Monday's memories

Ah, today.  It could be remembered by the 3 potty training accidents, 2 diaper blow-outs, or the partially-digested toddler sock that Justin discovered the dog had left in the laundry room.  Eyes that fought to close, a baby with a bellyache who just wanted to be held, the difficult-to-do-with-a-baby-strapped on chores, the sinking feeling that all of last week's hard work was already undone.

When my phone buzzed with Justin's 7 pm "leaving now" text, I chuckled to myself that it was the only extra piece I needed to fulfill that country song: "Dog's barkin', phone's ringin', One kid's cryin', one kid's screamin.'"

Both girls are now sweetly slumbering (having resolved the baby bellyache and toddler frustration at having to  put her books on the shelf before bedtime), and I finally had two hands to fold some laundry, changed into my favorite (now clean) pajamas, and read a few blogs.  One of my favorite bloggers, Kathryn at Team Whitaker, is hosting a "Week in My Life 2014" link-up, so I decided to jump on board and reflect on my day (and maybe some other days...we'll see how the week goes!)

I could go the play-by-play route, including the aforementioned frustrations, but I know that's not what I want to memorialize.

It's these, these moments.

Of sisterly love.

Of sharing the excitement of holiday celebrations.
(you wish you got to wear a turkey hat to work)

Of delighting at having a helper (and getting to "do it mineself").
Of enjoying a beautiful sunny day without coats in November (!) and appreciating nature and feeding the birdies.

 Of little conversations and hearing a growing creative imagination:

"Dis an egg, and dis a birfday cake!"
"Who's birthday is it?"
"It's you's birthday!  Happy birfday, mommy dear!" (singing)

(The third rock was deemed applesauce, my birthday came and went and we celebrated a collective birthday of Pop/Uncle/Mumsie, she cut the cake with her finger (which she called a knife but operated like scissors), and then the egg/birthday cake/applesauce turned into presents, wrapped with the free address label stickers I had just gotten out of the mailbox).

It's that toddler dialogue, the funny mispronunciations, the bright eyes discovering the world, that bring so much joy to my days.

It's those moments, the ones that are the reason that the chorus of that aforementioned barkin'/cryin' country song is as follows:

You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These Are Some Good Times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this

Miss it, yes.  And sadly, forget it, too (at least in the vivid details I wish I could retain).  The specific details of each little toddler comment are already fading (I really wish I could remember what she was telling Julia this morning in that first picture!)  Thanks, Kathryn, for the inspiration to make a little time capsule this week :)

Check out more Week in My Their Life here.

Trick-or-treat with Dr. Anna

I've been feeling a little disenchanted with blogging this week, which is why you haven't heard from me since Sunday.  I think that when things are going well (which, praise the Lord, they are right now), I really struggle with communicating that without sounding braggy.  I think that sharing much of anything right now feeds my guilt at how well I've felt postpartum with both girls, as well as how blessed we've been with easy babies (6 consecutive hours of sleep at 2.5 weeks, what?!?)  I've also found that my limited free time is often devoted to other things I want to accomplish, and my evening computer time is accompanied by a sleeping baby on my lap (she's a pretty good sleeper, but refuses to do so in her crib until midnight) which makes blog reading much easier than blog writing.  I considered canning the blog all together, but that seemed a little rash, and I can't quite stay away.  So, just a quick update for tonight, with a general disclaimer that I hope you know that anything I (ever) write comes from wanting to share my joy at the blessings we've been given, and that I'm very aware that they're just that - blessings - that I have done nothing to deserve.



A belated Happy Halloween from Dr. Anna!  She'll be happy to "check you's heart beep with mine steffascope?"

I discovered that my childhood frustration of ruining the perfect costume with the necessary warm layers to gallivant around after dark at the end of October is matched only by the frustration as a parent trying to get that many layers on your toddler and still have them look like anything other than a marshmallow.  

Taking her trick-or-treating was SO much fun.  She totally embraced the idea and loved knocking on people's doors and was less shy than I anticipated about the whole thing.  Our favorite moment of the night was (after receiving a mini bag of pretzels a few houses down) she looked up at a lady offering her a selection from a bowl of chocolate and said "have any pretzels?"  Most of the people Anna visited were really excited by a pint-sized doctor, her enthusiasm, and her willingness to linger and chat about her outfit, which was, I'm guessing, a nice change from the crowds of tweens in half-hearted costumes (c'mon, people, you can do better than just a flannel shirt!) rushing from door to door.

I love sharing traditions with Anna, and love even more getting to relive things through the eyes of  child.

I have so many happy memories of trick-or-treat night.   My mom always had warm soup on the stove and her fall-scented candle burning.  There was always such excitement and anticipation in the air about our costumes (we took costumes very seriously; I wish I had pictures here of some of my mom's amazing creations to share), and somehow my dad always managed to be home from work in time to join in the fun (which is a significant part of the memory because he was on call - and had to often leave to do surgery - for so many holidays, birthdays, etc. over the years), and had fun surprises of his own, like the year he drove home from work in a rented gorilla suit, or the year he stood leaning against a tree in the front yard in a scarecrow costume, perfectly still until someone reached into his candy basket.

I hate anything scary, so it's somewhat ironic to say that some of my happiest childhood memories are from Halloween.  The fun of the costumes, the feel of the crisp fall air, the glow of the jack-'o-lanterns....that is what I remember so fondly and what I'm so excited to share with Anna.  I know that there are families who choose not to observe Halloween, and I respect if they've made that decision for their family, but this article (Why the Devil Hates Halloween - and why he wants you to hate it too) really resonated with me.  Then again, is anyone surprised that I like the idea of a return to the simple goodness of the past?  ;)

More costume fun here:  2011, 2012, 2013, and some college memories.  We hope to resume our annual Halloween party next year!

The quintessential mom moment

I feel like posting these pictures on the tails of my last post make it sound like I've really mastered the whole super-mom thing, but keep in mind what's not pictured, including my extensive (like, most of the day) weekend napping that came as a result of the (now obviously false) labor symptoms I had Friday and Saturday that made us think Julia's arrival was imminent.

Although it's still clear that a baby is coming sooner rather than later, I'm now feeling more of the few-days timeline than a few-hours timeline that seemed the case over the weekend.  Now we're hoping she'll hold out until Thursday when my mom arrives in town (meaning Anna-care during labor will be less of a logistical feat) but either way I've finally reached a point where I'm pretty much ready!  The hospital bag is packed, the girls' clothes are (almost) all put away, I know where all of the baby essentials are, and the freezer is full of frozen meals.

For the first time since February?  March?  when we started preparing for the house sale, I felt like my day's to-do list was normal upkeep and didn't involve packing, unpacking, rearranging, or significant deep-cleaning.  Naturally, I didn't quite finish everything - blame the fact that capitalizing on the all-too-fleeting opportunities to nap always sounds better than cleaning a bathroom - but it was still a good day.

In addition to maximizing my napping, I've been trying to soak up all of the one-on-one time I have with sweet Anna, and to do fun things with her that we won't have time to do in the next month or so.

Today, her first go-round with baking cookies.  As I snapped these pictures, it definitely felt like a quintessential mom moment, one of those times where I want to freeze time and soak up her excitement and observations and cute comments as she experiences something new - something so simple, and yet so exciting.

The chocolate on my chin is my favorite part.

She's pleased with the results (although most of the pictures from this series have her with her finger pointing at me, saying "show Anna camera, see Anna picture pees!")

Mama's pleased with the new camera lens, too!  (This last shot and the first one were from my trial photo-shoot with the new nifty-fifty).

And finally, less photographic quality, but even more joy: how much fun is it to see these two delight in each other?

So excited to see the love and excitement multiplied with another sweet girl...any day now :)  Thanks for your prayers for a safe & healthy delivery!

Game changers

Apparently I'm on a blogging kick recently...but no promises once the baby comes!!  :)

A few random thoughts from this evening:

I FINALLY got my hair cut (by a professional, although Anna did offer "Anna cut it." as I was on my way out the door).  I realized that the last time I remembered to have it cut was November...partly because it was a busy year and I guess I just didn't think about it, and partly because I was on my Downton Abbey kick and imagined that I would grow it out and have all of these beautiful up-dos.  But really, I just grew it out and had lots of half-hearted messy buns.

But no longer!

(Yes, huge belly is still there, just not pictured.  If you need a visual on the bump or the messy "before" hair, check out the last post).

So it's amazing how much better I feel to have a legitimate hair-do (and one I'll actually keep up with since it can now be blown dry in under 5 minutes).  Somebody remind me in 2 months to just go get it cut!  Every time I've gone through a let's-try-long-hair phase, I end up hating all of the pictures of that period in retrospect.  

Now I just need to find someone to paint the toenails I can no longer reach, and I'll be all pampered and pretty and ready to welcome Miss Julia.

The house...is not pampered and pretty.  I didn't get nearly as much done this week as I hoped, BUT I'm cutting myself slack because I managed to catch a cold.  I joked/complained to my doctor at my appointment today that I was more of a wimp with an unmedicated cold than my unmedicated childbirth, and then she told me that I was actually allowed to take nasal decongestant spray.  !!!!  Between that and the haircut I feel like a totally new woman.  Maybe even one who's ready to conquer all the clean-up tomorrow.  Somehow, my love of folding laundry does not translate to a love of putting laundry away...we've got at least 4 basket of clean, folded laundry that needs to go into drawers.  And a whole bin of baby clothes, which have now at least made it from the basement to the first floor!  And every article of clothing Anna owns is strewn around her room because a) I haven't decided where I'm storing it yet and b) she has taken that as her cue to repeatedly change outfits all day long (with large stretches of toddler nudity for good measure).  Maybe by the end of the weekend I can give you some actual "after" photos of the space we're living, instead of just silly hair-cut afters :)

Let's see, other game changers...when I was looking through my photo files this evening, I realized what a difference it has made to have a good camera.  The pictures are so much better quality, and I end up having more because I feel that it's worth the time to take it out and take some shots since they turn out decently.  Here's a few recent favorites (enjoy, Mom!)  I also just ordered a "nifty fifty" lens, which has gotten rave reviews for taking newborn photos and pictures of kids in general.  Stay tuned.

Enough rambling for one day.  Goodnight!

Oh, except for those of you who aren't on Facebook didn't see this gem that I found while reviewing my August pictures:

Big, Bigger, Biggest: Beds, Bumps, and Progress

Can anyone think of a synonym for "progress" that starts with B?  It would have made this post title that much more catchy.....

(Esoteric side note - Kathy, do you remember how long it took us to come up with "Rooms and Routes" for the cards in my wedding invitations to match "Reception" and "RSVP?")


Anyway, this weekend saw a lot of BIG things happening.  Primarily, we can thank Justin's mom and her excellent Anna care - Justin and I forgot how much we can accomplish when not simultaneously chasing a toddler!


The first big thing - Anna got a big girl bed!  We were planning to keep her in the crib for a while longer (using the pack & play bassinet for Julia at first) but then she started attempting to c-l-i-m-b out, and I was afraid of her falling.  Our hosts have a toddler bed, and we started talking up how exciting it would be to use that when we moved upstairs.  Then, Gigi (Justin's mom!) found an amazing deal on a toddler bed at a yard sale, and besides the great price, it also matches our crib for future sister room-sharing coordination, so we were pretty excited about that find!  Anna spent a lot of today saying "Gigi brought present!  Big dirl bed!  Anna big dirl bed!  Happy birfday Anna!"

I made her crib sheets (using this tutorial as a starting point and also putting elastic at the bottom of the flat sheet, as per my wise friend Deanne's recommendations).  I will note that Anna picked the fabric entirely on her own.  She was in the stroller at Jo-Anns and when I pulled up to the clearance fabric section she pointed at this one and said "Anna!  blankets!  Anna!"  I had told her we were going to buy sheets on that outing, but I had the pre-made department store type in mind.  I was pretty impressed at her shopping - she not only found fabric that matched her existing quilt perfectly, it was on sale for $4 a yard, and she was smart enough to tell me that homemade would be better :)  In true last-minute fashion, I was still adding the elastic while Justin gave her a bath, and she was already getting her pajamas on when I selected the scrap of fabric for the pillow case (anything for a photo shoot, you know!) and quickly sewed that together in time for her to run in and see the bed all made up.

She was more than a little bit excited.

She's now soundly asleep in her bed.  There were moments during the falling asleep process that made me consider starting Julia in a toddler bed so we never have to do the crib to bed transition (kidding!!) but overall it went pretty well.  Her whole nighttime routine has been pretty inconsistent with the move, so now that we're getting settled upstairs, I'm hopeful that it will be a relatively smooth transition.


On to other big things: let's talk about the belly.  I haven't posted a bump shot in a long time, and finally remembered to get Justin to take one tonight.

I mostly wanted to have a side-by-side comparison because I'm convinced I'm much smaller this time around, but it's hard to tell comparing a picture to me looking in the mirror.

The picture above (from tonight) is 36 weeks, 4 days.  Here's one from the last go-round, at 35 weeks, 0 days:

Maybe it's not visually obvious, but I do feel like the bump is smaller.  Objectively, it is at least a little smaller, as Anna always measured two or three weeks ahead at my appointments, and Julia has been right on.  According to the scale, I'm about the same weight, but I know from the way that certain items fit (or didn't fit in Anna's case) that I'm definitely smaller.  Maybe I have more muscle this time?  Or my brain got bigger?  ;)  Also - I still have my rings on!  I'm super excited about this fact, and hoping that I can keep the swelling down enough to leave them on until the end.  With Anna, I switched to a cheapo Target ring (you know, because of the potential scandal of having a big belly and no ring, haha) which fit my ring finger snugly during my last 6 ish weeks with her and later fit on my thumb after pregnancy.  I COMPLETELY forgot to type it in my last post, but the air conditioning here has been one of the most amazing perks for which I am most grateful, and probably why I'm not the blimp I was at this stage with Anna.

Anyone want to take some guesses on weight and date for the birth?  For comparison sake, Anna was due August 30, born September 3 and weighed 9 lbs 13 oz.  I'm due this time on October 1.  I'm obviously thinking (hoping?) Julia will be smaller - so much so that I went and bought some newborn-sized outfits yesterday.  (Anna came home from the hospital in one that was size 3 months; since we knew in advance she was going to be a big girl, we only had 1 newborn outfit that fit her for about 2 days).  Oh, and people have commented that I'm still carrying pretty high up - don't be fooled.  Without my (life-saving, incredible) belly band on, the belly sags much lower!  Feel free to enter your guesses for weight and date in the comments and enter to win the grand prize of bragging rights if you're the closest :)


Final big news around here:  progress!  I feel like I can now see the light at the end of the home set-up tunnel, and the thought of potentially early labor no longer makes me panic.  I feel like by the end of this week, I can be to the point where my main to-do item can be spending time with Anna and waiting for the big day :)

Things took a while because this happened:

I told you I was a crazy nesting lady.

Every time we saw the room that we're using as our master bedroom, our hosts would apologize profusely for the paint, and I would laugh and reassure them that it was the same color I picked for our old bedroom.  They said that they didn't mind the color (although it was a bit darker than they would have liked) but that the paint itself hadn't been done well by the previous owners.  I didn't really notice until we moved some of the furniture and then I realized that I agreed - the paint must have been the world's cheapest paint possible because everywhere someone had ever looked at it, it had a smudge (not really, but every where someone touched it wouldn't be an exaggeration).  So, off I went to Lowe's and set off on painting that room (a slightly lighter shade of the existing color), the two closets, and the attached bath.  And then, since I was on a roll, I also painted Anna's room - I went with the same color it already was, just a fresh coat to cover all of the natural consequences of walls that house 2 boys!  I finished painting yesterday, and also finished almost of the items on my ridiculous cleaning to-do list (let's blame nesting again....obviously a newborn is going to care if I've dusted each individual slat on all the blinds, right??)  So, yes, big progress!  I'll post some pictures of our rooms soon, once I do a day or two more worth of work to finally put Anna's clothes in drawers, remove some empty cardboard boxes, etc.

So, that's all, folks.  What's big in your lives this weekend?

With gratitude

So after all the ice buckets, it seems like the next big thing on Facebook is to challenge friends to do a little "count your blessings" exercise, listing 3 things for which you're thankful everyday for 5 days.  When I was challenged, I felt a little awkward about posting it on Facebook, but it somehow feels different to do it here (you all knew this site was going to be very Emily-centric when you clicked on over, but you didn't necessarily bargain for that in your newsfeed).  I'm going to morph the rules a bit and write a gratitude post of 15 things, rather than 5 different Facebook updates.

Incidentally, I was having a rough morning when I decided that I should do this.  It was one of those days when I seemed to wake up with less energy than I went to sleep with, and I couldn't help but look down at my ticking time-bomb of a belly and wonder how in the world I'd ever get things settled before the baby makes her arrival.  (Side note, I was further progressed at my 36 week check-up yesterday than I was at 39 weeks with Anna.  This probably doesn't mean anything besides this isn't my first baby....but the knowledge that I'm already beginning to move towards delivery isn't exactly comforting when absolutely nothing is ready!)

Anyway, I thought about the challenge, and started to wonder if I would participate by listing my blessings.  This was before I decided to do a blog post, so it was mostly a thought experiment since I felt awkward about the whole Facebook thing.  I thought of a thing or two, and suddenly I had a flood of ideas.  And with the ideas, true gratitude and a brand-new wave of energy and enthusiasm.  It was such a cliche moment, but I started to realize that all of the things that were stressing me out were minor side effects to major blessings - blessings that many people would love to have.

We can all check the news and give a sort of superficial "oh, I'm so thankful for my nice life" but until you actually make yourself stop and think - but for the grace of God, there am I - it's hard to acknowledge that we COULD be the ones stranded on a mountain and being persecuted, or the ones dying of incurable diseases, or the ones struggling to decide between payments life-saving drugs or food for the family.

There are obviously so many more blessings in my life than could fit in a 15-point list.  Some of the things (ice cream, Emily, really?) are not nearly as important as others that I left out (not being persecuted, for one), but this isn't an exhaustive list, nor is the order particularly relevant.  But one thing's for sure - it's all things I'm very glad I have, and the big - and little - joys in life that, when I remember to keep them in perspective, really turn a bad day around.

(1)

That I have thus far been able to conceive, carry, and deliver healthy babies.  I know that the minor discomforts of pregnancy are nothing compared to the crosses of infertility and miscarriage, crosses that so many people have to carry.

(2) 

As I strive to create a comfortable and loving home, I recognize all the more what an incredible blessing it was to grow up in a home that was exactly that.  Unlike so many of our peers, my siblings and I never had to wonder if my parents loved each other or us.  And my parents are still amazing and will do things like drive 5 hours each way to spend the entire weekend running a carpet cleaner and carrying things up 2 flights of stairs.

(3)

This incredible man deserves a bullet point all of his own, but I also couldn't help but reflect on the amazing blessing of marriage in general.  Justin and I will often note how thankful we are - both that we don't have to go to the trouble of searching for someone, but also to have the security of each other's love and the knowledge that, come what may, we will be have someone by our side to weather those storms.  After discovering Marie Miller's song "6'2" in quick take posts last week, I can't stop listening to it.  It touches me with a haunting remembrance of the time of longing and of uncertainty, of wondering if my wonderful prince charming would ever come along.  (Spoiler alert, he did).

(4)

Justin often jokes that I'm solar-powered, and I am definitely very affected by the presence (or lack thereof) of sunlight.  I'm thankful for the glorious windows in this house, including a 2-story wall of windows in the living room, and this beautiful patch of sun where Anna and I get to eat lunch and watch our birdie friends dine outside.

(bonus picture - Justin would sometimes take me to the growth chamber in his lab at Cornell, which was basically a big, wonderful box of sunlight intended primarily for growing plants but also very effective for wife mood improvement on grumpy winter days)

(5)

This is one of my favorite pictures, ever.

Sometimes I just stop and reflect on how many amazing people who have come into our lives over the years.  We have some incredible family and friends, spanning childhood, high school, college, career, Ithaca, etc.  I've had the moments where I stop and think - "wow, these people really want to spend time with ME?!"  

(6)

It's hard to fathom the blessing that Jesus Christ is present - body, blood, soul, and divinity - to us in the Eucharist.  And, what a comfort to know that in every Catholic Church in the world, a little red candle burns, reminding us that there He waits in the Tabernacle.  Our new parish is right at the end of the road into our neighborhood, and so I pass it every time I drive anywhere, and I find just driving by Him to be a blessing.

(Photo from my incredible friend (see #5) Meg's site - go here to read her awesome reflections on the Eucharist, all of which have helped me to grow in my understanding and appreciation of this gift!)

(7)

Yesterday, both Anna and I had check-ups at the "dod-dors off-ice" and it reminded me how thankful I am that we have access to quality healthcare, and that we have been able to find pediatricians and OB-GYNs both here and in Ithaca that we really like.

(8)

It's been a joy to see Justin embark on a job that he loves and one where he absolutely excels.  (He'll tell you he's still just figuring out how this whole professor thing works, but I can tell that this is truly his vocation and that his gifts are perfectly aligned in this position.)  

Side note - he does not regularly drink champagne in the classroom, but this picture (from his PhD defense) is the only relevant picture I have.  Second side note / secondary benefit - I do not complain about how handsome he looks everyday all dressed up for work :)

(9)

ICE KEEM!!

My thoughts exactly, Anna.

(10)

(Of the thousands of hours I've logged, apparently this is the only photographic proof of me having ever used a computer)

It can be a distraction and a temptation to waste time, but more often than not I'm grateful for the Internet and all it does to keep me connected to family and friends - and even new friends.  Skype lessens the blow of Anna being hours away from her grandparents, and seeing even quick status updates from friends across the country makes it feel like they're not thousands of miles away.

(11)

Pictured here: my new Eucharistic devotion medal (#6) that I ordered from Etsy (#11) with the gift card that the lovely ladies  (#5) from our mom's group in Ithaca gave me as a going away present.

The ability to buy everything we need (and most of the things we want).  After a grocery trip, I'm amazed by the bounty of opening the refrigerator.  And with pregnancy + toddler + economically depressed town, I've become (more) dependent on online shopping - thank you, Amazon...and sorry, Mr. Postman.

(12)

It is so amazing to watch Anna learn and develop.  In the last month, her verbal abilities have just exploded, and having a window into her little brain has been so much fun.  She was SO excited about her second birthday this week, and it was fun to be able to celebrate with her and know that she understood what was happening (I still hear her wishing herself "Happy Birfday, Anna!" from her crib as she falls asleep at night).  Hearing her count to ten for the first time was an incredible moment.  I'm thankful both for her development, and for having a front-row seat to watch it all.

(13)

We might not have everything set-up yet, but we've already reaped a lot of benefits from the house where we're staying for this year (like this beautiful view from the front porch).  I feel like I'm living in the lap of luxury with a garage, a garbage disposal, and a master bathroom.  We might be spoiled after this year!

(14)

I have to admit that I'm easily annoyed (at least internally) by people who are (by choice rather than health) extremely picky eaters.  I'm thankful that - first of all - none of us have any food allergies, but also that Justin (and, for the most part, Anna) is an adventurous eater who honestly enjoys everything, including fish, vegetables, beans, meat, salad, etc.  It makes certainly makes cooking healthy meals a lot easier (and more fun).

(Back story about that photo - it was from the first time I made dinner (granted, it was just frozen chicken fillets and steamed broccoli with some reheated potato casserole that someone had generously brought to us) after Anna was born, and I absolutely felt on top of the world).

(15)

My creative hobbies - from sewing to home renovation - bring me a lot of enjoyment, have saved us money on things like curtains and decor (savings probably negated by my extensive stash of unfinished projects), and have resulted in a lot of neat finished products for ourselves and for gifts.  I'm grateful that my mom passed along the interest and the know-how of working with my hands.

Bonus gratitude: my awesome mother-in-law is currently visiting, so Anna will have grandma time tomorrow morning while exhausted mama and daddy sleep in and I don't have to feel guilty about how long this post took me to write and how late I (accidentally) just stayed up!

---

I guess part of this thing is that I'm also supposed to nominate some people to count their blessings.  It honestly was a really worthwhile use of my time and gave me a much needed "attitude adjustment."  So - I encourage everyone to take some time and do it.  Any one else want to write a post?  My blog-friends in similarly crazy stages in life (when - I know - it's easier to lose track of this big picture)?  Mandy?  Ellen?  Rosie?  Rachel?

P.S. Thanks, Maria, for the challenge :)

Anna goes to the zoo!

As I promised last week, for anyone who made it through my extensive update post, here is your reward in the form of Anna at the zoo pictures.

Last week, I got hit pretty hard by a cold virus that had me spending most of the day in bed for the better part of the week.  On Thursday, I thought I was feeling better, but about a half hour after breakfast, I found myself asking Justin if he would watch Anna so that I could take a nap.  I awoke 3 hours later to find a note saying "At the zoo.  Took sunscreen, cell phone, snack, water.  Love you."  My heart swelled with thankfulness for such a thoughtful and wonderful husband who even thought to preempt my type-A worrying that Anna might get hot or sunburned (and thankfulness also for the relative calm-before-the-storm he has work wise before the semester starts; I won't be able to take leisurely naps, sick or not, in a few weeks!).

When he showed me all of the pictures he took at the zoo, I couldn't help again but be so thankful for this wonderful man - such a great daddy - and for our sweet little girl!  We have both been enjoying Anna's recent developments communication and understanding of the world, and it's so much fun to see her discover things and delight in the little joys of life.  These pictures were just too cute not to share :)

This was Anna's first trip to the zoo.  On the way, Justin was asking her if she wanted to go to the zoo and see animals.  He said she lit up and said "doggies?!"  Sweet girl was in for a surprise that there were "MON KEEEEYS" and "ele pents" and "fishies" to see, as well as a dinner date (with some shared "ICE KEEM!") with daddy on the way home.

Although most of these shots are of her back, I love that you can see her excitement and interest just from her poses.  Sorry if they come out sort of grainy, they're from Justin's cell phone.

Apparently, shortly after this, the baby monkey headed right for Anna and she got scared and ran back to Justin.
(Anna tells me: "Monkeys.  ehh ehh (her fake cry sound).  Daddy.  Up pease."