oh, sweet caroline!
what a weekend of firsts you've had...
this post is simply what this blog is about: documenting your life!
i'll add a few iphone pics of you this weekend...i didn't do a good job of taking pictures.
friday night was CRAZY...you were an energizer bunny until AFTER midnight! i couldn't believe it...i tried all of your tricks...we rocked. we ate. we read books. we bounced on the ball. we ate. we sang. we danced. we ate. we did it ALL. you were a party animal! by midnight i was drained (literally) and i knew you had to be! you crashed....and (drumroll, please!)
YOU SLEPT EIGHT SOLID HOURS! whoohoo. no, i'm not holding my breath or expecting this to be a new normal. but, i am so proud of you for this accomplishment. it's crazy to think that it's the first time in six months that either of us have slept a straight eight hours. we both woke up saturday morning feeling great! i could only assume it was the beginning to a seamless and awesome day of shopping!! (if i'd only known!)
really, our day was pretty great. we just had a hard time getting out the door.
i planned to leave the house by 10am to get some errands taken care of before we met margo for lunch and a spin through the junior league's "holiday market."
it was a super cold morning and i'm still learning how to best dress you on these days. i want you to be warm, but not too bundled because then you are uncomfortable! so...we are learning to layer well..while still maintaining your level of style, of course! :) your dad and i worked hard on your outfit and you were looking pretty cute in your new dress and corduroys. at this point we're already running late. i fed you and called margo to say that we would prefer to just do an early lunch and holiday market, then do our running around after we played with her. your dad was playing with you while i stocked the car for the day when i got "the call" that you had a dirty diaper. no biggie. it was good that you would surely have a fresh diaper for the road. as i was changing you, i kept finding this little black specks on the wipes. after further investigation, i realized there was something big and black sticking out of your bottom. YOUR FIRST DINGLE-BERRY! (sidenote: bertie is the queen of dingle-berries, but i never dreamed my beautiful daughter would be, too!) as i pulled it out it was a complete, intact leaf! ha! i got so tickled, that you got tickled and you tee-teed all over yourself, me, the chair...soaking it all! oh, goodness! sooo...onto outfit number two! to say the least, we were eating lunch and doing the holiday market at the original planned time. :)
(i'd like to note that you seem to have a productive digestive system. this isn't the first leaf i've found evidence of...you seem to handle them well!)
we had a fun early afternoon with margo, bought you a few "accessories," then picked up dad for some christmas shopping. we bought you some clothes and your "big" christmas present. that was a blast for me.
(this is your new headband we bought with margo! i've never been a big fan of putting things on your head...bows just look cheesey on you...but, i'm starting to like the funky little headbands.
this was just too cute on you!)
we got home just in time to watch the sooners play (somewhat) and eat pizza with friends. you had another late night of partying...you slept well, but still made sure you didn't miss any nighttime snacks.
your next first was...SUNDAY SCHOOL! we had decided this was the week we would take you to the nursery for the first time. it's taken me six months to work myself up for leaving you. you looked so precious in your little fall smocked dress...like such a big girl being dropped off. :) our leaving you was easy. you happily went to the nursery worker and some of our friends were (thankfully) down there, so we jumped into conversation with them instead of thinking about the fact we were leaving you in someone else's care. i think i checked the pager 200 times during sunday school...but never heard a word. we were in the middle of communion in "big church" when i got a text from mark thomson (the preschool minister's husband) asking me to please come to your classroom. the church is all under construction and hallways are blocked off...i couldn't find my way to you. it was the longest walk i've ever made...my heart was hurting for you. i could hear you as i neared your room! i've never seen you so upset. your eyes were soo red and wet and you were breathing so hard! i was so sad, and so were you. the nursery workers couldn't have been sweeter. they were giving you so much love -- but you just really needed mom and dad. i probably nursed you for 30 seconds and you were dead to the world..your breathing still rattled from crying so hard...so sad! dad found us in the nursing room and we headed to the entry area of the church, so we could watch the sermon on tv. you were so asleep....until you woke with a scream. it was so terrifying and you were not easily comforted. we ran outside because you were so loud. until you heard your dad's voice, you just screamed! broke my heart, sweet baby.
we fed you in the car, you relaxed and realized you were safe and sound with us. whew!
...and there is still more!
we decided to stop at blue moon and have brunch on the patio. it was an amazing day and i knew you'd love sitting outside. we ordered and you and i headed to grab a table. dad was getting drinks when i felt really wet! you had your first MAJOR blow-out on me and you in public! whoohoo!! you and i were both covered in poop. fun! sooo...we made a beeline for the car and took a wipe-bath and stripped off your yucky clothes. thank goodness your dress was salvageable. good thing we were sitting outside, because i was a bit worried that we might be smelly.
from there, we had a great family lunch. you loved the cool breeze and bananas. you loved your baby doll and sophie's friend. we loved our food and coffee. life was good for all :)
i hoped we would spend the rest of the afternoon out back hanging a tree swing. but...toys r us was out. we are going to get one soon! i don't want you to miss out on these beautiful fall days.

you are happily napping in my arms (now. when i started the post, you were cozy with my scarf in your seat.) i'm assuming you'll spend much of your day just like this. you have had an exhausting weekend of FIRSTS! it must be tiring to accomplish so much in just a couple of days...
i love you sweet girl! you make us smile more and more everyday...
mom