Mean

 
In the afternoon.

She's Mean

 
Morning, Afternoon, Evening.

at Bouncer Town

 
 
I am cracking up over listening to Mike - how he stays so cheery being the parent to this mean girl, I will never know. She has been IMPOSSIBLE today, up at 5:30 or whatever, rotten to the core all day, and he just keeps singing to her and telling her jokes. Mike's mom gave Anthony this microphone stand for Christmas, and it has these pedals that you push and it makes music, or a rimshot, or applause and Mike tells Maria a joke and then hits the rimshot pedal. It's so funny and sweet and it makes me feel very lucky to be married to someone like that, instead of someone like me. If I were married to someone like me, we'd both be in prison right now. Anyway, here's Maria in the teensy kids bounce zone area. She didn't wander much!

Pancake

 
 
 
Maria, trying to steal Anthony's pancake. She had already had one! She's eating his now, in her chair. I don't know if she's better or not. She was up several times in the night and Mike went in at 5:00 to see if she was warm but she wasn't, she was just up. She went back to sleep til 6:15 or so. GOD it's early to get up, day after day. I have friends whose kids have to be woken up and I just can't imagine it. I have been having this pregnancy carpel tunnel but my OB recommended a brace and it's really helping. I am determined to sleep for six hours in a row before I have this baby, wish me luck!

Better?

 
 
Maybe. Who can tell. I took her to the doctor yesterday (where she weighed 23 pounds and five ounces, which is crazy and meant that we were giving her the wrong dose of Tylenol) and he said it was viral and to try and give her fluids and keep her comfortable. LORD she is cranky! She slept fitfully last night but was up at 5:00 and by that I mean UP and AWAKE. I laid her down at 6:45 because she seemed tired then, plus I wanted to get Anthony, who had been braying in his room since 5:00, but she only slept for five minutes. I put her down again at 9:00 and went up at 9:30 because she was screaming, then I went and got her at 10:00 because she was screaming *again*. So they have both basically been up since 5:00 and we have MILES to go before bedtime BUT at least she looks cute right? Right? The onesie is from Anthony's teacher and the pants are from my Mom, for Christmas. My parents go back to Florida on Tuesday and we will miss them until April!

New Fridge

 
 
 
Take a good look because it's going back on Monday. It's too big, or more accurately, our kitchen is too small. :(

50 Weeks

 
Oh this poor girl! She slept well last night until 3:00 and then was up on the hour, I guess, until 6:00 when I finally went in and got her. Mike and I took turns at 3, 4 and 5. She is still warm and grumpy but not, as one might guess, sleeping. :(

More Christmas

 
 
 
We can't believe her cheeks. She's super cute, even sick!

More Christmas

 
 
 

Poor Maria

 
 
 
Here's Maria, in happier times. Now she is sick! She was warm this morning when she got up and a little bit grumpy but she seemed good after her (extremely short) morning nap. We got her dressed in this sweet outfit my mom bought her which happens to match perfectly the baby legs that Laura got her and she looked adorable. Then she just started to fall apart in the afternoon, right when my family got here. She was so, so warm. I couldn't say what her temperature was but she was really warm and so sleepy and grumpy. I put her in the bath (just in the sink in the kitchen) and it seemed to perk her up and then she fell apart again. So she grumped a little bit and then she rallied right before she went to bed. Oh it is awful when they are sick! Today Maria laid on my chest more than Anthony has in his whole entire life, though! She has been asleep for almost two hours so I am hoping, hoping, she can sleep all night and feel better tomorrow. She is just pitiful and breaks my heart.

Together

 
 
 
First Christmas Together.

I Said No Pictures!

 
On Christmas Eve, in a cute little outfit my mom got her.

Happy For Now

 
 
Eating a donut. :)

Pop Tart

 
She found some of Anthony's pop tart. She is ridiculous.

I Don't Know What to Say

 
She woke up at 5:00 this morning and I finally went into her at 5:20 because I was afraid she'd wake up Anthony. He has been sleeping well and I hate to have her mess it up, since we've been working on it for - no big deal - the last three and a half years! I had to lay her down at 8:20 because she was a MISERY. I wish I could say something nice about her, but again, all I have are the clothes and the cuteness. This outfit is from Anthony's teacher, it's super cute.

On top of old Anthony

 
 
 
Not covered in cheese, though.

New Year's Meme

Answering for Maria.

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before? Be born. Everything.

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I guess maybe she wanted to be born? So that's out.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Ha, I did, to her!

4. Did anyone close to you die? Nope.

5. What places did you visit? Maria went to NJ in June, it was her first plane trip and she did very well. She is not so great in the car when we go anywhere longer than like 10 minutes away. We went to see Mike's grandmother and mom a few times each.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? The ability to walk? To talk? To SLEEP BETTER?

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? January 11, the day she was born.

8. What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year? Being born. Nursing so well. Learning to sleep all night.

9. What was your biggest failure? She doesn't have enough teeth yet, for my taste.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Thank God, Maria has been healthy. She's had a cold here and there but that's it.

11. What was the best thing you bought? Hmmm. Maria doesn't really like much, so far. She didn't love the swing, she doesn't love her pack and play. She doesn't even like the exersaucer that Anthony loved! She wears used cloth diapers. Jeez. I'm going to have to start spending some money on her. I did get her TWO new pairs of shoes a few months ago. :)

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? I suppose Maria's. Although I'm going to put a shout out here to her parents. :)

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Um. Would it seem mean if I said Maria's? She can get very, very pissy and grumpy and LOUD.

14. Where did most of your money go? We haven't spent too much money on her! She sleeps in Anthony's crib, has Anthony's dresser. We have been given a lot of clothes for her. She never took formula so there wasn't that expense. She's never even had a new carseat!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Maria gets very excited about standing. She is excited about Anthony and she goes berserk when you bounce a tennis ball in front of her.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008? I always think of Isn't She Lovely by Stevie Wonder when I think of Maria.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier? Man I don't know - she was probably happier in the womb.
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter. She was nine pounds, six ounces when she was born and weighs about 20 pounds now.
c) richer or poorer? Richer. I guess.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Easy. Sleep. Be NICE.

20. How did you spend Christmas last year? Kicking away inside me.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008? I guess. She loves us, and Anthony.

22. How many one-night stands? Hee. No.

23. What was your favorite TV program? Maria doesn't care for TV, she never even likes the Baby Einsteins that Anthony did.

24. What did you do for your birthday in 2008? Be born. Nurse. Sleep. Have jaundice.

25. What was the best book you read? Maria also doesn't really like books, she is always grabbing at them when I am trying to read to her.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery? She does like all kinds of music, she is starting to rock out a little bit and dance.

27. What did you want and get? Life?

28. What did you want and not get? I imagine when she is in her room screaming her head off, she'd like us to come in and get her, but in the night, we don't.

29. What was your favorite film of this year? No movies yet. We are looking forward to when one of our kids likes a damned movie.

30. Did you make some new friends this year? Just us, I guess. She is friendLY to my friends mostly.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? I do think she would be happier if she was a little better rested. She is always mid-yawn and mid-yell.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? Comfort is key.

33. What kept you sane? Ugh. Nothing.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? I guess none.

35. What political issue stirred you the most? None - she didn't vote or care.

36. Who did you miss? Me, when I step away for two seconds. She must miss Mike when he goes to work because she is insanely happy when he comes home.

37. Who was the best new person you met? Us.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. Hmm. What lessons has Maria learned this year? Sleep is for suckers?

Pretty

 
She is so pretty and cute, thank God, because I am telling you she would not get by on personality alone at this point. Just now as I'm typing this she is whining and grousing and bugging Anthony so I better go. But here she is, in happier times. :)