The Quiet Life of Violet

Dear Squid-Kid: Three Reasons

Auntie Effie is your Momma's sister - she's your only Auntie. How lucky you are to have such a dedicated, caring & silly person love you, my boy? Make sure you love her extra hard, okay?

 

Three reasons why your Aunt rocks:

 
Last week, you and I drove out to Oakley (that's Momma's home town!) to hang out with Grandma and Auntie. We met up at Chili's and Uncle Joey joined us, too. Auntie E was a little late like usual (just like your Momma, too. Momma is ALWAYS late.) and when she got there she showed pulled up her sleeve, and low and behold, she'd marked herself for you.

 

  
The four of us went out to lunch, your Grandma,  Auntie E, you and I, and you started fussing AS SOON as the food arrived (like usual. This is an everyday event, baby boy),  your Auntie picked you up and fed you a bottle and sung to you. Her meal, french toast and soup (what an odd combo!), sat there getting colder and colder by the minute but she just held you tight and sung you a little song.

 

Last time we spent the night at Grandma's, Momma had to go out to Target and pick up a few things at 9 o'clock at night. Grandma Clark watched you and I called Auntie E. up and asked if she wanted to go with me... she did! We spent a good hour in the store farting around and it was so nice for Momma. Little breaks away help charge my "Momma batteries" and make me a better Mom for you. Big deep belly laughs while Auntie tries on hotdog and spider costumes can also do wonders. 

 

We're so lucky to have her in our life, little Squid!

My "Niece"

Every time my sister leaves the house, this is what she sees if she glances back at the house.

 

Oh little pug, I promise your Momma will be back soon!

We Went To The Store

Last Friday, Effie (my sister, Julie) stayed over and helped me out while Bubby went back to work for the first time since Squid was born. She spent the night on Thursday so that she'd be here when Bub left at 6:30 a.m., and since I hadn't been out of the house in four days and was getting a bit stir crazy, we had her babysit that night while we ran out to Whole Foods.

It was THE first babysitting adventure. I was a nervous wreck and had a tiny meltdown in the car when it really hit me that Roman wasn't near by. I knew that his auntie loved him dearly though and wouldn't let anything happen to him.


As Bubby and I were strolling past the dairy case, I suddenly had the urge to text her and make sure things were okay.

 

She had the same idea at the same exact time.
That's sisters for ya!

When we got home (I had to get a piece of chocolate cake from the bakery department to calm myself down), we found the two of them like this:

 

She loves him so much.
 

(1 + 1 = 3) A Shower of Emotions

----

It was nice being around so many women who loved me and this little boy growing in my tummy. The decorations were beautiful, the food was tasty and the gifts blew my mind. At the same time, it kind of felt like I was watching from the outside in. The pretty hair on my head (done by my amazing friend Jewels) and the dress on my body were on some other woman. Watching my family and friends sip tea, eat scones and chat with the women who sat next to them, I almost felt as if I were there for a nameless guest of honor. When I was opening gift after gift, each wrapped with so much care, it felt like I was watching someone else do it. Like the books and outfits and diapers were for another boy named Roman, not MY Roman. How could I be here, be experiencing this beautiful moment that I had dreamt about for so long? It was like I was almost going in and out of consciousness -- one moment I was there and it was MY shower for MY son and the next I was just looking in.

I had a talk with my Sister afterwards and expressed what I was feeling. Effie always seems to snap me back into to reality, as she's very much about, "Your life is NOW. Let yourself enjoy it and try not to let your fear hold you back." It's really difficult to totally open my heart and let myself really get excited about the things that matter the most to me -- I have this nagging fear that if I let my heart fill to the brim with joy, happiness and satisfaction, something horrible will happen and it will all be taken away.

Is it really possible that God's decided that after everything I've survived, all the cancer, the surgery, the tears and heart break, that I'm allowed  to stay alive long enough to give life to this baby? Will I really be able to hold a human being that has equal parts of me and the person that I love the most in the world?  To smell his sweet baby head and tickle his big (Dustin style) spatula feet? Is it really true that I'll be allowed to see his first steps and hear him call me Momma and maybe even go to Kindergarten?

How did I ever get so lucky?!

 

Leigh-Ann and I are off to go see Lori, have Thai food and then off to see The Squid and make sure that he's growing!
If my belly is any indication, I'll say that he's doing just fine. Wish us luck!

----

P.S. - Guess who won?  Eeeeppppp!!!!

Negative Nelly and I Love Her

Hey there!

Some days these hormones get to me and I can be a real crabby patty, especially if I need to eat or need a nap. (If this boy is anything like me, I'm in for a REAL ride!) As most of you can probably relate, when I'm crabby, things piss me off.

Now, I'm usually a nice girl with lots of nice things to say, but I'm also about keeping it real.

Here is a list of things that have been pissing me off:

1. When people leave chunks of food in the sink. Wash it DOWN, for goodness sake!
2. When boys leave the toilet seat up. Gross. Possible foreign pee on the underside and you better believe that I don't want to touch it.
3. My neighbor (I call him Fishstick) who, for some reason, likes to park right in front of my house, facing the wrong way... the spot in front of his house is always empty.
4. The teenage pimples that have been gracing my face. REALLY, face? Really?
5. Food prices.
6. Gas prices.
7. Slow people in the fast lane. This is CALIFORNIA, people. Speed up.
8. Myself. Some days I feel so inadequate and really high up there on the failure scale. :/
9. How I get so tired so early. I feel like a granny.
10. The mooshy-ass fruit I just spent a fortune on. LAME.
11. How I can't do more for the people I love. Sometimes I wish I could just make things better.

 ...

Which leads me to my Sister.

I love her.

She and her boyfriend have been trying to buy a house and today was the second time that she's had her heart crushed. Send some good thoughts her way, if you've got a few to spare, okay?

(1988)

(1994)

We kind of greatly disliked eachother in our teenage years. No pictures!

 (2006)

(2006)

(2008)

(2009)

(2010)

(2010)

I love you, Effie and I can't wait to make you a real Auntie!

 

Away From Home, Sweet Skin and Fat Rolls.

Hi guys!

 

I've been away from home since yesterday afternoon and the internet is acting like punk over here! Bubby's parents should be back soon, so hopefully his Dad can fix my big ol' laptop's connection. 

Last night, we had some friends over for an ice cream sundae party and a rousing game of Apples to Apples.

My Sister is amazing, goofy, funny & incredibly beautiful.
She also used my webcam last night and didn't think I'd notice.
I did, Effie, I DID!
Tee hee hee!

We had an amazing time with our dear friends Kerena, Patrick and their sweet daughter, Miss K., my Sister and her man, Colin, and Dustin's brother, Jerrod and his friend Shaun.  I love being around people that aren't interested in ONLY getting wasted and partying. That's SO not my scene. I'm more than ready for the time in my life where things are covered in baby drool and play-dates are a part of  everyday life. Trading Mommy tips. Washing diapers. Quiet baths. Sniffing sweet baby skin. DIVINE!

[Squid in the belly, plus dog hair. Hot.]

While I wait for this sweet baby to finish cooking in my belly, I turn to the cuddly little fur babies in my life.

Like this one:


His brother, too!

 

And of course we can't forget the fat rolls on this little girl:

    

Hope your Saturday has been amazing!
Don't forget to check back tomorrow for my 1,300 Things post!

xo,

Violet

 

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