I can’t believe he picked Ambre!

The Rock of Love finale was on last night, and what a surprise. He picked the smarter, 37-year-old, career-oriented girl over the 25-year-old blonde, wild, emotionally unstable one. Good for him. Can’t wait to see how it turns out. I was so nervous though. I thought Daisy was going to go nuts if she lost. She sure let the stress get to her in the end. She was so catty and immature to Ambre too. I think he made the right decision.

Also, I thought it was pretty lame how he took them each on dates and gave them the same necklaces and even used the “check, please” joke on both of them. Between him and the staff couldn’t they at least get the girls two different gifts?

My genius baby can use a spoon

Today I gave Ella a yogurt and she kept trying to take the spoon away from me. I’m familiar with this game. She wants to play with the spoon, but she doesn’t realize that once I give it to her the food will stop entering her mouth, then she’s mad. So, I kept insisting on not giving it to her, but she just got madder and madder. I finally took her in the kitchen, put her in her highchair and let her have it. At least it wouldn’t be on the carpet.

Well, she actually dipped it in and fed herself! She’s made attempts before but this was the best I’d ever seen her do it. And granted it was all over her face and the highchair tray, but she was doing it. Yay! She’s learning to use utensils!

A trip to Fishers

We had another visit with Em, my sister, and her husband, Kevin, this weekend. Em and I bought Steve and Kevin Pacers tickets for their birthdays back in February and March and this weekend was the game. We realized later though that Steve would have to leave for a business trip the next day, meaning he and I would have to drive up seperately. Not a big deal, but when driving with a 1-year-old for 2 hours, having someone with you is much more preferable. If she fusses then the driver doesn’t have to worry about it. Oh well, I still wanted to go hang out with my sis. I don’t get down there much. Plus a few other friends were planning to come with their kids and I hardly ever get to see them.

So, then I have to think about packing … we’ll need the pack ‘n’ play, a gate for her stairs, maybe a portable highchair, toys, snacks, whole milk, clothes, jammies … and I start thinking what I really need is a babysitter. I imagine a carefree jaunt down to Fishers by myself and it’s starting to sound really good. I love having Ella with me, but man, I could use a break. I consider calling my mom. But no, Em doesn’t see Ella much, plus my other girlfriends will like seeing her.

The day does not go as planned. Normally she takes a morning and afternoon nap. We had company though — Steve’s sister and her daughters — and Ella doesn’t like to miss out. We really enjoyed their visit though. They stopped in on Friday night on their way home to W. Virginia after spending the girls’ spring break in Michigan.

So, no morning nap. I plan to just keep her up then until her afternoon nap around 2. It’s not working though. She gets cranky. So, I put her down at 1, and we’re so not ready to leave. First, I need to sit down. With packing and cleaning and taking care of Ella, I haven’t all morning. We finally are ready and I wake Ella around 2, hoping she’ll continue the nap in the car.

No such luck. So, only 1 hour of napping. Not good.

The rest of the night is not bad, but I was tired. Not necessarily sleepy tired, but I needed a break. So, when we get to Em’s and Ella’s half cranky from little sleep, half mad at being in a car, and half getting into everything in her house — wait there can’t be three halves can there? Anyway, it’s a tiring night.

Our friend Tonia and her little girl Emma were over for a couple hours. Emma, who’s 7, was so cute. And she was really, really sweet to Ella. She even read her a book. Our other friend and baby I was looking forward to seeing couldn’t make it. We played some guitar hero, then Em went to pick us all up some Indian food. It was delicious.

By the time we’re eating, I’m trying to put Ella down for second or third time. I’m getting a bit frustrated. Em reminds me how our other sister’s kids would NOT go to sleep at her house either. Until midnight. Crap! But finally, around 8:30, Ella put her thumb in her mouth and curled up with her blankie. She was ready. And she went to sleep. I know 8:30 doesn’t sound late, but that’s late for her, especially for a day with little sleep.

Emily and I just relaxed and watched some good bad television. I went to bed a little before midnight. And I was so happy when I hear Ella babbling at 8:30! It was such a good night’s sleep in Em’s comfy guest bed and Ella had slept later than ever. I sat up to see her standing in her pack n’ play smiling, reaching her arms up for me and I pull her in bed with me. We cuddle and lay there for another half hour. I forgive her for the really long day yesterday.

It’s a really nice morning just hanging out. And Ella seems fun and playful again, instead of exhausting – not sure if it was her or me. When Steve wakes up he shows me all the stuff he got for Ella at the Pacers game. A sippy cup, a cheerleading uniform and a t-shirt. It’s all so cute. And I love the thought of he and my brother-in-law being at the Pacers gift shop buying little girl clothes and a sippy cup.

Emily and I decide to take a jaunt to the Target to see if they have a patio set I’ve been eyeing. They don’t, but I buy a darling garden tote – I am planning on planting some vegetables afterall, a really cute folding chair for Ella, and a new outdoor rug. When we get home Ella is sleeping next to Steve – it’s such a good thing. She needs her naps. And Steve has to be gone for awhile, so I’m glad they’re having some QT.

We watch a hilarious episode of the Office and Steve and I take off. It was a good time visiting … maybe next time I’ll get a sitter though.

And now, I have a very important date with the Rock of Love finale … More on that later.

Sleepy pumpkin.

Aunt Emmy and Uncle Kevy love on Ella.

Overwhelmed by it all

Yesterday I worked a later shift in my company’s Fort Wayne office. It was really nice to sleep in until 7:30 and take my time with Ella in the morning. What stunk was that everywhere I looked in my house it seemed like there was a huge job that needed to be done. And now I’m back at my normal office, and guess what, same thing. Oy, this is the first time I’ve breathed today and I’ve been at work 5 hours.

Yesterday Ella woke up (once again, at 7:30, awesome) and I immediately took her down for breakfast. She’s usually hungry by the time she gets up. I get her all set up with a cereal bar broken in little pieces. By then the cats are both meowing. I feed the first one inside, easy. Next, I feed the other in the garage. This is the one that peed on the floor for an entire year straight and now spends a lot of time in the garage. He’s also the one who’s so anxious to eat he puts his head under the food making it spill everywhere. And yesterday there was a trail of ants leading up to his food. Great. And again, he’s the same one that will only eat the top layer of food, wasting much of the $40 per bag food he has to eat for life because of some kidney stones he got as a kitten. Somehow I’ve got to get the word out to couples. Don’t get pets if you’re going to have kids. It’s too much.

On the way out of the stinky, messy garage that badly needs organized, I pass through the laundry room. Although the clothes are not in there yet, I know my husband has a small mountain of dirty clothes he’s hiding in his closet — and he needs them clean for a business trip he’s going on THIS weekend. It’s Thursday, by the way. Usually, I’m very good about keeping up with laundry but because of a certain disagreement we’re having at home, I haven’t been washing too many clothes of my husband’s. You see, I told him that if he doesn’t put his dirty clothes in the laundry room by Saturday morning they’re not getting done. I don’t think that’s unfair. I would certainly drop my clothes off, even across town, if someone was going to launder, fold and put them away for me. It’s just too much for me to maneuver all his laundry, my laundry and Ella’s laundry down the stairs through 2 baby gates all while keeping a close eye on Ella, hence the rule. The rule that is now biting me on the butt.

Anyway, the rest of the house isn’t looking it’s best either I realize as the day progresses. Since Ella has come to love throwing her food on the floor, there are now mashed in food items all over our tiled floor. I need to get out the steam cleaner as soon as possible. In my bedroom, past the bed that’s unmade, because my husband sleeps later than me and thinks it’s ridiculous to make a bed when you will just mess it up again*, there are a pile of clothes that need put away. Some new, some old summer ones that need put away – but first I need to pack up all my winter sweaters to make room for these summer clothes. See how this is all working out? One thing needs done before I do the next?

Whew. Anyway, so that’s just my home life. At work we’re embarking on a really big project that is getting closer and closer and it’s also getting close to my busiest week of the month. My head’s been spinning all day.

Oh well. I just had to vent. Even though it’s Thursday being out of my normal office for a day made today seem like a Monday. So, the good news is the weekend’s almost here … Thank goodness.

* Before Steve reads all this and gets mad at me, I will say in his defense, he’s really helpful around the house with other things, such as dishes and watching Ella and a million other things I ask him to do daily. But seriously, take your laundry downstairs.