6 facts.

The rules of the game should be posted at the beginning of the post. Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comments, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

1. I read just about anything. And, unless it offends me, which is kind of hard to do, I will finish the book no matter how boring or poorly written it is. I have to stick it out to the end to make sure that the book is truly that bad and I didn't miss the good stuff.

2. I wanted a boy as a first child. Somehow I knew I was having a girl when I became pregnant, and I was fine with that, but I enjoyed having older brothers so much that I really thought every girl needs at least one. I was the first girl after three boys, and while I obviously didn't follow the same pattern, I have a little niece coming soon who will have three big brothers. If she has any questions on how to handle them, I live just down the road. But free advice for all...kissing usually gets them to back off. Brothers hate that stuff.

3. I hate things I'm not good at. I am working really hard at developing talents instead of just appreciating the ones that come easily for me. I hate to run, but I am slowly changing that, one mile at a time. I hate playing sports because I feel like it's not fun for the people who can actually catch the ball.

4. I hate to be wet. Especially my hands. This makes dishes my absolute least favorite chore and something I try to put off until Jeremy does them. This worked much better before he worked insane hours at his job. Now I suck it up and just make sure I dry my hands really well (really good? I'm too tired to figure it out) when I am done.

5. I will research anything. If I am curious about, say, how exactly the BCS standings are figured each year, I will pop up Google and spend my time reading the ins and outs of all the dumb computer polls and different rules that automatically qualify one team over a better one. This makes me a wealth of knowledge, but also a professional time waster.

6. I cannot for the life of me pick a sixth thing. Wait, I know! I am the wife of an official CPA! We found out Jeremy passed his last test just a few days after Christmas. What a relief. His application has posted and it is over! No more studying, no more missing family activities and no more stress (about that, at least). I've been chastised multiple times for not blogging this yet. So now everyone knows. Jeremy is a CPA!

Sorry, I can't tag anyone. I feel like people will hate me although I don't dislike people who do it to me. There's a seventh thing for you--I worry too much about what other people think and overanalyze everything.

Maybe I'm her second favorite

Me: Did you have fun tonight?
Carolyn: (nods)
Me: Do you like your new friend Brooklyn?
Carolyn: (nods)
Me: Do you like to eat chopped liver?
Carolyn: (nods)
Me: Is Mom your most favorite person in the whole world?
Carolyn: (begins to nod) uh uh. ELMO!

Random Tidbits

• I'll spare you the pictures, but Carolyn has a new favorite time of day--we call it "nekkie time." No matter how grumpy or mellow she is, if we take off her clothes and diaper, she will run in circles until the cows comes home. Or burrow into our blankets on the bed calling "night night!" It is so much fun to see her take glee in the simple things, and we've only had one accident to date.

• I dread the time for potty training. With Carolyn being only 18 months old, I don't think it will happen soon. But her announcement of "poo poo" every time she goes makes me think she will be ready before I am. After she comes to tell me she needs a diaper change, I usually ask again just to confirm. My favorite reaction is when she goes to point to her diaper. For her to do this correctly, she lifts up her belly so she can see where she is pointing. It makes me think of when I was pregnant and couldn't see much below my ginormous gut.

• Today Carolyn came over and puckered up her lips asking for a kiss without me instigating it. Love it!

• I was reading a book where one of the characters died unexpectedly, and I started crying. Not really crying until I realized the character was a daughter, and I thought about losing Carolyn in my life. That didn't help the tears disappear. Want to know what did? Carolyn came over and wiped them off my face

I am so grateful that I can spend all this time with Carolyn and watch her personality develop. She is one of the most caring babies I have ever met. She likes to make people feel better when sad and share her love with everyone who will allow it.

Can a mother never wash her hands?

The world is her canvas...

...and she has now scrubbed it clean

Artistic Inclinations

We thought Carolyn would love to get crayons in her stocking this year for Christmas. We were mostly wrong. She loved the candy in the stocking, and anything that was not edible was immediately tossed to the side as she dug for more chocolate. Smart girl.

Now, a week later, she has rediscovered all the other fun things we gave her that day. She is an awesome little artist. She already has a hand preference (right) and a chosen position (lounging). She might by picky, but I can't argue with the results. She can scribble with the best of them!

Best shirt ever. Thanks, Mom.

When Should a Girl Start Shaving?

I remember being in the sixth grade and starting to shave my legs. I had a bunch of older friends, and I was one of the last girls to start. I can't recall if a brother barged in while I was experimenting with shaving cream or just pounded on the door until I told them it "would be awhile; I'm shaving my legs!" Either way, the reaction was one of dismay. I received a lecture about how I was too young. I didn't want to be one of those girls who shaved twice a day by the time I was in high school, I was told. Nor did I want to have the thick, black hairs that shaving would inevitably bring. I had some great brothers who were always willing to share the little (and inaccurate) wisdom they had about girls. I disregarded the advice and happily shaved my legs. Not once did I shave my legs twice a day, and I don't have thick, nasty leg hair. So obviously, eleven was not too young.

What do you think about 18 months?



Do you think this means she'll have a beard soon?

18-Month Portraits

My friend Megan took some pictures of Carolyn the other day. I just got sick of The Picture People. The last time we were there the pictures were not cute. The photographer was not good with Carolyn, and it was overall an unfortunate experience. But, these pictures? They are cute.