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A night out with iFriends

Last night I had a glorious night out, including California Pizza Kitchen, talk about labor and delivery and iFriends. It was fabulous, except for the labor and delivery talk. Not that I have a problem talking about it. Apparently I DON'T have a problem talking about my "womanly parts" with virtual strangers. I can't even blame it on the liquor. Poor Tara.

If you'd like to see pictures on this blog, you're shit out of luck. I didn't take any. You can check out Krista. I would tell you to check out Sara, but she has cut me out of the picture. It must have been all that vagina talk.

Where did this year go?

I can't believe that we are already approaching the end of the year. Thanksgiving is over. Christmas is in 22 days. Its just craziness.

This time last year, I was just starting to get a baby bump big enough that people could tell I was pregnant and didn't just think I was fat. We were finishing up Annelise's nursery in our old house. I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of my beautiful little girl, and now I have this 8 month old on her way to being a big girl instead of a little newborn.

8 months is so much time for a baby. 8 months ago, she was small and helpless. She couldn't sit up, or even hold her head up. I can't believe all that she's accomplished in such a small amount of time. Even in the last month she has learned to

1. Feed herself (I use this loosely, more food ends up on the floor than in her mouth)
2. Drink from a cup
3. Roll over (she was doing this before, but now she'll go from one end of the room to the other end)
4. Get on all fours and rock back and forth
5. Army crawl
6. Get herself into a sitting position
7. Wave bye bye (she just started, so its not that consistent)

Its amazing what a difference a month makes, let alone 8 months!

Ok..so I haven't been that up to date..

I know that back in October I said I would write two letters a week to people I want to thank. First I had a hard time deciding who I'd write to first. Then I had a hard time writing it. Then I just kept forgetting...on purpose, which is really more like procrastination, isn't it? So I decided I'm just going to make this list of things I am thankful for. Here goes.

My amazing daughter, for teaching my true love, joy and happiness. For showing me the simple wonder of learning something new, whether it be big or small. For teaching me that everything can be made better by a smile and a cuddle.

My husband, for being an amazing dad. For being an amazing partner in life. For simply being amazing.

My dad, for always being a great dad, despite the hardships.

My mom, for teaching me to be a woman, even though you only had 19 years to do it.

My sister, for being my best friend.

My dog, for knowing just when to give me a nudge and a cuddle.

My aunt, for filling in when I needed a mom, or a big sister, or just a babysitter.

My friends, no matter how I met them, for always supporting me, and teaching me many things about life, love and motherhood.

I'm also thankful for my health and my happiness, for the house that we've made into a home, for the little luxuries in life like good coffee and good wine. I'm thankful for my large extended family, who love my daughter as much as I do. Most importantly, I am thankful that I have so much love and joy in my life that I will never want for anything.

Happy Thanksgiving.

What are you thankful for?

Yesterday I was reading Women's Day magazine (yes, I realize this makes me old. Shut it), and they had a great little article about being thankful. Several people had written thank you letters to various people in their lives, mostly for things that would largely go unnoticed. One was to a kindergarten teacher that had told them about the magic of Santa claus. Another was to a father that had sat with a little girl in the hospital during all her severe asthma attacks. These were all things that most of us would do, but probably would never get a thank you for.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, for the next month (starting November 1st), I'm going to try to write at least 2 of these letters a week, maybe more. I challenge all of you blog readers to do the same, even if its just one letter. This is a great time to sit down and really think about the people that have impacted our lives, big and small. So I ask you, my dear, sweet readers. What are you thankful for?

When did we grow up?

Today I attended a baby shower for a friend from high school. While I was sitting there, playing with my baby girl, talking to another friend from this same group that is pregnant, it hit me: we are growing up. Of this group of six girls, 5 are married, 2 have kids, 2 are having kids in the next 6 or 7 weeks, and I wouldn't be surprised if the other one is pregnant within the next year. This is just insane to me. I can remember the night we graduated from high school, all of us crammed into one girls apartment, drinking beer...I mean ginger ale.

To be honest, I keep going through all of these life changing events, convinced that one of these days I'll feel like a real adult. On the day of my college graduation, I felt like I was back in middle school, sitting the the school gym wearing my orange shirt and black skirt (yes, orange!), waiting for my "promotion" to high school. A year and a half after graduation, I got married. I sat in that chair at the salon, feeling like a 16 year old going to prom. I thought for sure having a baby would make me feel grown up. Then my husband and I built a house. We are homeowners. Now I'm definitely an adult, right? Nope, still feeling like a 16 year old.

I don't think I'll ever truely feel like a "grown up". The older I get, the less I think this is a bad thing. Maybe there is something to that teenage feeling of uncertainty and anxiety that keeps me on my toes a little more. Maybe when my children are in their teenage years, I'll remember what it was like a little better. Hopefully, it will keep me from being that adult that everyone hates, even the other adults. The one who is too self-assured, who thinks they are too wise, that they've lived so many more years than the rest of us. Please God, let me avoid that.

Seven months is not that long...

Seven months ago was our first night with Annelise in our lives. Its crazy to think that in seven short months she has changed so much. On March 22nd, she was 20 inches long and weighed in at 7 pounds 6 ounces. She was hooked up to a machine monitoring her breathing and had to have a feeding tube. She was so helpless and small.

Now, she is almost 29 inches long and weighs in at almost 17 pounds. She rolls over and sits up. She's working hard at moving in some way or another, but can't quite get the crawling thing down pat. She's a major Daddy's girl. She can be crabby and screaming and as soon as he walks in the room, she lights up like a Christmas tree.

I can't believe the time is going by so quickly. I feel like I'm going to blink and she'll be 18!