Two Years Ago TODAY!

I made a really good decision.
I wore my hair up.
Not only was it REALLY hot at the Queens County Farm Museum, but I tend to play with my hair a lot when I'm nervous or excited or it's, um, down.
Two years ago today I wasn't nervous, I was just excited to marry N, which wasn't even a decision.
Happy 2, N.E.G.
Love,
ELW

Mid-August Update

Smokes: The Bean has been paci free for a solid week now. Other than one bad night (which was probably also due to heavy teething) she's been pretty cool with it. Well, she's not napping so much, but maybe she's downsizing?
Personal Grooming: Crazy times. The Bean had a bath 2! nights in a row to make up for the fact that we couldn't remember the last time she'd been bathed. Did you know her new MO is to stand up in the tub at all times? Today, her mom and dad both got their hairs cut and one of them had a pedicure and an eye-brow wax.
Weather: It's been HOT here, baby. Hot and humid. It's kind of beastly, but I'm trying to enjoy it since it's gonna be cold and gray before I know it.
Reading: I'm still reading Three Cups of Frakin Tea! But I'm going to finish it before we go to Adks on Monday. Then I have to read all the essays I'm assigning for school. Ugh. Maybe I can sneak something light and juicy in though. N is reading my manuscript, which he printed out today. Besides that I don't think he's read a book in like five months. In heavy rotation for Miss Bean is Good Night Gorilla, Dog and That's Not My Pirate, which N has also read so I guess he has read some books lately.
"Mad Men": I thought the season opening was pretty good. N liked it more than I did, but that's par for the course.
Pizza: We kind of got cocky with our p-making skillz and then got a good come-down on Sunday. The humidity make it nearly impossible for N to roll the dough out well and we timed things most poorly so the Bean was a screaming lunatic because, gasp, it was five minutes after 5:00 and the poor thing hadn't been fed. Have I mentioned that The Bean is bigger than some 2 year olds we know? The girl does not want for food, but try telling her that when you're late with supper. Her screams stressed us to no end so that the first pie was undercooked and not so tasty. The second pie was better, but whole wheat dough depressed N to no end and he ending up scrapping it and ordering Chinese.
Puppies: OMG! The puppies next door had 8! puppies and they are so cute, I want to vomit every time I see them, which is not often enough.

Houston, We Have A Walker

So, um, yeah. She's walking. As of today. Previously, I don't think I'd ever seen her walk more than 4 steps although it was rumored that she had done 5 or 6. But today she was all over the place, walking from the living room, through the dining room, and into the kitchen, without crawling or falling, to see me. How cool!

By the time N gets back from his manly-man hike in the Adks on Friday, she'll be sprinting laps. He's here now, don't worry. It's a short jaunt---he'll leave tomorrow afternoon and return Friday morning.

Anyway,do you think she started walking because she STOPPED SMOKING? That's right---she's been cigarette free for 24 hours now. None last night, none for the naps today, and none tonight. You go girl! I keep thinking she'll freak out, but she really hasn't. She was up a bit last night, but all in all it really wasn't bad.

Unfortunately she's a bit under the weather. Her vacs got cancelled cuz she was running a fever and she was very mellow during our bedtime reading of Goodnight Moon. Hopefully she'll be better tomorrow.

Man, we really gotta childproof now.

Getting the Baby Off The Smokes

Now that The Bean is a 1-year and 1 week and 1 day old, N and I have decided that she stop smoking. She goes without when she's playing during the day, but naps and nighttime? She's a fiend.

I had the honor of putting her in the crib san ciggies this evening and it didn't go well. I was so nervous about the whole thing that I plopped her down without singing to her or remembering to turn off her music. She was in hysterics so N went up, discovered the still playing music and turned it off, and soothed her. She's sleeping now---the crying thing wasn't too long in the scheme of crying babies, but we think she's going to wake up during the night a lot.

Oh well. What can you do? I have to say that the saddest sight was watching her look for, but not find the pack of smokes when I put her in the crib.

In other news, her bday parties were a success, she got some great gifts, and is really starting to toddle. She also knows the words balloon, banana, and royal flush although the lack of smokes might hurt her poker face.

We're excited that we found a new babysitter---she seems great and she can come on Thursdays during the semester so N can go to work early and I can have some hours in the day (AFTER teaching my 8 AM class) to get stuff done. Yay!!

We're grilling champs over here, too. Our neighbors/landlords just commented that we're "always grilling." I over cooked the zukes, but the chicken was nearly perfecto tonight. So, hooray for propane, babysitters, and Nicorette gum!

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY, BABY GIRL

Dear Bean,

Last year at this time, we were in a hospital room in New York City, wondering what was going to happen now that the Bean had become YOU! And today, in Lebanon, NH, you did so many things including: crawling all over the place, pushing your new wagon all over the lawn, inhaling a giant cupcake at your first birthday party, "reading'" your new dog book, eating your body weight in fruit, drinking milk by yourself from your sippy cup, playing with bath toys while standing up in the tub, and getting more dirty than I have ever seen and believe me, I've seen you get pretty dirty. You become more of a person every day, which makes every day its own adventure.

Here's to next year's adventures.

Love,
Mom