A Kind of Blah Day

Stuffing diapers? No thank you.
Sweeping? Vacuming?Mopping? Nah.
Going for a walk? Too windy.
Reading? I'd feel guilty since the first two suggestions still need to be done.
Blog? Nothing to say, but I'm here anyway, with an hour to go until a lunch date and the end of Blake's work week. Ugh. It's one of those days!

Aren't I too old to get zits? Or too pregnant, or too something anyway?? Is it wrong to need another cup of coffee just a couple hours after finishing the first? Why is it that since I'm limiting carbs, all I want to eat is mounds of homemade bread? Ugh. I'm off to sweep and vacuum and mop and stuff diapers, and then hopefully it will be lunchtime and I can battle over carbs and get on with my day, zit and all.

I'm an Auntie!

At 7:20 am yesterday, my sister and brother in law's baby girl arrived, precisely on her due date (what an obedient and considerate daughter!). Evelyn (Evie) Brooke Todd was 7lbs 14oz and 21in! I can't wait to hold my very first niecey in a week!

An Assortment of Thoughts

- For the first time in my life, I feel like I am getting a handle on housekeeping (except for the office/nursery. And the den/storage room. But let's not talk about that). I know this is destined to be a short-lived accomplishment, since come the end of October, our little boy is going to compromise my routine, but at the moment I'm enjoying the relative tidiness.

- Said tidiness has become a necessity anyway, since Aurora is...MOBILE!!! That's right, folks- at 12.5 months, the little sweetheart has finally condescended to crawl. Thus, sweeping/vacuuming/decluttering have taken on new importance.

- Rory's a year old, and I feel like I'm neglecting an important part of babyhood- a bedtime routine. Now, to justify myself a little, she's always been a very laid back baby who sort of just rolls with things, so Blake and I have never sensed a NEED to establish a set routine. Plus, we're out a lot in the evenings, often until her bedtime. Usually we're at my inlaws' house, so it's not like she's lacking for pre-bed cuddles, stories, and general affection, but nonetheless, we feel some sort of a routine could be somewhat of a comfort. However, we desire flexibility in this routine (is that an oxymoron?) so that it can be adjusted if we're traveling or out later than normal. What recommendations to you have? What routines work for you? We know we'd like it to include prayer time and stories and cuddles, probably not a bath (at least every time- generally we bathe her in the morning). Please share your thoughts!

- I realized last week that I have a slew of partially read books, which is kind of unusual for me; normally I finish one book before starting another. I have resolved to finish all of these books this summer- I'm shooting for one a week. Perhaps I'll review some of them here!

- Speaking of reviewing, I just have to say that I love my vacuum cleaner. Blake and I fretted over which vacuum to invest in for months before buying this vacuum in February. Previously, we bought a couple cheap Target/Walmart vacuums, which broke weeks into using them. We determined we wanted a vacuum that would last, a real workhorse that didn't need to do fancy tricks, but would consistently get the job done. If you're in the market for a new one but can't afford to pay a thousand dollars or something ridiculous like that, look into the Carpet Pro. I say that affectionately, from one former woebegone vacuum hunter to another (if you're out there).

- Chickens. I can't get chickens off my mind! I'm becoming more and more convinced that Blake and I need chickens. Not because I want them, mind you. No, I have absolutely ZERO enthusiasm when it comes to raising fowl. It's more of a grim determination; I want fresh chicken eggs, so chickens are a necessary evil. I'm hoping that Blake will love them and eagerly care for them. But I am not holding my breath. We are holding off on the chicken-purchase until our various friends who are raising them iron out all the kinks and can tell us their secrets. We will learn from them, and hopefully make this happen sometime in the next year as painlessly as possible. To be continued...

I did it!

Survive four days at home without my husband, that is. Blake had training for his airline job in Phoenix this week, so for the first time in our marriage I was left at home husbandless. And I made it! I truly don't know how single moms can do it. Some random notes from the last few days:

- I was forced to be much more intentional about how I spent my time during Blake's absence. I woke up early, got myself ready for the day, watered the garden, had a quiet time (most days), and made breakfast before Aurora woke up. I plowed through my to-do list. I played with my baby. I had friends over for lunch. I went shopping. I cleaned. I accomplished just about all that I intended to, which made me feel good. Come evening, I'd drag myself to my inlaw's house and enjoy some zone-out time watching baseball while they entertained Rory (who is SO close to crawling it's ridiculous!).

- I am convinced that all of the spiders living in my house know when Blake is gone and decide to emerge from their evil lairs to torment me. Also, light bulbs burn out and doors get jammed when hubbycakes isn't home to fix them.

- Rory (who is very stingy with her kisses- may it always be so), would kiss the phone every time Blake talked to her; she loves her papa.

- We wore pretty dresses to the airport to pick him up last night, and brought him rice krispie treats and an Irish cream Italian soda (gifts are my love language). I'm so proud of the work he's doing- He'll do so great at this new job (I fell in love with him when he worked at an airport, so I know how much he'll thrive in that environment). Somehow I think the next few years of this new job, plus owning-operating a business, not to mention school, being a Cub Scouts den leader, having a new baby, being a husband and papa, and hopefully doing a bit of traveling will go by very quickly. I can't wait to see what God has in store for us!

An Albuquerque Adventure

I love writing out "Albuquerque."
We spent a long weekend in Albuquerque for the wedding of one of Blake's cousins. Basically, the weekend consisted of eating red meat with family, a wedding, then eating more red meat with family. And completing Blake's first round of homework (including his first paper as a student again!). And some more red meat. It was hot. And smoky. But we had a nice time in ALBUQUERQUE. When we got home from Albuquerque, all I wanted to do was eat chicken.

Rory has pink jellies!

Strawbaby

So pretty in her swimsuit!

Definitely not a fan of the water!

Trying to get a nice picture, but grumpy baby just scowled and blocked my chin.

Now who's grumpy?

All ready for the rehearsal dinner!

Dressed to impress for the wedding!

Blake and Aurora with Blake's uncle and cousin Olivia

The crowd I hang with

Rory and Liv love to play!

Chewing on some bubbles (not gum) with Grandpa

 For Father's Day, Rory and I got Blake a couple survival-related gifts (a hand crank solar radio thing and some cool duct tape-esque emergency tape stuff that I was able to surprise him with, because he didn't know that he wanted it). Also, I found some bacon brittle on etsy- peanut brittle with bacon and cayenne pepper! Peanut brittle is one of the only candies that Blake is fond of, and he is a staunch believer that everything is improved with bacon. I like buying from etsy and supporting creative, crafty people, and Blake was thrilled with his bacony present.

Once has a Pronoun!!!

Rory's baby sibling got a pronoun today, and it's the masculine pronoun! That's right, Once is a he!

I sort of took it for granted that we'd have another girl, and was thrilled at the thought of continuing with hairbows and dollies and pretty dresses. I mean, obviously having a boy was a possibility, but I was confidant we could wait a while longer before embarking on that adventure...

Everyone I know who has boys has assured me they are fantastic, so here we go! Boys: The Final Frontier!

Indian Paradise

Right now, I am in my happy place. And I never use that expression, so you have to know it's really true. We just finished an amazing feast at the Himalayan Grill, and did I mention it was amazing? Our strategy: order lots of garlic naan and eat it all, then take most of our entree home because somehow it's even more amazing the next day. The meal was made even sweeter because we were celebrating something very very special with a friend. And we got a gift certificate on restaurants.com that allowed us to live it up (appetizer and dessert!). And, most of all, Rory loved the lamb korma. My heart is bursting with pride; my baby girl likes Indian food! She couldn't get enough of it. She loved the naan too. And the mango juice. And rice pudding. Yep, she's definitely our daughter!

Weekend Funness

The last few days were filled with funness: getting Chinese takeout and watching Leap Year (my new favorite girly movie), working in the garden, preparing Father's Day presents, and, most notably, fulfilling a life goal of seeing Les Miserables live!!!

All ready to be amazed!!

Blake and I joined some good friends for the performance in Phoenix. We bought the tickets ages and ages ago, and it did not disappoint! While it's not the most kid-friendly show out there, the music is so powerful, just completely gripping. It's a very redemptive story, and though it's filled with despair, there's also a very real hope, probably why it's been compelling audiences for so long. After the show, we were able to visit some good friends who moved to the Valley a few months ago and get dinner at Buca di Beppo with them after seeing their lovely new home. If you've never been to a Buca di Beppo, I highly recommend it if you're dining with more than just a couple people; it's a lot of fun.

Rory watching kid songs on youtube with Papa

I spent my afternoon in a very cliche femaley manner, and it's amazing how good it makes me feel. I got a pedicure with my mother in law and a friend (the one luxury I wish I could indulge in more often), after drinking a latte, and then ended up at Kohls where I purchased very much on sale shoes and sunglasses. What could have been girlier?

Before heading out, I needed to go to Walgreens to get some new polish (my little trick is to bring my own so I can do touch-ups at home). Blake opted (shockingly) to stay in the car with the wee one. I had foreboding feelings about this, and, sure enough, had to call him and beg him to come in ten minutes later when I was trying to decide between six colors. I am terribly indecisive and couldn't even narrow it down to lavender or coral. Blake took one begrudging look, selected an astonishingly bright pinky-tangerine, and assured me it was the right color. The cashier nodded approvingly at his choice and commented that it was very trendy. Blake was a little smug, I think, and I was a tad skeptical. But sure enough, when I handed it over to the pedicurist, she was pleased- "that's very in right now." What can I say? My husband is one trendy man.

Festive Times

Whew. Rory's birthday is OVER! Now it's time to recover from all the celebrating. I can't believe what a big deal this day turned out to be- I always said I didn't want to do anything ridiculous for a first birthday, but the whole thing kind of escalated beyond my control. We had a lot of fun though! I'm putting up quite a few pictures since I've gotten off facebook, so humor me, please.

Aurora had a virus the week before her birthday :(

But she still loved her new dolly and matching dress from my mom!

My mom got in a week ago Tuesday and was sooo helpful in getting ready for Rory's Saturday party. It was perfect: my mother in law did the decorating and my mom did most of the food prep.

On Saturday, we had somewhere between 45-50 people come come over in the afternoon for a big barbecue. We called the event "The Celebration of the Anniversary of our First Year of Parenthood" since Rory didn't particularly recognize the significance of the day. Along with that, we geared the festivities towards adults (except for some hula hoops, bubbles, and sidewalk chalk). The menu? BBQ chicken with homemade sauce, potato salad, baked beans, vegetables, chips, sparkling ginger lemonade, and mango-berry iced tea. Oh yeah- we served four kinds of cupcakes: cookies and cream (Blake's request), lemon curd, pineapple upside-down, and rocky road. They were all delicious! Rory ate two of them: one half way through (complete with candle and song), and another one at the end for the enjoyment of the second wave of guests. I think the whole party was a great success!

The Cupcakes!

We ended up with a cute blue and green color scheme.

Photo display

I've wanted to turn this old smoker into a planter for a while :)

We roped off our poor little garden so it wouldn't be trampled.

We bought her dress in Puerto Rico when I was 7 months pregnant specifically for her birthday. Blake chose the flower.

She looked so beautiful!

Pretty clapping baby

The food!

My awesome grill master husband

The Bowen men

A few of our younger guests

Rory just loves this family- especially the young gentleman!

"Why is everyone singing at me?"

Assuring her that it will be okay

She took to cupcakes right away...

Enjoying herself

Some friends and their little ones

"If you think I'm going to wear those sunglasses, you're crazy, Mama."

Hanging out after the party- Rory's begun using a spoon!

With Papa and Grandpa in her new bug-wing outfit!

Tired after a long day of partying

Sunday evening we went to Charly's for dinner and the waitress let Rory (well, me) choose from the dessert tray. We went with carrot cake. She was definitely a fan.

Being entertained by Great Grandpa at church

Playing with some buddies

Rory and her Gramma- I just love her little green dress!

Being a goof with Great Grandma

I promise she did not eat that whole plate of carrot cake.

Monday morning included a last breakfast with Great Grandma and Great Grandpa, who came up from Coolidge just for her birthday.

She makes the funniest faces after she takes a drink.

Saying good bye to her adored Great Grandparents

Playing with her new singing bunny

Tuesday was the actual big day!! We commemorated it in a fairly modest fashion: visiting both Nana and Grandpa at work, walking up and down the lights aisle at Home Depot a couple times, watching "Five Little Monkeys" and some of her other favorite songs on Youtube, wearing her pink tutu, and eating her favorite baked french toast for dinner. We opted out of a cake due to all the sweets already consumed during the last few days and had some low-cal strawberry ice cream instead. And a tiny bit of the doughnut Nana brought too!

Funny faces with Nana

Enthralled by the pretty lights (why go to Peter Piper Pizza when Home Depot's free?)

Helping Grandpa at work

Wearing: pink tutu, stripey leggings, hairbow, french toast, whipped cream, and now: doughnut

Rory was such a trooper the whole week! We're so proud of our big one year old!