In my defense

This isn't going to be a long one... there is something I think is too funny about Annie lately that I feel the need to mention it quickly here because this pregnancy, while giving me the gift of another life, has taken away all of my memory. It's a miracle I find the door in the morning. So, either it's because I'm catching Annie in the act too often, or she's picking up on my horrible speech patterns, but now whenever, and I mean WHENEVER, you ask Annie what she's up to, she adopts this defensive tone: "I'm just looking at the sharp knife," even if it's something completely inocuous like "I'm just taking my shoes off." I feel bad that she feels like she has to be a teenager already; at least she doesn't follow the phrase with an exaggerated eye roll and humphy sigh.

I hope next week to post some photos of the new house. Annie's cute and all, but have I mentioned the deck?!

Annie June and July 2009

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Life in motion

Here are a few videos I've been meaning to post but have been sans my trusty desktop until now (I had to buy a desk chair and didn't get one until yesterday) so I finally have had time (read: procrastination) to upload these two. The first, the most recent, is of Annie singing happy birthday to her father and stealing the spotlight to blow out his candles. We opted for a homemade key lime pie this year instead of cake. After all the restaurant food we had been eating for the prior few weeks, something on the "lighter side" seemed appropriate. Of course, regardless of whether or not a pint of heavy cream constitutes "lighter," it certainly tasted good.

The second is from the last night we had in Houston with our good friends. Sara Kate is Annie's best friend. The two have known each other since Annie was about 9 months old, Sara Kate, 6 months. So it was only apt we spend our last meal in Houston with them. Jay captured this last play date as we prepared reluctantly to leave. It totally captures their dynamic. Sara Kate has a plan, and Annie sort of flits around it, much to Sara Kate's shagrin. But you also see the joy they have in playing together. They'll be truly missed by each other and by us.

Signed, sealed, delivered

Annie is transitioning well into "big girl" land with the potty training in full swing. I didn't really mean to take this on as my first project in Louisville, it just seemed like the right time for a variety of reasons and two days ago, let's just say, her "number 2" made its first appearance in the potty and boy, was everyone proud. I'm sure she'll kill me later for divulging this, but I have to give her some fodder for when she's a teenager. She even made me save it for Papa to see when he got home. Luckily for me that was only 15 minutes after the blessed event. So we're on day number 3 with no diapers, even at night. Yes, there have been accidents, but she's getting the hang of it and has no trouble using a public restroom (unlike her mother), and, sorry for the plug, but it's all thanks to the Potty Hammock. I got this from a friend of my mother's when Annie was born and originally thought, 'When am I ever going to use this,' but lo and behold, we use it ALL THE TIME, and it works and fits weightlessly in a little pouch in my bag.

We visited a school for Annie for the fall. It will be three mornings a week which I think will be great. It's called Friends School and it was founded in the Quaker tradition although they're nondenominational. Both Annie and I got a great feeling from the people there, so we just have to send our application in. Fingers crossed. I'm hoping those fencing and Japanese lessons pay off (I kid).

We're also about to order her big girl bed in preparation for our number 2 (which will hopefully be a lot cuter and less stinky than Annie's). And as soon as the only working phone jack is out of the nursery we can start on the baby's room. Right now there's our DSL modem and wireless router in there, so it's doubling as a mission control for the time being.

I hope Annie's excited for her new sibling. Tonight she saw my ever-dwindling belly button and said "There's a baby in there?" and I said, "Yes, do you want to give it a kiss." She did, but didn't want to kiss it through my belly so I had to explain to her it wasn't ready to come out yet. So she gave my belly button a kiss and I said "Thank you," and she responded, " No Mama, you can't say 'Thank you,'" and I replied, "Oh, so the baby should say 'Thank you'?" and I said a high-pitched "Thank You" to simulate the baby's intended retort, and Annie smiled and said, "The baby said 'Thank you'." Heart melting. Glad to hear they're starting off on a polite foot. It's all fun and games until that baby comes out, I'm sure.

For now, I'll just enjoy Annie's sweet gestures and pretend the soccer kicks happening inside my abdomen are failed attempts at the baby reaching out to give its big sister a hug.

Aaaand, we're back!

It's official, we live in Kentucky. You could say we eased ourselves into our new resident status as first, Annie and I flew with Roscoe, were joined by Jay and Mason the next day (who went by car) and proceeded to stay in a hotel for 5 days until we could move into our real address. But we did it and bought a car (at a rock-bottom price, thank you very much) and got our licences AND kept most of our sanity in tact! My organizational skills have suffered however as you'll see there is no photo associated with this post (I'll edit later from my laptop on which said pictures are stored and rectify), but we wanted to let everyone know we're safe and sound and Annie is absolutely LOVING her backyard, and the mosquitoes are absolutely LOVING Annie. I think we'd have to dip her head to toe in Deet to get this kid to avoid a bite, but she doesn't seem to mind, so we'll soldier on. Annie got to see her first fireflies and sparklers last night in celebration of the 4th of July. America the Beautiful, indeed.

We love the house. It was built in the 1920s, so there are those 1920s things we have to deal with, like oddly shaped rooms, electrical outlets with just two prongs, and squeaky stairs, only one working phone jack, but the important things have been updated, like the kitchen and downstairs windows and the basement is somewhat finished so we're not complaining at all. I mean, I have a deck people... A DECK!

From first impressions it seems we'll have a lot to keep us busy in Louisville. Annie and I already have started a music class, continuing her Music Together stint she started when she was a babe in Houston. I was impressed by how quickly she took to the class here. We've met Jay's coworker's family who was kind enough to invite us over to their house yesterday for the obligatory 4th of July BBQ even though they just had a baby 6 weeks ago (I know!), and it was GOOD. So we're slowly but surely settling in and promise to post photos of the new digs once we get everything put away. We're almost there. In fact, and some friends will not be at all surprised to read this, we've even HUNG THINGS ON THE WALL! Please, keep your applause down, Annie's sleeping.