round and roud it goes, where it stops nobody knows...

what a difference a year makes.

really though, what a difference a baby makes.

it is incredible to digest that a year ago today i was checking into the hospital completely naive to the role I was stepping into. neither gary nor i could have guessed this is what parenthood is. i can't help but think about that scene in the movie Parenthood where steve martin realizes the truth behind metaphor that 'life is rollercoaster' and he envisions the room around him spinning as though he was buckled down into a whirling roller coaster car...it's absolutely true...this whole parenthood ride is a roller coaster.

during pregnancy i slowly climbed that scary hill completely blind to the track that lay before me. tons of anticipation built inside of me and sometimes if i strained i could kind of see what was ahead --- even so it always scared me to death. then suddenly, with little warning on may6, 2008 i hurdled down a hill, screaming, hands flying wildly above my head and my face making a god awful expression that was inevitably caught in a unsuspecting snapshot that i could buy for 25.99. since that day i have been thrown side to side, up and down, jerked and pulled, sometimes with overwhelming joy and sometimes with indescribable fear. at times i could sit back and enjoy the ride, while other times it was all i could do to not to throw myself from car. all the while, i've been strapped down in a filthy, germy car covered in some other person's puke and urine (admittedly my own urine too), with food crumbs all over the place...not to mention my hands clutching a bar that doesn't let me steer.

i am still in the car waiting for the next turn or loop or 150 foot drop that shoves my stomach into my throat...but i somehow how know in the back of my mind that it is all worth it and, just like riding a roller coaster, i will LOVE the experience when it is all over with..... and who knows i might someday jump back in line to do it all over again (depends on how long that line is...i'm getting old, you know). but if i don't get back in line when i get off this ride, i'll just amble around the amusement park dressed in an air brushed t-shirt, plastic visor, and a fanny pack carrying a coffee in one hand and an oversized bag full of useless crap in the other --trying to find the bathroom.
happy birthday charley anne.

MSU Game/Potential Home Buyers

GO EAGLES!!!

Well, if Charley were to become a cheerleader I think she would definately be the 'base' - God bless her. Thighs like that have a tendency to keep one planted on the ground and aren't aren't made to be thrown in the air. So, I guess it is settled ...no cheerleading!

We are excited about the game tonight. I brought about 20 MSU shirts to school today to outfit all my kids. Hopefully, I will get to watch some of the game, but someone (thank goodness) is coming to look at our house tomorrow and I HAVE to clean...the bananas smashed in the floor and pet hair covered carpet are apparently not selling points according to HGTV standards.

However, if this showing doesn't work out, I think I may start to advertise our house as a home/small business inorder to be more marketable...maybe this would attract those young couples who want to start their own meth lab business, but stay close to home...you know, for their children's sake.

Charley and the Chocolate Cake

Pic of Charley eating the CAKE mentioned in a past blog.

I am recanting my position on babies having cake --- how can something be bad for you that makes you look THIS HAPPY??????

So, "Let them eat cake!!"

9 month appt.

the stats are in...

Charley visited the doctor yesterday for her 9 month appointment.

All reports were super healthy...despite neurotic mommy's belief that she was adversely affected for life by the piece of chocolate cake she was given earlier in the week at daycare. :)

Her numbers: 29.5 inches (95 percentile) & 22.6lbs. (93 percentile)


I think it is time to start ballhandling. With numbers like these I think cheerleading is already ot of the picture! Damn.

four steps + 5 teeth = 9 months old!

yesterday was the 9 month milestone for miss Charley ---wow, I just wished the 9 months i was pregnant with her went by as fast as these past 9 months have!

she took about 4 steps by herself Friday - she let go of gary's leg, her hands all in the air, a few unstable waddles, mommy, daddy, and aunt amy holding their breath --- then SPLAT! face plant! followed by roaring applause, of course! it was sweet. people run marathons, climb up enormous mounains, walk on the moon, and Jesus walked on water -- but my little girl toddled a foot or so across filthy carpet and i wanted to cry (maybe i did a little when i put her to bed that night, what of it?) kids.

and if that wasn't enough for me to process, i looked in her little mouth today to discover a 5th tooth! this one was sneaky...we hadn't noticed it, but should have been more wise to it given the last week of nasty earaches! oh well, someone get this girl a steak and some potatoes!

so that is the big news from our household...petty i guess, but it's all that we've got to talk about...now i see how my parents got so lame...a couple kids and the coolness is sucked right out of you....i mean, we ate at arby's tonight for dinner...how cool is that?

so i'm off to bed...it's almost 'double digits'....

snow days

snow day 443.

i am passionate about my snow days...there is just something about seeing my school name scroll across the bottom of the screen that thrills me...even if i know sometime around june i will be cursing these frivolous days. but i have not allowed these moments to go in vain - miss charley and i have had a blast chillin at home, immersed in floor time and naps together. she is growing up so fast so i am very glad to have these few lazy days together. granted my papers don't get graded and the laundry is still growing up the side of the wall, but i'm slowly letting go of my obession with trying to do EVERTYTHING....it's impossible.

which this leads to this thought about my stay-at-home mom pals---how in the world do you do it? you are amazing ladies - i think i understood your true strength when last week (we were off everyday) i realized that not only did i not know what day it was, but i couldn't quite recall my last shower...

pics of my snow days with charley...she helped do laundry, discovered the window (her new fav place to hang out) and wallered gunner...

for the record, i think my dog curses the SnoGo report and he will be more than happy when the two-legged terror goes back to daycare!