Best Friend Time is Very Much Needed

I get to see my best friend Morgan once a year and that annual event is coming up. She will be here Dec. 17th and I am super excited. Not only do I get to have girlfriend time, which is very much needed, but she gets to meet my daughter for the first time and it's such a big deal because Morgan is like my sister. She will get to hold my hita, she'll get to change a dirty diaper, she'll get to have fun with her and most of all she'll get to love her. I think what I look forward to most is seeing Morgan's face when she sees my Maria. I can't wait to see how she responds, the excitement, the light inside her that will turn on. I foresee Morgan and Maria having a connection such as Morgan and I do.

Now, Morgan meeting Maria isn't the only exciting thing happening when Morgan comes to town, I also get to meet her fiance for the first time. Morgan and Michael have had a torrid love affair that has spanned years, 3 to be exact and, and spanned a multitude of U.S. states. I still remember every giddy phone call about this mysterious man, every tear, and the day Morgan decided to get rid of everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, and head to the Northwest straight into her lovers arms.

So Morgan and I have been together since college and so many things have happened since then. She was there for me when I met and fell in love with Riley, all the happy/gory details of the pregnancy, and I was there for her through her divorce, the affair, and now as she has fallen in love with her Michael. Now the men can come and go but Morgan and I, we're here for the long haul.

I love you Morgan and I can't wait to give you a big ol' hug. Can you tell I miss you?

Disciplining a 9 1/2 month old...it just doesn't work

So yesterday I tried telling Maria "no" and I raised my voice a little bit and my poor little baby girl pouted her lip and completely broke my heart. Ugh talk about some guilt, guilt that could kill. So I picked her up and said I'm sorry baby and I looked at Riley and he's laughing because my little minion was totally playing me, she was smiling like she knew how to manipulate the situation. How is it that she knows how to do this? Are girls just born knowing how to do this?

So I know you're asking "why are you disciplining a 9 1/2 month old," well it was more like trying to get her to stop trying to grab a hot dish or stopping her from going for the shelves that could topple on her, so all this, NO, NO, NO ,is for her own good and safety, but is it really pointless at this age? When I say no she stops in her tracks sits on her cute little diaper padded butt and looks at me like WHAT MOTHER! The other day I said no, no, no and she stopped, turned toward me, and said "Na, Na, Na, in the exact same tone I did and she didn't just do it once, she did it twice. She's too smart for me already!!

So to all you moms out there; is it too early to scold and say no to a 9 1/2 month old?

Just Feeling a Little Sad Today

I miss Maria and I wish I didn't have to work. I wish I could stay home and watch her. Every time Riley calls me, she's talking in the background and I hear new words (well at least what she thinks are words). Last night when I put her to bed I couldn't get over how big she is getting and it's all of a sudden too. I guess I'm just feeling envious of Riley's situation. He recently got laid off and gets to stay home, full time, with our daughter. He's loving it too and I love that's he's loving it and I love that she gets to stay home with her daddy, but a big part of me wishes we could switch places. I know in these hard times I should be grateful to have a job but today is just one of those days where the job could easily be taken away and I would be completely okay with it in exchange for more time with my one and only, Maria.

So what would you all exchange for something else? What would you be willing to give up to have or do what you really want? I told you mine, now tell me yours.