Hello hello, my adoring public :)
I have gotten maybe 3 complaints in the form of "post already!", so my apologies. Life has been busy, & sadly, this falls low on my priority list when my days are full of the following:
1. A now-crawling baby (go, Emmett, go!!)
2. Fun company!!
3. Too many doctor visits
4. A crohn's flare
5. Keeping the house (& its inhabitants) clean
6. Laying on the couch & eating bon bons
Maybe this list is a bad idea, b/c written out, it seems like I have been up to nothing!! But anyone can attest that just #5 is a big ordeal :)
I will sum up the past month:
1. Dave's family came from the east coast (& Boulder) & WE HAD A BALL. !!!! I have the best in-laws a girl could ask for-- things were happy & easy & fun-- just too short! We spent a few days in Breckenridge, celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday, & took a hike to this beautiful lake outside of Blue River. When we returned, everyone stayed w/us for a few more days-- we had a fun cookout AND I had my first Chicago-style hot dog. People, I have never in my life known that a hot dog could taste so good!!! & I wasn't even in Chicago!!! I want to go have the real deal, but until then, Dave's replica is good enough for me :) We also went to Red Rocks & I got to take Kim (finally!) to my favorite fabric store on Broadway-- Fancy Tiger. A treat, for sure.
2. My parents came to see us about a week later. More fun times! We got some stuff done around the house-- thanks to their motivation & know-how, & took a family portrait!! Thank you, P & G!!! The visit was short b/c of some health problems I was having (shocking, I know), but we still had a great time AND I made them eat Chicago style hot dogs :)
3. I have been having a flare :( It isn't a complete surprise-- my GI had told me this would most likely happen once my body was really finished baby-wise. So, the fear factor was gone, but it was still unpleasant. I avoided a hospital stay (Praise God!) & had to get on steriods (boo!!) BUT things are better & that is just life, you know? Because of the change in my metabolism, my blood levels freaked--so it was an all-inclusive remember-us-because-we-remember-you from my special little life-long friends, Mr. Crohn's & Ms. Blood Clot. It really is different having trouble w/a dependent, BUT God is faithful & has provided an easy-going baby & a supportive husband-- so life is good :)
4. Regarding Emmett!!! Ohmygoodness!!!!!!! My little sunshine! (that is SO corny) Sorry to miss his 7 month pictorial post-- we changed the setting on our camera & I can't access the pics from my computer, so it was not convenient to get even just pics posted. A bummer, but one I'm sure we can all recover from. Plus I changed all my settings, so who knows what this post will be looking like!
He is on the move. He has 2 teeth. He is sitting up like a champ, LOVES these two cute little trucks he has (he was chasing one across the hardwoods last night & just laughing away), is still a sucker for Hand Hand Fingers Thumb, is saying 'da da' like crazy, has said 'ma ma' a few times, likes to be in on the action, if he's in on the action he's content to entertain himself, has mastered getting himself to sleep for naps or night time, sleeps at least 11 hours through the night, & has a very sophisticated wine pallet. No, that last one isn't true. He has graduated to a high chair, he has twice this week held his bottle w/his feet so his hands are free to play w/his hair whilst eating, he growls & laughs, loves to play catch (& is actually kind of good at it), & has started doing this cute little chomping motion in between bites-- it is odd & robotic, & in general, hilarious. He has started to make louder noises & will distract himself if he starts to cry by how loud he is-- which just leads to more loud-- which is better than crying. He will clap my hand, but doesn't clap his own hands together... I think that's all I can come up with-- oh, he fake coughs. I think probably a lot of babies do this, but I LOVE it. It is so funny & he will get so dramatic about it!
Fun times. Endless entertainment. Happy days.
I know school has started & I hope you are all having a wonderful start to the new year. I almost bought myself a full set of school supplies just because there is something so alluring about all that fresh paper & crayola smell... I resisted the urge. Also, I have a newfound love for black olives. Gross!!! Yesterday I ate an entire can. I don't know what's wrong w/me. I'm also trying REALLY HARD to stop drinking so much Coke. I read this article recently where this girl was saying she was shocked that people in America drink soda like it's water & I thought, "has she been secretly filming me?" I don't know that I'm that bad, but I am pretty dang close. I have limited enjoyments b/c of my health issues, BUT I don't need to go nuts. The problem is I was so happy to finally drink cokes whenever I wanted once I left home that I just am in a habit. I drink caffeine-free, so it's not about the caffeine for me (thankfully!). But I remember my cousins always getting cokes @ Mema's when Megan & I had to have water w/our breakfast. How cruel! & Becky would let Whitney & Haven have a coke only after they had a glass of water...
I'm going to try this approach:
1. Only when I'm home can I have one. Why in the world pay $2 for one in a restaurant!?? (I would like to be held accountable to this one only 75% of the time)
2. I have to drink water first. (good call, Becky!)
3. Take it one day at a time. Is anyone watching the Glee reruns? Dave & I were laughing last night when April said she was sobering up & added w/pride that she hadn't had a drink in 45 minutes. (it's funnier on TV) & when I went to bed last night at the end of day one w/out a coke, I laughed a little at myself. BUT it is a huge victory. For me.
So, the real question is, what will be my new treat? I confess I am treat-obsessed; I hate coffee & any other hot drink, anything alcoholic (w/the exception of these amazing peach bellinis I had once w/the vaultin '03) & tried Crystal Light but am not a huge fan. I don't like diet soda b/c of the aftertaste (& the during taste)... I like iced tea, but it is kind of boring.... I am open to suggestions. In the meantime, I am not going to beat myself up if I have a bad day. & if I have to use it medicinally--a coke is actually honestly something that will calm down my stomach-- I have to use it.
In closing, I would like everyone to know that though I do love a good reality TV show, & have enjoyed the torture of The Bachelor/Bachelorette series, I could in NO WAY stomach the audacious disgust that is The Bachelor Pad. GAG!!! What in the world?!?!? I lasted through 15 minutes of the episode where they had a kissing contest (give me a break) & had to turn it off. Even I have my limits. Gross. This is a completely unfair critique-- I have only seen that 15 minutes of the entire season, but still.
As the fall begins, I am looking forward to NOT watching The Office, want to try out Outsourced, & there's a few new shows on Fox that look good-- the one w/Will Arnett?? I am hooked on Rubicon (AMC) & have become disappointed w/Mad Men. It is so depressing & Don Draper is too much of a jerk this season. I am excited to see how the Broncos do (who am I??) & want you to know that I think of you when your teams play & always hope they do well. A bad Broncos game = a not fun day @ our house, so I am suffering w/you when the Cowboys or the Steelers or Falcons or Seahawks or Bears lose. Unless they lose to us ;)
Here is the one photo I could get to transfer-- Emmett adoring his precious cousins!! He is going to love learning from them as he gets older! They are sweet & talented & funny, not to mention SO CUTE.
more later, I promise-- I just have to figure it out!!
