Late February 2009

On Tuesday (do I really need to tell you that it was February 17?), our friend Mollie came over to see me and to have dinner with us. I think we have already told you but she and Mommy played volleyball together in high school and then they interned together at Iams. Mollie is really funny and nice and I love her! Mommy actually got to eat her dinner because I wanted Mollie to hold me and play with me the whole time. I even got to stay up later than usual since our friend was here, what a great time!

On Saturday, February 24, our friends Susan and her daughters Julia and Madeleine came to visit us. Even though I don’t like to share very much, I had a really good time. Julia is a “big girl” in my eyes and I loved to watch everything that she was doing. Her little sister, Madeleine, is just a baby and I loved to help her, especially making sure that her “pacy” was safely in her mouth. I know that I work very hard at keeping my pacy in my mouth! On Sunday our friends Jana and Dan came over to see me. As usual, they even brought dinner! Jana wanted to try out a new recipe and you know that Mommy and Daddy are always up for new recipes, especially Jana’s cooking. Jana and Dan are great sports and even got into my tent with me. You might not be able to tell from the pictures but the tent is not very large and my friends were very nice to play in it with me. Until they got into it, my stuffed animals were the usual guests. Who knows what new toy I will encourage them to play with next time they are over!

I have not talked about being sick very much but that is because I have not been as sick as I was last year. But I have been sick. My cough hung on for weeks. It went away, then it came back. After my fun weekend with Susan, Julia, Madeleine, Jana and Dan, I woke up with a fever on Monday morning. Mommy had a couple of conference calls that she could take from home so she stayed with me. Daddy is also in the middle of a really big work project and was leaving on a trip on Wednesday, so it made the most sense to Mommy for her to take the day with me. I was a very good girl the whole day, especially knowing that I did not feel very good. I sat at my high chair and colored for over one hour while Mommy talked to people from work on the phone. I started feeling better so guess what we did? We ran some errands. It felt like old times, when it was just me and Mommy (except I did not always have a fever and I did not walk then). Mommy thought that I would sleep awhile because I was sick but she was wrong. She and I had a fun day, though, and as much as she did not want me to be sick, she said it was fun being home with me. I love being home with Mommy, Daddy and Bella, at least for a few days.

On Wednesday, the day that Daddy went on his trip, Mommy and I helped with the fellowship dinner at our church. The dinner was before the “Ash Wednesday” service that happens every year. Unlike Valentine’s Day, this is always on a Wednesday. I think that there are always ashes too, but I think I need more explanation about this holiday before I give you too many details. I was over being sick but as soon as we arrived, I started coughing. I proceeded to cough the entire hour we were helping. Mommy kept moving me away from people so I would not cough on them or the food. Luckily, there were enough people from Mommy’s committee (called Connections) that we were not needed very much, because I am not sure how much help we really were. We had a delicious meal and then I got to play with my friend from church, Erin, who is one month younger than me. We immediately started playing hide and seek when we saw each other and ran around the gym at the church. Mommy and Erin’s Mommy (Tricia) said that maybe we could play together sometime, that would be really fun! I like going to church, there are lots of people who smile and talk to me and there are always lots of older kids around that I can watch.

Daddy had a good trip but said that he really missed me. He was gone on Wednesday night, which is why I went to church with Mommy, then he got home late on Thursday night. He said that he came into my room to say hello but did not want to wake me up. I am glad that Daddy came home to us safely. I know that when Mommy is around I really want to be with her first, but I hope that Daddy understands that this does not mean I don’t really love him too. I don’t understand how my actions make other people feel (unless it really hurts like when I bite, then I kinda know).