Goose Egg

So, Maggie had her first major bang-up as a walker. She loves to stand on things (her books, toys, my leg) and if there is a choice of going around or over something, she always goes over. Tuesday night she went to step on one her books, slipped and hit the edge of our coffee table.

Baby girl cried. Mommy cried.

I called my mom first to see what was what about hard head bumps, then talked to our medical-student friend, Johnny, just to make sure all my bases were covered and my child would not be rendered stupid because of this latest head trauma. (I know, I know, but seriously, she's bumped her head so much lately I'm concerned her smarts are gonna start leaking out ... I can't explain why because it's completely irrational.)

This wasn't Maggie's first head bump, but it is definitely the hardest and biggest ... it was a big ole goose egg.

It's above her right eye. (These cell phone pics don't do it justice.) It has healed really well so far and the coloring is all but gone. But the knot is still there.

Gives a whole new meaning when we tease her about being a 'knothead', huh?

Sweets for My Sweetie

Maggie has attended 2 birthday parties in recent weeks, and the girl has become quite fond of all things sweet. A favorite first was a marshmallow she had at Norah’s 2nd birthday party. She also had cupcakes with frosting which she loved. She kept trying to go back for more but thankfully, they were at adult height so she couldn’t reach them. She never ever gets this stuff at home, so at a party we kind of just let her try everything (within reason).

 

 

 

  

What a sticky, gooey mess Maggie was when she was finished! The girl enjoyed it though, and after the sugar high she totally crashed out and slept for 3 hours :)

The Squealer

You can always tell when Maggie is having extreme amounts of fun. All that squealing just gives it away!




The sound of pure joy :)

5QF: 09.24.10

1. If you could speak with a different accent, what would it be (i.e Australian, Scottish)? Irish.  Hubby and I spent most of our honeymoon in Ireland and I just fell in love with everything there. So now I love love love Irish accents, and can do one very badly.

2. Can you fall asleep anywhere? (i.e floor, couch, deck) Once upon a time, the answer was YES. And I think my grown-up self could FALL asleep most anywhere, but I don't necessarily STAY asleep unless I'm in bed.

3. Do you use public restrooms? If so, do you sit on the toilet? Yep and yep. I've travelled too much to be picky about where I go. There have been some that I choose hovering, but if it's clean, it's good enough for me.

4. If you were stuck in an elevator for 24 hours, what celebrity would you most want to be stuck with? Hmmm. I want to say Jennifer Aniston because everyone who has ever worked with her says she's super nice, and getting stuck with some hunky guy (helloooo, Matthew McConaughey) would make me too shy, which could make for an awkward 24 hours. Also, if I got stuck with Jennifer, I can totally get all her hair secrets (I have a serious crush on her hair.)

5. Where did you and your significant other go on your 1st date? Hubby's and my first date was an Arizona Diamondbacks baseball game. I don't remember, but I assume we lost that game because I found out as we continued going to games that Hubby is a jinx. It's not a joke. It's been rare that I have attended a winning game with him - I actually think it only happened once! And 9 years later, whenever the D-backs are in town on or around that day (July 6th), Hubby and I always try to go the game. Maggie went with us this year!

They Make You An Offer You Can’t Refuse

So, we have discovered the Best Italian Restaurant On The Planet.

That should be their official name, but it doesn’t quite grab you like their actual name: The Godfather.

Is that awesome or what?

Their name is actually what made us stop.

My parents came to California for a couple of days while we were there, and took us to dinner on Tuesday night. We were driving around the La Jolla area trying to find an interesting non-chain type place when I spotted this sign:

I don’t know if I’ve told y’all this before, but my Dad is a first generation American. His parents immigrated from Italy before he was born. (The legal way, just so ya know. We have Ellis Island documents to prove it.) So our family loves good Italian cooking

We whipped around in a U-turn and pulled into the microscopic parking lot, and I made the comment “It’s in a strip mall” to the query about the potential swankiness of the place.

I was wrong. Very very wrong.

Tuxedoed waiters. Framed Rat Pack pictures. Dark woods. Cool chandeliers. White tablecloths. $25 bottles of wine.

Um, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore, Toto.

Luckily, no one else was dressed up there, either. Well, except for the waiters who, as I mentioned, were tuxedoed.

The food, y’all, was freakin’ fantabulous. The best Italian food outside my Aunt Jeannie’s kitchen, and trust me, that is a huge compliment. My parents’ were given a to-die-for rum cake slice from the staff, as we were celebrating their 20th anniversary that evening.

Yes. Yes, it was divine. But no picture of how pretty is was because, as before, we just dug right in.

My dad thinks that restaurant is a good enough reason to drive to California every now and again. And so do we.

Appreciating My Maggie Moments

Maggie fell asleep in the car on the way home from Nana's last night. It is a fairly regular occurrence. The drive is about 30 minutes, so she gets a little cat nap to restore her energy banks for the rest of the evening.

When we got home and I pulled her from her carseat, she opened her eyes and looked at me, then laid her head down on my shoulder, and went back to sleep. I grabbed her bag and my bag, shut and locked the car, and headed across our little parking lot for the back door (we live in a condo).

Usually during this time I am thinking something along the lines of: "So, if I can get Maggie into her crib easily, maybe she'll give another 20 minutes to change out of my work clothes and start dinner/fold laundry/answer email/vaccuum/whatever."

Yesterday, however, as I was walking, I became aware of her soft breath on my neck and her sleeping weight against me, and I realized I've been missing out on this. My mind starts thinking about all the things I can do once she's asleep instead of taking a few minutes to just be in that moment with her.

So, once we were inside, I put down our bags and we sat in the recliner, and we rocked and snuggled while Maggie finished her little nap.

No dinner got started. No cat hair was vaccuumed. No laundry sorted or folded or even looked at. Just 10 quiet, uninterrupted minutes with my baby girl.

I have to remember to enjoy those moments. They won't last forever.

The Best Picture Taken During Our California Vacation and a Blatant Brag on How Cute I Think My Girl Is

I simply adore this picture of Maggie, taken at a park down the street from Aunt Jan’s house. I realize I am extremely biased (as I should be) but man … this girl has the prettiest blue eyes! Gorgeousness.

Think what I could do if I had a good camera? :)

Maybe a tiny bit of color tweaking in Lightroom, then this one is getting framed.

5QF: 09.17.10

First, a shout-out to one of my BFF - Happy Birthday, Mary!




1. What is the first nightmare you remember? I really don't know. I have had bad dreams, but never seems to remember my dreams, good or bad.

2. Even if you're not a sports fan, what's your favorite sport to play/watch? I love college football, LOVE it, especially the SEC (War Eagle!) and the Fighting Irish.

3. If you could pull off one piece of trendy fashion, what would you want it to be (jeggings, hats, thigh high boots, etc.)? Hats. I love hats but never wear them. It's a hair issue.

4. Did you make good grades in school? Yep, up until high school. I got my first report card "D"  in 10th grade for geometry, and again in 11th grade for chemistry. Two classes I would never have taken if they weren't required. Blah!

5. What magazines do you subscribe to? None currently, but when I do I like Reader's Digest, Real Simple, and Southern Living.

Maggie’s Fishy Day

The main event for our California trip this year was the Birch Aquarium at Scripps in La Jolla. Maggie loves fish so Hubby and I were excited to take her to this super-cool aquarium.

Nana and Papaw came to California for a couple of days so they could experience it with her. They are her original fish folks, after all.

Unfortunately, Maggie wasn’t feeling the best. She is currently teething, and also had a little cold at the time, so she was very stuffy. That did not stop her from running around, though.

That was her favorite part of the aquarium, by the way. All the running around.

We were able to wrangle her for a family photo op.

The kelp forest was a favorite feature and was where she did most of her running and climbing. They had two guys cleaning the inside of the tank, so that was fun to watch. You can see them in the scuba gear.

 

 

 

 

Playing with the faux starfish and sitting sweetly so Mommy can take a picture.

Having fun inside Jaws.

In the shark cage with Daddy.

After the aquarium, we spent some time at the beach with Nana and Papaw.

 

Maggie capped the day off with a taste of her first cannoli.

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And yes, the girl really liked it.

Maggie’s Day at the Beach

Every year, Hubby and I go to Oceanside, California, where his Aunt Jan and family graciously put us up for a week, thereby allowing Hubby to wallow in all the beachyness he can possibly handle.

The boy was born in the wrong state, y’all, no lie.

We were especially looking forward to this year’s trip because, while not technically Maggie’s first trip to the beach, this year she was old enough to do more than sleep in a sling while Mommy sat in a chair and read a book.

So, we lathered up the girl with sunscreen and donned her swimsuit, cover-up and sandals. (Going to the beach is, after all, about the fashion.)

Things started off well. Maggie enjoyed the sand immensely. Much sand-flinging and bucket-dragging ensued upon our arrival.

 

 

 

She also liked walking along the hard-packed sand near the water’s edge.

 

 

The Doodle was less than thrilled with the water itself, however.

Here’s the up-close reaction.

It was likely the sub-zero water temperature. That’s exaggerating a bit, but dang, that water was C.O.L.D. I would have cried, too, but I like to keep myself out of salt water if at all possible.

All was happiness and love again, though, once we got away from the ocean and back to the business of digging, digging, digging.

     

 

Burying Mommy’s foot takes a lot of concentration. I would like to note that she scooped less sand on me than she banged my foot with the rough plastic edge of that funnel. Not that I’m complaining about the pain or anything :)  

 

 

All in all, a good day for the Doodle.

If only I could pull off a ruffle-bummed yellow swimsuit so well.

There and Back Again - But With Less Drama On the Return Trip

We’re home from California.

We’re tired. We still have unpacking to do. We miss the beautiful 75 degree days. But we’re home, safe and sound, and happy to have arrived without All The Drama.

What drama, you ask?

The Maggie Drama that ensued approximately 3-1/2 hours into our annual trek to the beach. Apparently, her parents were naive enough to think the girl could just “make it” on a 6 hour trip in the middle of the afternoon. We underestimated the needs of a one year-old.

Those needs include NOT being in a carseat for hours on end.

The trip to Cali started happy and fun. We were excited to use her new forward-facing carseat, hoping this would make her ride more enjoyable.



We saw pretty, cloudy blue skies.
 

We sang Itsy Bitsy Spider and Pat-a-Cake. We tickled toes and had snacks. Soon enough, though, it became apparent that the Doodle needed to get out of the car. The whining started in increments, but soon became a full-on fit. The girl was so inconsolable. I finally climbed over the front seat to sit beside her in the back only to have her reach for me and continue crying, not understanding why I couldn’t hold her. It was pitiful. And yes, I did take a picture … the meltdown only got worse after this was taken.
 

So, Hubby exited the interstate in The Middle Of Nowhere, Desert, USA, somewhere west of 29 Palms, and I took her out of her carseat and we sat and cuddled for a couple of minutes. Then we just let the girl go.
 

After about 15 minutes of running around and getting dirty, we cleaned up and piled back into the car. Within 10 minutes we had this:

 

Needless to say, the itinerary for Tuesday night’s return trip was different. We left in the early evening, drove an hour and a half then stopped for dinner, allowing Maggie run-around time. Then back in the car and viola! Bedtime took over and she slept the rest of the trip.

Mommy and Daddy are freakin’ pooped, but the girl is good and isn’t that what matters?