Quick Ketchup

While there isn't a ton of news to report, it seems our lives have been busy as ever.  Paul and I had a conversation just yesterday about the adjustment to the constant chaos that has become our lives, and how we can't remember what we were doing with our time prior to Lucy being around.  We also discussed how we were LOVING the madness, and could imagine about 20 kids running around this house making our days wild and loud and most of all, fun.  You've been warned...

Here's what we've been up to:

 

Cheering on the Jayhawks!  Rock Chalk!

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day with Lucy's first parade experience!  And you know what?  She actually was happy and amused far longer than I was. 

And then there's my mom, she is thrilled she doesn't have to go to parades by herself anymore.  Lucy, you've brightened her world in many ways, but trust me when I tell you that this is up there on the list.

 

Playing in the Exersaucer, becoming more interactive with it everyday; ALSO, note the drool covering the bib, this has also become a pretty typical scene around our house. 

Naked baby, pre-bath. 

So cute. 

Now look a little closer. 

Peeing on Dad pre-bath...and he knows...and he's STILL SMILING. 

So cute. 

WE HAVE FOUND OUR THUMB.  And we are LOVING it. 

Clean baby after a VERY impressive blowout at school.





Yah, I know.  Lucy isn't even looking at the camera.  But the point is that the three of us are actually in a photograph together, so we are calling it good. 

Our little Leprechaun!

A Fine Line

*Disclaimer: THIS PHOTO IS FROM A YEAR AGO.  DO NOT PANIC.

 

It was exactly a year ago today that this little pink line showed up on our doorstep.  Actually it appeared in our upstairs bathroom and our lives were forever changed.  I had no idea how much we’d be giving up.  I had no idea how much we’d be gaining.  I had no idea what the future held; I just knew I was excited, scared, confused, thrilled, and nervous about what we had gotten ourselves into.  My husband’s initial response?  "Take another one."  I still don’t really know whether it was for fun or if it was because he wasn’t quite ready to accept it, but I did.  And if he was looking for a different answer, he didn’t get it.  We jumped up and down and talked about how everything would be different, how Christmas would be more fun, how we would need to pick a room for the baby, how we didn't want to know if it was a boy or a girl, how we would never sleep again and how we had no idea what we were doing…    

Later that day I waved off my first beer; a small move that felt huge.  We were over at a friends’ house watching the KU/MU basketball game (second large victory for that day!).  Paul and I would giggle and smile and wave our arms wildly (without noise of course) whenever we were left in the room by ourselves.  This huge secret we kept to ourselves for a few short weeks was a really exciting time.  I remember thinking it was fun that we knew something, something BIG, that no one else in the world knew. 

Weeks later I had my first sonogram, and there on the monitor was a gummy bear looking blob of cells (not getting into this fight here…) and a loud, strong rhythmic heartbeat that was responsible for our lives changing forever.  In that dark little room, I cried.  

"It" grew.  I grew.  And grew.  And GREW.  And now she’s four months old and being a parent feels like one of the most natural things I ever done.  I can’t picture myself in a world where this isn’t what I’m doing and it was just 12 short months ago that this started becoming a reality. 

It may be a tad gross that I’ve kept this thing around for this long; I mean there’s dried pee on it for the love of God.  But it’s a pretty big deal when this little pink line shows up, when one of these suckers actually reads positive.  I’m probably going to keep it around forever.  And I definitely intend to embarrass Lucy with it when she’s older, while I smile inside and know she's responsible for that little pink line and a whole lot more. 

In the spirit of March Madness

If we weren’t already in love with Lucy’s daycare situation…this has officially sealed the deal.  Every year the Infant Room teachers embrace March Madness and have a little fun of their own with the babies.  Each child is dressed the part and has their photograph taken, they then post the "team" pictures on the wall outside the infant room.  According to them, this is Lucy “Little Dynamite” Dillon and her motto is: “You better WATCH out because I might have a BLOW out.”  I know!  Whatever we pay is not enough… (KIDDING)  Some of my other favorites were: Charles “Better than Barkley” Elliot and another great slogan was: "I always fly private, because I can’t even walk yet.”  Pretty great, huh?

This made us laugh.  Hard.  I can't decide whether it is the tongue sticking out, the white sweatband with the "Bird Man" hair, the unusually small looking legs (trust me, she has rubberband thighs...this does not look accurate) or the slightly boyish look she's projecting that gets me most, but it just cracks me up.  Oh, and I know the look on her face says a little more "Put me in, Bitch" than "Put me in, Coach" but she is my daughter afterall.  We'll probably have an attitude to address someday.  But not today. 

Rock Chalk!

FOUR months!

Four Months today!

Starting to like the Exersaucer!

Sitting in the high chair while Mom & Dad eat dinner.

The Green Machine!

Reading before bedtime

Passed out in Dad's arms after dinner.  I feel like I should mention that she didn't touch the food on that plate, even though the picture suggests otherwise.  If I don't mention this, one day I will look back and wonder what the hell we were doing feeding barbecue sauce to a four month old...