My little Hobo turned three a few weeks ago.  THREE, INTERNETS.  Gah!  Even more astonishing is that she keeps getting better and better with age.  So basically, she’s just like me.

Embrace your week here

“Say it with me, Avelyn, yo-gurt.”
“No-gurt.”
“No not no-gurt, yoooo-gurt.”
“YO!!  NOGURT!!”

“I love you, Mommy.”
“I love you too, Baby.  I love you more than anyone else in the whole world.”
“No, I love youuuuu!”
“Well I love you more.”
“No, I love YOU.”
“No, I love youuuu.”
“Stop it Mom, I love YOU.”

“Avelyn you have to eat the cupcake too.”
“No, I just lick it… Mmm, yummy.”

“Imma go zoo. Imma go zoo an’ buy chickens.”
“You are?  What are you going to do with your chickens?”
“Imma eat ‘em.”

“Mommy I hitting you.  You cry.  You cry now Mommy!” followed a few seconds later by,
“Don’t cry Mommy, or worry.  You’ll feel better after I give you a bottle.”

“Move people!  Get out my way!  I need go to Chik way!” (Chik-Fil-A)

“Mom!  Wanna watch Peter Panna?!”
“You’re too young to call me Mom and, yes.”

I mean, didn’t I just become her mother yesterday?  Because I’m pretty sure my baby is, well… missing.

I swear I just blinked my eyes for a split second and when they opened again this girl was standing before me.

An absolutely beautiful, wild haired, funny child who looked a lot like my baby, but oh so different.

This girl talks a lot.  And laughs at jokes.  And makes jokes of her own.  My baby didn’t use to do that.

If you see my baby will you please tell her I didn’t realize I should have made an appointment to say goodbye?  And while you’re at it, go ahead and tell this new girl hello, because I am absolutely sure I will keep her around as long as I can.  And I swear I will try really hard not to blink for the next few years.

Happy Mother’s Day to us all.

I can’t believe how much more I love this child everyday.  I didn’t think it was possible and then, poof!  She grows a little taller, pops a brand new word out of her mouth, busts a move and I sigh and think how on earth did I get so lucky to have this kid? She’s utterly amazing.  And growing up so fast.  Do you know what happened last week?  DO YOU!?  In case you missed the World News Report here it is – I broke down and HAD HER HAIR CUT.  Her FIRST haircut.  LIKE ONE WHOLE INCH, PEOPLE!!!!

Before.  After.  Totally different, right?  I’m torn between thinking it’s not that much hair and she looks exactly the same (in which case WHY did I do it) and screaming OH. EM. GEE. It’s like I shaved her head or something because her hair!  Look at my baby’s hair!!  It’s gooooooone!  Or maybe it just feels that way.  Tough call.

On the fertilization front, I grow more and more convinced everyday that adding to our family is the right decision for us.  I look at my Hobo growing up and can’t help but get excited about what another one might be like.  Avelyn tends to agree, showing what a great big sister she might one day make by taking such good care of her baby…

Of course she also throws the baby on the ground, into the crib, out of the stroller…  Hurling is pretty much her mode of transportation for “bay-bee”.  (She’s yet to figure out this “name your baby” thing).  Kevin continually wonders aloud how a new little person might survive with our Amazonian first born running amok.  I’ve begun to wonder that myself given how much she enjoys “workin’ out” with her dad these days.

I’ll be damned if that’s not the cutest push up I’ve ever seen.  Also, does anyone else notice the high waters?  He he he.

Anyway.  We paint.  We play.  We build houses for homeless-people.  We read.  We are sweet.  We are crazy.  We know how to rock.  But above all, we know how to dance.

*The title that seemed most appropriate after reading this post.

Now, while we’re on the topic of what NOT to bring them to the EMERGENCY room for let’s talk about a few things TO bring them in for.

• If your kid is wheezing all damn day and breathing 50 breaths per minute and says to you, “I can’t breathe good”, BRING THEM TO THE ER.  Don’t wait until the middle of the night and then ask for a work excuse for the next day.
• If your kid has fallen off their bike and can’t move an appendage because A BONE is sticking out, don’t wait for your cousin’s best friend’s step brother’s niece to come pick you up and bring you to the hospital.  Call an ambulance to BRING THEM TO THE ER.
• If your baby falls off the bed/trunk of the car/out of your arms/from a spaceship and hits the ground in any fashion, specifically if it involves a bump that appears on the head, BRING THEM TO THE ER.

Well, that took a direction I hadn’t intended.  I think I might touch back on this topic later… but back to the subject at hand.  It’s mid-September, the sun is barely peeking through at 7am and swiftly falling beyond the horizon at 8pm.  Summer is going bye bye.

Unfortunately I live in Texas, and summer going bye-bye does not necessarily mean fall is right around the corner.  As a matter of fact it means nothing.  Most of my memories of Thanksgiving and Christmas involve shorts, flip flops, trips to the park and threats of death if we screaming kids dared to come indoors before the football game was over.

Today was unbelievably beautiful though, a day so perfect in temperature that I opened all the windows in the house while I cleaned and the air conditioner still never kicked on.  When we came home after dinner the house smelled… clean, fresh, spectacular.  It made me miss Chicago.  Luckily I have pictures like this: to remind me that no matter how beautiful fall is, winter always follows.  And I don’t miss Chicago in the winter.

So I bid you adieu, Summer 2009.  You were so very good to us, and filled our days with:

dancing
singing
Guitar Hero
learning to run
running
reading
dancing
eating
hiding
kissing
hugging
sleeping
dancing
not sleeping
traveling
and, did I mention the dancing?

I hope I can safely assume that our fall/winter season summer-with-slightly-cooler-temperatures-and-sometimes-rain season won’t look too different.  Because honestly, who could ever get enough of this:

*This is not medical advice.  Clearly if you think your child needs medical attention please seek it.  If it turns out your kid just has a cold and you feel stupid for coming to the ER don’t worry about it.  It happens.  And just so you know we will never, ever laugh at you in front of your face.  We always wait for you to leave.  Joking.  Mostly.

Thanks, husband.  And here you go.

Our little Hobo is amazing, so amazing, and growing into the most amazing kid I’ve ever seen.  How lucky are we?

And yet… she is driving me crazy these days.  One minute she is sweet as pie, hugging my leg and leaning in for kisses on the mouth.  The next minute she is standing on chairs, smiling a devilish grin and giggling while she waits for me to see her, freak out, and come at her saying “No no!  Sit down!  We DO NOT stand on CHAIRS!”  And while my heart is sinking into my feet watching that precious baby mere seconds from critical head trauma (I’m a pedi ER nurse now, I see the worst everyday so meh) she just giggles, shakes her finger in the air and repeats her brand new favorite word over and over, “No”.  And not just “no”, it is never just “no”, it’s “noooooo” in her deep, throaty, beautiful, baby voice.  I know it’s not supposed to be but it’s freaking funny man.

And the imaginary devil horns sprout from her head amidst angelic blond curls.

I can’t help it, it’s frustrating in the wrong moments and absolutely hysterical in the right ones.  Especially when she’s running after Etta shaking that finger high and yelling “No! Nooooooo no!”  I love it.  But only because I know there will come a day when I don’t love it anymore, so right now I think it only fair to just enjoy the ride.

So here we go Avelyn, it’s you and me.  Together.  And I’m in for the long haul. You?

I might get around to writing an actual post one of these days but I work tonight and sleep half the day tomorrow.  Somehow I just can’t bring myself to spend time on the computer blogging when I have such a beautiful girl running around filling my house with laughter.  Hope you’re all having a great day.

11 daus until Kevin comes home!

Where to begin? The past two weeks (Seriously? Two weeks? I can’t believe I’ve gone two weeks without blogging. It’s like I actually utilized my time wisely. Glad that’s over.) have been a roller coaster. I’m not really sure how much detail to go into, out of sheer exhaustion and pure peace that it is all over.

To make a very long story short, I almost did not graduate. I passed both of my classes, but due to a technicality in the grading system I was told that even though my final grade was passing, I would fail one class and thus be unable to graduate. Me and two other people. I would have to come back in the fall and take the entire class and clinical over again. Don’t even ask, the whole thing makes no sense. The grading policy made no sense, the syllabus was not clear. A million things were wrong with this situation. I cried, no sobbed, for two days. I could not imagine going through this separation from Kevin and Avelyn again. I felt myself falling into a dark hole of depression and just could not imagine that this was really happening. It was awful. But I fought hard to make it right. Kevin fought hard, writing letters which thankfully I never had to send, and breaking it all down in an easy to argue argument. I took it to my advisor who fought hard for all of us – and we won! The grading policy was changed, our whole class graduated and IT IS ALL OVER!!!!!!!!!

Monday, May 4th: Take my first final. Get an 84 on it. Get an 86 final average in the class. On the way home I get a phone call that I FAILED THE CLASS BECAUSE OF ANOTHER AVERAGE (that I won’t bore you with here) AND WILL NOT GRADUATE. Have mini breakdown. Freak out. Sob. Wail. Sink into deep anxiety laden depression. Still have to go home and study for the final on Tuesday. Nice.

Tuesday, May 5th: Take second final (that I pass with an 80 and get an 86 in the class even in the middle of this “you will not graduate you big fatty loser” sh*t). Walk out of the classroom and am met with a giant fat crazy b*tch of a human being all up in my face asking if I passed because she heard I had failed. Thanks giant fat crazy b*tch. Thanks a lot for making my sh*tty last day of school even sh*ttier. Guess I’ll just creep out this side door and avoid saying (possibly my last) goodbye to all my friends so my giant puffy crying face doesn’t bring them down on what should be a great last day of class. Crazy b*tch, I hate you. Go make out with another ho ho.

Wednesday, May 6th: Phone is off so I sleep until after 10am. Well needed rest. Wake up to 13 missed calls and 4 voicemails. Call back the only person who could give me the news I want. It’s official! They all agreed the syllabus was unclear and changed the grading policy! We all graduate! I have used my Crap Community Health nurse lobbying lecture and lobbied for change! I GET TO FREAKING GRADUATE! Call my fantastic friends who had been fighting just as hard and are just as excited about the news. Have a fabulous lunch with Darci and go home to relax until the end of year party later that day. Go to end of year party later that day and have a FAB-FAB-FABULOUS time. Have several drinks and lots of good conversation. Pull into the driveway around 12am just as Kevin and Avelyn pull up. Great day.

Thursday, May 7th: Wake up with a totally worth it hangover. We attend my pinning ceremony, a nursing school tradition. Kevin pins me and Avelyn does not scream watches in the back row with my grandparents. Afterward we take a few pictures with some Hobo stalkers friends and my advisor, Dr. Yu, who fought hard for me to graduate. I owe her something big

Friday, May 8th: Kevin, Avelyn and I have lunch with my childhood best friend Shannon and her son Cooper AKA Avelyn’s boy toy. They were born twelve days apart. You may remember him from tandem spit up days or the freaking cutest Halloween costume duo ever.

[Giant brackets as I segway into an interesting tidbit that just popped into my head. At the end of our 4th grade year Shannon and I both liked a boy named Robert McKeon. He called me on the phone one day (OMG! A BOY called ME on the PHONE!!!!!!!!!) and told me he liked me too and asked if I wanted to go out with him, or whatever fourth grade boys in 1991 might have said. My fourth grade self reallllllllllllllly wanted to but I was afraid to hurt Shannon’s feelings so I told him I would have to call him back. I called Shannon to make sure it was okay. She said it was but I could tell at school the next week she was not cool with it. I think Robert McKeon and I might have held hands maybe once, then I moved to a different school for fifth grade and we “broke up”. Well, I guess we broke up. Shannon told me during fifth grade year that he was dating some other girl from the FOURTH grade. WHORE! What a skanky loser, that Robert McKeon. Dumping me for a FOURTH grader just because I moved schools, hmph! I went back that year for their talent show to see my friends and his new girlfriend sang “My Favorite Things” from the Sound of Music. I swear to you I hate that song to this day. Below is Robert, top row, 2nd from the left. I’m on the 2nd row, far right and Shannon is wearing that kickin’ visor and sitting next to some girl I clearly did not like as evidenced by her scratched out face.]

Back to reality. Friday night is graduation. Pretty uneventful except for you know, the whole being totally done with nursing school and GRADUATING thing. I should have got more pictures with my homies.

Avelyn behaves swimmingly if you consider graduation didn’t start until 7pm and she usually goes to bed around 8pm. When all is said and done we are OUT of here, and we hit the road for San Antonio. Pull in around 2am. Too tired to feel anything.

Saturday, May 9th: Woke up to an amazing sensation of being home when a really cute little girl toddled in to say hello. We moved the big stuff from storage to the new house and I mowed and edged the front yard while Avelyn napped. Don’t remember much after that. Must have spent the evening recovering from Houston hell.

Sunday, May 10th: For Mother’s Day Kevin gave me a fantastic card and Avelyn gave me some beautiful dish towels, a book so I can pretend she likes me to read to her, and a card with some flower seeds for us to plant in our new garden this fall. I gave her a pony tail. I was really happy with my gifts. She was not so happy with hers.

Monday, May 11th: Spent allllllll day painting Avelyn’s room pink. Due to an unfortunate incident involving Kevin using the crapper and me accidently walking in on him only to be shooed away I was not able to get a pair of painting shorts out of the closet and ruined one of my two pairs of jeans that fit. Yes, I could have gone back for the shorts after he finished but I was flustered and forgot. Note to self – don’t walk in on Hubby in the crapper. It will mess you up for days.

Uncle Pennybags arrives Monday afternoon. Unfortunately we are not yet ready to move into our house. Unless I don’t mind retarding Hobo’s brain with paint fumes, which I do. Oh – and I also come down with the WORSTCOLDEVERRRRRR.

Tuesday-Wednesday: Spend time organizing, setting up, cleaning the new house and feeling really, really crappy. Contemplate slicing my nose off to relieve pressure and push myself too hard to get everything done. It’s worth it. We spend Wednesday night in OUR house.

Thursday, May 14th: Our FIRST day to wake up in our new house. Avelyn spends time getting the hang of having her own cabinet and leaving the rest of mine alone. She can do whatever she wants with the stuff in her cabinet. I am looking forward to the day I open the door and find her sitting in it. You know it’s coming. You also know five thousand pictures will be taken.

Friday, May 15th: I have no recollection of this day. I will assume it was the day I was prepared to die from the WORSTCOLDEVERRRRRR.

Saturday, May 16th: The washer that came with the house broke the first time we used it, which was not unexpected but annoying none the less. We buy a washer on Saturday, our very FIRST major appliance purchase ever. It’s really lame how excited I am about it. To celebrate this milestone we also buy Guitar Hero World Tour as a mutual Kevin/Jennifer belated birthday present to each other. Uncle Pennybags and Avelyn shared a paci high five to show their approval of this decision.

Sunday, May 17th: We drive to Rudy’s for the Worst Barbeque in Texas. It’s realllllly good. We drive back home and break out the monster bubble machine while Pennybags and Kevin rock the World Tour. The monster bubble machine is supposed to make bubbles. Big bubbles. Big bubbles with little bubbles inside them. It works on a sliding scale I think. When it works it’s really cool. And Avelyn looks amazingly beautiful. No surprise here.

Monday, May 18th: Called the store back about getting a delivery date for the washer I’m so excited about since the computers were down over the weekend and they couldn’t schedule a date. Was told the computer says it’s scheduled for delivery June 8th. JUNE 8th. Like THREE weeks away JUNE 8th. This is not acceptable. Grrrrr.

Dropped Avelyn off at school. She is being transitioned from the blue (infant) room to the orange (1-2’s) room this week. One of the many bittersweet moments I am getting used to. I’m so excited for her and all the things she has learned. I love her teachers and they have loved her and I hate she will have to leave them but I’m so excited for all that she will learn in the next room. They have dance class day and karate day and play outside… she is going to have so many fun experiences.

The house is coming together. We have a lot of space to fill, so many empty walls, a lonely dining room that holds six new chairs and one old ugly table begging to be refinished. I think I’m going to go buy Avelyn a swing to hang in the tree in the backyard. It’s shaded and she loves to swing so much. That should be nice.

I scheduled my test date for the NCLEX this morning. Thursday, June 4 at 12:15 I will be sitting down to start a 4 hour exam that will allow me to become Jennifer Welch, BSN, RN… hopefully. Guess I better get to studying this week.

Dropped Pennybags off at the airport. His sister-in-law has been diagnosed with cancer and had a biopsy today. She is pregnant with their second baby. Please pray for their family.

Picked Avelyn up from school and had a fantastic time chasing her around the house. She is getting so big and is so fast! Had dinner with Kevin’s parents at Luby’s where I gave Avelyn mashed potatoes for the third time. She finally decided they were tasty. Smart girl. Oh, and she is THIRTEEN months old today!

So that’s (briefly) what’s been going on around here. My Google Reader was so full when I finally checked in with you guys. Guess I better get back to reading what YOU’VE been up to!

Another great weekend with the Hobo, another job interview, another job offer and NO completed school work to show for it.  Sounds like a success wouldn’t you say?  I now have two job offers to choose from.  One in the Pediatric Emergency Room (Pedi ER), the other in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).  Decisions, decisions.  I plan to make my decision this week, although I’m pretty sure what I want to do.  Before I decline the other position I want something in writing from the job I do want.  Jobs are scarce these days and with a bird in hand… well you get it.  What do you think I should pick?  Put in your two cents on the poll on the right side bar by this Friday at noon and we’ll see if you were right!

The above photos were taken in the last few weeks.  The diaper change in the trunk is the best idea I’ve ever had.  Except for über cold or über rainy days I’d rather change her precious rump in the trunk of my own car than on those nasty, germy, disgusting changing stations.  Take a UV light to those things some day.  EWWWWWWWWW.  And the pink sparkly shoes, well, SHE NEEDS THEM AND SO DO ALL LITTLE GIRLS!!  BECAUSE THEY’RE PINK!!!  AND SPARKLY!!!  Please don’t sell out before I can buy you, shoes!

I got in SA just in time to put Avelyn to bed Thursday night.  She was so excited to see me that she race-crawled right over in her little pink PJ’s and buried her head in my chest.  Those are the moments that break your heart, but in a good way.  Of course it was right before bed so when I tried to give her a bottle she was too excited to eat or sleep and wanted to play.  The sit-on-the-bed-and-sing-while-she-drank-a-bottle trick didn’t work so we moved to Plan B and I held her close and rocked her in my arms until she calmed down.  She is such a big baby girl now, and most nights will let you hold her close until she decides “Okay, time for bed” and reaches to go to her crib.  I appreciate this maturity on her part, don’t get me wrong, but the immature Momma part of me is sobbing OH MY GOD! MY BABY IS SOOOOO GROWN UP AND DOESN’T WANT ME!  SOOO(hiccup!)OOBBBBBBB!  But then she sleeps for at least 10 hours straight without making a peep and I sing Hallelujah to the heavens for finallyaftermonthsandmonthsandmonths granting me the gift of rest.

Friday was awesome.  I dropped Avelyn off at daycare without one tear (from her or me), had a great job interview with the PICU (can I be super proud of myself for a moment?  I mean TWO interviews and TWO job offers?), had lunch with Kevin then headed home for a well needed two hour nap.  I had a terrible cold and NEEDED. SLEEP.  Then I picked Avelyn up from daycare and tried to take her picture since Kevin has not kept up with the 1,387 picture a day precedent I set. 

I call this series “The Screaming Baby” because this baby is very into screaming these days.  Look at that girl standing, the one soooo close to walking!  Isn’t she tall?  Doesn’t she look like a little KID from behind?  Where did my baby chubber wub go?  Oh wait, phew! There it is behind her knees.  Love it.

In preparation for Avelyn’s FIRST birthday (12 more days!) I wanted to get her pictures made.  I found a few great photographers, one of which lives in Texas (hence was the obvious choice) and was really, really excited to get some great photos.  Unfortunately we move a lot and the money tree I ordered has yet to be delivered to the right address so we were out of luck.  But pictures are better than no pictures so I booked a session at the PP and had Avelyn model some potential outfits for the shoot. She looked utterly delicious and seemed to enjoy the first ensemble as evidenced by this face: But then I got a little cocky and tried to take pictures of her from a different angle.  It didn’t go so well:The second wardrobe change was even more fun.  The sheer nerve of me I tell you:

In keeping with her less than stellar performance during dress rehearsal the night before, the photo shoot on Saturday went kind of… meh.  She spent most of the time crying, screaming, making no face whatsoever and crawling off camera towards me.  We got a few good shots but nothing like her normal wide eyed grin.  I love them all though, no matter what.  Unfortunately they look like, well, portrait studio pictures.  Ugh.  I think I take way better pictures than they do.  If the subject weren’t so damn adorable I wouldn’t have bought one picture.  One day I will get the photos I want.  (Like THIS YEAR KEVIN.  When I get a job we’re doing it.)  Until then I will just drool over Matt, Sharon and Annalee’s beautiful photos.  They’re all really good looking people but their hands-down-utterly-beautiful baby girls really make the shot.  Some more cuteness to tide you over.

Hobo Baby is wearing Kate Mack by Biscotti Baby Spring Rose dress, Kate Mack Strawberry Fields Voile Bubble Romper, and Iris & Ivy some dress I don’t know the name of.  (Note to Biscotti – we love your clothes, want to send some our way?)

 

8 days to my 28th birthday!
11 days to Avelyn’s 1st birthday!
14 days to Kevin’s 32nd birthday!
31 days to Momma’s graduation!

AVELYN ISABEL WELCH

That’s who!  Just thirteen more days until my little Hobo Baby turns ONE.  We’ve started celebrating a little early around here…