Motherhood

I can see why mothers choose to co-sleep with their babies. I am personally a reckless sleeper, and don't feel its safe for my baby to sleep next to ME, but I admire those mom's who do so. It must be the most beautiful, peaceful, and sweet gift to those little babies who sleep next to their mommies:)

A few times I've enjoyed what I think would be the best part of co-sleeping, and that is laying next to my baby as she falls asleep. Tonight was one of those nights as Sylvie, with her paci in place and pink blankie swaddling her, laid next to me on our bed and quietly drifted into sleep. I pretended to be sleeping, peeking frequently to check on her status with our noses almost touching. Her sweet little sighs lulled her to sleep and her beautiful blue eyes staring at mine in the dark made sure I was still there. Ah...sweet sweet Sylvie. I couldn't resist engaging her stare to let her know that I really see her, and am there for her.

While Sylvie never needs this much help falling asleep anymore, I was happy to have helped her tonight. I put her to bed three times tonight (what's up with that?!), but each time got sweeter. She knows how to fall asleep on her own, but more importantly, she's knows she is surrounded by parents who are devoted to her, and who care about her little world. (though making sure she could easily fall asleep by herself was up there;)

So now, I'm the only one awake in the Keegan house, sitting right smack dab in the middle of the sofa, with a pretty dog on my left, nothing to my right, Seinfeld on the TV, and a belly full of triple fudge ice cream. None of these things make me smile as much as the memory of watching my baby fall asleep. I don't think I could kiss her cheeks enough, or hold her enough, or ever tire of the gift of her beautiful smile.

Her Papa did a great job falling asleep tonight. I know you were wondering:) He passed out at 7:00 after a long week at his new position. His duties as a Senior Treasury Analyst really takes it out of him, but I think our trip to Wal-Mart for groceries really did him in;)

-Peace

Rip Him Pants!

My little niece, Esther, just turned four years old! She is the cutest little thing, and has beautiful blonde ringlets that Ramona Quimby (fictional childrens' book character) would refer to as 'boing' curls; they boing when she walks. Because she has such good genes and funny parents, Esther has a great sense of humor. Anna and I thought it would be hilarious to have Esther answer some of the getting-to-know-you questions. She did not disappoint us!

Getting to Know You: Episode 3
Getting to Know: Esther

Esther's exact responses are in quotes, Anna's translation/commentary in parenthesis, and my comments are in blue.

1. What is your favorite sound?
"Yeah"
2. What is your favorite cereal?
"That one; cereal box" (she pointed at some picture on the computer)
3. If you were a crayon, what color crayon would you be?
"I will be a black crayon"

of course:)
4. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
"Liam" (it was really my dad)
5. What is your favorite movie?
"SpunchBob" (she pronounces it so funny)

HAHAHAHA
6. What is your least favorite vegetable?
"Cheese and a cookie"

I think she's trying reverse psychology on you
7. What would you cook for dinner if you were the cook?
"asketti" (spaghetti)
8. What do you think about broccoli?
"I eat it"

She's so mature;)
9. Do you plan on taking a bath tonight?
"Yes"
10. What do you think about Spongebob's pants?
"Rip him pants"

Scandalous:)

11. What is your favorite word?

"Um...SpunchBob lost him friend name Sandy"

Maybe she was still thinking about SpunchBob?

12. What do your parents do all day long?

"Fix me some cereal, and it takes so long"

Its probalby because they're trying to get your cereal out of the computer. See question #2

13. What do you do all day long?

"Go in my room and play people, little people. I win"

14. What is your favorite outfit?

"A monkey shirt" (she does NOT have a monkey shirt)

Maybe she's thinking about David's monkey t-shirt that says 'Who Flung Poo.' That's really gross when I put it in writing.

15. What is your favorite thing to do?

"Play, eat asketti" (I'm thinking this is either a game with playdough, or when she plays with her little kitchen)

16. How do you make your curls so pretty?

"Put it in pinky tails, my hair is so pretty"

Pinky tails! That is too cute:)

After her interview was over, Esther just didn't want to stop. "No. I want to do the last page still." She added these comments, as she thought we should know this about her:

"I play football and put a band-aid on"

"I put my eyes out and be a monster. AAARRGGGHH"

Ah! Doesn't she just make your day. The picture of Esther was taken by Denney when they came to visit us over Easter. I am not required to give him credit, but I feel I must credit him because it is such an amazing snapshot of Esther.

I can't get over the SpunchBob comments, can you?

Rip him pants.

Getting to Know You: Episode 2

ANNA is my beautiful sister-in-law. Before she was my sister-in-law, she was my ballet teacher's daughter, who used to cut up with me in the back of the class. She is married to my brother, David, and they have three kids: Clara, Liam, and Esther. The whole family is super cute, and I'm sure I'll be posting plenty of pictures of them soon:)

Getting to know: Anna
1. What are your first and middles names?
Anna Cathleen
2. Were you named after anyone?
No. Anna was the only name my parents could agree on.
ahh...that sounds like Denney and I, almost:)
3. List 3 things you are wearing.
Pants, shirt, flip flops
and a smile, right:)!
4. List your 3 favorite foods.
Chocolate, cheeseburger, milkshakes
NICE! You'd never know it though...she's teeny tiny.
5. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
Green ('its not easy')
That's what I thought:)
6. List your 3 favorite things about your husband.
His sense of humor, his intellect, his creativity, he's so darn cute, life is NEVER dull with him,
did you say 3? ...sorry
7. What book are you reading right now?
Lasher by Anne Rice
8. What is your ring tone?
Whatever Clara has changed it to recently
That Clara:)
9. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Comfortable and low maintenance
10. What was your greatest musical discovery in 2008/09?
Juliette Commagere (but David discovered her and then introduced her to me)
That counts as your discovery too, I think;)
11. Where does most of your money go?
Those stupid bills everyone keeps sending me
12. List 2 vices you fall prey to.
Reading books that are not morally uplifting, and purchasing clothes that I do not need, nor can I afford
Oh, I thought you were going to say babies:)
13. Describe yourself in 1 word.
Complicated
14. Do you own any embarrasing CD's?
Can't think of an embarrasing CD (David is embarrased that I own certain CD's, but I am not. I like them, so I purchased them, and I listen to them no matter who laughs at me.
15. Bonus: Make up, and answer your own question.
Do you wish you were more creative at making up and anwering questions?
Yes, yes I do:)

And...that's Anna!

Sylvie's Day

Here are some pictures of what our little girl is getting into these days. She keeps me smiling and keeps me busy;)She's lost her keys again.

Reading with Papa. I wish you could hear his animated rendition of Are You My Mother?

'You don't say!'

' Shabam!!!'

Putting the handle bar to good use;)

This is her pitiful face.

July's 'Craigslist buy of the month'...her new playmat.

Ahhh. My family:)

Too too happy!

She is so entertaining.

Coming soon, getting to know Anna! She is my super sister-in-law. Can you guess what color crayon she would be...if she were a crayon?

And to all of you,

'May the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you...' Numbers 6:24

'It's my ONE thing!!!'

Mornin'.

The word that makes some smile and some shudder and makes my husband blind, deaf, and practically mute. You know what I mean? He's the kind that looks at the floor, shuffles, and maybe grunts until he gets his coffee...especially on weekends;) I'll hand it to him though as he has started to become more of a high functioning morning person during the work week; at least he pretends to be when I'm up with him. This morning he 'listened' while I talked to him, and he talked to me about how his coffee maker's delayed brewing setting didn't work and brewed a pot of coffee last night at midnight. He needed to explain to me his frustration when he pushed the button for the coffee this morning. Darn factory settings. (exact words, maybe?) He still manages to make a cute little half smile with his eyes barely open when I tell him how cute he is and when he peeks at Sylvie sleeping; one of the things I love about him.

So my non-morning spouse has this 'ONE thing.' This refers to his 'ONE thing' that can't be messed with, negotiated, or violated under penalty of living with a grumpy Denney. I can count on ONE hand how many times I've violated this 'thing.' Now, for the 'thing': under NO circumstances are the lights to be turned on in the morning; specifically while he is sleeping, waking up, or as a means of trying to wake him up. Heaven help us all if I try to wake him up with the lights;) I did that once, and that is when I heard a lot of grumbling, a dramatic pull of the covers and, "That's my ONE thing!!!! Turn them off!!!!!." I think there were more words said, and it would've been very appropriate if he'd raised a fist or finger in the air for emphais, but what we do remember in this house is that he's picked his one thing. I, of course, pull out Denney's catchphrase for a good laugh every now and then. As he is such a great man, I respect his wishes and will never ever light up the bedroom in the morning.

I should've seen this coming, since Sylvie is Denney's daughter, but it hadn't occured to me until this morning that Sylvie has added this 'thing' to her list. She's a baby and a girl so she apparently inherently comes with quite an extensive list of must haves: food (geez;), sleep, play, Mom, green paci (NOT pink), cuddles (reserving the right to refuse cuddles ), and swaddling for sleep. As she is such a cute baby and its my job to respond to her needs, I respect her wishes and give her everything she needs to feel secure.

Sylvie woke up earlier than usual this mornin' because she went to bed earlier than usual last night, which is a good thing. I've been wanting to move this direction with her bedtimes and our wake up time for a couple weeks now, as babies (4 mo+) are said to do best with earlier bedtimes. So 6:40 rolls around, and she's all smiles and giggles and in serious need of a diaper, which is perfect because I happen to be a diaper changing wizard. Off to the changing table, and I flip on a lamp in the corner as it is somewhat dim at 6:40. Good decision? Nope. By the look on her face it was definitely a bad move. She was so pitiful!!! The smiling baby squinted her little eyes until completely closed and held her little fists up by her face. Its hard to tell if she was trying to smile with her eyes closed (just like her Papa), or if it was an inadvertent smile from squinting, though I assumed it was the former as she was smiling just seconds ago. So I smile and talk to her as I wait for her to open her eyes again; all I get is a sliver of one eye before she shakes her head and squints again! She tried to open her eyes. She really did:) I even shaded her eyes, trying to encourage them to open and slowly adjust. About four times she mustered up the courage to open her eyes, but her eyelids never made it past that teensy sliver of being open.

Then, it hit me. She can't do it. Its her ONE thing; no lights in the morning.

When I finally turned off the lamp, I looked over and her eyes popped open and she started smiling at me. (she is sooo cute! :) We continued to have a great morning and I turned the lights on a few mintues later. This morning I learned my daughter is even more like my husband than I thought and, except for that 'ONE thing', that's really good news!

Sylvie is just about the cutest little thing I've ever seen. I never could have imagined how beautiful she would be. Here I sit 4.5 months after meeting her, and I am even more in awe of the God who made her. I clearly see now what a blessing kids are and I'm only 4.5 months in. Yay, God!

Getting to Know You: Episode 1

Today is my Dad's birthday! He is a very loving father and I think the world of him. So, now I officially wish my Dad, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

In honor of my father (who loves to know everyone's story) I am initiating the interview portion of BOB; the part where some of my family and friends will be presented as the wonderful people they truly are, and given the opportunity to embarrass themselves, be a little funny and be a little real. I enjoy getting to know them and I hope you will too!

Getting to Know: Bill

1. What is your first and middle name?
William Charles

2. Were you named after anyone?
Great Aunt Lola's husband William Charles (I'm pretty sure). He was dearly loved by Mom and Dad.
huh, I didn't know that!

3. List 3 things you are wearing.
Blue jeans, casual shoes, and a polo shirt
classic 'Dad' :)

4. List your 3 favorite food.
Meatloaf, Trout Almondine, Chili Dog with Cole Slaw
yumm...though I don't know about Trout Almondine. Sounds fancy pants.
(food deserves capital letters)

5. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
Red

6. List your 3 favorite things about your wife:
Loud laugh, love for living, and honesty
awwww

7. What book are you reading right now?
'The Go Giver'
good title

8. What is your ring tone?
'A Wonderful World'

9. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
2 outs, 3 on, in the bottom of the ninth...I could be a dog or a hero. I'm trying to get with it and NOT tuck my shirt tail in!
you must like baseball:)

10. What was your greatest musical discovery in 2008/09?
i- tunes playlist, for real!
The 'for real' is a direct quote from my dad. We teach them these things to keep them cool.

11. Where does most of your money go?
Bills; hope to change that in the next five years.
I don't think you're alone!!!

12. List 2 vices you fall prey to.
Too many cups of coffee at work and selfish neglect of those I love most.

13. Describe yourself in 1 word.
Merciful

14. Bonus: make up our own question:
What moves me to an unsolicited response most easily?
Beauty...whether in creation, food, sacrificial living, music, ballet, people's spirit seen in their countenance, the beauty withing my closest loved ones' faces, the beauty of passion, the beauty of the gospel, a person made whole, the beauty of aging gracefully, the beauty of pain to purify. These things move me to respond!
isn't he great?!

I consider myself blessed to have such a great dad!

If you give a dog an ice cream sandwich...she will ask for the triple chocolate variety.

Sasha, our lovely and loyal dog, loves food. She really loves food. She loves food so much that if you have food she will love you too. I am happy to be on her good side so Denney has taught me to leave the last bite on my plate for Sasha, and the dog/owner relationship continues in harmony. If she feels I might forget she will demurely come and beg as I'm scraping out the last bite. Smart girl.

There is one snack around which Sasha cannot control herself: the Blue Bunny Ice Cream Sandwich. Bless her heart, this dog loses control when we start to peel the blue and white wrapper and bite the chocolate wafers surrounding the vanilla ice cream. On one occasion, back when I was 8 months pregnant and Sasha was the sole object of my attention during the day, I took too long to eat my portion. I think I was wrapped up in The Ellen Show while I waited for the ice cream to thaw. Before I knew what the heck was going on Sasha's stealth little snout snuck in and stole a lick off my sandwich! Blurg. It hasn't happened again.

Today Sasha's freak was freaked. Denney did the Wal-Mart grocery run on his way home. In the middle of the back to school crowd and waiting 18 minutes in line (I trust his numbers are accurate, being the financial analyst that he is) he switched it up on us. He bought the Blue Bunny Ice Cream Triple Chocolate Sandwich; dark chocolate, white chocolate, and milk chocolate ice cream between two vanilla wafers. Oh snap.

It was a hit. So now, assuming Sasha's taste buds are as discerning as Denney's, I can imagine Sasha will be begging for the Triple Chocolate from now on.

BTW, if you're thinking, "Denney went to the grocery store. Isn't that HER job?!" Yes, it is. I'll get better.