No more single digits

Baby Grace turned 10 this week and that means we are out of the single digits. Hard to believe it's been a decade since I had her. I was so nervous about Grace being healthy because I had gone for an ultra-sound when she was 30 weeks and they told me I had a lot of amniotic fluid which "could mean something was wrong." So when she was born so perfect I was over the moon. (I've been wanting to use that) She really was a perfect baby. I'm sure I write this every year. After spawn #1 I'm amazed I was so eager to have another one but we wanted our kids close together so I thought I'd just get it over with and forgo sleep for another year. Grace turned out to be the best sleeper and after 6 weeks I got to sleep through the night unless the evil toddler woke me up. Because she was #2 and such a good baby, I often felt like she was a little neglected. There were several times where I forgot about her on her blanket in a room while taking care of Hanna. When I'd walk into that room later, there would be Grace, asleep on the floor. She was also a champ nurser. She came out of the womb hungry and knew what to do. It helped that I was more confident also. She spent a lot of time attached to my breast which was fine with me. After nursing "The Struggler" for 14 months, I was happy to have this mild nurser who I would sometimes forget was even there. Having my two girls is the greatest thing that has happened to me after Ryan. I worry that my heart hardened a little after all my miscarriages and Evie and that they have suffered because of it. I need to be more patient and better and showing them I love them. They are growing up really quickly and it's not always easy to be patient.

ColorMeMine birthday party because we are crafty like that.

Grace got a NookColor for her birthday because we are educational like that.

You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have...
We've been dealing with a bit of puberty lately. I decided to get them some cami type bras that had a little bit of padding in them and when I brought them home I talked to the girls in their room. I told them that Dad was having a hard time with them getting older so please don't go out and say, "Hey Dad! Look at my new bra." They said they wouldn't have done that but I know better. They tell him everything. I then look over at Grace and she is crying.
Me: What's wrong?
Grace: I feel bad for Daddy! He only has two kids and when we grow up and leave he is going to be all alone!
Me: He isn't going to be all alone. I'll be here.
Grace: I don't want to grow up. I want to stay little.
This is kind of heartbreaking to hear. A child who doesn't want to grow up but is, and there isn't anything she can do about it. I think I always wanted to grow up. I was always waiting for the next big step and it is now, that I'm 37, when I finally wish things would slow down.

Hoarders but with less cats
Grace has always had a hard time "cleaning" her room. One of my favorite pictures we have is when Grace was about 3, I told her to go into her room and not come out until it was clean. About 30 minutes later she comes out and proudly announces that her room is "clean". I walk in, and I kid you not, it was exactly the same as when she went in. I just laughed and got the camera. This has carried on over the years and today I decided she needed some help getting her room organized and cleaned. What I thought would be a 15 minute job, turned into a 2 hour cleaning/organizing fest with Ryan joining us. We took out 3 garbage bags of junk! I don't think she's a hoarder because she is very willing to part with things but I think she is LAZY. Walk two feet to throw something in the trash? No, it's easier to hide it behind her bed. She is much happier with her "new room".

Lucy is thinking, "If I go in there, I'm going to end up in one of those garbage bags."

The internet makes another match
After Hanna was born in June 1999, I joined an internet message board for women who had babies born that same month. We've been together for almost 12 years now. I met a few of them in D.C. in 2000 and then kept in touch over the years on a private message board. Now we mostly keep in touch on Facebook. The only other westerner is Kathy and while I almost drive right by her home in Montana every summer, we've never managed to meet. She was in Park City this weekend for a girls weekend and we met up. I brought my friend Jonesie because she lives on the way and I have to admit I was a little nervous about meeting someone for the first time by myself. I shouldn't have been nervous because Kathy is amazing and fun and I had a great time. Her friend AnnMarie was hilarious also. I think Kathy and AnnMarie are going to have to come float the Milk River with us this summer. They are in charge of the cooler.

Ann Marie, Me (the only non-blonde under 5'8), Kathy and Jonesie. In a "the universe is telling us something" twist, Jonesie and Kathy have the same birthday, hence the free birthday dessert.