Three Quarters

Dear Quinn,

You turned nine months old today, on Valentine's Day! How perfect is that? You are our little Valentine! Always and forever!

It has been 3/4's of a year since you were born. How crazy is that? I cannot believe my baby is nine months old. You have changed, learned, and grown so much in the last nine months.


Likes:

Piper, Piper, and more Piper.

Standing, standing, and more standing.

You like toys, envelopes, cardboard, books and reading, rolling around naked, feet, hands, songs and games, lights, putting things in your mouth, your walker, binkies, Johnny Jump Up, walks, fruit, and cuddling.

Dislikes:

Bottles, the carpet cleaner, and being still.

Development:

Sitting: so close, but still not reliable on your own.

Hand/mouth coordination: excellent, everything goes into your mouth

Babbling: You are getting more and more vocal by the day.

Breathing: off oxygen during the day, still need it at night, although, I think you are close to being done with that too.

Eating: Ulllll.....this is your weakest link. Next.

Sleeping: usually excellent, except for the last week on and off. Usually you go down around 7:30, we wake you up or you wake up twice to eat, and then you wake up sometime in the six o'clock hour wanting to cuddle, until it is time for me to get ready for work. You take several cat naps throughout the day, but no major nap.

Hair: Longer, thicker, and lighter. More manageable. Good progress here. Your widow's peak is started to blend in with the rest of the hair. Sad, because it was your signature, good, because it had a mind of its own!

Well, Miss Quinnie VonQuinnenstein, you are the best. We love you so much. We love your smile, your giggle, and your energy.

Happy Valentine's Day and Nine Month Birthday!

Love,
Ma and Pa

Christmas Past Part 6

A Christmas tribute to young love.

Ali and her first "boyfriend," Colby.
On a "date" to McDonald's during the holidays.



*A special thanks to my mama for bringing all these photos over one afternoon, so I could scan them, and then hauling them back home. You are the best!

I am crushing...

I love Glee. Can't help myself. I love the singing. I love the dancing. I love the stereotypes of the characters. I love the witty dialogue. But, I especially love Mr. Schuester. I have a serious 12 year old girl crush on him. When he sings and dances, I swoon. I also love his Justin Timberlake curls. His real name is Matthew Morrison, but I am less interested in the real man, but more have a crush on his fictional character. However, the real guy was on Broadway in Hairspray as Link. And I do love Hairspray, and I do love Link. My Zac Efron crush started when he played Link in the movie. What can I say, I like a man that can sing and dance. Oh, and one that has a beard.

V-day Questions

Valentine's Day is a silly, commercial holiday, that I have not really enjoyed as an adult. I hate the pressure to express my affection for my lover just because it is February 14th. It is not really my thing. However, growing up it kicked some major ass. I loved making my Valentine's Day box for school, addressing cards for my classmates, and friends in the neighborhood, making heart-shaped sugar cookies and decorating them with my family, the class party, and then delivering the cards around the neighborhood that night.

However, the times they are a changing.....

First of all, none of the kids in my class even knew what a Valentine's Day box was this year. This is likely a result of culture, and their economic status, but it was kind of sad. I loved being so creative and designing a new box every year in elementary school. However, this being said, these are the same kids with parents who come up with a billion reasons to not participate in the required science fair, so making a non-required box at home will never happen, but it is sad. What was your most creative Valentine's Day box?

Second of all, did you ever deliver your neighborhood valentines by ringing your friend's doorbell, leaving the valentine and hiding? This was the norm in my 'hood. I don't think kids do this anymore. Was it just a Utah thing? Just a neighborhood thing? Or is it another dying tradition?

On a separate note, my mom claims she never gave any thought to the message on the valentine while addressing it to a male or female. However, my siblings and I remember being very specific in choosing the message that would be appropriate for a boy versus a girl. It could totally ruin your rep. if you gave a member of the opposite sex a valentine that implied you did anything more than just tolerate them. Was this an issue for you?

However, in the spirit of Valentine's Day, I will tell you all that I love you and appreciate having you in my life (unless you are just some creep that spies on my blog, but doesn't really know me....but if that is the case, spread the word....I want some sponsorship up in here!)

Guess who came to dinner?

Last night, Dalan and I hosted the annual Christmas dinner for my college friends (and their significant others). It was a great chance to get to use my (errrr I mean our) new china and flatware. I know I am in the minority here, at least in the fact that I really do care about china, but I love a beautiful place setting.

The food was great. Dalan and I made the main course, and everyone else brought side dishes or dessert. I ate too much, but it was too good to stop. The conversation and company was even better. I laughed and laughed all night long. Nghia and Steve insisted that it was possible for a chihuahua to impregnate a great dane. I think it is impossible, at least for it to happen completely naturally. A chihuahua is at least 20 times smaller than a great dane, if not more. If you all know of any vets, will you please settle this for us????

We decided not to give gifts to each other, and donated to charity instead, which was nice. We did do a white elephant, which was hilarious. Dalan and I walked away with a salad shooter, some glow in the dark stars, and a gingerbread house. Jen got a glow in the dark item (a condom from 1996) of her own, that warned that it was "safe" to use, but strictly novelty. Whatever that means. Nghia even got a candle depicting a certain part of the male anatomy. Maybe Nghia's candle can use Jen's gift for a special occasion!

Picture it!

These two dogs could have possibly hooked up years ago, and started the chain of DNA that is Piper!