a.rose

Well, this post would be a lot better if I could remember the thing that inspired me to write it, but I don't.  Remember it, that is.  I just know that I was at someone's house, and I saw something about being grateful, and so I stopped and thought about what I was grateful for, and it was a really good feeling, and I decided to write a blog post about it.  But then time went by and other things happened and I never did.  It was a really good, uplifting feeling though, and so I've decided to write this blog post anyway, even though this is the lamest introduction to a post I've ever written. I know it's not Thanksgiving, but here are a few things that I am grateful for today: (please, don't read any deep meaning into the order, either.) 1. I am grateful for my health.  I know I complain a lot about being sick, and I often wish that my body were stronger without having to lift weights like Devin does, but all things considered, I am healthy, and I am strong e...

My big girl is growin' up.  She finally let me put a pony tail in her hair, to wanted to be "like Mommy". And she had her two year checkup today.  She weighs 23 pounds, and 37 1/2 inches. (5% for weight and 10% for height.)  She's had a few growth spurts!  and thanks for my cute sweater, Aunt Rachel!

(for Mimi) To really understand my feelings about Valentine's Day, you would first have to understand my feelings about romance.  And that is a tricky thing to explain.  In high school I was lovingly?  jokingly? nicknamed "The Beast".  My friends decided that the song "Maneater" could be used as the theme for my life.  By the time I had gotten to college I had relaxed a little bit, and was slightly more comfortable with the whole idea that boys didn't actually have cooties.  I am quite certain that any male that ever tried to do something that would fall under the category of "romantic" received a swift jab to the stomach.  I'm sorry, but apparently hitting is my response mechanism to what would make most girls swoon. This hitting comes from a good place though, it's not done out of malice or a desire to actually hurt the recipient.  I've just never been comfortable with gooshy smooshy smoochy woochy and so when anything starts to ...

Well the Olympics is traditionally such a big deal in my life that I had spent a considerable amount of time in the weeks leading up to it trying to figure out what I was going to say and what pictures to take for my blog to adequately demonstrate my passion for it.  Alas, I could never come up with anything truly remarkable, and then the weekend of the opening ceremonies when I thought I would post my Olympics Extravaganza post, a lot of things happened. It was also the weekend of Valentine's Day, and I thought I would write something about how Devin and I pretty much completely ignore Valentine's Day usually, and how instead of doing anything romantic for him I usually spend my time preceding that holiday by making cards for my close friends and family that I don't get to see all that often to tell them I love them.  (Which cards are still sitting on my desk, ready to be mailed, except that I am having trouble finding addresses... what I get for packing things waaaaay b...

 Yeah, that's my girl.  You know she'll be a celebrity someday.  Check out the shades.  The attitude.  The baby.  She's got it all.

and why I may never eat microwave popcorn again.  (Or theatre popcorn, either.)  There are a lot of attributes that I love about the man I married.  One of the first qualities that I ever noticed about him is that he is smart.  Especially in his field of study, which is food chemistry.  He is always amazing me with the random factoids he knows about the food we eat, and at times it amazes me that he is still willing to eat foods given what he knows.  (Granted, there are a lot of foods that he won't eat... but that's a different story.) To give you an example of what I mean, let me share with you a conversation we had tonight.  If you have a weak stomach with topics related to diapers or if you really love popcorn, please disregard this post. Amy, "You know, I've decided that Hanna's dirty diapers smell a lot like microwave popcorn." Devin, "Well, that's because one of the major scent compounds in buttered popcorn and dirty diapers is the same th...

  Poor two year olds.  I guess I finally get why they throw temper tantrums.  Ear infections really are no picnic at all.  Not to mention they worked so hard for two years to master the art of speaking, and we still can't understand them.  Or is it just Hallie and I that struggle? Hanna was born four weeks ago, tomorrow, and ever since Hallie first met her she has been talking a lot about "Hanna's fire".  Or sometimes, even more baffling, Hanna wil be crying, and Hallie will very calmly and apparently in an effort to help, say "fire".  I, of course, had no idea what she meant.  Part of the trouble stems from a lack of a use of prepositions and verbs.  Is she trying to tell me that Hanna is "on" fire?  Or that she "sees" a fire?  Or is she contemplating whether or not Hanna would "like" a fire? I finally figured it out today.  (Perhaps most of you are more savvy than I and already know what she was talking about.)  Today t...

Pictures.             And a few Hallie anecdotes: When we help her do something she says, "Thank you honey." She has recently gotten really excited about going to church, and so this morning she demanded to put on a "pretty dress."  As soon as we got home from church however, she said, "No want, pretty dress." And an update: We are going BACK to the doctor tomorrow (this woman is going to think I am obsessed with her) because now Hanna has pink eye, and my ear is worse than ever.  I am pretty much completely deaf in my left ear now.  Awesome. And other than all of that, we are doing really well.  There are so many people here in Peoria who take such great care of us, and show  us so much love.  I'm not looking forward to leaving all the friends I've made here.  That house had better do a heck of a job cheering me up.

Seriously, can you believe it? It's been three weeks since Hanna was born.  I thought the day she was born was a wild ride of a day, but when I look back over these past three weeks it's been non stop action.  And so, in case you're wondering why I have been neglecting all of you, friends and family, of late, let's review. - Hallie got pink eye - Devin's mom came to visit to help out (and her week long visit had so much craziness it deserves a list of its own.) - My parents came to visit to help out (and their week long visit also had much craziness in it.) - Our kitchen has been taken over by wild starch eating ants (we sweep after every meal, we mop the floor with bleach twice a week or so, and we have ant traps down.  WHAT MORE CAN WE DO?) - I got a nasty cold. - Then I got an ear infection - Hallie got pink eye, again. - Hanna lost too much weight her first few days home from the hospital, so we had to take her back to the hospital for more blood tests...