miss one-derful.

yeah, it's official. i stink at being a bloggaholic.
maybe it's the fact that my one-year-old is a walking godzilla.
maybe it's the fact that every time i turn my head or start doing something that requires both of my eyeballs from watching the two hooligans, terror ensues. and tears inevitably follow.
maybe it's the fact that when i get a free moment, all i want to do is lay flat on my back in utter silence (until i hear a fly buzzing around my personal bubble, and then my free time is spent going on a mad-fly-killing spree).
whatever it is, i won't be seeing blogging therapy any time soon.
my apologies.

anyway- probably the most exciting thing that has happened around here in a while is that our little baby Alice has turned into a not-so-much-of-a-baby-one-year-old.

being a parent is such a miraculous thing, don't you think?
i mean, watching a baby learn and grow and transform into the person she'll always be is truly amazing.

Alice has been such a sweet baby.
so sweet, in fact, that i have wished almost her entire babyhood that she wouldn't grow up out of being a baby. don't get me wrong- she's always been active and quick enough to keep up with her (cute) monster big sister. and i admit, now that we're really learning her personality, i'm starting to warm up to the idea of her lack of baby-ness anymore... but there's still that ache and pang in my side that is sad that she won't be a baby forever.
having a baby is just so unique and special. and so i'm hanging onto those little baby things a little while longer... and then maybe my baby hunger will take over and the only remedy will be to make another one.

sorry future posterity. but you'll have to learn about the birds and the bees eventually.

anyways, back to my point.
Alice Joy.

i don't know if i ever told you the story about her name. so i'll tell it real quick. just because i want to.
on the day that Alice was born, we went to the hospital...without a name picked out. i was so mad at M because he wouldn't ever talk about names with me, and when he did, it just turned into one big joke. "let's name her Bertha, after Jeff's big toe." or "let's name her Hilda, after our 65-year-old German neighbor." yeah right, you ding-dong. but mostly he made me mad because he didn't like my #1 pick of a name- the one i had told all of you about, Roxy. i loved that name. i still love that name. but M, he loathed it. "that's a dog's name," he'd say. or "my mom says it sounds like a Las Vegas lounge singer." yeah, i wanted to punch him in the face wasn't thrilled about his derogatory comments about my beloved Roxy name-- but i convinced myself that we'd make it to the hospital...and when he saw the complete and utter agony i was in bringing this dang baby into the world, he'd let me choose whatever name i wanted...and then we'd bundle little Roxy Lynne up and take her home.

but the day came.
and no such agony came.
it was a peaceful morning.

i know right?
peaceful?
but it's true.
i got up, showered. blow-dried my hair. painted my nails. and even put make-up on. (was i going to get family pictures taken, or to have a baby?).
my mom took me to the hospital so that M could take care of Ellie and get her to Grandma and Grandpa's house (so wonderful to have so many helping hands).

of course, when i got to the hospital, things were a little more stressful. they had me get in, and threw a gown at me and wanted to check my progress and put in the IV immediately. i was already dilated to a 3 or 4 or something like that...contractions were coming, and so they sent the anesthesiologist in right away to give me my epidural. the guy was a total dork who put in the needle three times and numbed only half of my body- and could never quite get it right. i still don't get it. like i said, he was a dork. but after that hour of chaos, the peace came again.
M strolled in.
we took some completely unflattering pictures of me and him (ones that no one will ever see).
and we waited.
we talked.
they ate delicious Sweet Affair sandwiches (kind of like Kneaders).
i ate ice chips (so gourmet).
we waited.
i tried to talk about names.
denied.
we waited.
we talked.
and my Nurse came into check me.
i was at a 10.
i finally said to M,
"ok we really need to decide what we're naming this baby!"
i mean seriously. it was stressing me out more than actually having the baby was.
we asked my Nurse for some name advice.
she was tight-lipped. (smart lady).
we asked my mom for some name advice.
she was also tight-lipped (double smart lady).
then i kinda tried to pretend like i was in a lot of pain.
and i moaned,
"please, let's just name her...(groan of pain) Roxxyyyy?"
he wasn't buying it.
"she is NOT a Roxy, Marci."
"FINE." i said.
i was mad.
and realized no amount of pain i pretended to be in would make mr. stubborn M change his mind.
so it started racing.
racing for new names.
all of the lame ones came to my mind, "Bertha. Hilda. Malificent. AHHHH. I HATE CHOOSING NAMESSS!!!!"
and then, there was peace for a minute. and out of the blue while sitting there, at a 10, waiting for my doctor to come and catch the unnamed baby girl, it just came to me.
"what about Alice?"

Alice was the first name we talked about when we got pregnant again. we both loved it, but i was  skeptical because it sounds pretty close to Ellie. and i didn't want anyone calling Alice Allie, because that was reaaalllllly close. so we kind of ruled it out.

but then it that moment, i just knew it was her name.
and M knew it was her name, too. it was the first time i heard these three words come out of his mouth, "i love it."
and because it had been such a peaceful, joyful day, i knew her middle name had to be joy.
and so, literally 10 minutes before Alice Joy came into the world, we had chosen her name. and i can't imagine her as anything else. M was right (but i'll never admit again...and don't you DARE tell him i said that). she truly is the most joyful little creature on the planet.

i loved the day she was born.
and i've loved every day since.

some more about Alice:

Alice is spunky.
Alice is sweet.
Alice is curious.
Alice is a chatter-box.
Alice is a ham.
Alice lovvvvvvveees food- including (but not limited to) popcorn, strawberries, oranges, grapes, cheese, yogurt, and almost any variety of those awesome squeezable baby food things they have recently come out with (side note: those squeezable baby foods are genius! how they've changed my life! i especially love the ones that have a veggie mixed in. brilliant).
Alice has a round belly to prove that she looovvvvees food.
Alice loves her lovie.
Alice loves her thumb.
Alice loves her sister Ellie.
Alice loves to walk everywhere. and hates when she can't walk.
Alice doesn't have time to snuggle. even before sleeping.
Alice is always in a hurry. just like her mama.
Alice loves to squeal.
Alice loves to toss things out (ie DVD's, toys, blocks (danger!), clothes....the list could go on and on).
Alice loves to carry around either a spoon or a crayon at all times. random. but true.
Alice loves her bath. sometimes i'll catch her just standing in front of her bath, looking in. and one time, i couldn't find her anywhere. finally i looked in the bathroom and there she was, just sitting in the empty bath, looking up into the faucet...as if she was waiting for the water to come out.
Alice loves books.
Alice loves finger puppets.
Alice loves music- and even knows hand-motions to Popcorn Popping and The Itsy Bitsy Spider.
Alice loves to dance. i love seeing her little march dancing. so cute!
Alice loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
Alice loves when Daddy comes home. she squeals and yells and runs to him. and then whacks him real good in the face (baby affection is so endearing).
Alice loves people- and saying "hiiiii!" to just about everybody we see when she's in a shopping cart or at a restaurant. she has a way of making people melt around her. including her mama.
Alice has her mama and daddy wrapped around her little finger.

she is just such a sweetie.
we all love her so much (duh)-- our hearts have grown practically a bajillion sizes since she entered our lives.

i love you miss Munch, tu tu, squish, Alice! (don't you love the nick-names you can come up with?)
i can't wait to see you continue to change and grow and discover this big world.

xoxo