Run Forest, Run

Just wanted to post a quick update and some new pics. One is of Hattie on the 4th in her pigtails. I have been waiting so long for the day when I could do them! She looked so damn cute and they stayed in (almost) all day. We had a great day at the lake and then went for fireworks near our house. HP clapped and cheered for them with her cousin Marley...she had a blast.
Promise to add more soon, but works sucks right now and I am so busy I barely have time to catch my breath. For I job I like, I sure do HATE work right now. Ugh. Anyway, no one wants or needs to hear about that. I did run 5 miles this morning and am feeling pretty good. If I ice my knees when I get home they don't yell at me for very long. I have 5 more days to decide if I am going to attempt the half marathon in October. I am leaning heavily towards 'yes' right now, but that is an awfully long way for a rookie like me. I'll try 6 miles this weekend and then make my final decision. Enjoy the pics.

Beeezzzz

This is a “show me your teeth” picture. She looks like a grade schooler in it…so big! Of course, the greasy hair from wiping her dinner in it should be a hint that she, indeed, is not in grade school. And thank goodness – I am not ready for that! Its going by too fast already. I know I will be one of those teary-eyed moms dropping their kindergartner off at school and bawling the whole way home. At least I won’t be in the minority…
We have lots more new words this week– door, hotdog (otdah), guitar (atar), star, heart, shoes (oshes), eyebrow, bug, hat, and my favorite - please (sounds like beeezzz).
Wanted to put one 'hooray for me' in, too. I ran about 4 miles yesterday and felt awesome doing it. I definitely have the running bug these days. I could've kept going all day had it not been for some old-timer's knees they inserted where mine should be. I have been an off and on jogger for years, but this is by far the best I've felt doing it and have really hit my stride (no pun intended). If I keep going like this and can get past the '4 mile hurt', I may try a half marathon towards the end of summer or early fall. I won't win any speed awards, but I would like to try and accomplish one. We'll see.

Water Girl

These are not great pics, but all I got the other day on our way to the pool. In the first one, Hattie’s waving to the neighbors…we wave LOTS these days. When we left the pool that day, she was waving to everyone like she was the First Lady or something. She’ll wave to her toys, she waves to the pee-pee going down the potty, to her milk when it goes back in the fridge, crumbs being wiped from her tray, you name it, it gets a wave.
We had an eventful night last night. Hattie took a dive off a side table in the family room (its only about 2 feel high). I missed the fall, but she landed face down and laid there for a long time. I actually had to pick her up, which is unusual. Then she cried longer than normal, so I tried to distract her with dinner. Every time she went to grab for something with her right arm, she would start crying again and hold it. This went on for about 45 minutes before I finally (cried and) took her to an urgent care by our house. Of course by the time we got in, she seemed to be doing much better and was reaching with her arm again. When the doctor came in, I was even able to take her shirt off over her head without a fuss. He said she may have sprained or strained it, but doubted anything more. Today Brian says she is back to her usual happy self. Thank goodness we got past our first scare unharmed.
Phew!

Bathing Beauty

Dear Mr. Blog,
I think about you often with clever things in my head that I want to share with you. Then the time comes when I finally have a free moment to write, and I either forget all the little things that have filled my head over the last few days, or I get distracted and think I will return later to write. Days turn into weeks, and then my stories dwindle down to nothing but tidbits that mostly make sense only to me. So, Mr. Blog, it is unfortunate that you turn into nothing but random facts and notes and not the clever little tidbits and amusing insights that I hoped you would be. Though I may be down, but I am not out! I would like this blog to be a journal of sorts for Hattie to read when she is old enough to see how she has influenced me and to see the way this little brain of mine works. Scary as that may be to a young person whose brain is still a sponge soaking up everything around it- reading the thoughts of a leaky-faucet brain that doesn’t remember where the keys are or how to perform an assay it has known for 10 years. But it is fun getting old. Really! I am enjoying the ride.
But now onto the good stuff….
We went to our pool for the first time yesterday. Hattie was looking adorable in her new suit and sunhat (will post pics later) and I felt right at home in my skirted tankini with all the other moms at the baby pool (will NOT be posting pics). How I love you, skirted suit, you make my life so much easier….but I digress. Hattie got right in the water, walked around, played with toys, sized up the bigger kids (I love the stand-real-close-and-stare thing and it is now usually accompanied by a smile and close to the face wave), she also sat on the side and kicked and generally just enjoyed the beautiful day with her Mama. We will be heading back often.
I also have to mention Hattie’s new ‘cousin crush’ on my nephew Nicko (who could blame her?). We went to a birthday party last weekend that was held in the cafeteria and gym at a local high-school. There were lots of kids running around in the gym, including Nick. Hattie somewhat acknowledged most of the kids with a stare or by handing them a ball, if she had one. However, whenever Nicko went by she would stop walking, smile broadly and wave furiously at him until he would say, ‘Hi Hattie’. Then more smiling. More waving. It was so cute. I really need to break my video camera out more often for moments like that.
Can’t think of much else to add, except that I really love this stage with Hattie. Sure, babies are wonderful to snuggle with, crawlers are great to watch, but toddlers are so fun! I look forward to hearing new words from her everyday, reading books together, coloring (boy, we do A LOT of coloring), and generally just watching her explore and discover new things. It’s a great time.
One more thing…I am 10lbs down and hit a wall for the last few of weeks. But I’m back on track and hoping to lose another 10. Maybe then I can show those moms an UNskirted bikini mom! Okay, not really.
But it wouldn’t suck.

Friday!

Thank goodness! Work has been crazy, and I haven’t had a second to do anything at home either. Days are just flying by. I wanted to post a quick update on our new little wordsmith... she's added all kinds of new vocab the past couple of weeks (finally!). My favorite? Mama, of course. I bawled like crazy when she first said it. Still do occasionally- if you must know. Some other new ones… Dada, Papa, Ba (my brother’s nickname), ball, balloon, bubble, purple, blue, Elmo (pronounced ‘Melmo’), moon, milk (pronounce ‘muh’), bye-bye (pronounced ‘duh-duh’), hello (pronounced ‘oh’), up, and a few others I can’t think of at the moment. She’s also currently obsessed with shoes, crayons, and reading. And she’s beginning to pay attention to television, so we watch Sesame Street on occasion. It blew her mind the first time she saw it. I don’t think she knew those creatures moved and talked! Pretty cute. Too much other stuff happening to even begin, so I’ll end there.
Happy weekend.

HP

Some of Hattie’s new things…
Drinking cold water and saying ‘bbrrrrr’ when finished
Shaking her booty like crazy
Saying ‘dodle dodle dodle’ for a rooster (just about the cutest thing ever)
Running
“Jumping” aka crouching down and standing up quickly
Using a ‘big people’ fork like a pro
Blowing kisses, giving fives, giving hugs and Eskimo kisses
Lots of other things I can’t think of at the moment.

This weekend we are going to a little resort outside of the city and staying in a cabin for a night. The resort is very kid-friendly and I can’t wait to get away. I’ll post more about it next week. In the meantime, Brian and I will be heading to the Elvis Costello/Police show that I WON tickets to tonight. Can’t wait!

Camp Out

Last weekend the whole gang went camping up at Clinton Lake. When I say whole gang, I mean whole gang…there were 23 of us, including 11 kids under the age of 9. So, the dynamic was just a little bit different than college camping. It was a blast – we had our own private site with picnic tables, a couple of fire rings, bathrooms, sand volleyball court, horseshoe pit and a trail to the lake. I think everyone had a good time, despite a rather chilly night. We hope to make it at least an annual thing, if not semiannual. I’ve included a couple of pics of Chloe and her new crush, Nicko and Hattie and Luke chillin’ in some camping chairs. I really wanted to get a pic of everyone, but it just didn’t happen. Maybe next time…