Ty and I had the pleasure of spending last night with Sweet Ali Girl. While we don't have our own babies yet, we had our first real taste of a "baby overnight" together and I have to say, we did pretty dang good. Poor Annie and Dui got extremely sick very quickly yesterday morning - not lucky for them, obviously. However, lucky for us, we got Ali all to ourselves for a few short hours before she crashed for the night - and we had the best time.

It was so much fun for Ty and I to see more of Ali's personality. She is starting to get a sense of humor, enamored by our pups, loves to put her chubby toes in her mouth, and has a grand old time rolling over (and over and over) as she plays with her simple little toys on the floor. Our dogs, Snoopy in particular, happen to be ob - sessed with her. Snoopy can be a little much, to put it lightly - but Ali is so extremely patient with him as he nuzzles her, smells her, kisses her, and whatever else he can get away with before I push him away. He couldn't get enough of her and she loved all of the attention. Maddie was the protective one. If I was on the couch feeding her a bottle, she was close by ensuring that she was able to eat in peace. Ben watched closely, and was definitely curious but kept a safe distance, only giving her a few smells and licks here and there.

I had to make a quick trip to Freddies to grab a few baby items for our evening together, so Ty stayed home with Ali. When I got home, they were playing together and it was pretty much the cutest thing I've seen in my life. She was in the best mood, talking and smiling. It was a great way to end the night, before we started the bedtime rituals. I knew we were on borrowed time when the clock stuck 6:30. I was actually surprised that the girl was still awake. Since she started going to school, Annie and Dui have been putting her down right about that time. As I fed her her bottle, Ty transformed our guest room into Ali's suite by maneuvering the pack n' play and setting up the baby monitor and sound machine. She was all set for bed so I channeled my inner Annie as I talked quietly to her as I got her ready for bed. (I saw Annie do the bed time routine a few weeks ago, so I did my best.) I was pretty proud of myself when she only woke up once for her binky!

All in all, it was a successful night and Ty and I felt honored to watch Ali for an overnight - and we can't wait until the next time.

:: Ty and I with Ali on New Year's Eve - she's a party animal, as you can tell! ::

Annie & Dui - Thank you for such a great opportunity to have a practice run together! We are so glad you are feeling better. You know you can count on us any time - we'd do anything for you. Love you both very much!

P.S. Ty picked this KOL song for this posting...

I'll Own It.

Ty went to the store today to get stuff for dinner and the first thing I said when I got home (after a short story about my day, of course) was "what's for dinner?". His response? "Chicken." My response: "I love you for getting dinner stuff tonight, but I feel like that's always what you get when its your turn. Steamed veggies on the side I'm guessing?" I knew that if he didn't say chicken, he would have said spaghetti. That's always his runner up. I could tell he was annoyed with me for complaining. I can't imagine why. I would never be annoyed with him if he complained about dinner. Especially if I went and picked everything up after a long day at work. Riiiight.

Then he says, "Would you rather I make

SPAGHETTI?"

Shocking.

So I'll own it. I am a brat sometimes. I complain when my absolutely patiently perfect husband makes me dinner chicken sometimes. It's not like he doesn't make good chicken, because he does. It's just so predictable. Sometimes I wish he'd say he's making sweet and sour pork or chocolate cake for dinner. I'd be cool with that. (That just happens to be what I am craving tonight.) 

I know what you're thinking. The poor guy can't do anything right - how the heck is he supposed to know you want something different if you never tell him. Plus, you are super lucky so quit complaining. It's ridiculous. Now, go apologize.

Point taken.

(Love you, Babe. Like, a lot. See? I'm sorry.)

P.S. I am loving OWN - you know, the Oprah-rules-the-world-Network. I am already crafting a post on this because I am, and have been for quite some time, drinking the Oprah kool-aid. Stay tuned.

Live for Now - Part II

Resolutions are lame because it seems that the moment you call them a "resolution" you break it and instantly feel like a failure. Please note, this post isn't about a resolution I've made for 2011, but a "focus area".

I've admitted it before and I will admit it again - I struggle with living in the now. Since my post a few weeks ago, I've really tried to take a queue from my husband and enjoy the small things and live in the moment. I spent all day yesterday thinking about my "focus area" for 2011 and have settled on continuing to work on this and leverage my blog as an accountability tool. (I also have a husband that isn't afraid to remind me when I trail back to my comfort zone.)

In just a few short weeks, I actually have noticed myself transform (a little bit). There are actually perks about living in the moment. I find myself enjoying small talk more. I feel more content. I feel more thankful for my husband, my friends, my life. I appreciate my dogs and the small joys they add to our day (i.e. how happy they are when Ty and I are both home sitting on the couch together - they don't have to feel torn between the two rooms we are in when we aren't together in the house - or, how much fun they have when we lay on the floor with them).

I [am starting to] feel more patient and content with today.

I've gained some perspective the last few months especially through conversations with friends, both old and new. At a time where things have felt a little upside down, I am reminded of how blessed I am. I am reminded that everything happens for a reason. It's when you are struggling that you realize how strong your relationships are - and how important they are to your day to day. These relationships allow me to enjoy the moment, appreciate the small things, and remember that I've got it pretty dang good.(They also save me bookoo bucks on therapy bills.)

Enjoying the moment doesn't mean you aren't planning or preparing for the future. It doesn't mean you are lackadasical about what's to come. It doesn't mean you are afraid or fearful of the unknown. It simply means...

you are enjoying the moment.

Wish me luck.