A little laugh

My only question is, why is Dad so unhelpful? He is pretty much just standing around looking for a way to escape. At one point, he bends over his wife, like he is going to offer some assistance, and then, NOPE! Just gonna stand over here by the door for a minute instead. I think he probably just said "Can we go yet? Huh? This is embarrassing!"

I know you

It has been six short months, and they have raced by. You have a bigger place in my heart than I ever thought you could. This is what I know.

You like your left thumb, but in a pinch you will take your right. You like to put your other hand on the back of your head while you suck your thumb. It helps you keep it still.

You have one long hair that almost touches your left eyebrow. All of your other hair is short and new, but you have one, residual, soldier of a baby hair that is sticking around.

You squawk when you are tired. You love to talk all day, but mostly when you are trying hard to stay awake. You make sweet baby-girl sounds that Dillon never knew how to make.

Speaking of Dillon, you just love him. You watch everything he does. He makes you laugh. When you are eating, and you hear Dillon in the other room, forget it. You twist your little body until you are all turned around, trying to see what he is doing. Baby food ends up on your forehead, between your toes, everywhere.

You LOVE your crib. You kick and kick when I lay you down, and you look around at your mobile, your mirror, and your chewy ring. You smile and make little squeals, you grab your favorite afghan (Friend) and pull it over your head, close your eyes, find your thumb and go to sleep.

Baths and swimming are the best thing ever. You move those chubby legs so fast and so constantly that you are exhausted by the time we get out of the water.

You furrow your brow just like I do. You look so serious, but I know you. I know you are just taking it all in, and that you are a funny, cute, and silly girl underneath all of that.


I love you, sweet girl. In a way I never knew I would. I love how soft your tummy is. I love how sticky and wet your hands are, grabbing my hair. I love how your neck always smells so powdery. I love your big, open-mouthed smiles, full of gums and drool.

And we are so blessed to have you. Happy six months, Korenna!

Photo contest

The contest is over! I would like to thank all my constituents for voting! I won third place. Which is not the same as first place, but it is better than no place. And now I don't have to pay for a sitting fee when Allison does our family pictures at the end of the summer!

Yay for winning!

This is Senator John McCain calling...

Not really, but I am going to harass you about voting. Because I want to win! And you? Didn't take me seriously when I told you to vote.

And I will know if you vote or not! So just go and do it, and please do it right. Not in her comments section, cause I don't think those votes count. But click on the link and submit a contact page on her blog. And vote for me!

Cause I need an upper today, mmmkay?

(For the record, it should take you about 24 seconds to do this tiny thing and make my day, so just do it, okay???)

Two stories

Yesterday was a day for bloggable conversations.

Story number 1: I wish I had a video, so that you could fully appreciate what I am about to tell you, but I will have to rely on words.

Me: Hey, did Korenna have a dirty diaper earlier?

D: Yeah, a big one!

Me: Oh, okay. She has been eating cereal for the past week or so, and I was wondering if it changed her poop.

D: No. It looked the same.

Me: Oh. I imagine pretty soon she will be making real turds.

D (standing at the sink scrubbing something) looks up, eyebrows raised, hopeful. He nodded his head and smiled like I had just given him the biggest gift. If I could put into words what his expression told me, it was something like, "That's my girl! I don't much know what to do with someone who can't poop solid, but now you're talking a language I can understand! Sweet! Real turds! I can't wait!"

Story number 2: Later, as Dillon watched The Backyardigans after dinner, I walked through the living room (libbin' woom) with laundry to put away. Daniel and Dillon were sitting together on the couch. I squinted at the television.

Me: Is that a new episode?

D: No. I have seen it before. They are pirates.

Me: Yeah, but I don't recognize the song. Are you sure it isn't new?

I stop to watch for a minute.

Me: I think this is one that is in his Backyardigans book.

Me: Oh, yeah! This is the one where they have a treasure map that is torn in half and they are racing to find the treasure. I remember.

I walk away to go put the laundry in the bedrooms. A few steps down the hall, I backtrack.

Me: Let's just pretend like we didn't just have that conversation, mmmkay?

D: (shrugs) That's how we roll.

Rock the vote!

Allison had a photography contest for the fourth of July. Now, I can't tell you which one to vote for, but I really want to win! So go to her site and vote for the best one, okay? (Mine.) In case you need a hint, here is another one from that series that wasn't quite as patriotic.

Crop circles, or something like that

Last night, I was brushing my teeth. I bent to spit, and glimpsed myself in the mirror. What happened next included screeching for Daniel and pulling some of those dusty sailor words out of my vocabulary storage unit.

There are few things you need to know:

1) My current position in life, though exciting, is highly stressful.

2) I have been shedding hair like a dog since Korenna turned about 3 months old. I did it after having Dillon, too. Something about hormones.

3) I am generally oblivious to details of my appearance (see previous post) and go for "decent, passable, clean" not necessarily "stylish, cute, or glamorous."

Given those facts, the following may not be a surprise to you, but is sho' was to me.


In case you aren't clear, that is a big ol' bald spot on the top of my head, right in the middle of my part. In that picture, it actually looks like a caterpillar, or maybe the playboy bunny. (Hmmm... I am getting some ideas for something to sell on eBay.)

I saw my hairdresser this morning, and she said that last week, when she cut my hair, it was the size of a pencil eraser (she didn't think it was worth mentioning!), and now it is about the size of a dime. So, at that rate, I calculate that I won't have any hair left by September.

Daniel summarized the situation best when he said, "Well, if you're gonna go bald, that is where it's gonna start."

My hero. Nothing, if not honest.

I'm SO not pregnant anymore

I love Target, and I loved finding this black Liz Lange maternity tee on clearance at Target for $2.48 about nine months ago. When I was pregnant, and it was appropriate to buy maternity clothes.

But I am not pregnant anymore, and I really, really need to stop wearing the black Liz Lange maternity tee. Even though it is black (my favorite color that matches everything, especially my summer flip-flops) and really comfortable and not clingy (cause I still have that baggy skin that comes with growing babies in yer tummy) and versatile.

So I am going to the local department store. On the hunt for some shirts that meet all my criteria. I think Hanes might make one. Or Fruit of the Loom. But prolly not at $2.48. I am sure to be disappointed.

But my black Liz Lange maternity tee is dirty, and I have nothing to wear.

**** Update ****

I am frantically washing dark clothes so I will have something to wear tomorrow. My shopping trip was unproductive and frustrating, so go easy on me if you see me in the black shirt. Its all I got, man.