Perspective

This afternoon and evening were a reminder in perspective, simply because they didn't go as I had anticipated. First Leah didn't nap. Then I had to spend about 20-30 minutes figuring out what was wrong with the Internet connection/ and calling Comcast (ugh), which meant that I didn't get a workout in. Then, tonight, I couldn't get Leah into the bath after dinner (she usually LOVES her baths); every time I dipped her toes in, she'd say, "Go poo-poo," so I'd stick back on the toilet. At one point, I tried convincing her to take a shower with me, but only met with the same response. Ugh. Needless to say, nothing went smoothly this evening.

But, in the midst of the endless toilet-tub dance this evening, I remembered that this all could be worse; I have friends with sick kids, others adjusting to new cities/ homes, and still others whose husbands are deployed. Some are stuck in limbo while awaiting orders. Some have tough decisions to make regarding pets or family. My minor list of inconveniences today is just that: minor.

So with that thought in the back of my mind, I forced myself to see the humor in Leah's antics. As she sat on the toilet for the umpteenth time, her hair wet and sticking out every which way, I couldn't help but laugh. Then I laughed more when she pointed out that her hair and toes were wet. The lesson in all this? Perspective. There will always be setbacks and frustrations and slippery kids who need to poop, but how we respond to them is our choice. We can give in to our emotions or we can find the humor in the moment, forcing ourselves to laugh or giggle. I only hope that I choose the latter more regularly.

Latest Addition

I couldn't sleep last night, and I think it had something to do with our latest addition. Maybe the excitement kept me from relaxing enough to rest. (I'm sure it had NOTHING to do with pregnancy hormones!) Maybe the anticipation of seeing it again today made me eager for the day to arrive. Maybe the... well, I'm sure there could have been a whole slough of factors that triggered my insomnia. No matter; we have a new addition: a silver 2011 Hyundai Sonata.


We've been car hunting for a few months now, but only seriously doing so the past couple of weeks. After a visit to Carmax a couple weekends ago, we decided on the Hyundai Sonata due to its size (Scott can fit comfortably in the backseat even with the driver's seat all the way back; the trunk is massive) and gas mileage (22 city; 35 highway). We were debating between an older model and the 2011, but ultimately agreed that we liked the styling of the 2011 best. Plus, since this car is going to be with us for sometime, why shouldn't we get something that we really liked rather than settling? So, the hunt was on. 


There were several criteria for this new vehicle: mileage, price, year, and interior styling. (Exterior color was also a factor, but not such a limiting one. We wanted a dark color, but, well, silver is obviously not.) Most of the 2011s we found fit one criteria and a minor one (color), but not the major ones (mileage, price) we were considering. Until THE ONE. Scott's co-worker (who runs a car dealership on the side) had some friends at a dealership in McLean that was selling THE ONE. After talking to them, he managed to negotiate the rock-bottom price that we could pay for the car, so Scott checked it out while at work. Just from his quick inspection (he didn't get it), he told the salesman that we'd be back that night to take it for a test drive/ check it out. 


So Scott and I headed back up to McLean after he got home from work. (Thankfully, Leah got to spend that time with Nama and Grandpa, a much better option than hanging out at a car dealership!) We hadn't planned on buying the car last night, much less taking it home, but... well, God had other plans. After taking it for a test drive, we discussed letting the salesman know that night or today if we wanted the car. Of course, we both knew that we wanted it and that we wouldn't find a better deal elsewhere (remember, we'd been searching), so why wait to let him know? 


He started our paperwork and then said something about us taking the car off the lot that night. What?! We hadn't planned on that; we thought we'd be up later in the week do so. Again, God had other plans. So, with a few signatures, we drove home our new (used) car. I'm so excited! Of course, I'm also a bit nervous. After all, I'm accustomed to driving a little bitty car, and this one certainly isn't (though it reminds me -- size-wise-- of the Intrepid my parents had when I was in high school). Give me a few days driving this one around, though, and I'll adjust to a larger vehicle. After all, I was going to have to anyway, regardless of what car we decided on.

Leah Stories

Thought you might enjoy a few recent conversations with/ observations of Leah lately.

*Dinnertime. Scott was working late, so Leah and I were on our own.

Leah (pointing): Mommy water bottle.

Me: Yes, that's Mommy's.

L: I have it?

M: No, it's Mommy's.

L (pausing, then matter-of-factly): I want it.

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*Bathtime. 

Leah sitting in the tub, bends at the waist, mouth open, toward the water.

Scott: What are you doing?

L: I eat it (the water).

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*Bedtime, after a bath.

Leah (standing naked in front of her crib, holding the towel, and just out of my reach): Gibberish, gibberish. Go over there? (points to the rocker) Right? Okay. (Nods her head in agreement before making a beeline to the rocker and footstool.)

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*Cuddling in the rocking chair with me before bed.

Leah (lifting up my shirt): Mommy's belly button (pokes it).

Me: Yup, Mommy's belly button's sticking out. Baby Hunter's in Mommy's belly, so be gentle.

L: Baby Hunter (rubs my belly, hugs it, then kisses it)

Yes, We Have a Name

Early in my pregnancy, I knew that we were having a boy... and I knew what his name would be. I had shared this with Scott, but I think he was a bit skeptical. After all, he was convinced that we were having another girl. Still, I held to my convictions. 

So when we learned for certain that a little boy was in our future, Scott and I started talking about names. I calmly reminded him of the little man's name. After all, I knew in my heart that's what God had told me way back when, so I wasn't even going to consider any other names, especially not Sawyer. (That was Scott's favorite character from Lost, and there was NO WAY I'd agree to naming our son after a con man no matter how cool the name sounded.) That was basically the extent of our conversation. Though I knew the name, I wasn't sure if Scott had agreed to it yet, but I figured we'd finalize it in time. 

Then, just before Scott left for Haiti, he asked me if I had told anyone our son's name yet. I hadn't officially told anyone (well, except Alison, but even she knew it wasn't finalized) since I was still waiting for Scott's confirmation.  The rest of our conversation went something like this: 

S: "You haven't? I thought you had."
H: "No, I was waiting on you. Have you?"
S: "Yeah, I told the guys at work." (Funny that my hubby started telling everyone before I did. Can you tell he's excited?)
H: "Oh really? What name did you tell them?"
S: "The one we talked about; I figured that you weren't going to change your mind." (Good thing he likes the name, right?)

So... we've known our boy's name for quite some time now, though we haven't been sharing it too readily (only because there's no name competition like there was when Leah was born. After all, she was one of SIX little girls born that March.).  And what is the name God revealed to me all those months ago? Hunter Logan. 

Happy 2nd Birthday, Leah!

 I have to explain the video: We're laughing because Scott, while showing Leah how to blow out the candles, did so himself. Oops.


My baby girl is now an official big girl; she turned two this past Thursday (3/10). The lucky girl celebrated her birthday over the course of several days; Thursday, she and I went out for a special birthday breakfast at Dunkin Donuts before picking up her flowers and then heading over to the library. That evening, once Scott got home, she opened gifts. 

We celebrated her birthday with both sets of grandparents on Saturday. Leah was in little girl heaven having all of us here to dote on her. The pictures share the celebration much better than I could, so enjoy!

Breakfast of big girls: donut holes!

We gave Leah the doll stroller for her birthday, and she wasted no time in putting it to use. After all that running around, her baby was thirsty.

Reading the new books we gave her.

Grandma Mel and Papa with the birthday girl

The birthday girl with both sets of grandparents: Grandma Mel & Papa, and Nama & Grandpa

I can't believe how big she is!

Having a tea party with Grandma Mel and all of Leah's animal friends.

Leah LOVES the tea set that Great Grandma Teddy gave her.

Coloring with Grandma Mel.

After opening the box, Scott asked Leah what was inside. The first thing she saw was the yellow plastic basket. Her response: "A potty."

Trying out her new tricycle. She loves it, but apparently I'm the only one allowed to push her on it. ("Daddy, no. Mommy push.")

Here's the Elmo cake I made. It turned out much better than I had anticipated thanks to Nanette's advice.

"Have it?"

Uh, guess she likes the cake. (She liked the ice cream and icing, at least!)

For today, a video

Here's a video snippet of Leah playing with her Barbie car... before snagging the camera from me. If you really want to see a longer version, let me know. Maybe I'll actually post that on FB! (The longer version includes actual footage that Leah shot. Obviously, it's not for those with weak stomachs.)

Phew!

We instantly knew that these butterflies would be the perfect addition to Leah's room.

The lamp on the left influenced the bedding choice. Thankfully, they all coordinated with my original color scheme of green, purple, and white.

I should also mention that Leah LOVES her big girl room, so making the transition in a couple of months should go (relatively) smoothly.

I don't have a before picture, but here are some after of our master bedroom. The walls were originally a pale yellow. It was pretty, but it didn't really coordinate with the blue, brown, and white color scheme.

To say last week was busy would be an understatement. It was beyond busy, and that with Scott being gone!

My mother-in-law (Mel) and Grandma came down last Sunday to help me with Leah while Scott was in Haiti on a mission trip. Aside from wanting to paint (the master bedroom and Leah's big girl room; Scott had NO IDEA), we didn't really have plans. Ideally, it was a time for them to love on Leah. Or so we had thought.

Mel and Grandma arrived late Sunday night, a change from their original departure plan due to the impending NY weather. What a blessing that they did, though! Monday morning, they had a chance to play and love on Leah while I ran errands. By the time Leah's nap rolled around, we were ready to paint (and I didn't feel as if Mel had to choose between time with Leah and helping me). (Too bad Leah didn't cooperate; she was so excited about Grandma Teddy and Grandma Mel that she didn't nap on Monday OR Tuesday.) That night for dinner, I had a chance to go out for a couple of hours, and when I returned home, Mel was hard at work (again) painting, so I joined her. I'm not exactly sure how late we stayed up, but we were running on adrenaline and sheer determination. After all, we wanted at least one day to relax before they had to leave!

Tuesday was a day of painting... literally. Again, we had the chance to trade off time with Leah (she and I baked cookies that morning while Mel and Grandma painted. Then, after another failed nap, Leah spent time with the Grandmas while I worked). Thanks to Mel and Grandma, we managed to finish painting the master bedroom just in time for the guys to move the furniture back (thanks to all my friends who loaned me their hubbies!). Maybe because of how the master turned out, or maybe because we wanted to finish as quickly as possible, Mel started painting Leah's (big girl) room while I took care of the dinner dishes. I wasn't about to let her do all the cutting in on her own that night, so I grabbed a paintbrush and together we knocked out the room in no time. We were pleasantly surprised by how quickly it went (the master took forever and required two coats). Obviously the room size made a difference, and we can only surmise that the white walls meant the green paint covered more-readily.

Wednesday was soon upon us, but it was finally a chance for us to play. That morning was supposed to be Grandma's anniversary, so to help her through the ache of missing Grandpa, we went to breakfast at Panera. Then we headed over to Target to pick out bedding and accessories for Leah's room. We had so much fun! Leah had a say in her room decor, and it all started with a lamp. Soon we had the bedding, wall art, and curtain valance (which reminds me. That's something Scott can take care of!). We couldn't wait to get back to the house to put them to use! While Leah napped (finally!), Mel and Grandma finished painting her room. I think it took maybe all of an hour. By the time they had finished, the sheets/ bedding were washed and ready to be placed on the bed. Then it was just a matter of waiting for the paint to finish drying so that I could hang the art and the frames (I had purchased those previously). Thankfully, we had just enough time to hang the photos between the time Leah got up and the time we left for dinner with my parents.

Phew! Just thinking about those three days exhausts me still! Thursday and Friday were a bit less hectic, but not much. Thursday morning, Mel and Grandma left. It was so hard seeing them go, especially since we had had such a good time together! (And might I add, I am so blessed to call them my in-laws. I am so grateful for their desire to help me paint and care for Leah.) After they left, Leah and I just relaxed and took it easy. Considering how the week had been, that was a much needed rest. Granted, I still managed to clean the house (the new paint inspired me to do the cleaning a few days earlier than planned) and run a couple errands, but those were almost like time fillers than anything else.

So... here we are now. I don't think I've quite recovered yet from the pace of last week, but I'm getting there. And now that Scott's home, I can sleep better at night. Plus, seeing the freshly painted and decorated rooms, and hearing Leah ask for Grandma Teddy and Grandma Mel, make it all worth it.