I Heart The Olympics!

I love the Olympics. I always forget how much I love them and then I spend two solid weeks planted in front of the TV, realizing that I may have missed my calling as an olympic gymnast.

I remember watching the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona (this was back when the scoring was on a logical 10 point scale and when I was apparently oblivious to all the drama that comes with womans' gymnastics). After watching Kim Zmeskal in '92 I spent the next few months doing cartwheels and roundoffs in my parents' basement pretending I was practicing for the 96 olympics.

Ironically, I just googled Kim Zmeskal to find out about all her accomplishments. As it turns out, she only won one Olympic medal?!? She even beat out Kerri Strug to make the team that year (And as we all know- things turned out well for Ms. Strug in 96). Even when my friends were over and we played gymnastics- I'd make them be Kerri, and I was Kim.

I also love sand volleyball. I have a minor crush on Phil Dalhausser and Misty May Treanor. Kerri Walsh is okay too. I am excited to see more of the swimming! The Olympics is so exciting even Tommy is cheering on the Americans! (who could blame him when the Japanese men's gymnastics team was throwing yens at the judges?! What a crazy sport!).

USA!

Ten Things...

Generally when in middle of a trial, all I can talk about are negative things. Today, I am determined to change that. Here are ten things I LOVE!

1. I love how serious Emi is with her toys.

2. I love most of my coworkers.

3. I love looking at houses.

4. I love the first moment in the day when Emi wakes up and is so excited to see Tommy and I and passes out the biggest smiles and laughs!

5. I love at the end of the day when I lay Emi down in her crib and give her her last bottle and she struggles to finish it, eventually gives up, rolls over, puts her thumb in her mouth, and promptly falls asleep.

6. I love my swimming pool!

7. I love sunglasses whether it be to block the sun or to wear as a hairpiece.

8. I love reality tv. I do. I'm a total sucker for it.

9. I love plans with friends. Helps make stressful weeks go by more quickly!

10. I love my hubby!

Buy Buy Baby!

We started out the morning trying to figure out what we were going to do for the day:

 Not only does Emil look like her papa, but she acts like him too!

[Sorry, Honey! I just realized I posted a pic of you in your underwear. Just do what your mom told me when I saw her in her undies and bar and "pretend we're in Cabo on the beach!"]

When we were out running errands we found this place! I don't know about you guys, but I LOVE anyplace that has special parking for me!

Have you been here? It is the Bed Bath and Beyond for babies. Literally, it is owned by Bed Beth and Beyond. Which means two things- tons of selection and 20% off coupons. I already signed up in store to start the 20% rolling in! Surprisingly, we didn't find anything to buy today. Actually, we found a ton of stuff we would have loved to buy, but Emi  is almost past the point of needing a swing, isn't quite ready for a high chair, and isn't ready for a new car seat, yet!

It's located next to Sports Authority in the old Border's Bookstore in West Des Moines.

I thought this $749 stroller was expensive.

Until I saw this $1000 one! [Canopy not included!]

Sigh... I heart Sundays!

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful for fun adoption hearings that I have like the one this morning. It makes me feel better when I can unite a family one week and divorce one the next. It's an equalization of karma, I believe.

I'm thankful for the new pool raft my aunt bought me. I cant wait to use it this weekend.

I'm thankful for my sweet baby and sweet nephew.

I'm thankful that when I get stressed out at work my secretary doesn't punch me in the face. :-)

I'm thankful for my littliest legal assistant.

I'm thankful for the new season of Big Brother! I am also thankful for my friend who watch and can feed into my obsession with it!

Thankful that the end of the month is almost here so that things will slow down- in theory!

Happy Thursday!

Dragon Babies!

A few years ago Tommy let me know that he wanted to have a baby in the year 2012. He was convinced, and rightly so, that people born in the Year of the Dragon encompassed the best traits. Dragons are passionate, innovative, charismatic, positive, talented and brave. The Chinese New Year - Year of the Dragon- commenced January 23, 2012.

Once I found out how wonderful these dragon babies could be I let all my friends know. I was not shy about this information. And many of my friends and family decided they wanted a dragon baby too!

First, my condolences to babies Bianca, Quentin, Harper and Mia who were all born in late December and early January.

Emi was the first Dragon Baby that I know to arrive in February . So far Emi is joined by babies Samuel, Kase, and Balin.

Yet this year she is also waiting to welcome Brooke's Baby Girl and Katie's Baby Girl. Also, I know three other attorneys who are expecting in September, December and January (who are either choosing not to find out gender or it is too early to tell.) A co-worker told me today her daughter is expecting in January (and I think just in time before the end of the dragon year).

Holy Smokes! That's a lot of Dragons!

And, by the way, that's in addition to the besties Emi just helped celebrate their first birthday!

Happy Birthday Rianne, Teagan and Brielle!

Weekend Fun!

I'm still trying to decide what I enjoyed the most about my weekend:

Winning $38 on 4 scratch tickets?

Or maybe it was trying to feed my daughter her first foods:

Nah, it was definately seeing her suck her toe!

Five Months!

Hard to believe, right?!

Emi's doing lots of new and fun things! First, she has realized that she doesn't have to like everything or every person that she sees. Long gone are they days where she smiles at everybody!

Lately, Emi has become more of a mama's girl. she used to let anybody hold her but right now she realy prefers mama's arms. Speaking of mama, I swear Emi says that. Not at me or in reference to me, just when she is talking.

Emi still chats up a storm. Even at this young age I can tell when he throat is a bite sore from all her talking. She develops a little cough. It's hilarious!

Emi will occasionally roll over - if she is in the mood. She is still quite the thumb sucker, and when the thumb just wont due, she'll suck her toe!

Wow- have these 5 months flown by! But they have been some of the best 5 months of my life!

Do NOT drink the milk...

Tommy and I went to Sam's Club on Sunday. Somehow between getting Emi out of the car and immediately into bed and preparing for the week to come we managed to forget to unpack the car from our Sam's Club purchase. I rolled out of bed on Monday morning and looked at Tommy and said "Did we get the milk out of the car last night?" Notice the use of the word we. Tommy, thinking it was a rhetorical question, went downstairs and got the groceries out of the car and put them in the kitchen. I knew, I just knew that he would not have thrown the milk away... so I said.... "Did you put the milk in the fridge?" Tommy replied "Yes. Honey, when I lived in Mexico we never put the milk in the fridge. I think it's an American thing that just isn't necessary." And now, friends, you have been warned.

In other news, we give Emi formula not milk, so I'm not sure why she drinks her bottle like this:

It wasn't that the camera caught her while her foot was mid-air. Her foot was mid-air the entire time she sipped on that bottle. [Love her!]

What a difference a few months make...

January 2012

July 2012

Balin Tae Barto, born May 19, 2012;

Kase Alan Patterson, born April 27, 2012 (oh yah, my birthday twin);

Emi Sofia Takekawa, born February 3, 2012.

* We need little baby Samuel Rodney Aldrdige in this pic. He was born March 22, 2012.

They all kind of look like their daddies Which is maybe why Emi is CONSTANTLY called a boy!!

Happy Fourth of July!

We had a wonderful Fourth of July. Tommy and I both took a few days off of work and headed up to Clear Lake with my mom, dad, and Tony.  We did lots of fun things. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves:

 I think their faces say "Like this, Grandma? Is this how we are supposed to smile?"

At first, before anybody would go out on the tube Tony would tell them he loved them in case they didn't make it. After Tony decided he liked tubing he said "It's even safe for you, Grandma." I guess he really loves his Grandma.

For the first few days Tony was too scared to tube. Without even knowing it he got on the tube and Grandpa started pulling him. Then we spent the rest of the afternoon going up and down the lake on the tube since it was so fun!

Confession: The Gallion has ALWAYS been my favorite ride. I was thrilled when Tony asked me to ride it with him. Unfortuneately he doesn't love it as much as I do.

She was such a trooper in the 100 degree weather!

A pink car that goes in circles= Tony's heaven.

This is Emi's first name tag. I know most of you must think "surely she had one at the hospital." She didn't, however, since we didn't name her but a few hours before leaving the hospital.

Emi being eaten up by her life jacket.

She got in a lot of good naps!

It was actions like this that caused my dad to say "Tony, back away from Emi. She's your cousin not your girlfriend!"

And then I gave up on the life jacket.

I can't decide what I am more surprised about: that Tommy ate a corn dog or paid $5 for that lemonade next to him!

Everything is more fun with Uncle Tommy!

Thankful Thursday

I, too, am thankful that it feels like Monday!

I am thankful for a nice few days away from the office even if I am paying for it now!

I am thankful for my little Emi. Even after 5 months she still manages to take my breath away!

Happy Thursday!