Awww I {heart} you too

Sweet Tricia at Lemons to Lemonade passed this awesome award on to me. I love Tricia’s blog and you should definitely go check it out!

Here is how this award works:
•To receive this award, promise to share this with 10 other BLOGS that you think are Trendy too.
•Post about your award in your blog.•List your Top 10 Trendy Blogs.
•Share with them.
•Leave a link to the Trendy Blog Button.
•Tell them they need to give this award out to 10 as well.Now I get to pass this award on to 10 blogs that I think are trendy.

Cindy at This Adventure, Our Life
Swistle at Swistle
Ally at Fourth Grade Nothing
Amy at Just Barely
Mona at kirida dot com
Tiffany at electric boogaloo
Angela at Life with Lane
Life is a SandCastle at Life is a SandCastle
Jenni at jenni from the blog
Aholic at Aholic

You trendies can get the button at the Trendy Treehouse.

Friday stuff

I am so, so happy that it's the weekend. I need the break after our no-rest weekend last week! Our only plans so far are a potential stop at middle sisters' house for Pie's pool debut. I can't wait to see what she thinks of the pool since she has always loved the tub so much. Plenty of pictures will be taken! Now on to business...

1. Blog Hop and a new Friday Follow...very exciting!!!

Welcome to Blog Hop Friday, hosted by My New Life As Mom, Chubby Cheeks Thinks, Take A Mom's Word For It, Bree Bee's, This Adventure Our Life and Belly Charms!

Friday Follow is hosted by Tami from Hearts Make Families, Ian from The Daily Dose of Reality, and Harriet from Harriet and Friends. It’s Friday Follow with a twist.

2. I rolled 100,000 miles on my car this morning. Not sure why that's important, but it seems noteworthy. It's the longest I've had a car, and by far the most miles I've ever put on a car. I do still love it though, despite the poor thing starting to show its age!
3. For everyone who was curious, I present you with the camper we stayed in this past weekend (you can read about it here and here)...drumroll please... ...and the front yard it was parked in. For clarification, the yellow bit is the original house and the other pieces are DIY additions.

4. And just because no post is complete without her, here's a quick shot of Pie being a chunky ham for the camera.

Hope you all have a safe and wonderful long weekend!!!

Husband, how I love you...let me count the ways

Despite having just read this post over at kirida dot com (number 3 in particular) I have to do this...

WAY 1: We have conversations like this...
Husband: the actual lyric - I have been around the world looking for that woman girl who knows love can endure.
Me: I hope you aren’t going out tonight looking for a woman girl
Husband: I’m not in the market for a woman girl right now
Me: Good. But if you come across any man boys slip them my number, will ya?
Husband: sure but I think you already have a man boy at home

WAY 2: You are willing to leave the house looking like this for a good laugh and a small cash prize...

WAY 3: You believe in me so much you had these made...
My very own post-its! Stacks of post-its with my header and the web address printed on them. I could have cried. They are so sweet and they speak to my nearly unspeakable love of office supplies.

WAY 4: Maybe more than anything is the fact that this is what Pie looks like when she sees you...

...and this...

There are so many more, but I'm sure the internets is already tired of me talking about it! What about you guys? What just gets you about your honey?

Wordless Wednesday

Pie takes a seat....

Things overheard on my trip

As I mentioned here Husband comes from a very small, rural, southern town. That results in overhearing a number of interesting things...

• Behave or ima git my spoon/switch/fly swatter
• They sure do favor (meaning, I learned, that they look alike)
• Lemme git the hose so ya'll can have water in the camper
• If she's not sleeping at night, just don't let her nap during the day (um, she's 4 months old...)
• Why won't she let Uncle Tater hold her? (That's right people, Uncle Tater)
• When you say 'I do' your life is second, the husband comes first. If he wants something to eat you stop what you're doing and make him something. (Told to a 19 year old cousin who is getting married this summer)
• She's WHAT?! (In response to my volunteering all of Pie's ethnicities. If I haven't mentioned that before she is, in order of percentage highest to lowest: African American, Caucasian, Chinese, and Native American)
• I still can't believe he went off and married a yankee. (Said with a sneer. Husband and I have been together for 12.5 years...it's time to let it go!)

There are soooo many more but these are a few of the highlights. Visiting his family is a very Twilight Zone experience for me. But usually results in some entertaining stories!

Here are a few more pictures from the trip. These are Pie hanging out in the camper and playing with her new favorite toy. Of course when I say 'playing' I mean trying to shove entirely into her mouth.

Where the hell are we mama!?

Oh mama, I didn't see you there. No, no I'm not trying to eat the bug's foot.

Rock stars and documentaries

We survived! And Pie was a rock star!!! She was so good. Better than we could have hoped. She slept for a good portion of the drive, both there and back. And was so good natured about all the strangers wanting to hold and touch her. I think Husband and I had a harder time with it than she did. I'm so relieved it's over and we're back home.

I won't talk about it much, but Husband's family (well mother really) and I don't get along...AT ALL! Seeing her is always a stress-inducing effort to refrain from comment or physical combat. The rest of Husband's family is sweet, just very different than what I'm used to. He is from a very small, very rural, VERY southern town. I am from Michigan, just outside of Detroit. One of these things is not like the other! He sincerely has family members whom I cannot understand because of their accent. I just smile and nod.

Husband has been away long enough that he can recognize how alien their whole, very limited, universe is. As we were trying to go to sleep (in the camper on his parents front lawn) on Saturday night he said, "I feel like there should be a documentary crew following us." I laughed and agreed, I don't think people would believe us otherwise!

Narrator (in Australian accent of course): The travelling herd has entered a den of rednecks. They don't appear afraid of being so completely out numbered. OH NO! OH GOD! The den has descended on the little one. The herd has no chance of fighting them back. Their only hope is to leave the little one behind and run for their own safety!

Here are a few pictures from our adventure....

This is how we used to travel.

This is how we travel now....
...and this

...and this

...and this. Poor love was hanging on for dear life since we were driving so fast to get back home!

All in all it was a good trip and a great trial run for our trip to the beach in July. It gave us a pretty good idea what to expect and what to have ready! One more thought, dear internet, what is the right response to someone who comments that your child is fussy/crabby/cranky when, in fact, your child is 4 months old, 4 MONTHS OLD, and simply hungry, wet, tired, or overwhelmed by being thrust in a group of strangers who all want to touch her? Shut it or I'll cut you, comes to mind....

Stuff...

1. Blog Hop...Hooray!

Welcome to Blog Hop Friday, hosted by My New Life As Mom, Chubby Cheeks Thinks, Take A Mom's Word For It, Bree Bee's, This Adventure Our Life and Belly Charms!

2. We are going to visit Husband's family tomorrow. They live about 5 hours away. Pie hates the car. (insert sound of quiet weeping here) I have my fingers crossed that we can manage to time things with her naps so that she sleeps through most of the driving. Wish us luck! As a side effect it may take me a day or two to catch up with everything (comments and blog hopping) but I promise I will!

3. I have become certain that Pie is attempting to break us through the use of cruel and unusual behavior. We had a few glorious days after starting the cereal when she slept like a champ. Now she goes down fine, but then wakes up every 30-45 minutes until about midnight, then will sleep a little bit, then back up. Rinse. Repeat. I have no idea what's happening. As soon as one of us picks her up she generally goes right back to sleep. Thoughts? Suggestions? Oh my brilliant internet friends, HELP!!!!

I should have known from the start that she was plotting something evil...

A belated gift

So Pie's birthmother called a few days ago and said she had a Mother's Day present for me and would like to drop it off. I was surprised, but said come on over.

When she arrived she had a big pink gift bag and a card. The card had a lovely note from her and one from Birthfather thanking us, and saying how happy they both were with how things worked out. It was very sweet.

Then I started to open the present. I'll admit I was a little scared...I had NO idea what it might be. And then I started to cry. Birthmother had taken each of the three ultrasound pictures she had and framed them for me.

To see Pie so tiny, and growing, and finally her sweet little profile was...overwhelming...profound...deeply touching...and so so special. Birthmother was very proud to give me a gift I so clearly loved and I was overwhelmed again at what a unique and important relationship I have with this person.

Now I just have to find the right place to put them.

Mostly Wordless Wednesday

After our appointment last Friday (which you can read about here), the doctor said we could start Pie on rice cereal. This is what happened....

Hi Mama, what's this? Where's my bottle?

What the hell Dada?
Well maybe it's ok...
Hulk mad...Hulk smash

Best shopping experience ever

Let me just start by saying this is not a "review" and I was not compensated in any way for this. I just had an awesome experience and am beyond thrilled with the end result, so I wanted to share. I'm even breaking my own anonymity rule to show you the final product.

I may or may not have mentioned that I am an Etsy junkie. I have been for quite some time, but the arrival of Pie has magnified my problem to a staggering level. I'm pretty certain that Etsy may end up being the end of me financially. "I'm sorry that we can't pay for you to go to college Pie, but look at this super cute t-shirt I got!"

In one of my searching adventures through Etsy, I found Elm Studios. It is a collection of the sweetest, clay pieces I've come across. I contacted them about doing two personalized wall hangings for me. Erin (who is Elm Studios) got back to me right away and chatted with me quite a bit to design the perfect pieces.

When I opened the box and saw the final art I cried. Husband got a little teary eyed too. I couldn't possibly be more happy with my one of a kind pieces. I've been telling everyone who will listen...and now I'm telling you! Go check out Elm Studios and Erin's work!

This piece is a personalized version of one of Erin's pieces. We worked together to pick out the colors and the text. So so happy with it!

This piece is completely custom. I told Erin that we call the little one Pie, and she came back with the art and the text. She asked where it would go (Pie's nursery) and what colors that room was. I told her and this is what she came up with. I was floored by the final product. I couldn't be more happy to have such a special piece for Pie's room. It makes us smile every time we look at it, and since it's over her changing table that's quite a bit!

Hello Kitty makes everything better

So Pie had her doctor's appointment on Friday. She's a chunky little monkey. 15.5 pounds and 25.25 inches! She was awesome through the whole appointment, flirting with our pediatrician and generally entertaining the office. She especially loved the paper covered exam table which sounds exactly like her favorite crinkle block. As soon as we put her down she started flinging frantically to make the crinkle noise. So cute. Then came the shots....duhn duhn duuuhhhnnn. Thankfully the nurse was really quick, it was like stick, stick...stick. Poor Pie screamed and screamed, but got two Hello Kitty band-aids out of the deal.

I only got this really fuzzy cell phone picture before I felt like an ass for trying to take a picture at all. But they were her first band-aids and they looked so cute on her fat little legs!

Bottom line is that she's awesome. Not that I needed the doctor to tell me that! I do have a question for all of you though. Pie gets crazy hot in her carseat. Really sweaty. The doctor said maybe a towel underneath her would help. Any other suggestions? Make that two questions...where does one get these mythical waterproof backed, terry cloth bibs you guys suggested?

In other news Cindy @ This Adventure, Our Life gave me my very first blog award (thanks Cindy!). Hooray!! I highly suggest you check out this blog...I love it! And while you're there take a second to vote for her beautiful Bailey!!

I will pass it on to:
Fakey's Blog
Finley and Oliver
Inside Dog

Fistful of Friday

Alright...here's a bunch of random stuff shoved into a single post....

1. Hooray for Friday Follow!!!

Welcome to the May 14 Friday Follow celebration hosted by One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades! We invite you to join us every Friday to get more blog followers and to follow other interesting blogs. It is all about sharing and having fun.
Here's how YOU can join the Friday Follow celebration:

* Link up your blog name and URL using the MckLinky [on their sites]. Only need to add on one blog to be seen on all the blog hops.
* Grab the Friday Follow button and include on your Friday Follow blog post.
* Follow the Friday Follow hostesses listed in the first 3 slots.
* Follow as many other blogs on the linky as you'd like
* Take a moment to comment on the blogs telling them you're from Friday Follow
* Follow back when you get a new follower through Friday Follow

2. Pie has a doctors appointment today. Four month check...that means shots. YIKES! Will give the full update later.

3. Snuggling with Husband yesterday and he says, "Hey, is that a gray hair?" And holy sh*t it was! And not just one! There were two!!!! Oh. My. God. My first and second gray hairs. Believe me I studied those bastards in a variety of lights (direct, indirect, natural, soft, florescent, spotlight, flashlight) to make sure they weren't blond. They weren't, as other false alarms have been. Gray hair...what's next...wrinkles?! Oh wait....

UPDATE: Jumped into the Blog Hop as well!



Welcome to the first, ever, edition of Blog Hop Friday, hosted by My New Life As Mom, Chubby Cheeks Thinks, Take A Mom's Word For It, Bree Bee's, This Adventure Our Life and Belly Charms! We invite you and your friends to link up every Friday and join us for a wonderful blog hopping adventure! We're all about making friends and having fun so come join us! Here's how you can join in on the fun;
Link up to your blog, using our inlinkz link list, below.
Follow the host/hostesses located in the first 6 slots.
Follow any other blogs that you feel appropriate! :)
Add the Blog Hop Friday button to your sidebar.
When following a new blog, please remember to leave a little personal comment love.
If you get a new follower, please feel free to reciprocate the love.

Anatomy of a pie

EXAMPLE 1:

1. Flaky, gorgeous crust
2. Pecan-y goodness...mmm....
3. Method employed to cram as much aforementioned pecan-y goodness into gob as is physically possible.

EXAMPLE 2:

1. Tickles/kisses/squeezes (t/k/s) here result in "AAACCKKK!"
2. T/K/S here result in the immediate pulling of arms against oneself as quickly as possible.
3. T/K/S here result in "heh heh HEH HEHHEHHEH heh." (Imagine an old man laughing and you'll be pretty close)
4. T/K/S here result in leg kicking at a frenzied pace.
5. T/K/S here result in flinging of various extremities and snorting in a very unladylike fashion.
6. T/K/S here result in little, sweaty toes being wrapped around your finger/nose/hand accompanied by a big, drooly smile.

PS - You are ordered to ignore the mess that is my living room! Ordered I tell ya!!
PPS - Also I'm trying out a signature...not sure how I feel about it. Thoughts?

Wordless Wednesday*

* except for captions...and that...and that....andthatandthatandthat....

Pie Blowing Bubbles

Pie Looking at Me

Pie Looking at Husband

Family Pic 1**

Family Pic 2**

Family Pic 3**

**Ignore all additional chins, folds, wrinkles, rolls and general roundyness, unless they belong to Pie.