Happy Birthday Sweet Girl

To my dear, sweet Corrin...

You bring me joy every single day. Thank you for coming into our lives. Even at just one year you have an awesome, strong personality. You are calm and goofy, but you know what you want and have your Mommy's stubborn streak...you have already learned that cute always wins and you work it. I am consistently amazed by how smart you are, and know that the second I see you every other worry in the world will be gone. I love you sweet girl, and look forward to all of your birthdays to come.

Hmmm...I'm just slow

Corrin, work, weekends, Corrin, family, work....all excuses. I guess it turns out I will NEVER be supermom that can work, be a mommy and maintain my blog. Sorry folks. My new job (ok, not so new really) is amazing. I love it here and feel like I have found my place in the private practice world. Corrin is thriving! She's beautiful and goofy and doing really well...and still waking up in the middle of the night but we're working on that :). Colin is doing really well at work and truly excelling in his position. I'm so proud of him.

Last Sunday we baptised Corrin in the church we were married in, the Reverend who married us performed a portion of the ceremony and it was really wonderful. We have grown to love our church over the last few years, and both are very happy that Corrin will get to grow up in that community, and with the support of our congregation. Baptisms are done during regular services, and so the whole church family is there to promise to help guide the children through their life; it is truly beautiful and moving to know all of those people have pledged to be there for Corrin. She will have so much support and love through her life, from parents, to grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins, and on and on. We are so incredibly blessed.

Colin's parents and sisters were able to come out for the ceremony, making it that much more special. I continue to be humbled by their support and love, the time they took out of their own busy lives and away from their families is very touching and I cannot be more thankful to have such wonderful in-laws.

Hopefully I will get some photos up here soon of the big occasion.

Five years ago today I met Colin in a bar...for those of you who don't know the story, it all began when one of the people at his table (which was next to mine) left and turned to say good-bye, accidentally clocking me in the back of the head with his elbow then took off without even saying sorry!! Colin, forever the gentleman, offered to buy me a drink as an apology for his friend. I promptly said no...Colin had the chutzpah to buy it for me anyway and I was VERY impressed. We spent the rest of the evening talking and I fell in love with him that night.

Here we are, five years, one engagement, one wedding and one daughter later and I still love him more every single day. He is brilliant, funny, kind, generous, and an amazing father. I am consistenly amazed by his capacity for patience (I'm a serious pain in the ass), and thrilled by how he always, always shows me how much he loves me.

My love - thank you for all that you have given me, thank you for showing me what a good and safe relationship can be, thank you for letting me be myself all the time, thank you for becoming a part of our family, thank you for our daughter. I love you so very much, and am excited for all of the years to come.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day my love! Thank you for being such an incredible Dad and partner during this amazing time in our lives. You truly give everything you are and everything you have for your daughter and your family and I am proud to call you my husband.

To my Daddy - thank you. You have given me the world, you have shown four daughters what a man is and should be, you have taught us what it is to be a parent and how to treat those around us. I love you!

Six Months

Six months ago we brought Corrin home from the hospital. She was 8.5 lbs and 21 inches long. She slept all the time, smiled a little and made pretty good eye contact. She was amazing and my favorite part of every day.

Six months later she is thriving! She weighs 17.14 lbs and is 28 inches long!!! She's almost as tall as Colin and me!! She sits up on her own, plays with toys and babbles all the time. We're convinced we have heard her say "Daddy." Not to anyone in particular mind you, but she said it nonetheless. It's amazing to me how much she has changed and continues to change every day. She is so alert, she always has been, she is silly and playful. She has a gentle, sweet disposition with a smile that lights up her whole face.

Corrin loves to watch Ruth, and sits in her exersaucer regularly following Ruthie around with her eyes. She loves books and helps turn the pages!!!

I realize I am not the first woman, or even the first of my sisters to have a child, but all of this stuff is totally new to me and so much fun! I have no idea what I ever did without her. Sure, I was more able to just take off and do things but she more than makes up for it. She's funny and cute and it is incredible to watch her grow.

Random Updates

This is the reason that I both love and hate Facebook...the absolute ability to stalk people. I am "friends" with the son of my old best friend Tiff and through his page, I found hers. Yup, Tiff is on Facebook. She looks incredible and has been pretty active. She is "friends" with a number of people that I am "friends" with too. Ugh.

Blogging...I have found that I am not very good at updating this little endeavour. For the three people that read this, here's the rundown

(1) I have a new job! Woo Hoo!!! I fit in here and am respected. It's awesome. Before I left my old job my boos informed me that while she respects me as an attorney she did not value me as an employee. Yeah, now you see why I left;

(2) Corrin is five months and a half months old, weighs 16.4lbs and is the definition of awesome. That said I still have some serious adjusting to do. I have been responsible for only me for a very long time, and having a child changes that drastically. I know that this is sort of a "well DUH" comment, but you never really know something until you live it.

(3) The house fell through and we are not looking for a while. I'm tired of the whole thing. One year, two failed contracts and a lot of money out of our pocket is a sign to me that now is not the time for us to buy a house.

(4) I'm speaking at the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Annual Conference this year. There are over 11,000 members of this organization and so to be invited to speak is a huge honor. I'm terrified.

(5) I still miss Tiff and am wondering if there is any way for me to mend this relationship. On the flip-side of that, am I a glutton for punishment and just setting myself up for more hurt?

(6) Colin is still incredible and on June 9, 2010 will be turning 30!! I can imagine that this is not a big deal to many but since it is the first time since we met that we will share a decade it's pretty exciting.

Ok - I think that's it for the random updates to Random Thoughts. Hopefully this will come more regularly but considering my track record...no promises.

Awake

It's 2:22 am and I can't sleep. There is no particular reason why, I just can't. It's possible that it has something to do with the fact that I go back to work in a week and am pretty freaked out about it. It may be because I had a big dinner celebrating our two year wedding anniversary. It may be because it's warm in the house and I can't sleep like that. Who knows, all I know is I am up sitting on my blog when all normal people my age are fast asleep in bed. Oy.

The good news is the baby is sleeping well and cute as a button on her video monitor. She tends to wiggle a little at night and I love that I can see her squirming around in her little bed without bothering her at all :).

I'm sure tomorrow I will be miserable for this little bout with insomnia, and hopefully I can manage to get some good rest over the next week. Sweet dreams everyone!

Frustration

Yes...it's been months since I've posted but I have a good excuse. I have decided that one handed typing should be a resume bullet point and something that people are very impressed with.

Today's post is not going to be all sweetness and light. Being home with the baby has been amazing and she has taught me so much in the ten short weeks that she has been on this earth. The one and only dark shadow over this entire time has been my job. The first six weeks were wretched because me boss refused to leave me alone. Calling, e-mailing, asking me to attend weekly meetings, asking me to take on new cases while I am out, asking me ridiculous questions that she could easily figure out for herself and causing massive stress over money that I have earned and she is refusing to pay.

In two and a half weeks I have to go back to work. We cannot afford for me to stay home right now, as much as I would love to, and so three days a week I have to return to that torture chamber until I find another job. After seven and a half years of loyal service she has managed to lose all respect I had for her, and now I just hope to get out of there as soon as humanly possible. UGH!!!!