo with Emma's carseat situation. She finally hit the height limit of her infant carrier so we upgraded to one of those new fangled convertible carseats. Oo la la.
Of course, we all need to take a stop or two for bathroom/stretch/don't lose our marbles breaks. Emma usually just gets out of the car and walks around like she owns the place no matter where we go.
I could not feed her those noodles fast enough. I swear, this girl is turning into quite the strong-willed woman. If looks could kill...
"Um, can you not?"
But she can turn that frown upside-down in a nanosecond.
It's a good thing too it's hard to stay upset when we are about to eat at an In N Out. Am I right?
Side note #2: She has probably spent about 3% of her life in In N Outs. But that may be more a commentary about my life choices rather than hers. Although I am pretty sure her 6th and 7th words will be french and fries.
That's what a hamburger is all about, eh?
Not that she'd know. I don't feed her burgers. What? That would be crazy. Only organic quinoa stuffed kale with free-ranged tofu and gluten-free açai Vitamix smoothies. Obviously.
We also may or may not break our electronics for toddlers rule when it comes to screaming banshees on road trips. Only educational flash cards with state capitals and common Mandarin phrases for my kitten.
I mean come on.
Don't look at that photo. Wait, what? How did that get there? Nothing to see here, move along folks.
(At least Daniel Tiger is educational, right?)
Our road trips have become exceptionally more entertaining since Emma popped into our lives. She is sunshine in human form. She is as cool as a cucumber. She makes life interesting.
What did I used to blog about?
