turkey day.

We've got a new baby to brag about...but until then...gobble, gobble.

the evolution of the babe's room.

Circa 2007...Hadley's baby room.

 I as so over it, decided to go a little bold, and painted the room 'true turquoise' for new babe.  You know what they say....go big or go home.  I went home.  I hated it.  It was like walking into a Tiffany bag.  There was no way the baby was going to do anything in that room besides seize, so we repainted.  Ryan was thrilled.  Had he not learned that pregnant women shouldn't pick out paint colors?

And then I fell in love...

Can't wait to get you in here little bean.

thanks for being our first.

Hadley Jane, our oldest, the queen of our castle, the big cheese, the center of our universe, our practice kid...we are about to wreck your life a little.  And I feel a small twinge of guilt.  But I feel about 100 times more excitement than I do remorse for you.  I know this adjustment will be hard, I know you're going to hate sharing your mama and your dada, and I know it's going to make your life "not very fair" for a little while.  But remember this...you were our first.  Our first love, our first realization that we now had everything in the world to lose, our first lesson in what truly matters.   You taught us everything we know, and everything we needed to learn (hang in there, we are a work in progress).  You are the epitome of a first child.  You strive on structure and organization.  You are super bossy.  You are such a people pleaser and love to help.  You know all the rules (often don't follow them, but you know them).  You are very articulate, love school, and get so proud of yourself at everything you achieve.  So see, when you are accepted to Harvard...remember to thank us.  And remember to fill out those student loan applications.

But here's the best part Hads, having a brother or sister is going to be better than anything....maybe not at first.  However once you get over the shock, anger, and resentment and once your little 3 year old world gets a tad bit back to normal, you will see that being a big sis really is fabulous.  You get to have someone to boss around, someone to outsmart, someone to tease.  Someone to sit on and do the 'typewriter' to, someone to show the ropes, and someone to play with at your leisure.  Someone who will stay up with you when you try to spy Santa, someone who will worship the ground you walk on, and someone who might have cute friends you can make out with (in about 15 years).  Someone you can complain to about how lame your parents are, someone who will hang out with you after school, and someone you will want to fiercely protect.  Someone else in the house who has to take the heat of mom and dads bad days too, someone to share the chores with, and someone to steal Halloween candy from.  Someone to tattle on, someone to laugh with at dorky family photos, and someone to drag along on boring family vacations.  You will always get the biggest room, the best clothes (little sis will get hand me downs, little bro probably won't care about clothes), and will still be our 'first' to do everything (ie, lose a tooth, get a drivers license, go to a dance).  Your life really is about to get better...trust me.  We're giving you a partner in crime, someone you will bond with unlike any other, someone who will know all of your secrets, and you there's.  Someone you can wholly be yourself in front of without any false pretenses, because they know you and love you, despite your imperfections.  And that's hard to find.  We are giving you someone with whom you will form a greater and differant connection that you could with anyone else in the world.  Now that's big.  We love you Miss Jane, we know you'll be over the moon about the new mister or miss, we know it will take time...and we know you'll thank us later.  And we know if we're wrong, at least you'll have someone to take it out on. 

love me a slumber party.

We got to have the kids again the other night...love it.  My most favorite part is when we were commenting on Lauren's teeth having a gap (like Uncle Ryan), and Hadley whined "I want a gap" and Lauren said "You don't have a gap Hads.  You have buck teeth."  And I about fell off my chair.  She's right.  Damn thumb.

some glimpses of my parenting...at its best.

We have great vision insurance, I'm not worried.

39 weeks pregnant...enjoying a vodka tonic.  I was hoping if I got baby a little drunk it would stumble into the correct postion.  Didn't work...maybe I shouldn't have stopped at just one.  Moderation is for the birds.

still has it.

"Hey Ryan, keep your hands where I can see 'em."

Magnum P.I. & his 45 year old redneck buddy.

our first born.

Rudy got a little one on one time with me the other day, and was taken to the dog park sans Hadley.  He was in Doggie-Heaven!!!  And couldn't walk the next day.  We made a pact to spoil him until new baby comes, because we know his puny little life is going to get that much worse.  Sorry Rudes...we love ya buddy, but Hadley doesn't shed and is a much better whiner, so she always wins.

smoochless.

Those lips used to be so kissable...but now they freak me out.  I've never kissed a redneck before, or a creep (actually, I've probably kissed plenty of creeps), but never one with a handle-bar mustache (and I even went to Wazzu for crying out loud).  I love me some scruff...LOVE.  But this is a bit too much to 'handle'...no pun intended.  He keeps reminding me it's for a good cause...it's for prostate cancer.  What?  Is it supposed to scare cancer out of the prostate?  November can't get over soon enough.  But do go here to find out more about why my whackadoo husband thinks this is so great....and, more importantly, why it's worth him getting divorced over if it's not shaved by the 22nd.

get this kid a GPS.

38 weeks...say what?!

So baby is a little confused, a little lost, a little slow perhaps...but as of right now, he/she is upside down.  Meaning it's little peaches are where it's little head needs to be.  And that means...we 'get' to have a c-section, unless this peanut gets with the program in less than 9 days.  We tried to have the doc move it...it's called an 'external breech version'.  It should be called the 'worst pain of your life'.  I definitely have a few ideas for Jack Bauer if he needs to get any info out of pregnant Russian spies.  

 At first I was a little sad, having Hadley was such a piece of cake and the actual part of the pregnancy I enjoyed (quite obvious I had an epidural, no?  I loved my epidural.  I wanted to marry it.).  But now, I could care less.  It is what it is and I just want this kid out of there safe and sound.  So, we're scheduled for Monday, November 22nd...which means soon.  Very, very, very, very, very soon.  Yikes.

grams.

I will remember...

Being so thrilled when you showed up to Kip's baseball games, you always brought the best snacks and had Orange soda wrapped in tin foil.

You taking us to McDonald's to get Happy Meals.  And then you would go there by yourself and order them so we could complete our collections of whatever toys they were giving away.

Your favorite candy are those disgusting chocolate covered cherries.

Your yard was always pristine, filled with pansies & violets, and little rocks perfectly lining the grass.  You loved your garden.

You always made the BEST lunches.

I always hated it when the grocery store clerk thought you were my mom (but now i understand it was because you looked so darn great).

You would call me Missy.

Your favorite color is purple.

You HATED your middle name.

Your house was my most favorite place to spend the night.

We always made potions and sugar cookies.

You never said 'no' to playing with the Play-Doh Barber Shop...even though it was a huge mess. 

You kept every toy we ever had in absolute perfect condition...you still have an entire room full.

You grind your teeth when you're nervous.

You always bought the 8 pack box of mini cereals for us.

I loved when you came to grandparents day because all the kids couldn't believe what a cool, young, hip grandma I had.  And I always picked out your outfit the night before.

You would put butter on everything.

You never missed a big event in my life...whether it was just a soccer game, a graduation, or a recital at school.

I loved watching you get ready in the morning.  You used the green and pink Maybelinne mascara, a touch of brown eye shadow, lip liner, lip stick, and a brow pencil....and I always thought it was so funny that you didn't have eyebrows.

You washed your hair in the sink.

You played with us, always gave us your full, undivided attention.  Endless games of Guess Who, Mouse Trap, the game that almost snapped off fingers, coloring, painting, Barbie...you were up for anything.

You were really, really strong and a champion arm wrestler.

Your purse smelled like carefree bubble gum and leather.

Your pantry always had the best stuff.

You gave us an ornament every single Christmas (and hand wrote the year on it), filled our stockings to the brim, and absolutely spoiled us.

You never, ever, lost your patience.

You always had E-Z cheese.

You were the best organizer and your house was always impeccable.

You were terrible at cards, and it was painful to be on your team.

You always hemmed your jeans with masking tape.

You wore my hand me downs.

When you dropped me off at college you cried and I remember you saying to mom "B, we just leave her here?  She doesn't know anyone."  and I agreed.

You loved to talk, and talk, and talk.

There wasn't a date or time you didn't remember the exact specifics of.

You were an expert sewer, and clothed me and all my dolls.

You always bit off the corners of our chips so they wouldn't scratch out throats.

You were the best quilt maker.

You took us to Green Lake every summer and rented paddle boats & to the Seattle Center.

You could still keep up with 2 and 3 year olds in your 70's.

I loved how teeny, tiny you were.

I loved how much the little girls loved their Gigi.

Most importantly, I will remember, that you just absolutely adored us, all of your grandkids & great grandkids, were your entire world, and we never questioned this for a second.  You always made our day by being with us, and we know we always made yours by being there too.  Grams, you're the type of grandma dreams are made of, the quintessential grandma, the way grandmas are supposed to be. 

The only thing that's getting me through is knowing Hadley gets to have two grandmas just like you, because I couldn't imagine ever growing up without a Grandma Shirley.  And even though it absolutely breaks my heart to not have you here, I know you are somewhere safe, somewhere where you found peace, somewhere where there is no such thing as pain.  And, the very best part is, I know you found our little 'baby in the sky', and I know you're holding him and fussing over him, and I know, without a doubt, he has your ski-jump nose.

Grab some popcorn and a soda...it's long.

honeymoon's over.

I knew Hadley was a ticking time bomb for being over this big sister thing...but I didn't think it would happen before the baby was even here.  Today, as we were going through all the new baby gifts Hadley grabbed a stuffed animal and dibbs'd it as hers.  I told her, 'sorry Hads, it's for the baby, but you're welcome to play with it.'  She looked at me (appalled), threw the stuffed animal in her room, crossed her little arms, stuck out her lip and shouted "The new baby is making my life not fair."  Then she slammed her bedroom door and yelled "I am staying in her for five days...and NEVER giving the new baby any toys."  Much to my chagrin, she didn't even last two minutes in her room, yet alone, five days. 

the sister.

She loves this baby, she is soooooo excited to be a big sister, she's constantly asking to kiss my stomach, she wants the play by play on exactly how our days will spent with the new baby, she rattles off lists upon lists of how she will help, she asks daily how much longer until she gets to be a sister, she checks on the baby's room 10 times a day to make sure Rudy didn't mess anything up, she wants to know what the baby will call her, she continues to remind me that new baby's are fragile, so we will have to be gentle, and she told me yesterday that she loves our new baby, even more than candy.  She's already smitten, and that makes my heart do somersaults.

bits of halloweenie.

She may not be a soccer player, a swimmer, or a skiier...but by god, if there was a Trick or Treating team, this gal would kick ass.

revenge.

There are good parts and bad parts about being a parent...And then there are the parts that make it all worthwhile.  Sure, the "I love you Mama's and Dada's", the huge hugs, and the utter adoration from your kiddos is great.  But this takes the cake.

Ryan picked Hadley up from Daycare on Monday and this little note was taped to her cubby....

The Child Care Center at 70th and Sandpoint

REPORT OF INJURY OR ILLNESS

Name of child:  Hadley

Date of Incident: November 1, 2010

Time: 9:15am

Nature of Injury-Cause, Circumstances, Location:  Hadley was quietly working with the metal insets when another child came over, tried to grab Hadley's work, and then bit Hadley on the left shoulder.

Treatment:  Ice.

I don't think either of us have laughed so hard in quite awhile.  I was just thrilled the she was the bitee, and not the biter.  Hailey, Hadley's got your number sister...better watch yo back.

P.S. Daycare kids rule.