And the Worst Mother of the Year Award Goes To...

Ivy had mango yesterday for lunch. Lots and lots of mango. So we're sitting at the table, I'm talking to her and we are laughing about how hilarious it is to throw mango and Cheerios on the floor, (HILARIOUS, in case you were wondering), and all of a sudden she holds up her little fist and...that...isn't...mango...what the...

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And just like that, there was poop smeared all over her face. I think I
squawked, I was so horrified.

"Honey, no! Icky, icky, icky!"

She examined the poop hand, then the mango hand, then gave me the biggest (AHEM) shit-eating grin you've ever seen. (YEAH! See what I did there? SHIT-EATING GRIN?! GET IT???)

Ai yi yi. Someone ALSO got her teeth brushed for the first time yesterday, you can bet on that.

One of my favorites. We've been rocking the MJ this morning, helping Daddy get ready for his Testosterone Trip up north! :) And by helping, I mean, "Mommy and Ivy have been boogying to MJ videos on YouTube and distracting Daddy."

We have a relaxing weekend planned, with lots of family time (hopefully!) outside time!

Oh crap...to Ivy's many attributes, add destructive...huh. Well, the books WERE on the shelf! ;)

PS

This is our dancing and nap-time song today. I like to think of Ivy having sweet dreams to this song.

The Past Few Weeks...

...have been SO exciting for us! Ivymae is doing genius things, really. She now can say "Kitty" (to her stuffed kitty and to Grandma Jane's cats...we haven't tried it on Mr. Sparkle yet...) She puts up her finger and says, "Bob! Bob bob!" when she wants her bottle, and now says "Uppies!" when she wants to be picked up. (This is what Matt asks her when he goes to pick her up.)

Mommy spent the weekend in the Black Hills, and Ivymae had an AWESOME TIME with cousin Lauren last week, Grandpa Bill and Grandma Jane this weekend, and DADDY all day Monday and Tuesday!

Besides a constant stream of Ivy-speak, her new favorite thing is to stand up and turn off the cable box. We aren't sure how she figured out that particular button, since it's one of many and frankly, Mommy doesn't even know how to work the thing. The first time she did it, I said, "No!" She sat down hard and put her hands in her lap and gave me her best Baby Jesus routine, and that was the end of me. Now I let her do it all day. This child is getting NO discipline. :)

Pictures from Ivy in Mommy's old law school bag, and a few of Mommy and Matt at Mount Rushmore. Cause we're just patriotic like that.

Back to Basics

Watching Miss Punky travel her own way around the living room this morning, all the anxiety of the past few weeks seems kind of silly. This little cupcake is such a miracle...a year ago today she was kicking to get out, and now she's toddling around the living room. Ivy is so loved, it seems amazing some days that one little person could be so adored by so many people. I wish every little one was that loved. And Mommy is loved too! (She needs to relax a little bit, though...)

Yesterday Ivymae spent the day with Great-Grandma Zimm, her cousin Scotty, and her Grandpa Bill and Grandma Jane. What a fun day!
Daddy said that Ivy was "obsessed" with playing with the jacks ball, and loooooved her cousin Scotty, whom she met for the first time! :)

Um Ya Ya

Becky (Lenius) McKeever, Kate Kennedy, Laura Howting Geislinger, Miranda Wingerter Meunier, Megan Fatheree




Alex McKeever, Aidan McKeever, Emma Meunier, and Ivy Mae Kennedy-Schwartz


Well, from Fall of 1998 to Summer of 2009, this is where we are!

We all got together at Dan and Laura's house on Sunday for a BFCW reunion. We've grown up and apart over the years, but still have a loving, comforting way with each other that is so amazing, and I feel lucky to be part of it.

I especially love seeing my roommate, Becky...God couldn't have put together two more different people to share a tiny space, but Becky was such a wonderful, (patient) roommate...I miss her. We will have to get together soon.

Ivymae has had such a good weekend! Lots of chatting, walking, dancing. Lots of love.

Chompers: A Love Story

You know your love for your child is undying when you still feel fond of them after a hard day of teething.

I'm not gonna sugarcoat this: I hate teething. Not as much as poor Ivymae does, no doubt, but taking care of this child while teething is like being forced to do everything with your left hand. I feel incompetent, and I have a headache, and I can't pee or shower without a forlorn wail echoing through the halls of the house.

Her father, who is much more patient and mature than I, handles this much better. His patience is also extended towards me, for which I'm grateful. Yesterday, when I finally got into the shower at around 5:00, I started crying. I think mostly because I'm perhaps a tad more high-strung than the average bear, but also because I just felt so unhelpful and ineffective. There was nothing I could do to help her, and more than that, I didn't WANT to be around her. I felt like Annette Bening in that scene from American Beauty when she can't sell the house and she starts crying and slaps herself in the face, and says "Shut up, you baby!" I got dressed and picked her up and just rocked her, even though she was squirming and obviously in pain. She didn't want ice or her teether, so I just tried to snuggle her. Finally Michael got home and he took one look at me and said, "I'm guessing it's been a tough day, huh?" I was so relieved that he understood I almost started crying again.

He took her last night, and I went on a Date Night. Ivymae was up again from 1:30 to 3:30 with Daddy, so it's been rough for everyone. I comfort myself with the fact that when she's sixteen and crashes her (dad's) car, we'll think fondly back on the days when she was only teething!

This morning I gave her some Ibuprofen befor breakfast, which Michael thought of last night. (Why must he be so much SMARTER??? MAN, that guy is good.) she's been playing and pulling herself up and rolling around in the living room, and it's been nothing but heaven.

I think I need to get simple when I'm feeling overwhelmed. Just forget about all the other stuff I need to do, and just sit with her. I mean...nothing else is really that important, right? She's lovely and amazing, and being such a trooper...much moresoe than Mommy. :)

Tomorrow we head to Ames overnight for my cousin's wedding. Ivymae will get to see a lot of family! Most importantly, Grammi!!!!