4 Days to 2

Kid's Hamburger - $1.99

Water* in a "special" cup - Free

This face - Priceless

*Chad says an asterisk is required because I put a splash of lemonade in Natalie's water cup ... without paying for it. He's hoping I'll finally do a "double feature" with him at the movie theater ... a request he's been making for the past 15 years. It's not going to happen!

Scene of the Crime

Natalie threw herself a little Nap Rebellion today. My baby girl, who typically sleeps 3 hours during her daily nap, didn't want to take a nap. I put her in down at the usual time - five hours after she woke up in the morning; that's her schedule and she's happiest when I stick to it.

After twenty minutes of listening to her chatter in her crib, I went in and rocked her. She never actually settled down while I rocked her. She kept asking me questions and wiggling around. I knew that wasn't a good sign, but I was in serious need of my own nap ... this growing a baby deal has me exhausted after 1:00 most days. So I put her back in her crib, told her it was time for a snooze - that I was taking a nap, too, and hoped for the best. Natalie got a little quieter for a time, but she was still awake another twenty minutes later. Eventually she called out for her binky, and I went in to retrieve her binky from the floor outside her crib.

Another 15 minutes later, I surrendered ... very hesitantly because I had been lying down this entire time on the verge of falling asleep myself. No nap for Natalie means no nap for me, and I was a little distraught by this reality. So distraught, in fact, that I just couldn't do it. I couldn't give up the precious sleep that I and my unborn child desperately needed (doesn't that sound so dramatic?). What's a mom of 1, expecting 1 to do?

I closed the gate at the top of the stairs. I closed the door to my bathroom. I closed the door to the guest bathroom. I closed the door to the guest room. I left Natalie with a relatively small and safe area in which to play and expend some energy. I got her out of her crib, told her to play for a little while, and let her know that mommy was just going to be in her bed resting. I did not expect to fall asleep - just rest - but thirty minutes later I woke with a start having realized that Natalie was unsupervised. I bolted from my bed to check on her, and this is what I found ... a smiling little girl busily reading a stack of books .... and this ...

I totally got what I deserved but my plan also worked. Natalie was ready for her nap and slept great until I woke her up two and half hours later. I couldn't let her have her usual three hour nap because that would've totally thrown off our evening schedule. But I also couldn't resist taking a picture of her sleeping so peacefully. Considering the mess she made, doesn't she look so sweet?

Not only does Natalie look sweet while she's sleeping, but she's also very helpful. Together we restored order to her two rooms ... until the next Nap Rebellion, that is :)

Lunch Date

I had the privilege of watching our buddy Owen yesterday ... while his daddy went to work and his mommy laid poolside in Florida. If you detect a smidgen of bitterness, you'd be right.

Since O arrived right at lunchtime, I whipped up some grilled Havarti sandwiches and tomato soup (the extent of my mid-day culinary skills) for all three of us. And the ensuing meal led to lots of laughs ... and a bath.

Owen is such a cutie pie, and it was so cute to see Natalie and O eating lunch together - having their very own toddler lunch date. Natalie strapped in her highchair and Owen sitting "like a big boy" at the table. I just had to grab my camera. While I was snapping these super cute photos of Owen gobbling down the delicious entree I had prepared ...

I happened to notice a little mischief going on in the background. It got really quiet; that was my first tip-off. Look closely. That fuzzy object, that's Natalie pouring her tomato soup over her head. As I peered up over my camera, she oh-so-appropriately commented, "Meeeeshy." So true baby girl, so true.

I should've stopped her right there, but I just couldn't help myself. And I happily captured the moment like the mamarazzi that I am!

Well, guess where we ended up? Yep, it was bathtime ... at 12:30 in the afternoon. I was only going to bathe Natalie because she was the one with tomato soup in her hair, up her nose, and basically all over. But Owen did not want to just hang out with some toys and books while I tended to the "meeeshy girl." He insisted that a bath would be tons of fun. This little lunch date ended with two naked co-eds ... an indiscretion I will encourage Natalie to wait until at least the third date to do in the future :)