a house!

We found a new home. A house! Or at least the main floor of it. It's a giant old house close to where we live now but a little farther east. It's half a block to the dog park and it has a yard! I'm not usually prone to exclamation marks, but I guess I'm excited since I've already used two in the first four sentences.

It's the sort of place where I feel like Leila can make memories. We can grow carrots in the back yard and she'll remember the stained glass doors to her bedroom. We can easily walk to New Brighton pool in the summer. There's even a basement we can use. I have designs on tucking a desk away in a corner to write at and I think Tom wants to be able to do whatever is he does with tools down there. I might be getting ahead of myself, but I always thought it would be rad to have a dartboard.

I couldn't face the thought of Christmas alone in this crowded apartment so I was trying to find a cute cabin in the woods somewhere, but now, now I think we'll spend Christmas in our new house, and you're most certainly invited for dinner if you're in town. I'm so excited to put up the white Christmas lights that we had up at our wedding, I'm excited to bake, I'm just plain excited. I'm looking forward to seeing Leila's face as we try to show her how to rip paper off of presents, and Norton's enthusiasm at being so close to his favourite place in the world. I'm excited to meet our upstairs neighbours who have a three year old boy.

This is going to be good, I can feel it.

three monthday

Dear Leila,

Today you are three months old, although it feels like you've been around forever and ever. I can no longer picture a life without you. You rule our house like a very small tyrant, demanding attention, cuddles and bounces. You especially like it when your dad or I lifts you under your armpits so you're horizontal with the floor and make you fly around. You've also discovered your hands and you love sucking on them, pulling your soother out of your mouth, pulling my hair and playing with the spinning thing on your bouncy plastic baby immobilizer (I think its called an 'exersaucer' but I think that sounds dumb).

Yesterday was my first mother's day and you very cleverly told your father to make me french toast with strawberries and bananas. Then you got your dad to build be some planter boxes so I can grow veggies and flowers on the deck. So thoughtful of you. Today we planted, basil, dill, carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes. You started crying at one point because it was windy and when I went over to fix your hat you got very muddy.

Everything I've read says the first three months are the hardest, and honestly, I'm hoping they're right. You're wonderful with your grins and your coos and you sleep giggles but the waking up every half hour and crying for no reason part is difficult. All that being said, I love you more every day that I spend with you and I'm so very glad you came to our house.

Love you always,

Mom