Be Mine

Valentine’s Day last year was a gray, grim day for me. (For reasons having nothing to do with the actual holiday.) I struggled through the long day, which culminated in me sobbing in the drive-through of a KFC.

Today, on this Valentine’s Day, Balian turns two months old. Today is a day of joy and gratitude for me.

That’s not to say that it’s all hearts and roses. Balian has completely taken over and disrupted our lives. He is needy and demanding, as are all babies, and refuses to let me sleep more than three hours at a time. I eagerly anticipate his naps, so I can hurry and brush my teeth and maybe do some dishes before the little tyrant awakens. (A nap for Mommy? Yeah, right.)

He cries for hours every evening and can only be soothed by dancing with Mommy or Daddy. We’ve spent HOURS dancing with Balian, digging through our CD collections to find music he’ll enjoy. My arms ache from it, and Scott is convinced his knees are going to give out. (And I’ve heard enough Haddaway to last a lifetime.)

Furthermore, we spend every penny we have on him. And it’s not just diapers and formula, but any little gadget we think might make our lives easier. Bouncers, rattles, play mats—you name it, we’ve bought it.

We may find ourselves crying in a drive-through today—all three of us!—but it will be for entirely different reasons. (Scott, on the verge of tears: “I thought a drive in the car would make him stop!” Me, sobbing: “I don’t care anymore. Just buy me a chocolate shake!” Balian: “WHAAAAAA!”)

But I know that I don’t have to tell you that it’s all worth it. Every second of crying, every dirty diaper, every sleepless night, every penny spent.



Happy Valentine's Day my chubby little cupid!

Dreaming of a White Valentine's

Snow! We got snow! As in five inches of the white stuff, which is virtually unprecedented here on the coast. Now, I know these photos are not very impressive to our Utah friends and family. But we've never seen snow here -- and it's been awhile since we've seen it in Utah!

Scott had to drive home at six in the morning after the overnight storm, and he saw cars sliding off the road and a truck jack-knifed behind him. The natives here don't know how to drive on snow or ice, and that makes it scary for the rest of us to be on the road with them.

These are photos of our yard:

Unfortunately, by 10 this morning, our town had the same sad, dreary look as any Utah gray winter day. Mud has replaced pristine snow on the roads and the leaves have dropped their soft tufts of snow. Oh, well. It was beautiful while it lasted!