Easter Weekend

Easter Weekend was a very nice weekend. I had Good Friday off of work, and Joanna and I spent the day together.

We went to her 18-month checkup and went shopping for Easter shoes. At Payless, Joanna enjoyed trying on the shoes, but we ended up going to Walmart for a pair of shoes I had seen on an earlier shopping trip. Lucky for us that we did. As we were checking out, Joanna spotted the Easter bunny. She waved at him and we went over to see him. She reached out both her arms to him and opened and closed her hands as if to say "Gimme gimme" and the bunny obliged. I said that I wished I had a camera and lo and behold, there was an employee with a camera and there
eas a rocking chair and background set up for pictures with the bunny. They were free, as well! What a treat.

On Saturday, my mom, Joanna's Big Momma, came to visit. I spent the early morning playing with Joanna, eating breakfast together, and watching a movie about a mouse. I colored a dozen eggs and Joanna couldn't wait to play with them. Later in the morning I cleaned up around the house, did some dishes and laundry, and Joanna and I ate some lunch. Mom and her friend Tub came over with presents for Joanna. I hid the eggs (in plain sight) and Joanna and Big Momma found them and put them in the basket. We ended up missing two eggs because Chester discovered what the brightly colored items were and decided to devour them. At least we got one good hunt in! :-) The dogs got out of the fence AGAIN (they got out on Thursday, too.) and some nice folks up the road brought them back. I went to the store and got some supplies for the house and some contributions for the dinner Rachel was going to have on Sunday.

Jason helped me make deviled eggs and they turned out pretty tasty. Jason and I enjoyed watching "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (the remake) in the evening.

On Sunday, we attended church and rushed home to get our food and go to Rachel's for dinner. We had a really nice afternoon visiting with Rachel, Canellen and Jennifer, and Jon and Barbara. Rachel pulled out some toys for Joanna and we all were amused with her, as always. She played on a small slide and became very confident about climbing up and sliding down. We watched old home movies and laughed at all the boys' goofy adolescent and young adult appearance. We stayed a little longer than we expected because Rachel hadn't set her living room clock for daylight savings. That was o.k., though because we all enjoyed ourselves.

Joanna's new teeth

Joanna is getting in two new teeth: the upper right molar and the bottom front second to the left. Wow. I need to learn the names of the teeth! She started on them on Easter, I believe. She had a bit of a temperature beginning in the evening and it was gone in the morning. Same thing followed the next night, temperature in the evening, gone in the morning. I think they broke through yesterday evening, but they aren't finished yet.

Special

There is something special about holding one's own child, so
small, but growing, small enough to be held and carried in one's arms for
years, and knowing that one day she will be too big to hold and carry.

I also think it is so special when I get home from work and my little girl
is so excited to see me. She has her own song she sings when she sees me.
It goes, "A mommy, a mommy, a mommy!"

I'm so glad that I don't have to be apart from her for more than a few
hours at a time.

Joanna's funny phrases

Joanna recently started telling us when she goes "poop."

Also, when she or someone else passes gas, she asks, "What was that?"

Yesterday, when she passed gas, she said, "What was that? -- I poop?"

The laughs just keep coming.

Joanna says "Hi Baby"

I've been trying to get Joanna to recognize that there is a baby in Mama's belly. Here is my feeble attempt:

Mom: Joanna, there's a baby in Mama's belly.
Mom: Joanna, What is in Mama's belly?
Joanna: (blank stare)


Yesterday, my newest attempt was humorously successful:

Mom: Joanna, there's a baby in Mama's belly.
Can you say "Hi baby?"

Joanna: (Looks at Mama's belly and waves) "Hi baby!"

Realizing things slowly

This pregnancy is different from my first. I don't seem to think about it as much, although I am excited. The further along I get, I do start to realize more and more, "Hey! I'm really pregnant!"

Silly Dog

Date: Tue, Mar 24, 2009

I have this dog, Pudgie. He drives me crazy sometimes.

Every morning, weather permitting, I let Joanna get two dog treats out of a canister (she gets two, one in each hand, sometimes both in one hand) and we go outside and give Chester and Pudgie a treat.

Chester is usually at the gate by the time we reach the gate, sometimes we get to the gate first, but not always. We go inside the gate and I sometimes either set Joanna down or I just hold her and she gives Chester one treat and he takes it gently from her hand.

Now, Pudgie is another story altogether. He'll stay in his dog house or in his lounging spot in the sun and, acknowledge our presence, but not appear to give one care that we have a treat for him. Maybe it's small dog syndrome, I don't know, but he won't come get the treat. We have to start out toward him and get about half the distance from where we started to him and he'll jump up and bound up to meet us and eagerly take the treat.

It's just fascinatingly irritating.