I was just about to sit down and write a blog post about something – anything – this morning, as I heard a ruckus coming from the kitchen. I walked into the next room and found a very irritated little kitty. Following the trail of CatChow pieces, I then found a little eleven-month-old with a mouthful of soggy cat food.
So, not today, Internets. I need to go throw up. Gross.
I love my husband because he
*stayed up late last night to do the dishes
*got up early this morning to shovel the driveway
*spent nine hours at work to provide for us
*came home to a stir-crazy baby and wife and still has the energy to make this amazing memory…
I have had a week off from blogging, from the whole Internet really, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Dear Readers, you do not want to hear about the last seven days in my world. Nope, you don’t. If I had been blogging this whole time, you would have had to listen to a symphony of stressful holidays, sick grandparents, a funeral, last minute travel plans, flying with a 10-month-old, sickness, a forgotten anniversary, more sickness, a tragic dog story, and a not-so-Happy-New-Year.
As a writer, I want to process all of these things in word-form, but instead I say let us allow the winds of change to blow them away and start afresh. It is a new year after all, right?
It crossed my mind to end this blog come the new year, as it sometimes becomes a burden to maintain. My writing seems dry to me. I don’t like what I’ve written of late. I don’t like when my writing becomes vindictive or defensive, which it has at times this past year. I feel as though I spend most of my time explaining myself, my actions. A personal lashing out, if you will. Navigating life is hard, even harder with A BLOG on your back.
In a new outlook on life, I hope to grow more confident in myself. Accountable only to truth and love, not guilt and obligation. I hope to be free to think and write and grow at my own pace. And goddammit, I am sick of explaining my (our) decisions to people. It’s time to press on and let Time be the great equalizer.
This is a tangent? Yes, OK. But you get the idea? It’s been a great year of blogging, but a challenging one. Weekend Moments was a successful venture, I think. Documenting new motherhood has been something most invaluable to me. Sharing stories and pictures of Poppy seemed to be a hit among the relatives. I think I made a total of $21 on Google Adsense this year. Phooey pants. Oh well, someday I’ll get paid to write.
In the new year, I will be cutting down on my “hot” days. No, no, not the days when I walk around in my Apple-Bottom-Jeans-And-The-Boots-With-The-Fur. But rather the “hot” days that I am online from morning ’til night, checking the blogosphere and Facebook-o-sphere at every possible moment that I am not spending changing a diaper, cleaning up Cheerios off the floor, or keeping the baby from sticking her fingers in an outlet. Three days a week will be solely set aside for reading REAL books, writing on REAL paper, and talking in REAL life to REAL people. And this blog will have to wait on those days. Am I scared to hell of losing readership? Yes. But at least I know my mom and my brothers Pat and TJ will still read this blog until the day I die. (Hi guys!)
With the merriest of wishes I can muster up today, I do wish you and yours a Happy New Year. May it be full of bold choices, kind words, better relationships, small pleasures, and lots of laughter. Oh, and reading what’s left of this blog.
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year!
With all the love in the world,
Jacob, Leanne, Poppy, Miss Penny, and Captain
… by four PAWS!
This is Captain and he’s the newest baby in the house! We adopted him from the local shelter, and he couldn’t be any sweeter. He’s a big guy – part Boxer, part Lab – but he thinks he fits on your lap for a tummy rub.
Hooray! Welcome to the family, Captain!
When Poppy was born, this blog, along with just about everything in my world, became all about her. In an effort to keep up with this way of life, I present to you a Poppy Update. Complete with photos and witty quips!
Poppy Anne is 10.5 months old now, but who’s counting? I mean, who cares that she is a mere 1.5 months away from the big ONE YEAR OLD. I mean, no one is crying about that yet, right?
A week before we were set to move to the new house, Poppy woke up during the night with her first high fever. She was so pathetic, and cute, at the same time. The three of us snuggled on the couch and watched Lord Of The Rings at 4AM. A few days later, Poppy sprouted this nice pair of pearly whites. Her first teeth!
Poppy is on the move these days. She can walk along furniture, crawl forward and backward, and pull her self up on the most dangerous of apparatus, including our television cabinet. She has been testing her balance and even took two unassisted steps into my arms last night! She loves to walk with Jacob on the new set of stairs we’ve recently acquired.
Poppy is saying lots of new words…
Mama (YES!)
Dada (She yells this one)
Ouch (This one is super cute to listen to)
Night Night (Which is cried through tears, “Ni Ni Ni Ni”)
and Meow (in her cutest, most high-pitched voice)
Poppy survived the move much better than her parents. She played with Aunt Amy all day and slept like an angel on the first night in her new room. I give this kid BIG props. She loves her new house already, as evidenced by the trail of mess she so lovingly leaves wherever she goes.
Speaking of sleeping, our champion girl sleeps straight through the night and takes two naps a day, which makes me both extremely lucky and very SANE. Lovey is still Poppy’s closest companion (after Cheerios and Raffi of course), and if not for this little blanket, life would be so rough for our Princess.
Poppy has also learned to hit us when she’s upset. It’s so hard not to laugh when we say, “Poppy, you may not hit,” and then she stops, looks back and forth between us both, gets a glorious grin across her face, and then WHACK! I can’t even tell you how many times in the last couple of weeks that Jacob has turned to me and said, “How the hell am I going to teach her to stop doing this?” Then she turns and smacks him again and we have to leave the room so she can’t see us laughing. And crying.
I could on and on about my tiny Poptart. She is growing into an amazing little person. I love to watch her learn new things everyday. She’s my pal and my buddy. She’s been a trooper and a joy as our family works to settle into a new place. She is leanring to test boundaries, explore her feelings and her wants, and the best of all? She is learning to love. She gives hugs when you ask her, and she finds quiet moments during playtime to turn around, crawl into my lap, and sit awhile while I kiss her soft forehead.
Babyhood is behind us and we are quickly moving on to the Bobbler stage. And this Mama couldn’t be more excited.
Sorry for the long absence, my Dear Readers, I am here. I’m just buried in lots of boxes, unassembled furniture, and happiness. I love being in our new house. From the moment we set the first box down in the living room, I felt like I was home. And gosh darnit, that’s the way it should be. There’s still a lot of projects to be done, but it is a joy to work on this little space for our little family. I will post some pictures soon, I promise!
[Jacob sent me this card this morning to countdown the days until my 25th birthday. He is the best.]
Tomorrow!
Tomorrow!
I love ya
Tomorrow!
You’re always
A day away!
I’m not updating this blog so regularly because I’m busy painting. Actually, that’s not true. I’m not painting at all because Jacob won’t let me because I suck at it. He said he loves me anyway.
In the meanwhile I keep myself busy by yelling at Jacob for dripping paint on the carpet and doing silly dances for him while he paints.
LEANNE: OMG … look at this
JACOB: Holy crap that’s amazing
LEANNE: You need that. I especially like the light saber zipper pull.
JACOB: I know, if it wasn’t $100 I’d say go for it
LEANNE: Yeah, plus its not a -40 degree sleeping bag, which you insist on having in case we’re ever trapped in the arctic on a scientific expedition gone wrong
JACOB: Good point. My outdoor geek was blinded by my sci-fi geek
LEANNE: In a mass explosion of geekness
JACOB: It’s tough being me.
We had a wonderful weekend with family and friends giving thanks, making first memories with Poppy, eating good food, looking at old pictures, listening to a fart application on the iPhone, playing games with new friends, and getting some much needed work done on our new house. I raked our front yard on Saturday! OUR yard. Which I raked. I’ve never even used a rake before, people.
There are so many special moments I would like to share for today’s Weekend Moment, but honestly, the one I will remember forever and always is waking up on Thanksgiving day to watch the Macy’s parade with my own little family. Just the three of us, snuggling up together on the couch on Thanksgiving morning to watch the floats and marching bands. Poppy soaked it all in and especially loved watching the Rockettes perform. This girl has got some aspirations.
Tonight as I sat around the table(s) with my dad’s side of the family for our annual Thanksgiving Eve dinner, I listened to each and every family member say aloud what it is they are most thankful for this year. As it rounded the bend to my turn, I was overwhelmed with gratitude. It was amazing to speak the words from my mouth and share my heart with my family. I am thankful for my husband, whom I love. I am thankful for our daughter. I am thankful for our new home. My husband’s job. We have so much to be grateful for this year, but the best part? The only part? Having a family to share my life with. That is what I am most thankful for.
Happy Thanksgiving
Because my husband loves me so much, he sent me this photo today…
[Image via FFFFound!]
I should just go ahead and rename my website HappyHippos.com because photos like this might just keep on coming.
