Annie meets Lailee

Matthew and Ash were down for Thanksgiving and we got to babysit Lailee while they attended her sister's wedding. Annie & I were so excited. The best parts about Lailee so far are her amazing THICK red hair and her CUTE cry, although I don't know if her parents would agree about the latter. Lailee's cry is like none-other. That girl has lungs and her cry melts my heart. It is so completely tragic and sincere. This was also the first time Lailee and Annie met and boy did Annie love watching Lailee. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful cousin friendship!

Check out Lailee's awesome spikey red hair! I wish I had some. I've always wanted red hair.

The next day I was just starting dinner when Dad called and requested Annie so I dropped everything and we ate at Mom and Dad's instead (not a bad deal- babytime with Grandpa in exchange for food). Matt and Ash were there with Lailee and Dad wanted to have them together for a bit. He finally got his grandkids, although he still hasn't let up about how old Q and I are and how long we waited. Just yesturday he was complaining about it to someone right in front of me!

I have thee best nannies! Annie practically jumps out of my hands whenever 1 of these 2 walks by.

At home that night Annie discovered
that her hands could be used to make this cool flower play music.
Since then, her hands have been doing new tricks every day.

We cannot possibly explain how much we love this little bundle of cuteness... but we try. We started an Annie journal blog and leave most of the mushy, teary-eyed stuff there. As for the day-to-day here at Hadley enterprises, hope you're not put off by even more Annie photos because she is our entire world and we are convinced that everything she does is the cutest, best, and first time ANY BABY has done anything EVER in the history of the entire world. Yep, we're smitten beyond measure. More please!

Thanksgiving {part II}

Here are the rest of the 2010 Turkey Day photos.

Annie is so sweet. Q was excited she cuddled with him. I was jealous.

This is the Annie fan club. Emma and Kate are co-presidents.

And these next shots are all examples of what it is like when your cute hubby gets hold of your camera. I was pleasantly surprised to find these on my disk when we came home. Too bad I hadn't switched out the portrait lens and turned on the flash. I will endeavor to anticipate his next spur of the moment photo op.

Time to pack up and drive home.

Maybe next year it will be at our house...assuming we get a house by then ;)

Giggle Annie

I sneezed. Little did I know it would start THIS amazing giggle fest.

Grandma Polly said there is absolutely no sound on earth as perfect and beautiful and addicting as your daughter's laughter. She was completely right in every way.

Turkey Time {round I}

At the last minute I made a concession and pulled a switch. I say concession not because Q's fam is such, but because it was in the plans to eat at Grandma Polly's and anytime you miss a Stirland meal, you've made a concession. Q didn't even say a word beforehand. I just figured some benevolence on my part might be a nice gesture and, as Q begrugingly put it, a nice way to store up some brownie points for later. In summation, we surprised Q's mom by showing up for Thanksgiving dinner in Payson. Here's round 1 of the photo turket day tour:
A few tired crocodile tears and we're off:

The Baby Entertainers:

The Festive Decor:

The usual suspects:

Just when I think a formal affair will suppress the boy in him...

...And guess who took the longest RIP VAN WINKLE nap
during dinner prep
during dinner eating
and during dinner clean up?

It was a struggle waking up out of her coma
but Annie made an appearance just in time for desert.

P.S. Thank you Annie for helping me lose Seth's Thanksgiving Day weight gain contest.
Apparently nursing really does make a difference.
I was the only one who actually lost weight between dinner start and dinner end.

Tuesday SHEESH-ness

I work. I have two jobs. I teach 9th grade part time and I teach clogging. Most weeks I do both jobs on Tuesday which means Tuesdays are a marathon. It also explains why I look like I've been run over by a bus in these pictures. I drop Annie off at 11 am and don't see her again until 6 pm. By then she is ready for the night time routine which includes lots of smiling and splashing on her part and lots of yawns and sweating on my part. Last night I needed a bit of a respite before we started the whole put-Annie-to-bed choreography so I introduced Annie to some of my favorite children's books. I haven't read to her much at all since she was 1 month old and now I'm regretting it. ANNIE LOVES BOOKS! She sat on my lap and cooed and awed at each page for over an hour. It was nothing short of sublime. She didn't even seem to mind my improvised dance t-shirt and none-to-merry aroma wafting from my after-dance class body. Too bad I can't say the same of Quinn (not that I blame him). Love you Annie.

Thanksgiving pictures to come when I work up the energy to sift through them and photo shop my shiny forehead out.

poem d'apology

poem d'apology:

After friends and I breakfasted yonder Monday,
I returned to my home and was simply dismayed.

I discovered by fault I had worn the wrong bra,
had appeared 10 pounds bigger in fashion faux pas.

Not merely increasing my large silhouette,
I had looked like an ape with side boobs for pets.

A better brazier could have shown them the truth,
that I've really lost weight, I'm no slob! Not uncouth!

I promptly changed slings, no more house bra for me,
and shed 20 pounds in the mirror instantly.

Then I thought, "What a shame," if only they'd seen,
I'm almost back down, not quite fat, not quite lean.

So picture me nigh at that breakfast again,
wearing good lingerie, that makes me look thin.

Keep THAT thought in your head, not the one that you saw-
At that sad morning meal when I wore the wrong bra!