22 month update.

I feel like just yesterday I was typing up Ivys 20 month update post, my how time flies! Anyway, V-woman at 22 months old is a lot like V-woman was at 20 months old, except not at all. She's some sort of modern-day Michelle Tanner and likes to use hilarious catchphrases like, "cool, dude!" and "later, bro!" This may have influenced the prints we bought her recently. She refuses to wear anything but swimsuits, dresses, and pink tulle; usually all at once. She will eat you alive if you try to renegotiate her outfit with her, so do yourself a favor and just don't. Let the girl do her thing. Her wearing three dresses layered over each other with a swimsuit beneath isn't hurting anyone. (Except you if you get in the way of it, don't say I didn't warn you.)

By now you've probably guessed that she is stubborn as all get-out these days. You're wrong, she is more stubborn than that. (Us Taurus's, man!) She loves to chit-chat on the phone with people and like any 2 year old, she loves to help. She still loves to dance and will get all dolled up to do so, the girl just fancies feeling fancy. For instance, last week she woke up before 4 AM patheticaly sobbing from her crib for her, "DWEEEESS!" If you're wondering the outcome to that story, I did what anybody would do and put the girl in a dress. Once all was right with the world, she instantly fell back asleep happy as a clam in her Sunday best. Oy! She's got me on a short leash, that girl.

Anyway, as sassy and wild as she can be, she can be just as sweet and heart-warming. Sometimes she'll drop what she's doing and come running from across the room with pursed duck-lips to give me a big kiss and pat on the back. Other times I'll hear her pit-pattering down the hall saying in her high raspy voice, "Mamaaaa, where-aaaahhh-you?!" only to walk in, blow me a kiss, and then go back to what she was doing. Ivy is the queen of making funny-faces and has been caught practicing them in the mirror many times. She loves to make people laugh, and as always from day one, is such a ham. At stop lights I'll glance back at her through the rearview mirror and she'll be frozen with puckered lips, raised eyebrows, and her chin pressed against her chest. I can't help but laugh when wondering how long she had been holding that expression. Let's see, she is still the worlds pickiest eater, (with Geoff only coming in 2nd place, I'm not all that surprised) and she is still obsessed with stuffed animals, jewelry, Justin Bieber, baby dolls, and... Buzz Lightyear! (TWIST!)

With her 2nd birthday and a baby Sister coming right around the corner, I'm feeling pretty sentimental about every little thing she does these days. With all the frustrating moments that come as a side dish with this fun age; her learning new things, communication barriers, and the dreaded "terrible 2's" (I'll be honest, sometimes I wish I had the 'Super Nannys' number on speed dial), I can only hope that I'm doing enough to enjoy and remember all these last little one-on-one moments of equally precious and hilarious moments spent with her. Love you, girly!

25, alive, and kickin'.

Today marks the ole' 25 weeks of being pregnant, and as promised to myself, here's yet another post all about having a baby in my stomach. I think I have successfully passed the "huge" stage and entered "y-uuuge" territory. It's okay though, I'm cool with it as long as you are. At this stage of my pregnancy the kicks and jabs and "feels-like-you're-tying-my-organs-into-teeny-boy-scout-knots" are in full swing. This baby girl is an energetic-wiggly-worm-busy-bee and it makes me laugh (though it probably won't for the next 1-8 years). I have become a sweat-monster with all this hot weather we've been having, so June should be a really hardworking month for me and my sweat glands. TMI? Just wait till you see me sitting in a pool in my swimsuit all Summer long, because I will most likely refuse to do or wear anything else at 9 months pregnant. (And I guarantee to you, THAT will be too much information my friends. Steer clear.) Let's see, we got Ivys big girl room ready, complete with a big girl bunk bed! I use the word "ready" loosely because we are still missing the mattresses and bedding and art and what not, but we'll get there I'm sure. I cried in an episode of Whitney last night, so there's that. (To be frank, I don't know what's more embarrassing, my emotional state or the fact that I continue to record and watch Whitney.) We are still struggling with a baby girl name, please use the comment section as a suggestion box if you don't mind your name potentially being used and you feel so inclined. Serious. I pulled out all of Ivys old clothes and blankets and got them in the nursery, it got me so giddy! I just love newborns. Whenever I tell Geoff I'm fine with having 2-3 kids he laughs, turns his head, does an old school "talk to the hand" type of gesture, and sassily says, "You love newborns too much, you'll want to keep having babies till your babies are having babies!" He's a little bit right but a-lot-a-bit wrong, I'm not about to relive any Father of the Bride Part II scenes. No thank you. Anyway, it's hard to believe that in just a couple months baby girl will be here and I'll be taking the same Myspace-style mirror shots as above but of my six-pack instead. Just kidding. I think that's all for now about this stage of pregnancy, I'll probably do another "knocked-update" when I'm 30 weeks, or the next time I'm not wearing sweats and a Yogurtland shirt, whichever comes first. (So yeah, count on around 30 weeks...)

We can't wait to hold and smooch and love on you, little lady!

SPRING BREAK!!!

What I miss most about School as a kid was being on Spring Break. All the other breaks and Bank Holidays and "sick days" were great too, but Spring Break seemed to always be the most exciting. Although I'm currently not enrolled in school, I still treated last week like SPRING BREAK!!! and we made sure to have lots and lots of fun.

Spring Break 2012 word(s) association: Swimming, picnics, donuts, Grammy & Papa Whites backyard, grilled cheese, Radiohead concert (!!!), Sunscreen, trampolines, Ikea, playing in the rain, Spring cleaning, coloring, road trips, work, birthday parties, BBQs, park dates, forts, shopping, Ivy wearing a swimsuit with a tutu/newborn beanie/another swimsuit over it every single day. It was a good Spring Break.

Veever Fever.

While I was out of town last weekend Geoff sent these pictures of V talking on the phone with me on her way to the park. As if hearing her raspy little voice on the other end of the line ask, "Where you go!?" wasn't enough, these pics were pretty heart-melting. I can't believe I have a daughter old enough to want to dress herself, have her nails painted, and have conversations with on the phone, ah!

San Fran Repeat.

Since everyone had their own cameras with them and since my hands were usually occupied by a bag of Cadbury eggs and/or a frozen yogurt, I failed to take too many pictures. I'm lame and came home without ONE SINGLE group shot, but somehow managed to take a lot of tree pictures in Muir Woods. Here's my weak attempt at documenting the trip, I'll spare you most the redwood images however.  

Quinquennial Girls Trip... (Is that right?)

The last time my Mom and all my Sisters got together on a girls trip was 5 years ago to Newport. It was so much fun and I recall promising each other we would turn it into an annual thing. Welp, after five years of weddings, jobs, graduations, babies, and everyday-life taking priority we realized it had been way too long and we had to make something happen quick before the next wave of babies/internships/etc. We made last minute flights to San Francisco on the one available weekend everyone had and didn't look back! I must say, I was feeling like Mom of the year (sarcasm) leaving on two girls trips in one month, but on the other hand... I can't say I hated it! (Thanks Mr. Mom, a.k.a. Geoff!)

Last weekend was spent with some of my favorite girls in one of my favorite cities; walking, hiking, shopping, laughing, getting pedicures, going to farmers markets, seeing rom-coms, eating, and more eating. It was a blast and I'm so glad I was able to squeeze in one last trip during this pregnancy! Hope your weekend was equally as enjoyable. (and let's be honest, gluttonous!) Can't wait for the next girls trip, let's hope it doesn't take another 5 years. 

and counting...

Starting to feel super antsy already, which isn't great considering I have a whopping 18 weeks left. I guess I'll keep myself busy with getting Ivy "sibling-ready", furnishing and decorating her "big girl" room, nesting & other home projects, possibly some light potty training (we'll see), and getting the nursery ready for round two. I guess I actually have a ton to do before she gets here to distract me, I'm just really excited for that newborn smell again.