Because I Said So…

This week has been full of fun and surprises!  

First, I want to wish my baby bro, “Uncle Chrissy” a happy 23rd!  His birthday was last Saturday and we had fun celebrating with him at Growler’s.  We also had fun watching him get beer spilled on him by the waiter.  And the kitchen losing his food order.  Maybe not such a happy birthday for him!  But entertaining for us, nonetheless!

Second, we have begun a new diapering adventure!  Because of Ella Kate’s sensitive skin, her diaper area has, for months, been very rashy and itchy.  We tried several different kinds of disposable diapers, which only made everything worse.  Swim diapers are also terrible.  I have previously on this blog professed my love for gDiapers, which I still maintain.  However, at Ella Kate’s 1 year check-up, the doctor claimed that she is convinced Ella’s problem is with diaper contact.  So we went out and bought some cloth diapers.  We got bumgenius 3.0 from Cotton Babies.  Yes, they are a bit more laundry.  But from only a few days use, Ella is already getting better!  They require pretty specific care, which would be much more of a pain if I were going to work.  It is all worth it for Ella to be less itchy and irritated and more happy and able to wear dresses and outfits without pants (to prevent scratching).  So, I highly recommend these cloth diapers in addition to gDiapers.  Save the planet, and your baby’s bum!

Third, cheesecake is delicious!  Ella Kate, Dave, Sara Kate, Travis and I went to Cheesecake Factory for National Cheesecake Day on July 30!  All of the dine-in cheesecake slices were $1.50 and so tasty.  It was a long wait for Ella, but she loves whipped cream, and apparently sour cream as well as spinach dip!  What a strange but fun baby!  Yummy. 

Last, welcome home Annette!  And welcome to St. Louis Travis!  More pWnhACKzORz in St. Louis = more fun!!!  Hooray!

Add this to the list of things that doesn’t make you cool:

Driving your motorcycle, with your girlfriend on the back, in between traffic lanes & cars.  Then, when someone (maybe me or my loved one) honks at you for being an idiot and almost causing an accident, flipping us off.  And THEN, at the following stoplight, after it has turned green, rearing up and popping a wheelie.  I may or may not have wished for the girlfriend to fall off.  Hmm…guess someone is trying to make up for lacking in other areas.  Like intelligence.  How do people like this receive licenses to drive these motorcycles?  And how do they not get pulled over & arrested for recklessness?  Good thing I’m not a cop.  Or maybe not…

Look what you made my baby do!

So, I realize that people in this country have rights.  These are not some of them:

1. Littering.  PICK. UP. YOUR. TRASH!!!  I am SO tired of walking around my neighborhood, or a park, or a parking lot, or a store…or any number of places, and having to essentially wade through trash.  YUCK!  If you smoke, it is absolutely not okay for you to throw your cigarette butts out the window!  It’s disgusting.  Do not drop your McDonald’s bag or your leftover receipt or your gum wrapper on the ground in the parking lot!  If you are drinking something outside, recycle your can or bottle or cup!  If you receive a newspaper that is unwanted, put it in your recycle bin!  Also, if your fireworks land on someone else’s roof, you should go get them off.  There is really no excuse for littering.  If you keep a grocery bag in your car, you can put trash in it.  Empty upon arrival at home or other place with larger trash receptacle.  Repeat.  UGH!!  Stop being lazy and ruining the planet for the rest of us!

2. Forcing me to listen to your music.  From your car.  In MY HOUSE!!  Okay, I know I’ve been over this one before.  But seriously.  If I am trying to have a nice, peaceful morning in my house with my baby and my dog, and some punk drives down my street with the music/bass in his (or her, but probably his) car SO LOUD that it vibrates things in my house, it is TOO LOUD.  Turn your music down.  Right now.  That is rude and does not make you cool.  I’d like to meet even one couple who got together because she thought his music was just the loudest thing she’s ever heard and couldn’t resist!!  Grow up and respect other people!

3. Annoying me with your political phone calls.  Yes, there are rules about phone calls and we are on the “Do Not Call” lists.  Somehow, political people are exempt from this.  Please, someone fix this.  I really don’t need any robot (or live!) phone calls about political candidates.  I don’t need you to try to sway me or to ask me leading questions about topics which I’m sure said candidate has no intention of working on if actually elected.  Send me stuff in the mail…that’s fine.  Much less invasive (though more waste of paper, but at least I can recycle it!) and then you won’t be bothering me when I’m eating dinner/doing laundry/generally enjoying my day.  There should be a list for those who would like political phone calls to sign up on.  Leave me off of it.

Enough ranting for the day!  One year ago today, Dave & I brought Ella Kate home!  It was bittersweet to leave the hospital; who wants to come home and do chores and cook for themselves?  But I do love the home that we’ve made with our little family!  

One year ago today, my life changed forever.  A tiny ball of energy, love & happiness entered my world.  It has been an absolutely amazing year; my favorite to date!  Though I have struggled a bit with the idea that my “baby” is one, I love her just the way she is now…all of her grown-up-ness.  She is walking regularly now, though still a bit unsteadily.  She says “baby” and “no” (this is funny) and she has begun to throw tantrums.  She sleeps through the night (woo!) and snuggles and blows kisses.  She laughs and laughs and smiles and claps so often.  She knows how to do “So Big” and she can play by herself for a while.  She loves to be tickled and chased and hugged.  She can eat by herself and she has one snaggle tooth.  Even though she is not my tiny, curled up, sleepy baby, she is my big baby girl now and I love every inch of her.  

Ella Kate’s birthday party was Saturday and it was so much fun!  Thank you so much to Sara who helped me bake & ice cookies and cupcakes Friday…I really couldn’t have done it without you!  Thank you to every single person who came to her party.  It means a lot to both Dave & me that so many people care about our little girl and want to celebrate her birth with us!  Ella had a great time and she did an awesome job smashing her cake!  Happy Birthday, Ella Kate!  I love you so much.  Thank you for giving me the best job ever!

After spending the last week alone with the baby and preparing for her birthday party, we are finally ready…but utterly spent!  I’m still not ready for her to turn one.  She’s my baby!  I want her to stay a baby!  But I’m excited about her party and all of our friends and family that will be there to celebrate our lovely lady.  I’m sure there will be many, many pictures taken so I will post them as soon as I can.  Right now, I will leave you a nice picture of Ella while I go to bed to wait for Dave to get home.  Even Ella went right to sleep tonight!  So tired.

Dave has been in San Diego all week and Ella Kate and I miss him so much!  We have been keeping busy (very busy!) but we are so ready for Daddy to come home!  Preparing for a birthday party as well as taking care of a baby by yourself (and a crazy dog) is A LOT of work.  I overwhelmingly bow down to all single parents, especially those with outside the home jobs.  I don’t know how anything ever gets done with only one parent!   I have it pretty easy because my parents are around as well as lots of kind friends who offer to help.  And Ella is a fairly “easy” baby…laid-back and fun!  

We love you, Daddy!!  Come home soon!  

When you feed a one-snaggle-toothed baby cherries (and grapes), chewing does not happen.  Thus, digestion is less likely to occur.  Ensue mess.  Fortunately, Ella Kate is very fancy and this problem is offset by her adorable-ness.  And her funky hair-do.  

Ella Kate is about 2 1/2 months old in this picture.

I don’t know if it’s karma or sweet justice, but a couple of days ago I had a happy encounter.  It is no secret that middle school was not the best time for me and I still don’t really like to talk about it.  I don’t like to think about it or about the people who made it miserable for me, either.  But it just happens that a couple of days ago, as I was leaving a store, I saw one of these misery creators.  Suddenly I was both overcome with natural instinct to run and hide as well as the feeling of utter anger and resentment.  (Who exactly are YOU to make my adolescence terrible??)  Then, as I thought of just rushing past in hope of no recognition, I realized that this person was there to deliver a pizza.  My thoughts: “H.A.H.A”.  I know it is petty and childish of me to still be upset about anything that happened 10+ years ago, but it still stings.  And in a way, I feel that justice has been delivered.  

We exchanged no words, just a passing nod.  This person was probably more embarassed than I, therefore no words were really needed.  If I could’ve said something, it probably would’ve been “Enjoy your spaghetti”. (Which you would really only understand if you’ve listened to Dane Cook).

This is what I got at the end of the road; this is how much your tormenting worked…aren’t you glad I’m so unhappy??

I’m so very good at clapping!

I did write a post yesterday with a cute picture of Ella and everything!  But, either our server failed or someone hacked the mainframe, because it did not post.  

So…I will put up a couple pictures of Ella Kate today.  Hopefully later today or tomorrow I will have more time to write a nice post.  Until then, you will have to admire my baby!  :)

These mittens crack me up, but they were necessary.  Babies have razor claws!