Hair.

I was so excited when our baby had hair!  And SOO proud that she didn't lose it during her first couple of months.

But now, we have sort of a reverse monk thing going on:

This Weekend

1. Scrape the caulk from the shower.
Check.

2. Clean the shower.
Check.

3. Run to Lowes to buy the 2nd variety of caulk.
Check.

4. Caulk the shower.
Check.

5. Put together the shed.
Check.

6. Fill the shed with junk.
Check.

7. Find loads of junk to donate to the upcoming yard sale.
Check.

8. Bathe our child.
Check.

9. Sit around eating brownies AND ice cream.
Check.

10. Fall asleep with the lights on (again).
Check.


We've had a big weekend so far.  Also, caulking the shower is way more fun/satisfying than you would think.  I highly recommend it if you have some time.

Earthquake. Hurricane. Rhyming.

Well, it's been a tumultuous week.  With the earthquake and Hurricane Irene, I feel like I should have some profound thoughts about the happenings in the world...and yet, I don't have much to say.

Truly, something much more shallow has been on my mind.
What's been annoying me lately is when people (particularly musicians) try to "rhyme" words with themselves.  These aren't, in fact, rhymes.  By their very definition - rhymes are two DIFFERENT words that sound alike.  Words "rhymed" with themselves aren't rhymes - they're repetitions.

Here's an example:

George Straight's new song "Here for a Good Time"
Regardless of the outrageously country/hickish content of the song, it's a good example of my annoyance AND has been catalytic in rejuvenating this pet peeve of mine.

I ain't here for a long TIME
I'm here for a good TIME
So bring on the sunshine
To beep with the red wine
Pour me some moonshine

Time and Time don't rhyme!!!!! (Haha.  But Time and Rhyme do)
There are some great songs and poems in which the last word is repeated purposefully, not as a rhyme, but for emphasis and effect.  Perfectly acceptable.  Consistent, intentional, and thought out.  However, in this stupid song, he isn't trying to repeat himself (as indicated by the three lines actually rhyme that AREN'T repetitious) - he's just dumb at words that SOUND alike, but aren't actually the same word.


Sorry for the rant.  Does anyone else share this pet peeve, or am I a crazy?  I can take it if I am.  But the rhyming thing will still bug me.

2 Months

Well - time flies!

Keira is 2 months already and growing like a weed.  We went to the doctors for her 2 month checkup and got rave reviews.

She's 12 pounds 12 ounces, 24 inches long, with a 16 inch head.  If you're thinking that's large, you're right.  She's at 92% for weight, 96% length, and 90% head size (which I was thankful for...though that seems huge, the rest of her is catching up to her head).  She's eating and sleeping well.  She does, however, have random bouts of mega spit-up and is drooling like a feind.

Just for some perspective, my mom told me that all five of us kids were right at 17 pounds for our first birthdays...and we were big at birth.  So, yeah.  Keira is almost 13 pounds at 2 months... our little amazon.

AND for the BEST news of all...Keira has been social smiling for 2 weeks now!!!!  No lie, it is the best thing in the world, not just to have her smile, but to smile at YOU.  BEST THING EVER.
We had no idea the joy that she would bring to our family.  What a blessing you are, Keira.

Dobbleganger

Ed said that our kid looks like Winston Churchill.

He's not wrong.



But she's happier than he was.

What I've Learned

Though we've only scratched the surface of parenthood - it's amazing how it changes you the moment your child is born.

Here are some of the things I've learned these past weeks:

• Being pregnant was really good...being NOT pregnant is great!
• The instant she was born, our family felt more complete.
• Diapers are way too expensive.
• Kids are the best entertainment ever.
• Sleep is precious.
• Laziness breeds laziness - the longer you sit around and do nothing, the harder it is to get up.
• The car is like a sleep machine, while the shower seems to be an alarm clock.
• Spit-up stains.
• It is a short distance from normal to claustrophobic when sitting in your house everyday.
• Life can be lived vicariously through TV.
• Each moment with your child is precious - even those moments at 3:00am.
• My selfishness is enormous and surfaces each day.
• Apparently, I am not in control of everything...and things don't always work out how I want.
• I now cry like a pubescent 8th grader.
• I don't remember our lives without our kid...and don't want to.
• The joy of parenthood is FAR greater than I could have imagined.
• My heart is capable of more love than I would ever think was possible.
• More than ever, I can't fathom the love of our God toward us - it is too overwhelming to comprehend.

6 Week Update

Well, it's been a whirlwind over this past several weeks!

Keira is doing great.  She is a good combination of myself and Rob, so we've had fun getting to know her and watching her grow... she's so big and we can see her changing every day!

She is a great sleeper (like her dad).
She is a great eater (like her mom).
She's a little moody, likes shiny things, and has poor control of her facial expressions - which show exactly what she's thinking (like her mom).
But, she's generally so happy and loves to interact with people (like her dad).


This week marked the beginning of life after maternity leave, as I went back to work.  It was a bittersweet couple of days.  Honestly, leaving her for the whole day was hard, but it was great to get back to work and start to develop somewhat of a normal routine.

So...here goes real life!