Videos! I am starting to figure out how to get these posted all on my own. I got stuck and poor Khan is trying to sleep, but he wasn't asleep yet, so y'know....
Sometimes I wonder why he married me. Ok, I wonder that a lot.
Anyway, this is about the baby. Some pretty self-explanatory stuff here. Each of these is about a minute long. I could video for hours and hours, but a minute or two seems to tell the story just as well. And I don't have enough memory cards or batteries.
You're welcome.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Three years ago today
At about this time, I was about as nervous as I'd ever been -- in less than an hour, I was going to be some guy's wife. Some really amazing guy.
And watching my dad and Louise tear up the dance floor was pretty great, too.
I loved hanging out with people who came a long way to be there for us, with people that chose to be with us rather than somewhere else, and with people whose marriages we very much admire.
And then there was the Ayres Alumni dance.
I didn't know it at the time, but there were few little sneaky elves that disappeared, and they gave Khan and me one of the best presents of all.
When we went back to our room at the end of the night, I was DREADING the mess that I knew we had left in our chaotic flurry several hours earlier. When I stepped off the elevator, I noticed a rose petals on the walkway...leading back to our room. And the mess was GONE. Or at least it was hidden, and that was good enough for me.
And the elves had the good sense to take some pictures of their good deed.
Not that I needed the pictures to prove it. There's only one mastermind whose plan would include chilled champagne and Cheetos, and that's Miss Marina.
With all the memories of one very wonderful day, you might think it would be hard for me to have a favorite. It's not, I have one, and I had no idea it was on film. It was our last dance. The stress of the day was over, the relief was settling in. The cameras were gone (or so I thought), and so were most of the people. Khan and I had just this moment to let it sink in - and it felt really, really good.
Love you more every day, baby. Thanks for loving me back.
So, in honor of this anniversary, I'm not going to babble about the funny things Lily did this morning. (She pointed to the dark circle under my eye and said "boo boo, eye.") Instead, I'm going to relive some of my favorite memories from my wedding day. There are tons, so I'll try my best to keep it short. But I will warn you that there are 27 pictures.
I got to start the day out being pampered with my girls. We all got our hair done and make-up done, and I thought they looked absolutely gorgeous. I loved spending the day with them.
You may or may not know this, but before our wedding ceremony in front of all kinds of people, Khan and I met in front of our photographers and exchanged our first wedding rings. We each wear two wedding bands, one for our first ceremony an done for our second. We re-exchanged the rings from our July ceremony right before our legal ceremony. Gawd, my nails looked awesome. 
After our little private moment, we took a whole lotta pictures. Some of me and the girls, a couple of Khan and the guys, a bunch of formal family stuff. Fortunately for me, all my camera shyness had disappeared by my wedding day.
When we got to the beach, the butterflies were going crazy. My first reassurance came from my dad. He was uncharacteristically calm and easygoing at that moment.
And then I saw my husband-to-be waiting for me. The confidence that I felt at that moment was easily one of the best feelings of my entire life.
I was surprised by how well my mom kept it together during the ceremony. I thought she’d be a total mess. Good job, Mom.
Well, until the vows at least. Khan’s vows knocked my socks off. (Wait, I was barefoot, I need a beach-appropriate cliche.) His vows blew me away. I have a copy with me in my planner; I couldn’t reread them enough times. I may like to fancy myself a writer, but I was outdone that day.
And you can see it in the reactions, too.
I lovedthe feeling of walking back down the aisle, knowing I made it through the ceremony without making an idiot of myself. It’s tough when you’re not only in front of an audience, but every second is being captured on multiple cameras. Also, I love the train of my dress, and I have very few pictures that show it.
After the ceremony, the whole wedding party took pictures in the sand. 
The boy band pic.
My girls and their flowers.
Then the wedding party went off, and it was just us. Building in a few alone-time moments was the one of the best planning decisions we made. You know, just us, enjoying the moment, the sand, the waves, the cameras. (No really, I’m kidding because by that point, we were pretty good at ignoring them.)
Look at my big fluffy dress. Sigh.
Then we went back to the party. Loved it. I didn't even notice that my hair was all effed up. You might've thought someone would've pointed it out to me. Not as good of friends as I thought they were, huh?
With the exception of the formal dances when I was a total nervous freak, I was so much more relaxed than I thought I would be.
Some of my favorite memories were in the unplanned, unexpected moments. As great as it was to dance with my husband and my dad, I think dancing with my grandpa was the best.
And watching my dad and Louise tear up the dance floor was pretty great, too.
I loved hanging out with people who came a long way to be there for us, with people that chose to be with us rather than somewhere else, and with people whose marriages we very much admire. And then there was the Ayres Alumni dance. I didn't know it at the time, but there were few little sneaky elves that disappeared, and they gave Khan and me one of the best presents of all.When we went back to our room at the end of the night, I was DREADING the mess that I knew we had left in our chaotic flurry several hours earlier. When I stepped off the elevator, I noticed a rose petals on the walkway...leading back to our room. And the mess was GONE. Or at least it was hidden, and that was good enough for me.
And the elves had the good sense to take some pictures of their good deed.
Not that I needed the pictures to prove it. There's only one mastermind whose plan would include chilled champagne and Cheetos, and that's Miss Marina.
With all the memories of one very wonderful day, you might think it would be hard for me to have a favorite. It's not, I have one, and I had no idea it was on film. It was our last dance. The stress of the day was over, the relief was settling in. The cameras were gone (or so I thought), and so were most of the people. Khan and I had just this moment to let it sink in - and it felt really, really good.
Love you more every day, baby. Thanks for loving me back.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
1 year, 8 months, 3 weeks, & 4 days old
Tonight (at this point, “tonight” is actually 2 days ago) we sat down for dinner, ahem, which I made, and Lily said, "apple!" (a-po!)
She was excited for her applesauce. I had no idea she knew that word. In part, it's because we're too busy giving her cookies and chips. No, not really (mostly), but I know she gets a lot of applesauce at daycare, so I don't give it to her much at home.
Then Khan and I got to talkin' about how much she changes, how fast she grows, blah blah blah. Anyway, sadly, sometimes I rely on the blog to remind me of when she did what, and so to that end, I'm posting a "what's Lily doing now" update.
BTW, I have no interest in Lily being ahead of the curve or a genius or whatever; I'm actually quite certain she's right on target. Not ahead, not behind. I just want to record who she is and what she's doing, right now. So, with that:
-She has several favorite things. Khan and I have designated, based on our observations, something of a ranking system. It goes like this: Blanket, binky, bottle 'o milk, Elmo, Big Comfy Couch, junk food, fruit, Big Bird, Mom, Dad. We're just happy to be back in the top 10. Kiki and Yo Gabba Gabba had edged us out for a while, but for now, I think we're back.
Don’t.mess.with.tha.binky.
-And then there are things she doesn’t love, like oatmeal, sharing, Target, getting her face or nose wiped, hearing “no,” the tornado on Elmo’s World, when anyone encroaches on her pillow, and when Mommy tries to put things in her hair.
-If there is any developmental area where she might fall ahead of the curve, it's in her fine motor skills. She's extremely good at eating with a spoon or fork, and she's great with puzzles, buttons, and other stuff to take apart or put together.
-Oh, and she can drink from a cup. Sadly, neither Khan nor I knew she could. He saw her do it at daycare. (insert mommy guilt here.)
[Here’s where I’ll put the video of her drinking (water) from a cup if I can ever find it.]
-She sleeps in a big-girl bed. Why? Because she doesn’t like being put in her bed. She wants to do it HERSELF. So, toddler bed it was. I was skeptical, but it’s been going really well. She goes to bed easily (most nights) and sleeps until about 7.
[Here’s where I’ll post a picture of her new bed if I ever clean her room.]
-We have two new favorite games: "squeeee!" and "baa-by." She loves it when I squeeze her as tight as I can and say (insert annoying high voice) "Ska-wEEEZE baby Lily!" or when I hold her like an infant and rock her back and forth singing rock-a-bye- baby while she giggles.
-Khan saw her playing those games with her Big Bird, too. How cute.
-She likes to play with my make-up.
-She's surprisingly disinterested in Kitty, unless she gets to admonish her for doing something she deems naughty. "no no, Kitty!"
-She says lots of English words and even a few Lao words. Tonight Khan showed her pictures on the camera, and she said "Noke!" And Khan seemed to agree with her. I was like, "huh?" Bird. She said Bird. And I learned another new word in Laotian.
-She’s finally starting to put couple words together. My favorite is when she comes upon a mess, puts her hands up, and says “Oh no! Happen!”
-She’s a drama queen. In fact, I’d nominate her for queen of all the other drama queens.
-She loves routine and order. It ‘s best not to do things out of order, or switch places. I have my spot, she has hers, and Daddy has his. Don’t mess with her system, or you’ll regret it.
-Her expressions are priceless. Here’s a few favorites.
-And lastly, for anyone who thinks she doesn’t look like me at all, I bring you her attitude face.
She was excited for her applesauce. I had no idea she knew that word. In part, it's because we're too busy giving her cookies and chips. No, not really (mostly), but I know she gets a lot of applesauce at daycare, so I don't give it to her much at home.
Then Khan and I got to talkin' about how much she changes, how fast she grows, blah blah blah. Anyway, sadly, sometimes I rely on the blog to remind me of when she did what, and so to that end, I'm posting a "what's Lily doing now" update.
BTW, I have no interest in Lily being ahead of the curve or a genius or whatever; I'm actually quite certain she's right on target. Not ahead, not behind. I just want to record who she is and what she's doing, right now. So, with that:
-She has several favorite things. Khan and I have designated, based on our observations, something of a ranking system. It goes like this: Blanket, binky, bottle 'o milk, Elmo, Big Comfy Couch, junk food, fruit, Big Bird, Mom, Dad. We're just happy to be back in the top 10. Kiki and Yo Gabba Gabba had edged us out for a while, but for now, I think we're back.
Don’t.mess.with.tha.binky.
-And then there are things she doesn’t love, like oatmeal, sharing, Target, getting her face or nose wiped, hearing “no,” the tornado on Elmo’s World, when anyone encroaches on her pillow, and when Mommy tries to put things in her hair.
-If there is any developmental area where she might fall ahead of the curve, it's in her fine motor skills. She's extremely good at eating with a spoon or fork, and she's great with puzzles, buttons, and other stuff to take apart or put together.
-Oh, and she can drink from a cup. Sadly, neither Khan nor I knew she could. He saw her do it at daycare. (insert mommy guilt here.)[Here’s where I’ll put the video of her drinking (water) from a cup if I can ever find it.]
-She sleeps in a big-girl bed. Why? Because she doesn’t like being put in her bed. She wants to do it HERSELF. So, toddler bed it was. I was skeptical, but it’s been going really well. She goes to bed easily (most nights) and sleeps until about 7.
[Here’s where I’ll post a picture of her new bed if I ever clean her room.]
-We have two new favorite games: "squeeee!" and "baa-by." She loves it when I squeeze her as tight as I can and say (insert annoying high voice) "Ska-wEEEZE baby Lily!" or when I hold her like an infant and rock her back and forth singing rock-a-bye- baby while she giggles.
-Khan saw her playing those games with her Big Bird, too. How cute.
-She likes to play with my make-up.
-She's surprisingly disinterested in Kitty, unless she gets to admonish her for doing something she deems naughty. "no no, Kitty!"
-She says lots of English words and even a few Lao words. Tonight Khan showed her pictures on the camera, and she said "Noke!" And Khan seemed to agree with her. I was like, "huh?" Bird. She said Bird. And I learned another new word in Laotian.
-She’s finally starting to put couple words together. My favorite is when she comes upon a mess, puts her hands up, and says “Oh no! Happen!”
-She’s a drama queen. In fact, I’d nominate her for queen of all the other drama queens.
-She loves routine and order. It ‘s best not to do things out of order, or switch places. I have my spot, she has hers, and Daddy has his. Don’t mess with her system, or you’ll regret it.-Her expressions are priceless. Here’s a few favorites.
-And lastly, for anyone who thinks she doesn’t look like me at all, I bring you her attitude face.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
My very happy birthday
I had a very happy birthday this year. It wasn't like my golden birthday when all my presents were wrapped in gold paper, but it was pretty dagum close.
It was just a regular Thursday, and we didn't make super big plans. I went to work.
My morning started with a bunch of happy birthday emails from my coworkers. Better than one of those "you screwed up again" type emails.
Then Grandma called my desk to say happy birthday.
Later, I went to a meeting. Came back to my desk and beautiful purple tulips were waiting for me. Everyone, say "ahhhh."
Checked in with the WCF girls on my message board, and there was a post wishing me a happy birthday; now that was an unexpected surprise. And a couple more emails, including one from a certain family member who apologized for a belated birthday present to come. How silly to apologize for a birthday present, right?
When I got home, I got some cards in the mail. You might not know it yet, but Dad, you got me Photoshop Elements, and Grandma, you got me some awesome pillows for my birthday. Thanks very much to you both.
Then I found Lily some entertainment while I loaded the dishwasher.
Is this that terrible?
We had an awesome dinner and no sinkload of dishes to follow, so we went outside to enjoy April in Florida. (LOL, like we'd do our dishes right after dinner on any other night.)
Then I saw a box on the floor wrapped in leftover paper from Lily's birthday presents. I smiled big at Khan, and he said, "Do you want to open it?"
I'm assuming that was rhetorical.
The biggest surprise was that it wasn't from him, it was from my mom. I thought she already gave me my present, so I was a little confused. And then I opened it, and this is what I found.
This is Belle. Isn't she beautiful? She's a camera bag. A CAMERA BAG! And so very pretty.
Not to be outdone, Khan and Lily gave me a couple more camera accessories. Lily tried to take one back. She hasn't quite figured out the whole "sharing" thing yet. Actually, I'm not sharing it with her, either.
Then, Khan, Lily, and I just hung out for awhile.
Lily and Khan practiced expressing their emotions.
This is sad.
This is happy.
Hmmmmm...this is surprised?
Then they played peek-a-boo.
Then Lily wanted to hide under the covers.
When I tried to play, she said "no. moo." (translates to get out. moo is toddler for move.)
My role was to be surprised when she and Daddy popped out. When I tried to hide with them, I ruined the system, and that's why I had to moo.
Before the night was out, I got texts and phone calls from friends and family. I checked into Facebook and found even more happy birthday wishes. Good stuff.
I've had more than one birthday celebration since at least 1987, and that trend continued.
Saturday night a couple of our friends came by and Khan made the best kabobs ever on the grill. Mama, wine, Lily, and blanket. Does it get any better than this?
Lily and Jade sat together. Lily shared her green beans.
When we went inside, Lily and Jade took turns in the rocking horse while the rest of us watched a Big Bird movie. Truthfully, the movie was awful.
We finished off our night with chocolate covered strawberries, bananas, and pineapple.
Yum.
Thank you all for making this birthday so wonderful. You all know how to make a girl feel special.
It was just a regular Thursday, and we didn't make super big plans. I went to work.
My morning started with a bunch of happy birthday emails from my coworkers. Better than one of those "you screwed up again" type emails.
Then Grandma called my desk to say happy birthday.
Later, I went to a meeting. Came back to my desk and beautiful purple tulips were waiting for me. Everyone, say "ahhhh."
Checked in with the WCF girls on my message board, and there was a post wishing me a happy birthday; now that was an unexpected surprise. And a couple more emails, including one from a certain family member who apologized for a belated birthday present to come. How silly to apologize for a birthday present, right?
When I got home, I got some cards in the mail. You might not know it yet, but Dad, you got me Photoshop Elements, and Grandma, you got me some awesome pillows for my birthday. Thanks very much to you both.
Then I found Lily some entertainment while I loaded the dishwasher.
Is this that terrible?
We had an awesome dinner and no sinkload of dishes to follow, so we went outside to enjoy April in Florida. (LOL, like we'd do our dishes right after dinner on any other night.)
I'm assuming that was rhetorical.
The biggest surprise was that it wasn't from him, it was from my mom. I thought she already gave me my present, so I was a little confused. And then I opened it, and this is what I found.
This is Belle. Isn't she beautiful? She's a camera bag. A CAMERA BAG! And so very pretty.
Then, Khan, Lily, and I just hung out for awhile.
Lily and Khan practiced expressing their emotions.
This is sad.
Then Lily wanted to hide under the covers.
When I tried to play, she said "no. moo." (translates to get out. moo is toddler for move.)
My role was to be surprised when she and Daddy popped out. When I tried to hide with them, I ruined the system, and that's why I had to moo.
I've had more than one birthday celebration since at least 1987, and that trend continued.
Saturday night a couple of our friends came by and Khan made the best kabobs ever on the grill. Mama, wine, Lily, and blanket. Does it get any better than this?
Yum.
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