Confessions of a Delinquent Blogger

Here's the trouble with a mommy blog: Even though I love to write, it's far more fun to play with Hadley than it is to blog (even about the funny things Hadley does). But for our eight fans out there who are dying for an update, I've carved out this time to share some news with you.

Hadley is talking a bit. She told Granddaddy "bye-bye" last week, and if I had to swear on a stack of Ghirardelli chocolate, I'd say she said "toes" this morning. She says "Da" for "Dada" and "Mamama" for yours truly. So she says (maybe) four words, but she communicates a whole lot. Hadley does not, ahem, hesitate to let us know precisely what she thinks about just about anything. I can tell you right now how she feels about asparagus (hates it), walks in the park (loves them), her highchair (wishes she could live without it), Mumsie (adores her), playing peek-a-boo (can't get enough), cell phones (wants one of her own), and being held (prefers it to all other modes of transport). And yet, she says just four words.

Babies are smart, I tell you. Scary smart.

We also know, without a doubt, that Hadley loves Easter. Before 7:00 on Sunday morning, she was babbling away in her crib. Her eyes got huge when we walked out from her bedroom to the living room and she saw what the Easter Bunny left for her:

Can we just take a moment to enjoy the simple goodness of new jammies, particularly Easter jammies that are this darn cute?

We had a very happy day that started with good family time, continued at Mumsie and Granddaddy's house, and ended with long naps for Hadley and me, and an evening church service (where I sat in the nursery with Hadley who is going through a bit of separation anxiety). But I hear that the service was lovely.

That reminds me: Hadley also loves songs at church. The louder, the better. She spends the entire time wiggling and smiling and clapping. I wonder what she thinks it's all about. Regardless, she has a wonderful time.

What else is new? Standing up. By herself. She just lets go of the table or my leg or the window sill and...stands. She's very nonchalant about the whole thing, but I can tell that she finds it thrilling. And I can see in her eyes that she's thinking about taking a step. I keep waiting for that moment, praying it doesn't happen while I'm at work or the grocery store or somewhere really lame, like the dentist's office.

We are gearing up for her first birthday party--a lady bug and honey bee picnic. Random, perhaps, but here's the story: For a long time (relative to Hadley's 11 months), I've called her "Bug"--short for "love bug" and "snuggle bug." I don't know why, and I can't remember when it started or how. But she's "Bug." So it seemed somehow appropriate to have a bug-inspired party. Then Mumsie bought a cake pan in the shape of a bee hive. I really wanted a lady bug picnic, and truly, Mumsie wouldn't have cared, but maybe boys don't want to come to a lady bug picnic...so we have a two-bug party, and attendees can, I suppose, choose to identify with either bug. Or no bugs. Whatever.

I've been out scouring Denver for lady bug and honey bee stamps to make the invitations. I've bought card stock and ribbon and special pens that I didn't really need but seemed like a great idea when I was standing in the art store surrounded by so many options. And who doesn't love a few great pens?

So my project in the coming days is to create birthday party invitations fit for my Bug's first birthday celebration. I realize I could have very easily (and less expensively) purchased pre-made invites, but there's something about Hadley's first birthday that makes me want to create my own. I'll post pictures here once they are completed.

That's all the news for now. Tomorrow will bring something new, no doubt, and I promise to try to be a more diligent blogger...