Because of all the extra time at church this week, my dvr got filled up and therefore ran out of space halfway through Lost. ARGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I guess this means I have to download it tomorrow from iTunes. *sigh*

Here she is holding her first Happy Meal toy. Yes I bought her a Happy Meal yesterday. So sue me. ;-)

I basically did nothing today. Oh wait. I vacuumed the music room. And I took two naps. That would pretty much be it. Not feeling so hot. I can’t remember the last time I took ONE nap during the day, much less two. I don’t think I’m sick, or at least I hope not. I think I’m just worn out from all the extra church activities this week.

And oh there is so much to do around here to get the house ready for the party. I have neglected the house a little too long and now I’m in a panic realizing I have two days to get everything done, plus buy food and make a deli tray for the birthday party. *sigh*

Pray for me.

Three summers ago (that would be 2003 for those of you who are keeping score), I was in a nasty car accident in Northern Ireland. Yes, you read that right - Northern Ireland. Nothing broken - just cuts and bruises and pulled muscles and a lot of pain. The rental car didn’t make it however. Anyway, when I came back home to the States, I started going to a massage therapist to help my back pain (and it totally did, let me tell you). My bro-in-law is a massage therapist, but something about laying naked on a table with only a sheet covering me and having my husband’s brother touching me just didn’t sit well with me…lol! So instead, bro-in-law recommended a friend of his that lived a lot closer to us anyway. I started going to her once a week and we paid her by trading Mike’s handyman skills for her magical hands.

Then, I got pregnant. And with all the complications and morning 24/7 sickness I had, I stopped going to see her. Over the months I’ve thought about going to get a massage when my back was aching or something like that, but it’s not like I think about her on a regular basis. However, this morning as I was trying to go back to sleep I was thinking about her (yes I had muscle aches…lol) and wondering if Mike had worked off all the trade yet. I finally fell back asleep and that was that. But then later this morning, after we were all up and around, I heard Mike talking on his cell phone and wandered back with the baby to see what was up. I’m sure you’ve guessed already that it was the massage therapist who needs some work done on her condo. Crazy.

I’m going to change it up a little this week in honor of Baby Girl’s first birthday. It’s all about the positive this week. So, those of you with kids, please post a flashback about your child or children - something warm and fuzzy. If you don’t have kids yet, then your assignment is to think of a warm and fuzzy story from your childhood. My flashback will be her birthday letter, but I’ll put up a special Flashback Friday thread sometime after midnight on Friday morning to add your comments and trackbacks to. Friday is Baby Girl’s birthday and Saturday is her party, so I’ll try my best to respond and get around to everyone’s flashbacks but if I’m behind, you’ll know why - it’s not because I don’t want to!

Yes indeed. Today is Tuesday. And on Tuesday, November 29, 2005 at 3:45 p.m. I have a dr’s appointment with my cardiologist. Did I mention that the time is now 5:06 p.m. and I didn’t go to the doctor yet? Because, um, I forgot it’s Tuesday.

I tried to blame Mike, but well, it’s not his fault I forgot it’s Tuesday. Other than the fact that he’s home and him being home screws my days up.

So, the appointment has been rescheduled for next Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. my time. Dear readers, please don’t let me forget again! :D

Lots of pictures lately…

Here’s Baby Girl in the outfit she wore to church last night. Is the hat too cute or what???

And another one of a sleepy girl when we got home from church:

Mike has actually begun laying the tile on the countertop!!!

And a closeup of how it’s looking:

And finally, a shot of my almost one year old daughter because she’s not going to be a “baby” much longer:

Who can resist that face????

Mike worked on the kitchen and actually got something accomplished (see below) and I ran errands with Baby Girl. Then we both got to do music at the Mission (which is the Catholic name for a gospel meeting if that makes any sense to you).

We went to the grocery store to order the birthday cake for the party on Saturday (half white so her dad can eat some, half chocolate to please her godmother :D) and they have a special where you can get a baby’s cake free with any size first birthday cake. I had planned to make her cake myself, but free and no labor was just too good of a deal to pass up, so that saves me some time. Yay!

Then we went to the party store where I spent way too much money (shhh…don’t tell Mike) on all the cute little matching 1st birthday crap that we of course had to have (including the 1st birthday t-shirt and the 1st birthday bib). I ordered the balloons (they were out of the matching balloon which rather irritated me) and I had to bite my tongue while ordering. Let’s just say the sales girl was a complete and total idiot and when she said “oh I have to order balloons for my kid’s party”, it was all I could do not to say “OH MY GOD YOU HAVE CHILDREN????” I can hardly believe she has a job much less children. Yikes.

Then to Lowe’s to get paint. I’d link it but I’m too tired and lazy right now. I had the sticker from the quart that we bought to try out and I handed the sticker to the paint guy and said “My husband wants a gallon of exactly the same thing.” Translation: I have no idea what I’m doing - please just get it right so my husband doesn’t yell at me.

Then to Costco to pick up some pictures for Baby Girl’s scrapbook that I might possibly get finished before her next birthday if I’m very lucky. The line at the photo counter was long, so we cruised around for a bit and spotted a miniature grand piano for about $150. Think Mike would kill me if I bought her that for Christmas? Yeah, you’re probably right. He would.

In n Out burgers is in the same parking lot, so I picked that up for lunch, then came home and fed the child and put her down for a nap and got a few things done around the house blogged. Hey, at least I’m honest.

Then before I knew it, it was time to go to church and make pretty music. It’s a good thing we made pretty music because, well, that was the prettiest thing about it. ‘Nuff said.

Tomorrow? Marlene is coming over in the morning so we can take a walk and she can go over her solo for this month. I think we should do the music part first in hopes that it will warm up a little before we go for our walk. (Did I mention it’s COLD here????) Then I have to go order a deli tray for the party because I’m a dork and I didn’t remember that I was going to do that when I was at the grocery store the first time. Duh. And then come home and blog clean some more. And then another night of pretty music, but maybe the rest of it will be prettier this time.

My child will be one year old on Friday. Unbelievable.

Mike and his work partner are about to begin laying the tile on the kitchen countertop. Hallelujah!

Ready to lay tile:

Laying out the tile in a random pattern way:

Okay, I know you people in snow country will roll your eyes at me. But this is the DESERT. Our blood is thinner here and we don’t do well in cold weather. Yesterday was the first day we actually felt that cold bite in the air and today it’s REALLY COLD!!! I had to wear a sweater and Baby Girl had to wear socks when we went out! Our high is supposed to be 63 today, but it’s already 3 p.m. and it’s only 57, so I wonder if we’ll even make 60. That is COLD COLD COLD!!!

I need me some hot cocoa!

“Food does not go in your hair!”

Pat the Bunny has been around for over 60 years and last night I finally realized why. I read it to Baby Girl as a bedtime story (which I’ve done before, but it has been awhile since we’ve been stuck on Pajama Time! for the last few months weeks) and although she doesn’t “get” all the things to do yet, she got two of them right away.

I read: “Now YOU play peek-a-boo with Paul.” And I looked up and she had her hands over her face just like she does when we play peek-a-boo together.

I read: “Can you say Bye-bye? Paul and Judy are waving Bye-bye to YOU.” And I looked up and she was waving bye-bye.

And of course, her mama gave her lots of kisses and hugs and felt very pleased with her brilliant daughter who seriously must be the smartest almost one year old (but also 10 months adjusted) baby in the entire world.

It seems like overnight Baby Girl has gone from babbling repetitive sounds (i.e. babababa, dadadada, mamama) to making word-like sounds and trying to copy what we say. And it seems like her understanding (or at least her ability to show us she understands) has skyrocketed as well.

I ask her if she’s hungry she’ll say: “yet” or “yeh” or sometimes “gungy”. I ask her to tell me who the dog is and she says “dog” or “dah!!!” And if I ask her where Majerle is, she points or looks around until she spots her. Which is really cool because it means she knows Majerle and the dog are one and the same.

There is so much more, but you get the idea. It blows me away to see how she changes, and how quickly these changes seem to happen. Hearing that little voice having “conversations” with us and with herself or the dog is truly amazing. I could listen to her and watch her and sit and try to figure out how her mind works all day long. Being a parent is truly a blessing. Being able to see her day in and day out and watch the changes close up is a blessing and a gift for which I will be eternally grateful.

Not a lot going on around here today. Mike just woke up as he played out of town last night and got in about 4 a.m. Baby Girl is down for a nap. I’m trying to convince myself that I should take this opportunity to get something done around the house, but what am I doing? Blogging of course. That’s “something” isn’t it? :D

Mike is going to Marlene’s this morning to finish off her bathroom and a few other little things and then on Friday her kitchen countertop is finally coming and I think they will finally be done with all the beautiful remodeling they’ve been doing. And I bet she will be so relieved and thrilled for it all to be over. :)

He got the first layer of the wood for the countertop on yesterday here (I’ll try to get a pic up in a bit). I am told there are two more layers to go before he can start tiling (which I am also told will happen Monday - hurray!) and we also have to paint and do a few more things to get it party ready for Saturday. Hard to believe my baby will be one year old on Friday. Wow.

Anyway, a lazy day for me today - other than doing stuff around here (like getting some of the Christmas decorations out perhaps) and maybe going to order a birthday cake.

Anyone doing anything exciting this weekend?

Baby Girl loved her Thanksgiving dinner. I love her bib. You can’t see it but it says “Gobble Gobble” on it.

Not long after we got home, Mike spied a hot air balloon going over the house, so we rushed out so Baby Girl could see it. You could hear the burners and everything.

Here’s a closer shot of the balloon.

Today Mike is working on the sink cabinet. Or in this case under it.

Once he gets it done, he can start on the countertops.

And finally, there is a new movie from Thanksgiving Day that might make you giggle. :)