HEY SWEET BABY. HERE’S AN UPDATE ON HOW YOU ARE. YOU GOT SICK ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO. YOU HAD A FEVER THAT JUST KEPT ON GOING UP. WE TOOK YOU TO THE DOCTOR WHEN IT HIT 103.4 – DOC SAID IT WAS HAND, FOOT, AND MOUTH DISEASE AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WE COULD DO BUT WAIT IT OUT. THAT AFTERNOON YOUR FEVER WENT UP TO 104.5 AND I FREAKED, BUT IT WENT BACK DOWN TO REGULAR AND THEN YOU GOT A RASH ALL OVER YOUR PRECIOUS LITTLE BODY. DOC SAID IT WAS NORMAL. IT FINALLY WENT AWAY THIS PAST WEEKEND BUT NOW YOU HAVE A COLD!!! YOU JUST CAN’T WIN, BABY. I’M SO SORRY FOR THAT. I STILL THINK IF I’D BEEN ABLE TO BREASTFEED YOU THAT YOU WOULDN’T GET COLDS SO OFTEN. I MEAN, THIS WILL BE THE FIRST COLD YOU’VE HAD IN A FEW MONTHS, BUT STILL. YOU’RE WALKING SO WELL NOW. YOU HAVEN’T MASTERED RUNNING, BUT THAT’S NO BIGGIE.

YESTERDAY MORNING, YOUR DADDY AND I GOT UP AND STARTED GETTING DRESSED FOR WORK, BUT YOU WERE STILL ASLEEP, SO WE LEFT YOU THERE IN THE BED (OUR BED) WHILE YOUR DADDY SHOWERED AND I BRUSHED MY TEETH. APPARENTLY YOU WOKE UP WHILE WE WERE DOING THAT B/C WHILE I WAS BRUSHING MY TEETH, YOU ALL OF A SUDDEN APPEARED, SMACKED ME ON THE LEG AND SAID, “HEY!” IT WAS ABSOLUTELY ONE OF THE MOST PRECIOUS THINGS IN THE WORLD.

WE’VE KINDA BEEN BAD – WHILE YOU WERE SICK, YOU NEEDED MORE LOVE AND COMFORTING, SO WE LET YOU HAVE YOUR PACI ANYTIME OF THE DAY – NOW YOU’RE ADDICTED TO IT AGAIN. YOU START TO WHINE IF WE TAKE IT OUT OF YOUR MOUTH. SO THIS WEEKEND WE’LL TAKE IT AWAY AGAIN – ONLY DURING THE DAY – AND HOPEFULLY IT’LL BE AS PAINLESS AS THE FIRST TIME. ONLY THIS TIME WE WON’T GIVE IT BACK IF YOU GET SICK.

I HAVE A FEW FRIENDS THAT ARE PREGNANT – IT’S MAKING ME WANT ANOTHER BABY. TO THINK THAT I HAVEN’T BEEN PREGNANT SINCE 2008 IS WEIRD TO ME. TO THINK OF HAVING ANOTHER LITTLE BUNDLE OF AWESOME TO HUG AND KISS AND THAT YOU WOULD LOVE JUST MAKES ME EXCITED – BUT WE’RE REALLY BROKE AND DOING THAT WOULDN’T BE A SMART MOVE ON OUR PART. MAYBE IN A COUPLE YEARS WE’LL TRY – BUT I ALSO HAVE TO REMEMBER I’M 32 YEARS OLD. IN A COUPLE YEARS I’LL BE 34 – AND THE OLDER I GET, THE HARDER IT’LL BE TO GET PREGNANT. ADD TO THAT MY BEING OVERWEIGHT AND NOT EXERCISING AND THAT’LL JUST MEAN IT’LL BE HARDER TO GET PREGNANT. I JUST HOPE THAT IF WE DO DECIDE TO TRY AGAIN AND IT WORKS, THAT YOU LOVE YOUR BROTHER OR SISTER LOTS. I WANT YOU TO HAVE SOMEONE YOU CAN BE CLOSE TO, OTHER THAN ME OR YOUR DADDY (BUT OF COURSE I WANT YOU TO BE CLOSE TO US AND KNOW YOU CAN TALK TO US ABOUT ANYTHING, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN).

WE WENT TO THE ZOO THIS PAST WEEKEND, B/C YOU WERE FEELING BETTER - AND WE GOT ONE OF THOSE PLUSH ANIMAL BACKPACKS THAT HAS A LONG TAIL THAT PARENTS CAN USE TO HOLD ONTO - SO YOU CAN WALK ON YOUR OWN, BUT CAN'T GET TOO FAR AWAY. AND YOU LOVED BEING ABLE TO WALK ON YOUR OWN. WHEN WE GOT TO THE AREA WITH THE BEARS, THEY HAVE NATIVE AMERICAN MUSIC (CHANTING) PLAYING ON SPEAKERS AND YOU STARTED DANCING AND SINGING ALONG. EVERYONE SAW YOU AND THOUGHT YOU WERE ABSOLUTELY PRECIOUS (YOU ARE!). IT WAS COOL. I LOVE BEING OUT WITH YOU AND SHOWING OFF MY BEAUTIFUL ANGEL.

YOU SAY, "BABA" NOW. BUT "BABA" DOESN'T MEAN JUST ONE THING. "BABA" MEANS BOTTLE, SIPPY CUP, PACIFIER, MAMA, DADA, UP, DOWN, DOG, HOUSE, BYE BYE, HELLO. IT'S SO CUTE HOW IT MEANS EVERYTHING :)

I GUESS THAT’S ALL FOR NOW. I LOVE YOU ANGEL. I LOVE YOU MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THE ENTIRE WORLD.

♥ MOMMA

HEY BABY!!! YOU STARTED WALKING IN THE PAST 4 WEEKS. IT’S PRECIOUS. YOU AREN’T COMPLETELY COMFORTABLE DOING IT YET, BUT YOU REALLY ENJOY IT AND GIGGLE EVERY TIME YOU DO IT.

WE HAVE TO GIVE YOU THE PACI BACK AT NIGHT. YOU JUST SLEEP BETTER WITH IT. SO IF YOU’RE IN YOUR CRIB, OR IN BED WITH US (OR IN MY ARMS ABOUT TO TAKE A NAP), YOU CAN HAVE YOUR PACI. IT JUST SEEMS AS THO YOU’RE HAPPIER WITH IT B/C YOU DON’T HAVE A BLANKY OF A DOLLIE OR ANYTHING THAT YOU JUST CLING TO, BUT YOU CLING TO THE PACI AT NIGHT. IT’S LIKE THE PACI IS YOUR SAFETY.

SATURDAY WAS YOUR FIRST EASTER THAT ACTUALLY COUNTED. I DON’T COUNT YOUR ACTUAL FIRST WASTER B/C YOU WERE ONLY A COUPLE WEEKS OLD AND DIDN’T CARE ABOUT BUNNIES OR EGGS. YOU GOT A BASKET WITH BABY SUNGLASSES, SOME CRAYONS, AND SOME SNACKS (NO CANDY) AND WE WENT TO THE ZOO. YOU ENJOYED SEEING THE SEALS THE MOST. YOU WALKED AS MUCH AS YOU COULD AND WORE YOURSELF OUT. WE STAYED FOR ABOUT 2 ½ HOURS AND BY THAT TIME YOU WERE STARTING TO PASS OUT IN YOUR STROLLER, SO WE LEFT AND YOU TOOK A LONG NAP. WE ATE AN EARLY DINNER AND YOU WERE ASLEEP BY 6:30.

I LOVE GOING PLACES WITH YOU SO MUCH! WE NEED TO DO IT MORE, BUT WE REALLY ON HAVE THE WEEKENDS SINC EYOUR DADDY AND I WORK. YOU SAY, “DADA” NOW, BUT YOU STILL DON’T REALLY SAY, “MAMA.” YOU SAY “HEY” AND “HI” A LOT, WHICH IS REALLY CUTE. I’M TRYING TO TEACH YOU “UP” AND “DOWN” FOR WHEN YOU WANT TO BE HELD AND WHEN YOU DON’T. YOU KNOW “ON” AND “OFF” BUT DON’T SAY THEM, AND YOU KNOW WHAT “LAY YOUR HEAD DOWN” MEANS B/C I SAY IT SO MUCH AT YOUR BEDTIME, HAHA!

YOU GIVE KISSES NOW. IT’S WONDERFUL. I WANT A KISS EVERY DAY ALL DAY. MOST OF THEM ARE OPEN MOUTHED KISSES WHICH IS HILARIOUS B/C YOU JUST OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND FOR IT ON MY MOUTH OR YOUR DADDY’S MOUTH. SO WE END UP KISSING YOUR TONGUE! EVERY NOW AND THEN WE GET A CLOSED MOUTH KISS, BUT YOU HAVEN’T LEARNED TO DO THE KISSY SOUND YET.

YOU JUST MAKE EVERY DAY SO WONDERFUL. I COULD BE HAVING THE WORST DAY EVER AND ALL I HAVE TO DO IS LOOK AT YOUR PICTURE AND I SMILE. PICKING YOU UP FROM DAYCARE IS THE BEST FEEING IN THE WORLD B/C I GET TO WATCH YOU WALK UP TO ME WITH OPEN ARMS B/C YOU LOVE ME AND WANT ME TO HOLD YOU. IT’S THE HAPPIEST MOMENT FOR ME.

I WAS SO SCARED TO GET PREGNANT AND TO HAVE A BABY, AND I WENT THRU SO MUCH CRAP RECOVERING FROM THE C-SECTION AND WAITING FOR THE SWELLING TO GO DOWN, BUT I WOULDN’T CHANGE ANY OF IT B/C IT GAVE ME YOU. MY BEAUTIFUL ANGEL. I LOVE YOU SO VERY MUCH.

I LOVE YOU BABY
♥ MOMMA