Here Today, Gone To Morro

It seems like all the friends we've made here are leaving! Don is a friend of RT's from work. Before "the wife" moved over, Don kept RT entertained. Don was also Jannu's sitter. We decided to throw a party in his honor. We kept saying we needed to have a party--this is our first one since we moved. It seemed like a great idea at first, but as the weekend approached I wondered if we were just plain dumb because we didn't factor in working around the new baby thing. The Friday before, Little P didn't sleep until 2 am, and then got up around 7 am. It seeemed like she would never go down for a nap. We had a lot of house cleaning and food prep. Thankfully, the party was on Sunday. Finally, she slept for a chunk in the afternoon as we're racing around dusting, vacuuming, cleaning the backyard, chopping fruit, baking desserts all the while listening for the "ah-ah" sound she makes upon awaking.
These folks were mostly from Fish & Game and associates. We had a good time. Little P slept through most of the party. I actually woke her up so some of them could meet her. You can never go wrong with good food and good company. Best of luck to you Don (& Cody) in your new endeavors!

[The margarita cupcakes were a hit...maybe because of the tequila in the frosting?]

[Us before the guests arrived; me with chocolate all over my face...

I had to try the dessert, right?]

[Cody aka Mr. Co-dangles]

[The DFG crew with Anna from MBNEP]

[Don, RT, & Little P]

(Do these pants make my butt look big? It's the cloth diapers...)

Usually 4th of July around here turns out to be quite foggy, but the day turned out beautifully. The day before my sis, bro-in-law, and nephews came to visit. It was so nice; they babysat that evening so RT and I could go out to dinner. We were a little worried because Little P seemed pretty fussy all week and seemed out of her usual routine (maybe cutting teeth). We went anyway and had such a great a time. It was relaxing to "get a way" for a while! Thank you guys!

The following day, my parents came over. We walked along the beach, barbecued, and relaxed together. It was fun to watch Little P interact with them especially when she was smiling or "talking". It was especially fun to watch my older nephew with Little P. He says that he is the Baby Whisperer and knows how to make her happy (until she cries!!). My parents brought all kinds of food for the weekend, and my dad cooked it all. That was definitely a treat! We forwent the fireworks. We weren't brave enough to deal with the crowds, and right now I'd rather see fireworks in my sleep!

These days, I can never keep track of the date. At work, I don't have any wall space for a calendar, so back in January I bought some paper to make a desk calendar. I finally carved out some time to make it.

...live together in perfect harmony♫. Some people have asked us how Jannu has been handling the new baby situation. During our pregnancy, we watched the Dog Whisperer shows and read articles on how to introduce the dog to the baby. I was a bit nervous because Jannu was the center of our attention for 9 years. The experts said to leave the baby clothes out so the dog can sniff before bringing home baby or to walk the dog before introducing to the baby. Did we do any of these things? No way! All of that went out the door as we brought home our screaming baby. Jannu was actually at my parents' house, but they ended up coming to our house the same evening we came home from the hospital (because of my begging and pleading interspersed with hormonal bouts of crying). Jannu came bounding up the steps so excited to see us, but instead what she found was going to change her life forever!
Suprisingly, Jannu showed no interest in the baby. She would cautiously sniff her things and gingerly step around her, always being careful not to touch any of her blankets or even get too near.
I think it has helped that we've kept Jannu's routine as normal as possible, walking her as often as we can. The only reaction we get is if Little P is crying really loud, then Jannu will leave the room. We did notice this strange phenomenom: when we've had visitors come and hold the baby (strangers in Jannu's eyes), Jannu became a little protective of the baby! I guess she's accepted the fact that Little P is part of our pack. It's a doggone good thing!

Over the years, I've made baby albums for close friends and my sister. I did this because I figured a new mother does not have time for a lot of things, much less a scrapbooking project. I created albums with a page dedicted for each month of the newborn baby's first year of life. So all the new mother has to do is to remember to take a picture and insert into that page. I didn't take pictures of all my albums, but I do have photos of some. Now, if I can get around to finishing my album before Little P turns one...

I've called Linda & Marla my mama hens ever since they took me under their wing during our Small Group. Linda has known RT since he was a baby--a longtime/lifetime friend of his mother's. Even though we were only part of that Small Group for a few months, we met so many wonderful people through them.
The mama hens came out to visit our little chick. It was so fun to see them interact with Little P! Jannu even took a liking to Marla! When we get visitors like them, we feel so lucky and special.