DIFinY...

I am not handy. That's not to say that I'm not competent, eventually... but I'm just not good with my hands or home projects. Luckily I'm also quite impatient and short tempered, especially while attempting said domestic labor. But I digress...

When we first bought our house six years ago there was a long list of improvements we would soon make. When recently talking to our neighbors about what they had to do to get their house ready for sale we realized we have accomplished few things from our list. Number one, at least on Michele's list, was the vanity in the upstairs bathroom... and so she decided it was time.


Our bathroom is weird. Teal tile, pink tub, and very little room for the door to open/close. The custom sink and vanity (stock from 1954!) worked spatially if not aesthetically. Demolition is my strong suit, and so it began.


Simple project... it took us all damn day. Between Alex, Michele, and I we made seven separate trips to the hardware store. I yelled, I cursed, I sweat. Alex found it all to be hilarious. But it's done... what do you think?

Melmo...

Through purposeful determination and our normal dose of luck we have managed to keep Alex from being at all interested in the television thus far. Children's programming has yet to sully the boob tube a single time... unless you count me watching Justice League when I can't sleep. While I'm sure this utopia is sure to end soon, it has been nice to not be inundated with the Barneys, Mickeys, and Doras of the world just yet.

In spite of this, Alex has picked up who Elmo is. Maybe from daycare, but more likely from Max who is a big fan. I know that she knows who he/it is because she has one Elmo book which she flips through daily and points and yells "Melmo!!" at every page...

Binky and The Brain...

Alex has never been super attached to her pacifiers... but if you gave it to her, she was happy to have it. We worked hard not let her have it all the time and for the last few months it has been a bedtime only item. When she would wake in the morning I would say,"can I have your pacifier?", and she would happily hand it to me in exchange for some snuggle time. Lately though, handing me the pacifier is her way to signify that her night/nap is finished. It became part of the bedtime routine... bath, PJ, pacifier, Barnyard Dance, Goodnight Moon, singing, sleepy time.

It has always been our intention to get her off it while she's still pretty young, and we decided that her attachment to the idea of it, to the routine, everyday comfort of it was growing so...


As of last Sunday Alex is binky-free (cold turkey) at home. Very little drama involved. Bedtime and nap time have been a little slower, but that's about it. Tomorrow we will get the one from daycare and hopefully she will be done for good.We'll see how that goes...

Easter Sunday...

Easter Sunday was a bit busy, but tons of fun for Alexandra. We got up and had a quick snack before getting dressed in Easter dress #1 for brunch at Carmen's house. There was a little meltdown before we got on the road, but once we arrived it was all smiles and giggles.

We had a great brunch. Alex spent the entire visit either chasing Maxwell, or being chased by him... both of them laughing their little heads off the whole time. They are going to have so much fun together when they are in the same room starting next week.

After stuffing ourselves, and exhausting the little one, we headed home to let her and Michele get a quick nap. Alex fell asleep on the short ride home. It was our intention to get her out of her poofy dress to nap, but she was a rag doll. So she napped in formal wear... but she napped well.

We had to wake her up a couple hours later to get into Easter dress #2 and head to Adrian. We had a great dinner, and Alex spent the whole trip pointing at her new cousin saying "baby", playing with Kali and Kaden (up the stairs, down the stairs...), and chasing the cat and dog. She had a blast, especially when she got a new purse from the Easter Bunny to go with her dress...



Cutest... baby... ever.

15 month checkup...

Alex went in for her 15 month doctor visit Friday and all is well. 32.5", 22lbs 14oz... and tracking steady on all the measurables. She is doing all of the things that she should be, and then some. She is a superstar.

In the past Alex has been cautiously friendly to Dr. Youssef. She is a very nice lady and Alex has been nice if not warm. This time was a little different. As soon as the doc walk in the room, Alex flipped. Screaming, crying, spitting, snob bubbly mess. The whole time. And this is before the shots! It was brutal.

The doc said that this is pretty standard for her age. She said, "She''ll hate me this visit, and the next one, but then she'll love me again." Let's hope so.

On the positive side, we did discover that animal crackers are the perfect tonic for the pain and shock of shots. Take two and call me in the morning.

Seriously, I need to snap out of it...

My life is good. I have a husband that is just awesome in every way- he makes me laugh, is smart, quite cute and the best father. I have a great daughter- like really scary good. My family is close to me and provides me nothing but support. Oh, and there is the whole survived cancer thing. See my life is good.

So why do I just focus on the negative? Lately, I am completely focused on the cancer coming back and can't seem to shake the fear. Going through it last year, I don't remember having this fear and now if I feel any twinge of pain anywhere I automatically assume it is the big C. It is annoying. Not just for me but for the great family I previously talked about.

This whole beating myself up was only made worse yesterday when I had my cholesterol checked. My good cholesterol is too low- why because I am fat and lazy. Ok the dude didn't exactly use those words but basically because I am overweight and don't exercise, I have low good cholesterol. Also if I lose weight and exercise I would have a lower chance of cancer coming back. All signs point to working out and eating well.....and I don't. Well not consistently.

It is simple- I just need to do it. I focused on beating cancer and it worked, now I just need to focus on being healthy. So that is my focus. I have lost 15 pounds this year and just need to keep going. I am trying to give myself a pep talk here....Maybe it will work.

Baby Monk...

Have you ever watched Monk? You know, the brilliant but particular dectective? Well, we have got our own little version at home.

Every time you see Monk walking down the street he has to touch every lightpost, mailbox, etc. Overwhelming compulsion. Can't help it.




Every time Alex goes outside to play she has to touch all nine of the landscaping lights in the front yard. She starts with the ones in the front... smiling, leaning, giggling.

Then she makes her way down the driveway. Stopping at each one and looking at you with some combination of joy and a request for permission.

Then, while our front yard was being torn apart, there were little flags marking the underground whatevers. Little Monk had to make her way to each one. Just touch it and move on.

Let's just hope she doesn't grow up to be as "particular" as Monk or Papa!

The new receptionist...

I "work" from home on Thursdays and Fridays. I say "work" because, lately, it seems like Alex is determined that I will not be productive. We spend all day together, and there is time set aside for play, walks, books, etc. But, for the last couple weeks, she has been freaking out whenever I sit down in front of the computer or talk on the phone... and that is pretty much my job. She could be playing happily by herself while I'm watching TV, or doing dishes, or staring blankly into space... but as soon as I start typing, she needs desperately to be in my lap. It's like we had a new baby and she is feeling neglected.

So today I moved her little desk next to mine. I let her use my headset. She was better. I think I may need to get a tiny computer for her to type on.