A Very Special Day

Three years ago I met a guy who seemed just way too good to be true.  I had zero interest in getting into another relationship at the time.  Having just come out of a very trying and difficult one, I wanted nothing more than to have a new friend. 
We had an instant connection, and it didn't take long at all to realize that there was something very special between us.  He renewed my faith in love and relationships when I'd become convinced it was all a sham.  He seemed to be the embodiment of every "I wish ..." I'd ever whispered to myself when daydreaming of my perfect match, my imaginary prince charming.  Sometimes life throws you a curve ball, and sometimes it's so great and life-changing that it knocks you off your feet.   

He's the love of my life and my very best friend, the person who can make me laugh when I'm in my most vile of moods, and my partner through the good times, and the bad times.  He's there with me, by my side, through all those mundane everyday chores that accompany life as an adult, and because he's there, everything is more fun.  He recognizes that what we have is not only wonderful and rare, but so delicate, too. And it is easy for me to see his efforts to protect what is so important to us, which means so much to me.

I'm thankful every day for him and today I feel like the luckiest girl in the world because I married him.

Who Needs Toes?

J has an 80s Indy hits station playing on the Sonos as he's going through the vinyl collection in the hopefully soon to be nursery. I was feeling more set on having a quiet night at first, but the relentless onslaught of tunes from my high school days has put me in a happy sort of nostalgic mood. So far we've heard Siouxsie, Minor Threat, the Cure, Bad Brains, PIL, Husker Du, Killing Joke, The Smiths, New Order, ...I'm sort of looking forward to seeing what's next. I'm betting on Fugazi or Echo & the Bunnymen if we're sticking with the "Cora's cassette collection from the 80s" mix.

So fun.

In other important news:

I can't see my toes anymore and putting on socks has become a miserable chore.

We've picked a pediatrician and narrowed down daycare providers.

We were gifted a giant bag filled with an assortment of vegan girlscout cookies last weekend.

We already ate most of them.

We're not proud.

Welcome to America, Kid!

Tonight the pups and I headed up to bed early. My plan was to read for a while and get a good nights sleep. I decided to play some music for the little guy, so I turned on Spotify, picked Vivaldi's Four Seasons and placed the phone over my belly for a bit.

Then it happened.

I forgot I had cancelled my premium account because I didn't use it enough. Baby got his first Home Depot commercial. In utero.

I'm partially horrified and somewhat amused by the absurdity of the whole thing.

Every time this kid picks up a toy tool I'm going to wonder if it's the direct result of me cutting back on frivolous monthly expenses. Awesome, I'm negative three months into parenthood and I'm already experiencing mommy guilt.

Since Last Time

J is on part two of two weeks away while traveling for work. He did get to come home for the weekend, and so far there hasn't been any blizzards to deal with in his absence, so I'm certainly thankful for that. He's cleared to be travel-free for the next few months while we prepare for the little guy and while I become a little more cautious about doing everyday things like pup lifting (Lucy is terrified of going down the stairs on her own) and working the mammoth gate to our city fortress (the only way to get the cars to the street).

The nursery is in its beginning phase of clearing out the old stuff that was in the room, and half the furniture is already here and waiting to be moved in. We've been working with a trainer to get the dogs (and by dogs I mean mainly Ollie) on their best behavior in time for baby. It would never have even been a thought if it weren't for Ollie's minor holiday melt down. After two years of well behaved home alone time while J and I are at work, he suddenly decided December would be a good time to start ransacking the kitchen, dumping garbage, and eating Christmas gifts.

Yes, Ollie ate Christmas.  Luckily, I'd only just started the Amazon ordering onslaught makes up the bulk of my Christmas shopping, so the damage was just under $150.  Not good by any means, but I'm trying to be optimistic, so at least I hadn't ordered any of the big stuff yet, and though I wouldn't have said so at the time, I'm also thankful he didn't actually ingest any of the pieces of the bike helmet he tore into.  The training seems to be helping.  No pup gets anything for free anymore at our house (except Lucy, but she's a sleepy little princess who doesn't eat bike helmets so she can have all the treats her little heart desires).  They have to execute commands (down, stay, paw, leave it, etc) before they get their meals, treats, furniture privileges or the like.  Fingers crossed that we can do right by the big sweet lug and help him attain Awesome Dog/Guard Dog Extraordinaire status before introductions to the new family member.  So far he is doing well with everything.  I really think that having limited playtime this winter is what has caused most of the trouble with him.  Ollie is a big dog with an unlimited supply of energy.  Winter is rough on all of us, but I think the poor boy is just bored to tears (of mischief and trouble).

We secured a day care that I am so excited about and found a pediatrician who comes highly recommended by friends and random online reviews, so there are a few more checks on the long list of to-dos. Getting stuff done, and getting prepared is the theme of most days now.  With J away, I'm taking a night off for this super important update (yes, that was sarcasm), an awesome burrito (no jokes when it comes to burritos), and some kindle time with my furry family.