Saturday is a Special Day

It's the day we get ready for Sun-day... Sing it with me!

It's also the day that I get to go out and run errands and let Anna have some Daddy-time while I get some much appreciated Me-time. Who knew that shopping could still be fun? Don't get me wrong--I love Anna, and I love going out with her. But I am limited in what I can actually do with my adventurous little explorer on my hands who wants to race wildly around a store. I'm a little bit more adventurous in venturing out when Dan is present and can be the follower/chaser/keeper of Anna so I don't have to waddle after her in my ever-growing pregnant state.

So today was a great day. I went and got a haircut and highlights and am feeling slightly less frumpy--and I have straightened hair for the next 2 days that I didn't have to attempt to straighten on my own! Thank goodness for a patient stylist who blew dry my hair for me. I just have no patience for that kind of thing in the summer humidity here. I've just been a scrunch-and-go girl this summer.

Then I hit up Joann's for their Labor Day sale and stocked up on fabric and supplies to keep me plenty busy up until the baby is born. I'm having a lot of fun buying adorable blue baby things and planning out blankets and little sleepers for our little guy. Kind of a fun change after everything pink and purple. And I found some very nice material for the diaper bag I'm going to attempt to make. I've discovered this wonderful online world of tutorials and patterns for all kinds of things and have had a fun time sewing this summer. This is the bag that I'm planning on making in the next week or two. Sounds like a good project for during Dan's business trip in a couple weeks (if I don't get to before then).

I guess also of note would have to be that Dan had a good Saturday also. After his trusty computer monitor bit the dust last night, he did some obligatory online research last night and this morning, and then made his way over to Best Buy to bring home his new baby--one 28" (27.5" viewable to be specific, he informs me) Widescreen Multi Function Computer Monitor. Can connect to computer, dvd player, gaming systems. Wonderful resolution, the works. Dan is in heaven right now! Sheesh, the thing is bigger than our tv! I guess I will never fully understand the need for huge computer screens and resolution and whatnot. But Dan goes all googly-eyed at those, much the same way that I get excited walking through a piano store looking at all the beautiful pianos. And he never fully understands my love for those either.
Anyway, I gave in for this purchase, with the promise that now we won't be considering any new tv for a long time--so our old Magnavox box set is going to just have to survive through all this February 2009 talk of needing HD-compatible tv's. Eh, we've got dish for now anyway, so it really doesn't affect us too badly.

Now I'm just putting some finishing touches on my young women lesson for tomorrow. All in all a good productive day!

First day on the Job!

Today is Dan's first day at his new job! I'm anxiously waiting for a phone call sometime today to hear how it's going for him. There is something about the first day of a new job that feels like the first day of school with all the trepidation, excitement, and anticipation--especially since all the schools around here start next week too. I felt like I was sending Dan off to his first day of a new school year this morning! It probably feels that way too because this is his first real programming job, and he's nervous. But he'll do great! Hopefully this job will last longer than a school year, though--that's the plan, at least! :)
We're so happy to have this offer after he was notified about lay-offs back at the end of March. It has sure been one long summer going through a job search and several different interview processes, and backing out of a contract for a house we were buying. But we're thrilled he found this job before his old job ended this month! And we'll buy a house soon enough, although we're probably going to wait until after this baby is born now. We'll see, though. The nice thing about this job is that we can stay put right where we are and move on our own timeframe when we're ready.
We've also been very spoiled for the last year by being able to live 10 minutes from the office. This new job is downtown Houston, so we're going to have to get used to the 45+ minute commute, but other than that, we've got an ideal situation! Time to buy that second car, I think, so I'm not stranded at home all the time now that he's at work further away! Let the search begin...

Anna is 2!

I can't believe how fast 2 years can fly by!
How did this adorable little newborn

turn into this cute little toddler so quickly?

Anna is our little doll and she makes life so much fun around here! We spent Saturday playing and celebrating our little sweetheart. We went to the pet store at the mall and let Anna see all the puppies, cats, birds, and rabbits. She went nuts! I think we need to make that trip a little more often now.
Then we had a fun little party for her Saturday night with some friends. Anna had a wonderful time and was definitely a properly celebrated 2-year-old. We had streamers and balloons, and even some pretty butterfly decorations to complement her butterfly cake--Anna loves butterflies!


She made a great attempt at blowing out her "hot hot" candles on the cake, but she's still working on learning how to blow away from her, not just down, so she had a little help. Hey, at least with that embouchure technique she'll make one great flute player someday! (I'm recruiting her early for my flute choir...)


Eating cake with her little friend Daphne

Yummy!

We've now officially crossed the threshold into toddler/little kid toys with this birthday too. Time to box up the baby-ish toys and save them for her new baby brother! Some of her little presents include a little tricycle that she absolutely loves, a cute little doctor's kit, a fun xylophone, some new books, a beautiful pink smocked Sunday dress from Grandma and Grandpa (pictures to come later when Anna is clean enough to put it on), and an adorable little apron and wooden spoon and rolling pin to cook with mommy.

She hasn't figured out the pedals yet, so daddy helps out pushing her around...

And a couple videos of Anna playing with her new toys. Ignore the chewing in the first one--she's munching on a celery stick that took a long time to get through...

"So tute!"

Anna came to me tonight with her sippy cup, begging for some juice. She started squealing with excitement as I poured it, and proclaimed, "So tute! So tute, mommy!" Apparantly she thinks juice is just as "tute" as her adorable little pigtails with bows on them are when I pronounce her hair, "So cute, Anna!" anytime I'm trying to do her hair. Also "so tute!" around here would be her Winnie-the-Pooh blanket at bedtime, goldfish crackers, her little care bear, and Daddy chasing her around the apartment causing the giggles. Can't wait to find out what else Anna decides is "tute"!