sometimes it's too much.

I keep telling Ryan, 'I am so MADLY in love with Hadley right now'.  Not that I don't always love her, but like and love are two totally different things.    And right now, she is so perfectly imperfectly perfect to me.  My mom always said 'kids are who they are at three', and when Hadley first turned three, I looked at my mom like she was crazy...thinking, if this is who she is, lets move out of the country...without her.  But now, I'm pretty darn impressed with the little person she's becoming.  It's overwhelming to me how much parents love their kids, there is no way to explain it.  The closest I can come is relating it to a time when I was at work, pre-Hadley, and taking care of a very sick little boy in complete heart failure.  His only hope was a heart transplant, and that is beyond a torturous wait for families.  As he was getting sicker, and chances were getting slimmer, his mom looked at me and said 'Do you think I'm a match?'  I said 'A match for what?'  And she replied, in all seriousness, with tears streaming down her face, 'Do you think my heart could be transplanted in him?' 

And now I get it.

my morning gal.

I love Hadley in the mornings.  It's my absolute favorite time with her.  She is SO happy, has a gazillion questions about the plans for the day, is all about breakfast, and getting her babies ready, and picking out her outfit.  She's just gabs from the minute I open her door...until the very end of the day. 

So, when I found this little note from my mom in an old suitcase of mine (a Hello Kitty suitcase...jealous?) that my grandma gave to Hadley I couldn't help but smile.  Sounds like the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree:

Dear Meg,

I miss you already.  But know you're having fun at Jenny's and that makes me glad.  Grandma will pick you up in the morning, but call Kipper at home to find out what's going on.  I will miss my little yakee-doodle in the morning, you are my favorite part of the day!  I love you,

xo

Mom

P.S.  Share juice sticks with everyone.

Sounds like maybe I had a little problem with sharing too.

rudy the wonder dog.

This guy, Rudy Jefferson Prentice...well, he deserves a medal, or a star on Hollywood Blvd, or a fresh peanut butter filled Kong, or, at the very least, to just be taken for a walk. 

Here's why:

A few weeks ago I was taking a shower, Hadley was doing whatever (I'm sure diapering her babies, or using all the band aids, or emptying out all her dresser drawers), and as I'm enjoying my quiet time I hear Rudy barking from outside the window.  I think nothing of it, and then realize, wait, if I can hear that, then it means Rudy is out in front of the house...and if I remember correctly the neighbors are having people work on their house, and now those people are probably being attacked.  And then I realize, wait another minute, how in the hell did Rudy get out front?  So I get out of the shower...a tad annoyed, and see our Rudy, our fierce protector, our hometown Lassie, sitting at the edge of our driveway facing the house barking like a crazy man, and then I see our dear Hadley, the escapee, watering the garden and playing in the front yard.  The minute I saw her, he ran to me with his tail wagging.  He nudged Hadley's bum, nudged my hand, made sure we were okay, I'm pretty sure smiled and said 'you're welcome', gave us a fist bump and blew it up.....and then he went after the neighbors workers.   

it's a nurse thang.

For two years, and going strong, a small group of us Children's ICU nurses have gone to Deception Pass to play, get dirty, eat crap, and camp...oh, and most importantly gossip about anyone not there, talk shop, and drink cold beers.  And although, the rules are getting stricter (no more red licorice), and the invite list is getting bigger, there is no group of gals that I would rather have a slumber party with.  The people I work with...well they absolutely blow my socks off, and I feel pretty darn lucky to be in their circle...and to check blood with them.

See you next July...and be ready for some hangovers you weenies.

jersey girls.

J-Woww & Snooks, meet T Dogg & H Dizzle...see you at the shore guidettes.  And trust, it will be a

GFZ (grenade free zone). 

when the new baby comes...?

Hadley is ALL about her new little brother or sister (she's pulling for a brother...I told her to brace herself because it could very well be a sister, she told me 'no thanks Mama, I just want a brother'.)  Probably 72 times a day (or more) she starts a sentence with "When the new baby comes _______?" (fill in the blank).  She's very curious as to where the baby will sleep, who will change the baby, who will feed the baby, who will hold the baby, etc.  And sometimes her "when the new baby comes...?" questions make me smile a bit.  Here are a few of her latest:

When the new baby comes will it have ears?

When the new baby comes will it know how to cry or will you need me to teach it how?

When the new baby comes will Rudy think it's food and eat it?

When the new baby comes will it have clothes on or will it be nakedini?

When the new baby comes will you buy it it's own toys so it doesn't play with mine...because my toys are special.

When the new baby comes will it like beer?

When the new baby comes will it be sad when I go to school because school is not for babies?

When the new baby comes will it have a rash so we can put bottom cream all over it?

When the new baby comes will it get in trouble for potty talk too?

There's a lot to think about before this kid gets here. 

Oh, and she is the official 'baby stuff' tester-outer.  I don't know what we'd do without her.

my poor little blog.

My little blog has never been so neglected.  I have no good reason.  I could say I'm busy, but really we're all busy...aren't we?  So that's no excuse.  I guess I could chalk it up to laziness, but I hate to think I'm lazy...hate the mere thought of it (although when I'm catching my breath with all the other fat mom's on the elliptical machines at the YMCA, I certainly feel it).  How about I'm crazy?  That is true.  I am quite crazy right now (Ryan would probably be the first to say 'I am 'crazy-ER', he would surely want to point out my already underlying crazy).  Or how about this for an excuse...I'm friggin' tired dammit!  And I can't hold a thought, think of a thing to say, or even make up something good by the time it's 'blog-thirty'.  My nights are filled with wrestling Hads in the bath, tricking her into brushing her teeth, negotiating how many books we are going to read, and saving her from the ticklebug-monster.  Then it's downstairs to clean up dinner, and before I know it, I am sucked into all the God-awful shows I love...Bethanny anything, the Real Housewives of anywhere, Jersey Shore, The Kardashian girls, Rachel Zoe (welcome back you hot little anorexic mess), and any other crappy show between the channels 62 and 66 from 8:30-10pm.  And to make it all that much better, as I lay on the couch like a beached whale, eating saltwater taffy, or whatever non-nutritional value food I can squeeze into my ever growing cheeks, my man, Ryan P., plants himself right next to me and rubs my legs for at least an hour because he says at the end of the day they look like I've been hobbled by Kathy Bates, ala Misery style.  So sorry blog, I promise to start blogging our summer, because we actually have done some blog worthy things...we've had tea parties, parades, pull up fairies at our house, camping trips, cabin trips, birthday parties, beach time, and everything in between.  Forgive me.  And don't be too hard on me, because I cry super easy...I cried because I missed the bus the other day and I cried when Hadley's teacher hugged her at the Y and I cried when Ryan ate the rest of the chips and I cried when the pharmacy at work didn't send me my norepinephrine drip that I had requested 3 times .  Have I mentioned I'm crazy...er?