As I was putting the living room in order this week, listening to Gavin read Morgen a bedtime book through the monitor, and humming "Tidy up now, tidy up now, toys away" under my breath, the immense change in my life struck me all at once and I was momentarily overwhelmed. I looked at the impressive pile of books, blocks, rattles, and cuddly things, and I realized that all of it, every last thing, had been gifted to us. 

Not only is my present membership in the mommy club a sort of unexpected gift (as many of you know, we found ourselves suddenly pregnant very shortly after deciding to be 'open' to the idea of pregnancy), but most of the toys, the furniture, and the clothes that our daughter enjoys every day have been generously given to us by friends and family. We are very lucky to have you. What I'm saying is: thanks.  

If you'd been here on Morgen's actual birthday last week, I'm sure she would have expressed her appreciation by trying to get you to eat her cupcake. As it is, she spent a good deal of time jamming cake at her Daddy.

  

Back in the Saddle Again

To celebrate the melting snow and to sniff the whif of Spring that has been wafting up and down our street, we loaded the buggy up with our baby girl yesterday and walked into the village. We thought it would be a treat for Morgen to be outside in something other than her snowsuit. Something about the snowsuit makes her feel like she can't move anything but her eyes. Unfortunately, something about her mauve jacket makes pull her arms half out of the sleeves and look cranky. No matter what we do, she ends up slumped sideways, batting floppily at her stroller toy and radiating a singularly unimpressed vibe. Walks are more of a treat for mommy and daddy than for Morgen these days, but I'm sure that will change once she realizes that parks and playgrounds are places you get to by stroller.

  

Contrast that stroller face with the happy "balls are fun! I didn't know balls were fun!"-face you see below. Maybe we should just take a big ball along in our stroller? This is what happens when I take off to do some shopping for new clothes. I start by visiting the toy store. Then I pick up a bunch of cheap balls that really aren't age-appropriate, because hey, balls are fun! And I know lots of moms with babies who might agree with me. So, even though I didn't find any pants that I liked that also fit me, the trip was still a success. When Morgen gets tired of her new toy, I'll play with it. She's not really allowed to have it until age three anyway. So maybe I should just keep it in my room until she's older....meanwhile I'm keeping myself occupied by finding good homes for some fun balls.

What she may be thinking

"What? Build with them? No, I will crush them. Masticate them with my toothless jaws. And then I'll chew on the bag they came in, that will teach them."

Or maybe she's really thinking. "Huh? Forget it. Man these taste good."

Or maybe she's just trying to do anything to get the camera out of her face?

Still working on the whole swallowing thing ...

Mmmmm, sweet potatoes! Morgen's adventures with solid food continued this week as she got her first taste of a vegetable. And while it wasn't a complete success, we are happy to report that orange is really Morgen's color.

In other news, Morgen also spent this week getting acquainted with her new plush doggy toy, courtesy of Beth, David's mom. Here she is giving her new puppy a kiss, which seems to be her favorite activity with all plush toys. Just remember the joy of the puppy toy, Morgen, because when you get a little older I am going to have to rely on you to help me to convince Mommy that what our family really needs is a dog of the non-stuffed variety!