Festive Breakfast

While I was making breakfast, I heard the troubling and familiar sound of cellophane coming from the living room. I quickly referred to my mental inventory of the room, trying to guess what the toddler might have unwrapped. But, when I went into the room, this is what I found...

C had taken a candy cane off the tree and was chewing on it, plastic wrap and all. So, I unwrapped it and gave it to her. Gotta respect her effort!

Linen and Silk

Somehow, the days pass by and the weeks become months and the months become years and before you know it, you've been married for four years, together for four before that. Somehow, we've grown together from drinking beer on a fraternity house porch with music blaring in the background to sipping wine on the back deck of our home and talking in a whisper while our daughter sleeps.

We're grown ups now and we've definitely done some growing over the last eight years together. We have changed jobs and cities and neighborhoods. We have struggled and we have celebrated. We have spent date nights watching drive-in movies under the stars; and we have spent weekends away exploring new cities together. We have known what it feels like to hold the keys to our first home; and to hold a five pound baby in our hands and know that she was ours forever.

It's been a fun ride so far; and on this fourth wedding anniversary, which happens to also fall on Thanksgiving, I couldn't be more thankful for the life our years have brought us. I don't need gifts of linen and silk to know that we are truly lucky. Husband, you are gift enough.

Thank you for your love, your support, and most importantly, our daughter. I look forward to sharing the rest of my life with you.

A Few of My Favorite Things

One of the many benefits of staying home is that I get to witness Catherine's personality and language grow each day. She is doing and saying so many funny things lately, I have to share a few. She is talking so much now. She counts to three, she knows some of her colors, she can rock animal names and sounds, and has mastered "pease" (please); but, my favorite phrase right now is, "oh no!" 

She is very aware of how things should be. Everything has a place. So, when something is out of place, in even the tiniest way, she puts her tiny hands up to her mouth, gasps, and very seriously says, "oh no." She is genuinely concerned when a crayon breaks, her block tower falls, or she drops her corn cob on the floor.  She has the same reaction to something funny or exciting - those sweet little hands to her mouth.

She waves and says, "hi" to everyone and everything. She greets us each morning with a big "hi;" she says "hi" to Banks, to cars on the road, to ducks at the park, to cashiers at Walmart. Lately, she has been saying "hi" to people on tv. She waves her hand vigorously and repeatedly says, "hi" to any commercial featuring only one person, babies in particular. My mom thinks it's because she's confusing it with FaceTime. I just think it's adorable.

She loves animals more than anything. Any and all animals. She giggled and squealed with excitement as she was surrounded by ducks at the park yesterday; and while we waited to pick up Banks from the vet, she hugged every dog in the waiting room. That's another thing - she doesn't hug. She snuggles up against you and says, "awwww." She leans in and says, "muah" for kisses.

Banks is still her best friend.

She thinks the response to all smells is "pew" because of a silly game we play where we smell her feet and say that. Tonight, she brought me every single stuffed animal feet first so I could smell their feet and say it. 

She loves music- both to make it and dance to it. She plays her drum or shakes her Kindermusik egg shaker all day long. We keep a hand bell in the car for entertainment. We have family dance parties while Husband gets ready for work in the mornings. Some of her favorites are Lionel Richie, The Avett Brothers, and Lady Gaga. Like her parents, her taste is all over the place. 

She is a morning person. Besides her chipper, "hi," she also jumps on the bed and hops up and down on Husband until he wakes up. The other day, I got out of the shower to find she had covered his entire side with stickers while he slept. Also, she loves stickers.

She loves all things mobile - cars, trains, planes. We can hear a train from our house and she says, "choo choo" whenever she hears it. She says, "beep beep" and "vroom" when she sees cars. She loves school buses and can tell you it is a bus and that they are yellow.

She would rather play with a ball than anything else, but blocks are a close second.

She's very aware of boundaries and she tests them daily. She climbs up the stairs before I can catch her; she climbs onto her table to sit; she loves her bath, but avoids bedtime. As much as she tests me, I worry less each day because I know her abilities. 

She's long and lean and runs and jumps and climbs with ease, looking less and less like a baby each day. She's all toddler and growing all too fast while Husband and I hang back to admire our handiwork. Not to brag, but I'm pretty impressed with us so far.

Zoo Date

Last Friday, we met my friend Jessica and C's friends Ben and baby Abby for a fun day at the zoo. We set the toddlers free to run and jump and press their little faces up against the exhibits. We ran after them, snapping quick photos, hauling strollers, and providing snacks and sippy cups. I'm pretty sure that in toddler land, it was one of the best days ever.

We started with the monkeys. Of course, Catherine's favorite thing in their exhibit is the ball they have to play with. She got so excited and just pointed and squealed, "ball" over and over again. There was the tiniest little money that came up to the glass to visit. 

It was so adorable watching Ben and Catherine run from exhibit to exhibit. We noticed that C stands up on her toes while Ben squats down to look at the animals. What sweet kids!

We got to feed a giraffe! C loved it, but couldn't quite get the food on the giraffe's tongue, so Mommy had to help. That was one very long tongue!

All three kids were starting to melt down by then, so we headed to grab what we thought would be a quick lunch. Apparently, we chose the busiest time ever and were in line for at least 20 minutes (which in toddler time is an eternity). C downed some cheese and fell asleep in her stroller (which would prove to be her one and only nap of the day) while Ben shoved yogurt raisins in his mouth. We finally got food and C woke up from her tiny cat nap just in time to eat! 

Even though it was painfully obvious how tired they all were, we had to visit the petting zoo before leaving. Catherine LOVES farm animals, goats in particular. She reached her hands into the corrals to pet and feed them. Ben was a bit more reserved and preferred to view from a distance. 

One last shot before the melt downs began... on the tractor!

We had such a fun day with our friends! I love that Ben and C will grow up together. They will love us so much for all these photos one day.

C and Ben on their first date...

Dinner

Thanks to his best friend's sharing, the dog had saffron rice, cottage cheese pancakes, potatoes, frittata, mandarin oranges, sweet potato biscuit, and cereal for dinner.

What did Catherine not throw on the floor? Four grapes and a few pieces of cereal.

Lucky dog.

Perspective

My dad likes to tell a story about when I was little and visited his work for a family day. They had fun snacks and a bouncy house. From then on, I begged to go to work with him because I was convinced that all he did was eat snacks and jump in a bouncy house all day.

Fast forward a few years and C and I often visit Husband at his office, which is conveniently located in a huge office building attached to the mall. We usually meet for lunch in the food court and then ride the carousel. How long do you think we have until C starts telling people that her Daddy eats french fries, rides the carousel, and plays on a train at his job?

And people will think, "Wow! Your Daddy has the best job ever!" as they try to picture a 6'4" grown man riding gleefully up and down on a carousel pony.

Making Lemonade

We moved across town over two years ago and it somehow never occurred to me to update my voter registration. So, I checked online last night just to be sure and (oops) am still registered on the other side of town.

Well, if I'm driving 20-30 minutes with Miss C, I'm making it count! So, we made lunch plans with my friend Heather, whose office is downtown; and, we planned to spend the afternoon at the McWane Center.

C fell asleep on the way to the poll and stayed asleep on my shoulder while I voted. Even sleeping, she got an "I Voted" sticker! Then, we met Heather at Surin for some delicious Thai. Yummmm!

Then, off to the McWane Center! She was so tired, but as soon as we walked in the lobby, she started running. We spent a lot of time with Clifford; spent a little time with the giant Lite Brite; lay on a bed of nails; and then got SOAKED at the water table and bubble station.

Her dress was so soapy and wet with bubble solution that we bought a t-shirt in the gift shop on the way out. We're now the proud owners of a blue dinosaur shirt! C napped in her cozy new t-shirt all the way home. Now, my goal is to keep her awake long enough to avoid a 4:30 wake up call again in the morning!

So, even though I feel like an idiot for forgetting to update my info, at least we enjoyed our day downtown! Plus, we like any activity that comes with a sticker.

P.S. We voted for Elmo

Day Light Savings Slump

I have seen so many updates on Facebook about how refreshed everyone is feeling after the extra hour of sleep Saturday night and I giggle to myself from behind a 3:00 cup of coffee as a don sweatpants and a t-shirt and have a Disney movie marathon with C; because, after two days of waking up before 5:00, I do not have the energy to do anything else today.

Kids don't grasp the gift of extra sleep, nor do they adjust their schedules to the new time. Nope. Instead, even after following the same routine, C has gotten up before 5:00 ready to start the day. She has then been nestled in between us in our bed with a sippy cup full of milk and enjoyed an overload of Sesame Street on Netflix while Mommy and Daddy try to steal a little more sleep before the sun rises.

Today, she fell asleep for her afternoon nap at 10:00 in the morning. I have great expectations for her mood this evening... 

At least I'm using the day wisely by introducing her to all of my favorite Disney princesses.

Enjoying The Fox and the Hound from her ball pit

Here's hoping to wake up AFTER the sun tomorrow!

Celebrate.

I am lucky enough to come from a family who values togetherness. We spend more time together than most and I honestly start to miss them if it's been more than two weeks since a face to face. We spend every warm weekend possible at our lake house and plan weekends together throughout the year. I never get tired of sharing time, meals, and my family of three with the people who have helped make me who I am.

Yesterday, we gathered at my grandparents' house in Anniston to celebrate two special birthdays. Big Daddy, my grandfather and C's great grandfather, celebrated 82 years on the 3rd; and Dad, or Poppa to C, celebrates 51 years on the 10th. If we ever have a son, I am thankful to have the examples of these gentlemen in my wheelhouse. They give everything to their family and then some, and we couldn't be more grateful or love them both more.

Happy Birthday to Big Daddy and Dad! I hope you know just how much we love and appreciate you every day.

The Day After

It's the day after Halloween and what we doing? Recovering, watching "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" and eating candy, of course.

Last night was so much fun. C was an angel (in both costume and behavior) and we spent the night trick-or-treating with cousin Abigail and some of her friends. The best part? Daddy's business trip to NY was canceled because of Hurricane Sandy, so he got to come with us!

This was C's first year trick-or-treating. She technically went last year, but spent most of the night asleep in a stroller in her snugly pink poodle costume.

This year, she was a bit reluctant to go up to the first few houses; but after a few pieces of chocolate, she was in much better spirits and started to really enjoy herself as she ran down the street holding mine and Husband's hands and her little candy bag.

After a long night of trick-or-treat fun, we came back to cousin Abigail's house for a little play time.

It was so nice to spend the night with family and watch C take in all the action of her first big girl Halloween. Now I just need someone to remove the candy from my house because I forgot how much I love Skittles... and Snickers... and Reese's...

450 Mile Weekend

This past weekend, the Ryans were double booked. We had my ten year high school reunion in Montgomery on Saturday and our nephew's baptism in Muscle Shoals on Sunday. We wanted to be at both, so we decided we could make it happen...with very little sleep and an extremely flexible little one.

We drove to Montgomery Friday night (after Husband flew back from his business trip in Tampa), leaving after C's bath so she would sleep in the car. We seamlessly transitioned her from the carseat to the pack-and-play at my parents' house. She woke up at 6:30 as usual and we played until the reunion picnic at the elementary school.

We played so hard that she fell asleep on the way there and spent the first 30 minutes of the picnic asleep on my shoulder (which she never does). It was nice to see everyone and their babies at the picnic. It's hard to believe that ten years have passed and even harder to believe that so many of us are parents. 

Once C woke up, she was ready to run and we'd been promising a trip to the playground, so we headed that way with Melissa and her son, Hansen. Well, we got there and it was locked! Two little people pressed their faces up against the chain link fence, looking longingly at the slides. We tried to walk to the other playground, but that was too hard to explain to a one year old and C melted to the ground in tears.

Daddy to the rescue! He lifted both kids over the fence, climbed over, and played while the mommies watched. It's amazing the simple happiness that can result from a playground.

That night, CiCi and Poppa got some much needed time with C while Husband and I went to our reunion. Reunions are funny. Although I did enjoy chatting with some of my former classmates, I spent the majority of the night hanging out with my friends - the ones I get to see all the time anyway. And, to be honest, Facebook has removed the mystery from everyone's lives. Instead of looking forward to the reunion to hear about jobs and spouses and children, we just talked about the cute photos everyone had posted. But, it was still fun and I was able to spend some quality adult time with my friends that I don't see nearly enough. 

Melissa was my very first friends at St. James. I was the new girl in seventh grade, painfully shy, and she was nice enough to ask me to sit with her and her friends at lunch. Elizabeth and I became close the next year and really sealed the deal on our friendship when we dressed up as The Spice Girls for a lip sync contest. It's hard to believe it's been ten years since we graduated, but even harder to believe we've been friends for over fifteen years. These are girls with whom I've made hundreds of memories and women with whom I will be friends for the rest of my life. 

Husband and I left the reunion, packed our bags and our sleeping child into the car and drove back home that night. Once again, C transitioned from pack-and-play to carseat and carseat to crib. We had to be in Muscle Shoals by 9:15 the next morning, so we were up by 6:00 getting ready. I took a sleeping C and put her back in the car in her pjs. 

Fast food hashbrowns and way too many Elmo dvds later, we were at the church parking lot where we quickly dressed her and made it in the church on time! It was pretty impressive. We were able to celebrate baby Major Andrew's baptism and spend the afternoon with family we don't see nearly enough. It was well worth our crazy weekend of driving.