Grasping at Straws

I have a hard time choosing baby names. I don't know if it's the endless number of names there are to choose from? Or maybe it is the fact that my child will have to live with this name for the rest of her life whether she likes it or not (unless she should have the NERVE to change her first name the moment she turned 18, which would so NOT be cool)!? Or just that all of this responsibility lies on my (and Mikey's) heads forever and ever amen?

I guess I've always been one who likes to know all my possibilities to make sure I'm choosing the very best option... and frankly it's just impossible to read through ALL possible names on the entire planet! Okay, okay... maybe I don't really want to consider names from the whole planet... I don't think a Chinese name would be very appropriate for an American girl living in Africa. That would just confuse people.

Anyway, I FINALLY managed to read A to Z in a very large baby name book. And I jotted down 103 of my favorite names. You know... just a few that caught my eye. Now, I admit that most of these names I just like and don't LOOOOOVE for my daughter... but what about possible future daughters? I wrote down any name that sparked my interest merely for the reason that I wouldn't have to read A-Z baby girl names EVER AGAIN! If I should ever conceive and bear another daughter... the beginning of the name 'leg-work' is already done. 102 to choose from for possible daughter number 2 (assuming we choose a name for current daughter from this list!). That is a heckuva lot less than the 324,655,758 I just read. And I like being ahead of the game. It brings peace and joy to my heart.

AAAANNY-WAAY... By the time I got to the end of the alphabet... the names were starting to get ridiculous. And I like weird names. I mean, those editors must have really been grasping at straws to fit in 'just a few more names' to their already seemingly endless list. Wava? Really? That is a name? And Xiao? It was noted alongside this name that it is Spanish in origin, and also that the meaning is unknown. Might I also add that the pronunciation of this name is unknown? Forget that we don't know what it means... HOW DO YOU SAY IT?!!

Yaa, Yepa, Zez, and Zone and a few other examples worthy of note. I mean, I even feel funny capitalizing the supposed name 'Zone.' What if she grew up to be a basketball player and played man-to-man and zone defense and then she had a fired up Dad on the sideline who was trying to remind her which kind of defense to play? You get the picture.

So, the list-narrowing-down will soon commence. And I pretty much can guarantee that 98.9 percent of the names, when proposed to my husband, will be met with a scowl. Or a confused look. Or a look of disbelief. Or a blank face. (No offense honey, but you're not too open minded about names.)

But in the end, we'll choose a name for our precious daughter, and we'll love it, and we'll love her forever and ever amen.

Bubble Gox

52. The house was 52 degrees when we woke up on Saturday! Burrr!! Actually, Mikey was all bundled in a quilt on the couch and I felt fine. This little heater in my belly is really keeping me warm!

Anyway... it was the day of the Harvest Festival... but it was so cold! So, we bundled up! I explained to H that it was cold so he had to wear more clothes than he EVER had in his entire life. (That would be a long-sleeve onesie, a sweater, a vest, and jeans) And that he would also get to wear two pairs of socks! Double socks!! Yay!!! I made it sound so fun!!

"Bubble gox?" he asks

"Yes dear, you get to wear double socks today because it's sooooooo cold outside!"

"Ohhh... bubble gox."

And that was the beginning of it. The end of it has yet to come! Since then it's been bubble gox this and bubble gox that.

I love my boy and his bubble gox. He makes me smile.

He's One of Us

It was one of those afternoons. When I had things to do and H wanted to do them ALL right alongside me. So, when we went downstairs to do laundry and he didn't come back up with me... I asked no questions. Can you blame me really? He was playing alone! (and, I did know that there was nothing that could harm him down there!)

A little while later, the silence was killing me (and giving me LIFE all at the same time) and I decided I should investigate.

This is what I found.





Yes folks. My son is certainly is one of us. He's totally 'into' games as much as his Mommy and Daddy!

And, I'll have you know... I took this picture and then made no effort to stop his playing. Yes, I had a big mess to clean up later... but I think it was totally worth it! Not only for my peace and quiet but also so he could begin to formulate his Risk strategy.

:)

Joe (G.I. Joe, that is)

Yesterday Joe entered our lives for the first time. He was a party favor at a baby shower. I had no idea how quickly he would become part of our family.

Joe showed up at the breakfast table first thing in the morning, and I heard myself say "No, no... don't put Joe in your breakfast please, H."

Then I paused to contemplate the strange sentence I had so naturally just uttered.

But then, later in the day, disaster struck. Joe's leg fell off. Call the paramedics! We have to get him to the hospital!! He was inconsolable. Literally. He stood by while I frantically tried to re-insert Joe's leg into it's socket. "Joe, Joe!" The cries continued from my little boy. Tears rolled. His pleading eyes met with mine. He was trusting me to make him better. My heart broke in a thousand peices.

"Fix, Mama, Fix... JOOOOOOE" *sob, sob*

"Oh Mikey, if there has been anytime when we need you to be home... it's now!!" I thought.

"We need you!!!... JOE needs you!!"

Well, all the medical attention (and prayers) didn't work (really... we sat at the table, held hands, and prayed for Joe to be healed right before we said "Thank you Jesus for this dinner" and "Bless Daddy while he travels.")

Joe is now hidden on my boy's top bookshelf. My only hope is that my compassionate boy will forget about Joe until we can fix him or find a replacement Joe. *gasp* As if the Joe shaped hole in our hearts could ever be filled by just any plastic soldier...

Sundey Chair

Today is Sunday, and I decided it's time to spent a few hours in my Sundey Chair.

The tradition started a few years ago, when Mike and I settled into our little house just north of downtown for the first time. Sunday afternoon would roll around... he'd be tinkering around the house and I'd relax, read, snooze, and veg in my Sundey chair. Sometimes all day. It was glorious.

What makes a regular chair into a Sundey Chair? Well, first you must remove the cushion on the back. This makes it a really deep chair... perfect for sinking in and snuggling with a pillow and blanket. Second, you must stack all your supplies within arms reach. Books, computer, Sunday's ads, telephone, candle, and a hot drink are all necessary. Just so long as you don't have to get up for any reason. Any reason at all.

So, today... here I am... lounging, enjoying a couple hours I have before my peanut wakes up from his nap. My Sundey Chair doesn't see many visits from me these days... life's pace is a little different with a toddler... but oh, am I happy to be spending time here today...

A Whole New Deal...

So, from what I hear, raising boys is totally different from raising girls. Well, we're about to do our own little experiment! Lord have mercy!

Our sweet Christmas baby is a little girl, and we are thrilled! Oh... to think of all the clothes shopping in my future! Of course, we will need to start saving for a wedding (although Mike's strategy is just to indoctrinate her her entire life that tiny, cheap weddings are the only way to go). But we'll see about that...

Here she is! In all her one-pound, 22 week cuteness.











And now begins the naming challenge...
:)

Big Boy in a Big Bed

My boy had his first night in a 'big boy' bed earlier this week. He was really excited during the day when I showed him his new bed. He loves that he can climb in all by himself.





He went to sleep with no problem, and when we checked on him before we went to to bed he was literally stretched out as much as possible (for a tiny tot). Arms straight up above his head and legs and feet stretched straight down. As if we'd been confining him in his crib and now he finally was FREE FREE FREE to stretch out.
he he

Anyway, I heard some noise at 4am and decided to take a peek. Somehow he had overcome the obstacle of the bed rail, fallen (or climbed) out of bed and was curled up on his tummy sound asleep on the hardwood floor.

Oh my goodness.

Luckily, since then... it's been going better. :)