by all appearances this is turning into a fashion blog

I consider it one of my responsibilities as a mother to instill in Annabelle the importance of wearing holiday appropriate clothing. We started off Father’s Day weekend in this little getup.

Sunday rolled around and Sesame realized that she had forgotten to order her father’s gift. She’s so busy during the day sitting in her swing and being carried around in her royal chariot (aka my arms) that it’s totally understandable it slipped her mind. Thankfully we remembered a card.
I had big plans of letting Christopher have a relaxing day and making him whatever meal he wanted, but he ended up cooking for us. He did get to sleep until 7:57 and still managed to be ready to leave for church by 8:05 which I don’t even want to talk about because the baby and I were up since 6:15. 
Outfit two of the weekend was the onesie I gave Christopher when I found out I was pregnant. She had little jeans and polka dot shoes on for church which really completed the ensemble. I really impressed myself with that outfit.
They’re so cute!
Her hand on her knee! Her camouflage bow!

I wish I looked this cute when sitting out on the porch in my pj’s. I love her little face!!



PS. Totally unrelated, but I survived a phone call with the insurance company today. Someone mail me a Lifetime Achievement Award.

a letter from Sesame

Dear Daddy,
   I heard from the other kids in the church nursery that today is the day we celebrate you, my male parental. I’m a big fan of you. You were there for me the day I was born when Mama was high as a kite and didn’t even know where I came from. (How does someone get high as a kite? Mom wouldn’t tell me. She said to ask you.)
Sorry about being so upset in this picture. I didn’t like that my hat was covering my eyes.

I like when you sing to me because you change the words and make the songs new and exciting.

I know I look a little doubtful about this getup Mom put me in, but it has nothing to do with what my outfit says. I was only about four weeks old then so I still hadn’t figured out much about my life or the ever-present camera. (Mom says she wishes I could go back to being so tiny and squishy. I’m glad you accept my slightly larger but still squishy self as I am now without trying to relive the past.)

 I made this little picture for you when I should have been taking a nap.

You’ll still be my favorite dad even when I have Prince William for a father in law.

Love,
Annabelle/Sesame/Squishy/your favorite daughter

a matchy-matchy Mother’s Day

Yesterday was the day people wrote touching stories about how they looked at their child and fell in love with him/her the instant it was born.


I did not feel that way.


When the doctor held her up, I didn’t think “I’m so glad Sesame is a girl” or “I love her so much”. I looked at her and thought “She looks just like Tom Carl.” Tom Carl is a boy I’ve known since I was born and hadn’t thought about for months, yet suddenly he popped into my head in the operating room. I didn’t remember having dated Tom and certainly didn’t remember marrying him but my child looked like him. My medicated self was so confused. 


We did the baby dedication at church yesterday morning. The fact that I WILLINGLY SIGNED UP for an event that required me to stand in front of people proves that I have officially lost my mind. I was worried that I’d fall down the stairs or the baby would pull down the top of my dress but neither happened, hallelujah praise the Lord. Some people (looking at you, Alaska Sarah) pointed out that I didn’t smile while I was up there but there’s no way that was going to happen. We can only expect so many miracles on a Sunday morning. I hoped no one would be looking at me when they could be looking at a cute baby in her signature blue bow.


Annabelle and I wore matching dresses. I’m going to take advantage of matching with her while I can. 

She really liked that we were matchy-matchy. Look at the enthusiasm! 

That afternoon we went to the pottery painting studio because I wanted a tile with Sesame’s hand print on it. Not only am I sentimental, I am slightly crazy to think she’d be on board with the idea. She cried the entire time but we got it. One day, probably next month, I’ll look at it and cry about how little her hand was. Speaking of crying, the girl rolled from her belly to her side on Friday. Talk about traumatic. Rolling today, college tomorrow. 
IF I even let her go to college, which is doubtful.
I love her squishy face.

It’s all merry and bright until everyone gets sick

In keeping with tradition, I’m finally talking about Christmas six days after it happened. You can expect my year in review post sometime around Valentines Day.


Sesame’s first Christmas present came from my parents. We didn’t give Sesame any gift this year. I think the 24/7 life support it’s provided free of charge is plenty.

We drove to Texas to visit Christopher’s family for Christmas. I announced when we were about to enter Arkansas before I saw the signs because I’ve seen pictures of the Arkansas bridge on instagram so many times. Instagram is the geography textbook of the 21st century. As soon as it becomes the math textbook I will delete my account.

Arkansas gave us the gifts of three hours bumper to bumper traffic and a tree falling directly in front of our car as we drove down the highway. Good thing I was co-piloting because the driver who shall remain nameless was unaware that a giant piece of wood was about to crash down on us. I pointed at it and said, “Do you see that tree?” as calmly as one might say “Would you like fries with that?” We drove over the top of the tree and (obviously) survived, but I didn’t close my eyes the rest of the trip. Somebody had to keep an eye on the road.

I’d like to say it was all fun and games while we were in Texas, but sadly it wasn’t. All eight of us got the stomach virus to some degree or another. Merry Christmas to us! It was the gift that kept on giving. Sesame and I spent Christmas day in the hotel. (Yes, I do realize that in my attempts to capture Sesame’s first almost Christmas I ended up with a picture prominently featuring the floor.)

When we weren’t dashing to the bathroom, we got around town. We went to see Christmas lights.
And to church for a Christmas Eve service where I had some wardrobe issues with my dress.
We visited the zoo.
Sadie especially liked the flamingos.
On the way home we stopped at the Bill Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock. He’s my favorite president. ON OPPOSITE DAY. It was a good lesson in self-control to not give my own side of the story after every display. I will say that he did a good job with the rug in his Oval Office. I’m always on the look out for a good rug to put in our living room and this one fit all the requirements. I would have permanently borrowed it but a security guard was sitting right outside the door (hence the below photo taken under my sleeve) and I didn’t think I could take it without causing a scene.
We turned home to find our house a balmy 41 degrees. Nothing like a warm homecoming! 

merry and bright and very delayed

back
My sincerest apologies if you are reading this and expected to have received a Christmas card from me by now. The company messed up with the shipping so the cards didn’t arrive at our house until after we’d already left for vacation. This means I’ll be sending out New Year’s cards which is really too much for me to bear.