Random updates

Elyse LOVED Music with Mar on Monday and we will definitely be trying to go weekly for now. I didn't realize how much I discounted her ability to participate so much. I use the term "participate" very lightly but she did it in her own way and it was bitter sweet to see. It seemed like ages awaiting her first smiles and coos and even longer before she rolled over or sat up on her own. Now everyday is something new. Crawling, first tooth, cruising, trying to pull up, feeding herself....all happened in a matter of days and I just want to plead with her to slow down and push slow motion on the whole thing. I'm ecstatic to see her new discoveries and triumph with her as she tackles new obstacles but it's all happening so fast that I feeling like I'm losing my ability to savor it. She didn't look like a baby at all on Monday while she was sitting with all the other kids for a story in front of the teacher. She was nestled right in the middle of all the toddlers and she stared so intently at the expressive teacher reading a 3D book put to music, I just wanted to cry. How could my 9 month old appear so grown? This is all happening so fast.

Tuesday we visited Loren and Landon and we tried to snap some cute pictures. Here are a couple of my favorites.

Wednesday was her very first swimming lesson and I had heard all sorts of stories. People said how wonderful it was to start them so early and others said it's traumatic because you have to dunk them and throw them in the pool. I wasn't ready to do anything of that sort with her. I had knots in my stomach about it the entire day and by the time we got there and were about to step in the pool my heart was pounding and I felt my eyes well up with tears (I'm such a wreck sometimes). I kept telling myself to stay calm. I knew Elyse would sense my anxiety and would only make matters worse but I just couldn't help it. It was silly to be so scared because it was my child and regardless of what I was "instructed" to do with her I didn't have to do anything I didn't want to. The instructor immediately picked up on how nervous I was and she said, "Don't worry, she won't be going under today." I breathed a huge sigh of relief and the lesson went well. There were tears and she was very tense but considering it was something so new and unfamiliar I was content with how it went.

I'm not sure when, where or how I picked up whatever I picked up but I spent half of the night Wednesday tossing the graham crackers and didn't have much of an appetite the next couple of days. The feeling is still lingering today but nothing like it was.

Thursday I hosted a Premier Jewelry party for a friend and had a great time with the girls. There were about 11 people total which I felt was a very good turn out. I don't like doing things like that. I don't like making people feel obligated to come to things, spend money or anything like that. I don't even like having birthday parties for myself because I don't want to be embarrassed by the amount of people that would or wouldn't come. There is such a sense of vulnerability when it comes to things like that and I just don't like it one bit. I really wanted to do this for her because she is a great friend and is just getting started in the business and I'm glad I did it and made out with some great jewelry in the process.

Friday was gorgeous. No better word than that. The weather was amazing and although I still wasn't feeling 100% I just had to take Elyse to the park. Of course I snapped a few pictures. We were supposed to go to small group but Matt's hours have been long again, he has to work part of Saturday and he will be gone part of next week so we stole the evening for ourselves and used a Cheesecake Factory gift card we had from Christmas.

Matt's at the office right now, Elyse is napping, and I have a bridal shower this afternoon.

That should just about catch things up for now.