November 25, 2011
Okay, I know, I’m so not a celebrity. I’m not even D list. I’m like, W List. Whatever.
I’m featured on my buddy Nicole’s blog over at Pampers and Pumps, please go visit her blog and learn about where the name of my blog came from, the grossest things I have dealt with as a mother, and handy tips for Moms to be.
Here’s the link to the feature: Pampers and Pumps: Celebrity Guest!
Look around on her blog and leave Nicole some awesome comments, wouldya? Thanks everyone. 
November 23, 2011
Dear Piper,
Hello, my dearest girl. If someone had told me back in January of 2009 that I would end that year holding a precious little bundle made of all the best things your daddy and I had to offer I wouldn’t have believed them. No, I would have shaken my bitter head and remarked, “No, it will never happen. We’re not that lucky.” But you know what, sweetheart? We ARE. We are so, so incredibly lucky to have you.
At first, we were lucky that you were such a mellow newborn. Sure you’d break into fuss storms should we ever even THINK of putting you down, but whatever, I can think of worse. Then, you became an awesome infant, who laughed early (like a cough) and found joy in pretty much everything. Eventually you started eating solids and crawling around, and you kept that up for awhile- the crawling.
Your first birthday approached like wildfire, consuming everything in my life, a sort of “These are the things I want to have done by the time Piper is a year”. We learned our lesson about having outdoor birthday parties at the end of November- not going to do that again.
The whole of your second year of life began. You looked like this:
At your party.
As you can see, your poor eyes were watering from the cold. I didn’t really get to spend much time with you that day, I was too busy being hostess. This is why this year is different, but I’ll explain that in a minute.
Then Christmas snuck up on us. You barely had any time to spend being a one year old before the holidays came and we brought in our Christmas tree, and took some pics for our Christmas card. These are some of my favorite pictures of you.
My angel
And this one, my sweet girl.
Your smile makes my life worth every heartbreak.
Then there was the picture of us as a family, our family of three.
The blanket, ever present.
At Christmas you didn’t really understand why people were giving you things. All you knew was that everyone it seems you’ve ever known was constantly holding you, hugging you, and handing you gifts.
Your godmother took pictures of you, something we are so grateful for. You already looked so much older than just a month earlier at your party.
In your holiday dress.
The Christmas extravaganzas continued.
I loved that dress!
We rang in the New Year quietly, because we had just sleep trained you. As much as we adore you and want to spend every second with you, that kind of doesn’t imply at 3am. Sorry sweetie. Luckily, you took to it as if you had been waiting for that kind of thing to happen, and aside from two nights when we were on vacation in April, you have slept every night in your crib, from bedtime to wake-up (which can be pretty early sometimes, btw). We are so thankful for this, because at 13 months, Mama needed some sleep, baby girl.
January came, this was when we began to realize bathing you in the whale of a tub on the kitchen table was starting to come to an end. We took this picture, and showed it around, trying to point out just HOW MUCH hair you had.
Glorious Hair!
February came and went, and I left you for the first time ever. Your grandma watched you for a few days while I dealt with an IRS audit at work. Baby, as much as I know it should have been done sooner and it was a good thing, it was the hardest day of my life.
I cried so many times that day. I knew I’d see you later in the day, and that you didn’t cry when I left, but it broke my heart to leave the house without you beside me. Especially because you still didn’t walk yet. You crawled allll over the place and it was so sweet, but could I really leave you? You were so helpless. Sure, you took one step towards me and decided it was “meh” and continued crawling, you wanted to get where you were going that much faster, and walking just wasn’t doing it.
Then came the day when Grandma was was watching you, after you started getting more and more used to her. I got a phone call from Grandma who sounded very pained. She had tripped over Woofie and popped her shoulder out of the socket. We were so worried! Poor Piper fending for herself while Grandma was in agony on the couch. When we got there Grandma told us you had brought your blanket over and laid it on her lap and put your head on it, as if comforting her. It broke my heart to hear that, my sweet girl. One good thing came out of that day- you began walking in earnest. As if you realized sometimes you just had to suck it up and do what needs to be done.
After you began walking, we could not stop you. Crawling was never revisited.
Pretty soon the time began to pass, you grew steadily.
This is when you started looking like a little girl!
Even at a year and a few months, you only had two teeth. But you were such a happy girl!
This is the happy girl we've always known.
Then your molars snuck up on us without even a hint to the pain it must have caused you!
Can you see them back there?
As you got taller, we got you a new carseat for Grandpa’s car. You really liked sitting in it at home, like it was some kind of easy chair!
It's as if you were saying, "Yes, no more infant seat, I'm a big girl"
I was able to finally get a shot of you walking. I was so proud.
You just love books and bookstores. You're just like your Mama, I think.
You were almost a year and a half when you threw your first public tantrum. Apparently you really didn’t want to go back to the office!
Just minutes before you were totally happy!
You got to have fun on Easter with Grandma and with your cousins and your other grandma! ]
Easter at our place
And this was your first egg hunt! Daddy tried not to help you too much.
Your Aunts and Uncles kindly hid some eggs at your eye level so you could find them easier.
You had a grand old time chucking around some baby powder.
I wonder who those feet belong to. Hm.
We began going to the park by our house a lot, and it was good because we made a new friend for you AND Grandpa got some good pictures!
I love this picture.
You found a new favorite hat, one that all three of your cousins wore.
Pink shoes didn't match, but you loved them so much so you wore them ALWAYS.
Your new trick was yelling “Cheese” when you were being photographed. Well, it sounded more like, “Cheeeeeee!”
I loved this outfit!
Daddy had a summer camp at work, and even though you were too young to attend, he made sure you had the proper uniform!
Somehow the already unbelievably cute whale was made even cuter by you two.
We bought you a futon to relax in, and it was one of the best purchases of your life so far.
A favorite past time of yours at work was getting up on Charlie’s desk and making phone calls. You didn’t actually call anyone but you liked to pick it up and talk into it.
Daddy picked out this dress for you.
We took you to the beach for the first time with your cousins!
At first you were unsure...
But you loved it before too long.
You had a taste of ice cream, and then your filthy face went to Grandpa’s to play in his yard.
As the year progressed, we had some sad times, too. We said a final goodbye to your uncle at a glorious farewell party where you rode on your first boat.
Even though it was a sad day, it was also a celebration of life. What better way to celebrate the life of a loved one than at a sailor dress and balloons?
At the end of August we moved out of the office you had spent all but 6 weeks of your life. I was so incredibly sad as it meant things were changing and you wouldn’t be coming in to the office with me. I was sad that you wouldn’t have many memories of the time you spent there, especially as you took your first step there, rolled over, sat up… so many firsts there, all so easily forgotten. You enjoyed laying in the empty, dusty shelves, though.
And you FINALLY got all your teeth in. The canines were the last ones to pop through.
You transitioned well to the new office!
You have shared your first soft-serve cone with daddy…
Nice matching shirts!
Spent some time at the touch pools, where you mostly splashed instead of touching any of the sea life.
AND you went to Disneyland!
You were unsure of the tram ride in.
Rafiki scared the breakfast out of you...
But you had more fun with Dale!
You LOVED It's a Small World
But you were less than impressed with the Haunted Mansion.
In fact, it seemed you were happier feeding the ducks!
Before too long, Halloween was approaching.
We took you shopping for pumpkins!
You were a monarch butterfly, and so unbelievably cute.
We went trick or treating at the mall, which was a let-down. Next year we’ll go house to house!
Your trick or treat bag was awesome. Thanks, Auntie Bluebell!
Over the year you had a few playdates. You two are so cute.
Who knew there was 4.5 months between you two?
Life continued as usual. We had lunch together at work.
I just love this picture.
And at the tail end of one years old, you caught the worst cold yet. You were a sick baby and it hurt my heart. Thankfully you’re better now!
Today your birthday was on Thanksgiving. I had intended to get you a turkey cake, but I found out it was only ice cream. Why call it a cake? Lame. Instead I ordered you an ice cream cake which I hope you like just as much. We’re just going to have Thanksgiving dinner at home with Grandma and Grandpa, you’ll blow out your candle (and hopefully not spit on the cake), you’ll wear your “Birthday Girl” shirt, and you’ll be wonderful. I’m hoping you’ll eat your turkey, as well as the green beans and mashed potatoes and stuffing, and I know you’ll love the pumpkin pie.
Piper Jane, today you are two. The past two and a half years of my life (including when you were “baking”) have been the happiest time of my life. Every day you do something wonderful, something funny, and yes, something a little bit bratty. You make your Daddy and I the happiest people, and you make us love each other more than we thought possible. Everyone who meets you falls in love with you instantly, you are that much of a gift to this world.
I know hard times will happen, I know the supposed “terrible twos” are soon to affect us, and I know we have yet to tackle potty-training, but as long as I have that smile looking my way every day, it will be okay.
I know the day will come someday when you can’t stand to be around me, and I know the day will come when you slam your bedroom door in my face. We’ll deal with that when the day comes, but until then, I’m going to enjoy our daily snuggle times when Daddy comes home, and I’m going to enjoy your newest habit of feeding me the literal crumbs off your food. I’m going to thank God above for giving us this light in our lives that is YOU.
While this is a Happy Birthday letter to you, it’s also a bit of a love letter, because I am hopelessly, head over heels in love with you, my sweet, smart and gorgeous daughter.
Thank you for giving us purpose, for giving us hope, and for giving us the happiest time of our lives.
Love you forever,
Mama (and Daddy and Woofie, of course)
November 22, 2011
To quote the Rhythmettes in The Wizard of Oz (as Dorothy and crew are leaving the bewitched poppy area):
You’re out of the woods
You’re out of the dark
You’re out of the night…
Piper is well. Weeeell… Piper is getting back to normal. She still has a cough that is most painful sounding early in the morning (which is expected), but she is now back to her antics of pretending to fall down on the floor and going, “OH NO!”
This kid is hilarious. This weekend she started saying, “I love you, too!” and “You’re welcome”. These are all things we don’t necessarily teach her to say (meaning no, “Piper, say ‘You’re welcome’!”), but they’re things she picked up. I have to tell you, in the last month, her vocabulary has exploded. While it’s still a little difficult to pin down what she’s saying a lot of the time, if she repeats it (and 2 year olds repeat EVERYTHING, especially when asking for something) enough I can get what she’s saying. It’s pretty awesome, especially because I kept getting these notifications a few months ago from BabyCenter, What to Expect, the Bump, all those sites that show you how to be neurotic and freak out that your kid is a weirdo who will NEVER EVER TALK unless it’s to bark like a dog at strangers, about how she must be having a huge growth in her vocabulary. I’d read that and be like, “What? She HAS no vocabulary.” Then I’d read posts from other moms whose kids were younger than mine (and some who were boys who are supposed to be a little behind girls when it comes to vocab) and see that their little ones were asking for things, explaining things, pointing out items that are like, crazy hard words (Like celery. CELERY?? Piper’s “please” sounds like “cheese”!). I’d wonder if we were doing something wrong, then I’d look at her insane hand eye coordination and figure maybe that’s the thing, she can use a fork, use a knife, she colors like a kid years older than her (I’m not gloating here, it’s something that made me feel better about her lack of language skills), she can throw a ball better than I can (which is both awesome and sad for me).
A little bit of me, though, kept expecting a huge burst. Like all of a sudden she’d just start speaking in sentences, more than the typical, “Here he is!” Or “Where Mama?” I was thinking it’d be more like, “Can I have more cheese, please?” (Which translates to “Can I have more cheese, cheese?”) It never came. But, almost overnight, we’re hearing a slew of new words. New “phrases” like “One more, please.” (holding up one finger). Piper has begun to count; one, two, nine, E. It’s pretty hilarious. She knows turkeys say “Gobble gobble” and she knows what an owl says (that’s my girl). She requests bathtime, says a very clear “Grandma” and “Grandpa”. She still has the most heart-smashing “Thank you” you will ever hear a toddler say, for Piper has the highest little voice and it just warms you to hear it.
Piper turns two on Thursday. She’s had quite a year, our little bug. We’re so proud of her, so happy to be her parents. I know there will come a time when I’m begging her to just STOP TALKING already, but right now, I treasure every single “I love you, too” (“I yub oo, TOO”).
November 17, 2011
Sorry it’s been quiet around here, Piper was hit with her first bad cold that culminated in some sleepless nights, painful coughing and frequent gagging (as well as a fever). Poor thing doesn’t know how to be sick. 
We’re not quite sure where she got the sickness from, as it wasn’t anyone who spends time with her, but boy, this crap has lasted for at least a week. It began with a random cough, which escalated the next day to a runny nose and phlegmy sounds in her chest. Then the next day was all about laying around the house and trying to help her cough up the bad stuff (which, btw is hard to do when she’s a baby, how do you teach that??), spending time in the steamy and menthol-scented bathroom playing in the tub to loosen the crud in her chest.
Sunday was by far her worst day, she was sneezing, coughing up a storm (it hurt to hear it), and her poor eyes were red and watery. I had been giving her the honey cough syrup from Whole Foods (Only for children one year and older), and alternating with tylenol. My poor girl was miserable. She’d have random bursts of joy and squeals, but the squeals and laughter would quickly turn into coughing and she’s start crying. HEARTBREAKING. Every cough brought tears. Again, I gave her another menthol scented bath (and yeah, with the recent shit about Johnson’s and chemicals at that point I was just like, I DON’T GIVE A SHIT, my baby needs to BREATHE), and continuously wiped her nose when it ran. At dinner that night she fought anything we put on her plate, but was almost constantly drinking water. I made a few popsicles for her out of juice we had, since it was something she could tolerate eating/drinking and it seemed to cool her fever. After dinner, it seemed some of the phlegm that had been loosened from the bath started trying to come up, and I knew it was so painful for her. She would cough, gag, spit up, cry, throw up, gag, cough… Paul picked her up and held her as she gagged repeatedly and threw up on his shoulder what little food she had consumed. It was quite honestly heartbreaking. Watching her gasping for air as the crap in her body was trying to evacuate reminded me so much of my early asthma years that I immediately went from sadness to fear to panic. Exactly what a good mom does, right? Lord. Paul took over as head caregiver while I stood by crying as Piper cried. I’m the strongest.
That night was her worst night of sleep ever. She coughed and cried and moaned and shrieked until 11:15 (after going down at 7:30), then finally conked out until 6am. That day and night, luckily, was the worst, as she has only continued to improve. Me, on the other hand? Not so good. I caught her bug, fun times.
Anyway, hopefully Piper will get back to her usual eating and sleeping schedule soon, she’s got some turkey to eat!
This is Piper, doing what she did for four days straight (I stayed home from work to care for her).
November 9, 2011
A friend recently pinned this post and I couldn’t help but get teary-eyed at a few posts. Okay, like, 99% of them. Paul is a wonderful dad, a very sweet and caring dad who never stops showing just how much he adores Piper. I’m lucky that I married a man like this (although I knew he’d be like this from day one of our relationship, I’m happy to be right!), but I thought Paul might enjoy reading about what other daddies think about being the father of a daughter, and I hit the motherlode when I read this post.
A few rules that immediately touched my heart (go to the post for the pictures that accompany these rules, they’re heart-stopping):
8. Go ahead. Buy her those pearls.
13. Make pancakes in the shape of her age for breakfast on her birthday. In a pinch, donuts with pink sprinkles and a candle will suffice.
18. Tell her she’s beautiful. Say it over and over again. Someday an animated movie or “beauty” magazine will try to convince her otherwise.
25. Letting her ride on your shoulders is pure magic. Do it now while you have a strong back and she’s still tiny.
29. If her mom enrolls her in swim lessons, make sure you get in the pool too. Don’t be intimidated if there are no other dads there. It’s their loss.
30. Never miss her birthday. In ten years she won’t remember the present you gave her. She will remember if you weren’t there.
34. Somewhere between the time she turns three and her sixth birthday, the odds are good that she will ask you to marry her. Let her down gently.
42. Let her know she can always come home. No matter what.
43. Remember, just like a butterfly, she too will spread her wings and fly some day. Enjoy her caterpillar years.
Each of these rules, and the others I haven’t listen go for both parents, but I think it speaks more to the protector aspect of a daddy with his daughter. My dad was always the strongest, most talented, nicest and funniest man out there. I want Piper to have that with Paul, and I know it’s likely she will… reading this list has given me so many things to tell Paul, so many things he can share with Piper as a special thing for just them.
Throughout your pregnancy you think back to your own childhood, you think of things you want to do with your own children, you think of things you would never subject your kid to, as well. But then you get caught up in the day to day rigamarole that you often forget these things that you promised yourself you would do when that baby came out. Luckily, there are so many things to remind us, blog posts, photographs, lists we made when we were waiting for that baby to FINALLY be born- things that jumpstart your memory.
While I think I wrote a blog post for Piper’s first year birthday, I plan on writing a handwritten note for her second, and each year following. Perhaps I’ll post it here, I don’t see why not (well, maybe I’ll edit out a bit of it just for privacy’s sake).
Reading this list has given my heart wings today. It’s making me blissful knowing so so so many wonderful years of witnessing Paul be a father are ahead of me. Knowing that he’ll be the one dancing with her at her wedding, that he’ll be the one who takes her to her first daddy-daughter dance/dinner/whatever, and that he’ll be overjoyed for it… well, it just makes me know that despite whatever misgivings I had about Paul back when we dated the first time (but I DO deserve a break on that because we were 18!!), I know that there is not one thing in this world that can make me doubt that I picked the best possible man to marry and to start a family with.
I can’t wait for Piper to get older so I can watch the already close relationship blossom. Well, yeah, I can wait for her to get older, but man, it’s starting to be quite a competition to see what wins out: my baby staying a baby forever, or getting to see her grow to see what she’ll become.
I love being a mom. Every second of every day. And boy, am I glad to have found this post to share so you all can let go of that horrid day of misery you may be having, or you can embrace whatever your wonderful child has done today, or you can look ahead to the day when you might have children yourself, and maybe make a list just like the one above to remind pregnant you what you wish to experience later.
November 4, 2011
Hey folks! I’m here to harass you. I’m kidding. I’m here to ask you to do me a tiny favor. Piper’s Godmother Tina (the very person who has chronicled Piper’s first two Christmases and um… her 3rd or 4th week of life- I spoke about her in this post here) has a facebook page now!
Tina is a fantastic photographer, a wonderful Godmother in training (we haven’t baptized Piper yet, but Tina was our choice from day 1), and an amazing friend. If it wasn’t for Tina, we would seriously have no photos on our walls. I’m not even joking.
When Piper was just born, Tina flew home from Washington D.C. to take pictures of our little munchkin when we couldn’t afford to pay her. How freaking awesome is that? While we don’t get to see her too much because of the distance between L.A. and D.C., I really want Tina to hit it big photography-wise (even if it means we’ll NEVER be able to afford her!). After dedicating years to helping others (she was in the Peace Corps. before she began law school- all funded by herself), I really want her to be able to flourish in photography, something you can tell she loves.
Having a few of my friends here like her page, and maybe take a look at her site and mention her to their friends is just a tiiiny way I’m hoping I can begin to pay her back for the lifetime of memories her photos have given us.
November 4, 2011
Tomorrow I turn 32. Yesterday Paul and I celebrated our 4th year of marriage (and a few days before that our 8th year of being together). In twenty days Piper will turn two. It seems like all around me things are changing, days are whirring by, and new things are happening. Such is the way of the world, I know.
Yet I can’t help but feel a little wistful for the days when Paul and I were newly married, before the insatiable need for children hit me, before our friends began buying houses in the suburbs, before my parents were jobless. The days when we could sleep in, and get in bed at 4pm on a Friday because it was “Family Snuggle Time” with Woofie. Things were so much easier, life was less structured, meals just occurred, movies were seen as a last minute decision. My stomach wasn’t covered in a mess of shiny skin colored ribbons, saggy and droopy. My nights were spent watching TV until late, then climbing in next to Paul, excited about getting to spend another night next to this wonderful guy, looking forward to sleeping in.
Don’t get me wrong, though. I am not complaining about having Piper in our lives. This morning she is at home with my mom, and I glance periodically at the picture of her below my monitor, and I can’t help but grin. You know how people say children change your life? Yes, in good and bad ways (like the sleep thing, it is ROUGH), but all in all, you’re a different person once you’ve had kids. 90% of the time I can’t believe I actually had a child. Am I no longer 25? My pregnancy seems like so long ago now.
Having a child is a visible, physical manifestation of time changing and passing you by. Each day I do the same things: I wake when Piper cries to be released from her crib prison. I bring her into our bed to snuggle until our alarms go off. Then I get dressed, get Piper dressed (and depending on the day, get her to work with me), go to work, think of her all day, eat lunch, wonder what she’s eating, come home to squeals that Mommy is home, say goodbye to my mom, play with Piper, make her dinner, get her ready for bed, relax and repeat. Then I realize, tomorrow I turn 32. Piper is turning two. I have preschool tours lined up this week, I need to order her birthday cake, I have to have pictures taken for Christmas…
And I am suddenly looking in the mirror (something I do rarely these days as the bathroom isn’t a place for fun, it’s a place to quickly brush my teeth, shower in the dark because of the loud ass fan and my showering after Piper has gone down and to pee, hoping Piper doesn’t bust in on me to show me her plastic veggies she has harvested), seeing lines that weren’t there before (were they?), eyebrows that are less tended to than should be allowed, and gray streaks in my hair, the hair that is perpetually pulled back in a messy topknot. I’m reminded, that while I had been marveling at the continuous change my daughter goes through daily, for me each day another grain of sand in my hourglass is falling. As Piper grows and changes, so do I. So do we all.
My parents are beginning to appear more and more aged, a little bit more crepe papered, a bit more “worn”. When did this happen? Yesterday my beloved Grandma would have been 99. I remember when she turned 80! How have I lived so long without her?
I don’t know what this post is about, really. I’m just beginning to realize that time is not endless for us, and that while we do the monotonous tasks we’re almost programmed to do each day, somewhere another leaf is falling, another day is passing, and it’s time I started appreciating it more.
November 2, 2011
This year Piper was a butterfly. A monarch butterfly (kind of) as per her Daddy’s request.
Previously we had bought this costume.
It comes with the one piece outfit of a long sleeved leotard with attached tutu, little elastic puffs to attach to the shoes, a wand, wings and a head bopper.. At the neck and wrists was marabou feather trim (Which was also on the shoe puffs and the head bopper), and it was a thin crushed velvet type of material. When we tried it on her, we found it was a little snug in the arms, but it would do in a pinch.
Then, just a week before Halloween, Dad and I went to Joann’s to get some random supplies and saw a little “Autumn Fairy” dress in their 70% off section. There were no accessories included, but it wasn’t an issue, because the orange of the dress matched Piper’s butterfly accessories perfectly. I took a picture of it and sent it to Paul to see what he thought. Because he was in the middle of coaching a football practice he didn’t reply, so I made the executive decision to buy it.
When he came home he asked what was the deal with the costume, and if I had gotten it. I told him that I sure did, and at 7 dollars, I was glad I did. After all, if he didn’t like it she could wear it for Thanksgiving! It’ll pay for itself in cuteness! Luckily Paul loved it when I brought it out, and coupled with the accessories from the other outfit (and the tights I got from Target), it was a hit.
It was seriously close to impossible to get any good shots of her in it. She was soooo jazzed about her outfit, about the shoe puffs, the wings, and even the head bopper (which she kept on the whole time!) that she just went through the house twirling and jumping up and down. It was adorable.
Since we live in a very dark neighborhood with no sidewalks, we decided that for this year of her still being kind of little and not really “getting” Halloween we would take her to the mall. She could still show off her outfit, but also stroll around in the climate controlled environment where we could let her kind of go wherever she wanted, rather than taking a tight grasp on her hand so no one would snatch her up and make her their kid.
Here she is when we arrived, anxious to get strolling (not for candy, just to look around).
This is Piper with her face pressed up against the See’s Candy store.
This is the back of her costume while we were in Build A Bear (the treat bag is a gift from my friend Bluebell, it matched Piper’s costume from last year and she’s going to use this thing forever).
And this is the picture of her after she gave me quite the race in Macys.
Her candy haul was so meager, you can’t really refer to it as a haul. Whatever, she had a fantastic time and really enjoyed the dress and seeing all the other kids in their costumes!
November 1, 2011
Thanks to Randomizer.Org, we have the winners for the three Shutterfly Holiday Codes!
Hopefully this works, I had the hardest time trying to get a copy of this freaking number generator.
Our winners are commenter #17. Commenter #11, and Commenter #9!
#9
Michelle Says:
October 24, 2011 at 5:33 pm e
Amber, I like the “Wishing You a Merry Christmas” one for all of you. It’s super cute and would give you a chance to show off your beautiful family. For us, I like the “Ready Set Glow” from the website. Thank you for running the contest. I gave me a chance to de-lurk and comment 
#11
Stephanie Berry Domenico Says:
October 25, 2011 at 9:11 am e
I love the “Sparkle Joy” design and the merry ribbon, but Piper would be cute in any of them!
#17
Liesal Says:
October 29, 2011 at 9:03 am e
I really like the Holiday Love Sketch.
Please email me at ambergontrail@gmail.com with your email addresses so I can email you the codes! Happy Holidays!!
October 30, 2011
This morning Piper woke at 7am. SEVEN AM! She hasn’t woken past 6am in I don’t know how long. Usually I wake at that time to temp, but my alarm didn’t go off so I slept until Piper woke up. It was really quite a delicious sleep, as Paul and I had gone to bed around midnight because we were watching “The Exorcist” (perhaps it’s the agnostic in me, but I really was more terrified by “Paranormal Activity 2″ we had watched on Friday night than “The Exorcist”), so I got to have a nice seven solid hours of sleep. It was bliss. Not to mention how wonderful it was to have a morning where we didn’t all need to wake up early to head to work (Paul did have to work today, but it was at 11 around the corner, so he didn’t need to hustle and leave early sans breakfast). Piper got in bed with us and we lounged as a family until 8:45, I quite honestly can’t remember the last time we spent a restful and calm morning together without having woken up at the crack of dawn.
I’m telling you, waking up so early is great when you kind of have things to do but prefer to be home by say… 4pm, when you’re able to relax but still make dinner and stuff. There is a definite downside to waking up early, because I like sleeping in. I MISS sleeping in. When I wake at 5:30 every single day (I had no idea I’d ever wake up at this time daily. I never would have believed it if someone had told me I would), I’m exhausted by 10am. At that point I’ve already been up for almost 5 hours! I am BEAT, and I tend to be a little less involved. I’d rather sit on the floor next to Piper coloring and watch her color, rather than color with her- and I get really annoyed with myself for that. While I make breakfast for her, waffles, pancakes, eggs, french toast, I don’t have enough energy to make myself anything other than coffee, and well, I suck at making coffee, so my mornings are kind of all about surviving until I get my second wind. But seriously, how on EARTH did I birth a child who doesn’t like mornings?? HOW???
Piper is in a great mood this morning, she’s so cheery, loving and we both have energy to play with her this morning, instead of being zombies who kind of follow her around. She is so delightful this morning, I am just in love. I can feel a little squeeze in my heart when she stands in front of me and looks into my eyes, grinning. I made this. I made that smile, both physically and with my presence. I am so lucky to be blessed with a gorgeous sweetheart who just lights up our world. So lucky.
Here are two pictures of Piper and her BFF at their playdate yesterday.
Hat Sisters!
Piper was all kinds of obsessed with this abacus thing.
The hat has been passed down from my cousin's three kids and we LOVE IT.
I think I’m going to start doing posts with the various cell phone images I take of her during the week, the ones I post on FB. Maybe “Facebook Photo Fun”?
I’ll start with the ones from Last Saturday to yesterday.
Piper at the pumpkin patch.
It was freaking hot and I felt crappy that she was in a long sleeved shirt, but it was cold that morning!!
She had adopted a little white pumpkin and was showering it with hay.
She likes to drag the pumpkin around the house, it's cute.
This shot makes me laugh uproariously. Piper was rolling in the hay, and I took a picture of it. One of my facebook friends replied, “Planking?” I took a look at it and Oh my, it sure did appear Piper was “planking” (recently mocked on “The Office”).
Although I am VERY happy she has no idea what planking is.
Later in the week, Dad and I went to Joann’s. I was looking for things to make a head bopper for my crappy costume (not even really a costume- just butterfly wings).
Piper had only had a 40 minute nap that day and was so bleary and exhausted. She did perk up a bit when she got her hands on two feather boas.
She looks like such a little girl here. Well, with a month until her second birthday, I guess she is a little girl now.
And finally, this is Piper at work. I tried giving her new crackers and this is what she thought of it.
The Toddler Side-Eye is cutting.
And there you go. Piper is the best. Ever.
