queerbubbles’ Neighborhood

So Christmas this year was great Santa (aka Bryan and his family) spoiled me rotten. I Spoiled Bella (and so did they).

I got some gift cards that I am so excited about. I think that I am going to use them in February maybe March. I am going to take a whole day for myself. I am going to get massage, a pedicure, my hair done, go shopping, go out to lunch, and spend an entire day doing whatever I want to do. I cannot even remember when the last time I did that was. I am not sure of the date yet because I am sitting in a weird size in between sizes phase right now and I want to lose 10 more pounds before I go buy myself some new clothes. 5 lbs might do it but I am pushing for 10. I want to look fabulous and feel great about myself that day. I also want to wait until the spring/summer stuff starts to come out. I am currently about 10-15 lbs lighter then I was this last summer and if I drop 10+ more lbs (fingers crossed) none of my summer clothes will fit. My brother is getting married this summer so I want to find a rock'n dress to wear (not to out do the bride of course). As you can tell I am really excited. I really need a day to myself.

Bella is great she got toms of gifts for Christmas the best one for her I think was a motorized four wheeler. It is pink and very cute it is 18 months and up so I thought I would get t now so she could ride it this spring but my husband ever the typical boy had to bust it out and put her one it. I am glad he did though because it was so damn cute. He had to push the button at first but after a while she figured out how to make it move on her own and started riding. When we take it outside for the first time she will have a helmet on. I will start looking for one as soon as it gets a little warmer outside. The gift she got that benefits me the most would have to be her new toy box. all those toys she got for Christmas and her birthday now have a home that is not my living room floor. 

Bryan got a new tool, some new games, a movie, a watch, a Wii remote charging station and a few other things. All in all everything he asked for plus some. Luck boy. Oh I better mention the very pretty string of pearls and earing's that I got from him. I have decided lately that I am now truly a women I love shoes and jewelry who would have thought? Thank you honey.

After everything it was a great Christmas maybe the best one yet. I hope everyone else's was great. Got lots of pictures but computer is still out of commission so I cannot share them yet.

So I had the best idea for Christmas this year. I decided to go to Shutterfly and create a photo book of Bella's first year and send it to all of the grandparents for Christmas. (I hope my parents aren't reading this as they have not gotten theirs yet). My line of thinking. It's easy, not too expensive, a little self obsessed but they will like it, who wouldn't want a coffee table book of their grandchild to show off when people came over. Boy was I wrong. On so many levels. First of all it was not easy. It took me eight solid hours to put that damn thing together. By the time I was done I was cursing the idea. However it looked good and I was happy with it. When it arrived I ogled over it. I am a picture freak. So we put together a disk with all of the pictures on it and a DVD with all of the video we had of Bella's first year and sent it out. Bryan's family cannot wait until Christmas to open presents so they have been calling to comment on the book when they received it. His grandparents called and raved about it and thanked us repeatedly. I gushed because I put so much work into it and I was happy that they loved it.

His dad called and said "so we got our gift today and we had a question...why are there no pictures of Suzanne in it?

Jaw drop.......

First thought 'Uuummmm... because the F*ing book is not about Susanne it was titled Bella's first year if you don't like it send it back and I will keep it at work where I will treasure it.'

Next thought 'because you live in New Mexico and have seen her twice since she was born and it is a 25 page book that spans 12 months, 4 days of which were not significant enough to dedicate more than a page to.' (and I did document both trips they took down here I just did not happen to have a picture of Suzanne).

Actual answer nice and polite "because I did not have a good picture of Suzanne. She was taking pictures at the same time that I was and therefore was not in the pictures that I had. 100% true but OMG why is it about her.

I would never in my life get a gift from someone and question it. I was dumb founded. Bryan on the other hand was laughing. Why? Because he totally called it. when I was done with the book he noticed that there were no pictures of Suzanne in it. We went back and looked through the pictures that we had and I did not want to use any of the ones that I had of her (approx two from bad angles with bad light). I said it's okay we put that she was here in the wording mentioned her by name (the stupid name she wanted to be called 'Grammy') I didn't leave her out. He told me flat out that they would ask about it. They would be upset. I told him he was wrong, it was a gift they would be thankful for it and cherish it.

I WAS WRONG. I know that it is small and petty but I am so irritated. It really makes me not want to anything for them ever ever ever again.

So I have been drooling over the Canon Digital Rebel T1i for months and the digital Rebel in general for years. It was always so expensive and way out of my reach. My husband and I have noticed that they always have great deals on them around the holidays. The bad thing about that is we are usually even more strapped around the holidays, especially now with a kid.  So I thought that the dream of my camera was gone forever and it would be the thing I pined after but could never have like a cabin in Aspen or a sail boat. (In my world they are pretty much in the same league of I will never be able to afford them) With every windfall we have gotten over the last few years he have ahd three set backs. It dosen't seem fair. This year I asked Bryan "if I get a bonus can I keep it?" He said that I had earned it I could keep it but I felt guilty becasue it could pay off some debt, send us on a vacation or do all kinds of things for the family. But I really really wanted my camera.

Last week Bryan called me at work and told me that Costco had a great deal on my camera with a telephoto lens and a 4G SD chip (for about 250 cheaper). We discussed weather I was sure I was getting a bonus. NO! was it worth it if we saved 250 to pay a small amount of interest on the credit card till February. (?) If I didn't get a bonus could we use our Tax rebate? Were we getting a tax rebate? (?) Then I had to go. I called him back a little later and said I couldn't resist I wanted it we should order it. His response "I already did" I knew there was a reason I loved him. He knows my responses better then I do sometimes.

So my camera arrived in the mail yesterday and I opened it as soon as I got home. Plugged in the battery and got it charging. When it was done I started playing.  I was like a kid on Christmas. The camera is moer complex then I thought so I spent about an hour reading and then forced myself to go to bed as I had an early day today. But  I can't wait to get home and play some more. I want to take some pictures of my little monkey and my hubby. (He was the first subject of teh first picture I took on it). So I would expect some posts about my new baby (my camera that is) coming soon.

Modern digital SLR Camera

So since my last post my daughter has had her birthday party.  That was awsome. We had a lot of fun and the little one was spoiled rotten from the whole family. Pictures are below.

I have had a hell of a two weeks since. We had Thanksgiving whichwas great. We saw lots of family and miss Bella had a reason to wear her purple dress from her birthday photos again. I got up and did black friday shopping and was at Target at 5:20am to get 700 thread count sheets for $30 a set, a four wheeler for little miss and some other nicknacks. I have almost finished my christmas shopping. I am so glad.  We also got our tree up and Bryan put up all the outside lights.  I really do love Christmas.

Bella started day care last week.  She seems to be doing really well with it. She is very lovey with the kids and the teachers and eats and naps well. She bumped her head and had a nice goose agg her very first day. That made my heart melt.....Not. But overall I think that we picked a good place. That is until she came home Friday with that first cold that killed our entire weekend. The poor thing could not sleep very well because she was so stuffed up which means that Bryan and I did not sleep well. At the very least she still ate and drink well.  The kid likes her food. But she is still so pitiful.  I am going to try and get out early today and go get her so that she takes a good afternoon nap and maybe mommy can too.

To top off the weekend the new desktop pc that I bought Bryan for his birthday in June crapped out on us just as I was putting the final touches on the letter that we were going to send out with the Christmas cards. We were hit with the blue screen of death and that was all she wrote. I decided after throwing a fit that I was not rewriting the damn letter. Bryan worked on getting the old computer up and running most of the weekend. But WTF 6 months. It turned out to be the processer which is covered under the warenty but we still have to send it off and it usually takes 6 weeks to get back. Who in todays socitey can go 6 weeks without the internet? I am just very annoyed. Oh well. Maybe we will win the lottery and it won't seem so impotrant.

I bet all of you can guess my frame of mind today? How many people think that I am skipping up and down the halls?

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Suckers?

Here are the pictures. Enjoy!

Since I have had nothing to say lately I will post this...

I think this is hilarious, and I bought myself the shirt
http://rescuemarriage.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/chains_of_love_t-shirt.gif

Dear Bella,

The last year has been a roller coaster.  However it is a roller coaster I waited nine months in line to ride in a park I waited 24 years to enter. Let me tell you it was worth the wait. I have cherished every moment from the 4 am feedings to the temper tantrums to the first time you said mama and the first steps. You have changed my life in so many ways and made what was a wonderful match in your father and I, an ideal combination in you. You are beautiful. When you smile it lights up the room. I never thought that I could always have a thought in the back of my head that tempered every other thought. That thought is of you. I am constantly wondering what you are doing, if you have eaten, napped, learned anything new. I wonder sometimes if you will have grown so much while I am at work that I won't recognize you when I go to pick you up. Then I remember that I would know you anywhere. I could pick you out of a crowed if I hadn't seen you for a hundred years. You are part of me and you always will be. 

One year ago at this hour I had not yet held you in my arms.  Your father and I were impatiently waiting for your arrival which was at 2:30 PM. We were wondering what you would look like, how you would act, weather you would be healthy. You looked perfect, you acted like an angel, barely making a noise for days and knock on wood you have always been healthy. When they put you in my arms a weight settled on my shoulders. But it was a weight that belonged, it seemed as if I had been built to carry that weight. It stabilized me, and gave me a new center of gravity...YOU. You were the new center of my world. Not just my world but your fathers as well. Today you are a mama's girl one day you will be a daddy's girl. And why not? No one on this earth loves you more then your dad except maybe me. Every parent feels that they love their child more than any other parent loves their child.  I am sure the same will be true for you one day. But until then know that you have blessed our world and we love you from the bottom of our hearts. Happy birthday beautiful.

With Love

Your Mom

(and daddy too)

Family portrait

Seven days, seven days until I no longer have a "monther" I have a "yearer". Seven days till I can say I have a one year old. Bryan has been saying it for weeks but I just cant bring myself to do it.  I am not making her any older then she is.  i got my baby center email yesterday that said she was 11 months week four; I wanted to cry.

Bryan and I are going to look at day cares tomorrow.  We have had a sweet set up of family watching Bella the last 10 months or so. But sadly my sister in law and brother have decided to move to Oregon to be closer to her family so my familial loop has flown the coop. I am nervous.  I have a list of questions in my head and I am starting to write some down so that I can take them with me.  Is there a question that is absolutely imperative that I ask? Anything that maybe someone didn't think to ask and then regretted it?  I have been to a few sites that give you lists of questions to ask but....is there ONE that really needs to be asked above all?  Can anyone who has been through this help me?

I have sent all of the invitations out for Bella's party.  We were going to keep it small just family but I got gung hoe because I had all of these picture cards and I wanted everyone to see how cute and big she is getting so I sent them to my "whole" family.  I have gotten a ton of RSVP's and I have a small house in November.  It is going to get crowded. 24 adults and 6 kids in a 1000 square foot house... yikes! We are doing it at 2:00pm so we are just doing snacks and cake and punch.  We want to keep it short so that Bella doesn't get too over stimulated. It is ironic. I don't want her to be one but I am so excited to see her eat her cake and open her presents that the day just can't come fast enough for me, yet it can't come slow enough either.  I cannot believe that it has been almost a year since the first day I held her in my arms. okay time to stop before the water works start.

I cannot believe how grown up she is getting. We were told that she is in about the 85th percentile for speech and understanding (by my biased mother in law who is a speech pathologist). she walks everywhere. She gets braver and braver everyday.  Last night we took her to the gym day care while we worked out and she just walked everywhere the day care attendant had to chase her down a few times.  She talks back and has attitude already.  If you interrupt her when she is concentrating and say her name she will say "what" and give you that you made me loose my train of thought look. I just love watching her everyday.  A whole year cannot have gone by already.  I just met her it seems like yesterday.  Well I guess what they say is true time flys when your having fun.

Here is one year pictures. I love the one of her in teh roses.

Bella in the flowers

Bella birthday