I am back on the information super highway thanks to quick ordering by my husband and the resulting new battery and power supply. I still have all those wonderful, fun things to talk about, but my thoughts are not on them. I just want to ramble for a moment about the news I have taken in today about the shooting in Colorado.
There is no sense to be made from a senseless act. We are human, and therefore will try to make dots connect whether they do or not because we want most of all to understand things that scare us and feel like we have some amount of control. I have already read commentaries that either place blame or defend any number of variables from last night's attack that will inevitably come under scrutiny. I am not interested in placing blame on anything or anyone other than the individual that committed this act. There will undoubtedly be circumstances uncovered about this person that will provide one label or another for his actions. Regardless of those labels, I know that he ultimately is the only responsible party. I am sad for his family, and beyond sad for those who were victimized by his actions- directly or indirectly.
I am also sad because this shooting has placed a dark cloud over a favorite pastime for so many in our country and around the world. I know reasonably and calmly that this act could have taken place in any number of places, but the fact is it happened in a movie theater; a place where, more than most others, we choose to lower our barriers and lose ourselves in a story, collectively making ourselves vulnerable. It is a wonderful form of escape and one that I have loved since I was a kid. And while I am absolutely a supporter of not letting bad events or bad people take things from us because of fear, I can't help but feel some reservation returning to a theater in the near future. I really don't think that the shooting last night was anything but the random act of a disturbed person, but sitting here 8 1/2 months pregnant, I can't help but imagine the unthinkable, and wonder if it is the most responsible thing to do on my part.
As I arranged my mat and prepared for my yoga class to begin this morning, I started thinking to myself about what I would do if someone violent came into the space I was in. I visualized multiple scenarios and thought about what I would do. I know that this sounds very paranoid and a little crazy, and I can't say that I don't agree. The saddest part of this confession however is the fact that I have run through these kinds of scenarios in my head for years. And I am not alone. Since the shooting in Paducah in 1997, when I was a sophomore, and then again in 1999 when the Columbine shootings took place, I have had these scenarios run through my head, and even had group conversations with my friends about what we would do should something like that happen. Every couple of years another horrible event takes place that causes these imaginings to re-emerge. Of course, the imaginings run from blatant survival to heroic acts. It is a sad reality of the kids of my generation and those generations following that we have good reason to think about these things. When I was in college I became friends with a guy who I later found out had been hurt in the Paducah shooting, and whenever something like this happens I think about him and wonder what his thoughts are. He is an extremely intelligent and calm person, one I admire very much, and while I know he has the maturity and presence of mind to handle these horrible things (probably more than most) I hate to think of him hurting again because he really knows what it is like to be in that situation.
I am not sure I am making much sense, but I needed to vent a little of what I have been thinking about this today. I am still really excited to see The Dark Knight Rises, as I have been a fan of the series and have my theories about how the film will bring the trilogy to a close. I just need to think a little longer about when and how I am going to see the movie. I feel so much for those who were attacked in that theater, and pray for them and their families. I hope they can get the help they need and the support they deserve.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
The Computers Hate Me
I am stealing Eli's work laptop to quickly update for my dear readers. I haven't forgotten you. I have many topics that I would like to ponder in this space but for one obstacle. The computers in this house HATE me. Eli would argue that they hate him too, but he does still have his fabulous, MOBILE work computer to work with. Both our home laptop and desktop have gone on strike, and it will be some time before an agreement can be reached( agreement being us forking over the funds to fix the fickle things). I am not completely without means of communicating with the world wide web, but my Kindle Fire is a browser, and not great for any kind of serious typing. So please know this isn't me slacking- I would love to tell you about my cupcake successes of late, the adventure of preparing the house for a second child, and the antics of my almost 3-year-old, just to name a few. As soon as possible I will share. I may be able to steal this marvelous machine again soon with more time to write. Meanwhile, I am reading the posts of my fellow friend/bloggers, and will try to catch up on commenting soon as well.
Monday, June 25, 2012
In case you think I've forgotten...
I promise I haven't. Forgotten to write that is. Just went through one of those periods when I have more to do than time to do it. And if you dear readers will be patient with me for just a couple more days, I will have plenty to share. I have cupcakes to share, as well as decorating stories (with pictures!). Just wanted to check in though and say I am still here and haven't abandoned this blog yet again.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
My Giant Little Baby
So today we had our 28-week appointment, and an ultrasound to get a size estimate. I love any opportunity to see my little guy, and today we had the added bonus of getting a 3D photo of Ben's face. We never had a 3D image of Will, so it was very exciting to see one of Ben. His little face is so cute! His eyes were closed and his little lips were all puckered up. He put on a bit of a show for the ultrasound tech, rolling and kicking whenever she would get a good shot. It seems he never stops moving!
For those of you who don't remember, Will was an exceptionally large baby. 10 lb, 7 oz at birth. Yes, I did type that correctly. There is a reason my son came through the sun roof. And before you ask me in your head, no, I did not have gestational diabetes, and Will had no blood sugar issues after birth. He was just a big baby. He has never been below the 99th percentile in height, though his weight percentile has been on a gentle decline throughout his life. All these factors are the reason I had an ultrasound today. My doctor, whom I love dearly, made an educated guess that our next child could likely be large. And since I was hoping for a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section) delivery, keeping up with the size of this child is important.
So we got in the ultrasound room and our tech started getting measurements. Two pictures in she said, "Yeah Mom, he is going to be big". And I just sort of sighed and rolled with it. As she continued to take measurements we got to see our perfect little guy. She commented multiple times on how good everything looked, and when I asked she pointed out that there was no fat accumulated on the baby. She indicated several areas where fat pads develop later in pregnancy, and there was no fat to find, which was fabulous news. If there had been fat accumulation she would have been concerned about my blood sugar. She told me, "you have no control over this. It is genetic- you just make big babies". The best part was I knew she was telling me the truth. I love our ultrasound tech as much as our doctor, and while she is a lovely, kind woman, she would have no problem telling me if she thought something wasn't right.
So at this point Ben is measuring 4 weeks larger than he is. After the ultrasound I had my regular appointment, which also went well. We decided that unless something changes pretty significantly in the next month, we are going to have another c-section. I am a little sad about this, but I know that my safety and Ben's is most important. And the up side is that if we do have a c-section I can schedule it a week before my due date- makes things easier on me and gives Ben one less week to become giant-sized in my womb.
I am a little bummed about how things have turned out because I have been working so hard to exercise and control my weight-gain with this pregnancy, and ultimately it didn't change the outcome. I don't regret the work because of the health benefits we have both received, but it is frustrating not to be able to control this more. On the other hand, I do not feel guilty. When I found out Will was big, I was devastated, and felt so guilty. I transferred a lot of my unhappiness about my body image and weight to guilt that I was making Will unhealthy, which turned out to be completely wrong, but I couldn't see that until much later. This time I know I have done everything I could to be healthy, and I can hear what my doctors are telling me and know it to be the truth. Eli sat there today and kept smirking at me and wiggling his eyebrows and when I would ask him what he was doing he would crow about making big strapping boys and swelling with macho pride. I am taking my cue from him and will proudly tell anyone interested about my giant little baby.
For those of you who don't remember, Will was an exceptionally large baby. 10 lb, 7 oz at birth. Yes, I did type that correctly. There is a reason my son came through the sun roof. And before you ask me in your head, no, I did not have gestational diabetes, and Will had no blood sugar issues after birth. He was just a big baby. He has never been below the 99th percentile in height, though his weight percentile has been on a gentle decline throughout his life. All these factors are the reason I had an ultrasound today. My doctor, whom I love dearly, made an educated guess that our next child could likely be large. And since I was hoping for a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section) delivery, keeping up with the size of this child is important.
So we got in the ultrasound room and our tech started getting measurements. Two pictures in she said, "Yeah Mom, he is going to be big". And I just sort of sighed and rolled with it. As she continued to take measurements we got to see our perfect little guy. She commented multiple times on how good everything looked, and when I asked she pointed out that there was no fat accumulated on the baby. She indicated several areas where fat pads develop later in pregnancy, and there was no fat to find, which was fabulous news. If there had been fat accumulation she would have been concerned about my blood sugar. She told me, "you have no control over this. It is genetic- you just make big babies". The best part was I knew she was telling me the truth. I love our ultrasound tech as much as our doctor, and while she is a lovely, kind woman, she would have no problem telling me if she thought something wasn't right.
So at this point Ben is measuring 4 weeks larger than he is. After the ultrasound I had my regular appointment, which also went well. We decided that unless something changes pretty significantly in the next month, we are going to have another c-section. I am a little sad about this, but I know that my safety and Ben's is most important. And the up side is that if we do have a c-section I can schedule it a week before my due date- makes things easier on me and gives Ben one less week to become giant-sized in my womb.
I am a little bummed about how things have turned out because I have been working so hard to exercise and control my weight-gain with this pregnancy, and ultimately it didn't change the outcome. I don't regret the work because of the health benefits we have both received, but it is frustrating not to be able to control this more. On the other hand, I do not feel guilty. When I found out Will was big, I was devastated, and felt so guilty. I transferred a lot of my unhappiness about my body image and weight to guilt that I was making Will unhealthy, which turned out to be completely wrong, but I couldn't see that until much later. This time I know I have done everything I could to be healthy, and I can hear what my doctors are telling me and know it to be the truth. Eli sat there today and kept smirking at me and wiggling his eyebrows and when I would ask him what he was doing he would crow about making big strapping boys and swelling with macho pride. I am taking my cue from him and will proudly tell anyone interested about my giant little baby.
Monday, June 4, 2012
A half a year gone, and look what happens
Two friends, one a long-time blogger and one just starting, have by example made it clear to me that I have neglected this blog for far too long. One friend decided to start a blog to remove herself from the Facebook craziness and share her family adventures with friends, and another has returned after a rough patch of dissatisfaction with her creative direction and loss of motivation. Both write for different reasons, but both have committed to writing consistently, which has inspired me to get back on the horse.
The last time I wrote, I was welcoming the beginning of a new decade of my life. What I did not mention in that post was that Eli and I were also beginning the journey to welcoming a new life into our lives. On my birthday I was just shy of 6 weeks pregnant, the tiny life so new that we had not yet been to our first prenatal checkup. My excitement about this pregnancy was and is beyond description. We had a long road of trying and disappointment leading to this new life, and the relief of success and joy following is such a gift.
Pregnancy has been good the second time around, though more different than I would have suspected. Unlike my first pregnancy, I have had a multitude of symptoms to deal with, including 3 months of morning, afternoon, and evening sickness. Yuck! Aside from said sickness, none of the other symptoms have been particularly bad, though my repressed immune system has made allergy season much, much worse than normal for me. I have such sympathy now for those who go deal with severe allergies every year. I don't know how I would cope.
One of the good differences about this pregnancy is my exercise routine. When pregnant with Will, there basically was no routine between working until 7 months along and then moving to a new city almost 1000 miles away from our apartment in Baltimore. This pregnancy I have been at the YMCA as much as possible. In the first 2 trimesters I was there 5 days a week more often then not. These last 3 weeks have not been as good because of travel and appointments, but I am back in gear this week and plan to continue this routine through the end of the pregnancy. I feel so much better and have not gotten nearly as big as I did the first time around. May I just ask, where has yoga been all my life? I scoffed at yoga for years but have now seen the light. I have a yoga class every day of the week and it is my favorite activity by far.
We found out in mid-March that our new bundle is a little boy! Will is going to have a baby brother, and I may apply for combat pay. :) In all seriousness though, I am delighted to have another little boy. Before we knew, when asked Eli and I would both say it would be nice to have a girl, to have one of each. And there was plenty of talk about how wonderful a little girl could be. When the ultrasound tech was taking the images, she initially thought we had a girl, only to correct herself two minutes later when the umbilical chord moved out of the way. If there was ever a sure-fire way to know if you truly had a preference, that would be it. Thankfully, I was just as happy to learn he was a boy as when I thought he was a girl.
Baby Boy at 21 weeks
Choosing a name for this little guy was a bit more of a process than with Will. Will's name had been decided upon long before he even existed. This time, we had plenty of girl names ready, but not another boy name. I went though one of those giant baby name books and made a list, then made Eli do the same thing without seeing my list. The list of common names between the two lists was depressingly short, so it sat untouched. The day we found out the gender, while we were waiting for the doctor, I asked Eli what he thought about Benjamin. Eli, in his customary way, thought for a quiet minute, then said he liked it just fine. A few weeks later, after learning that Benjamin happens to be a family name on Eli's mom's side of the family, we agreed on a middle name from my side of the family. Benjamin Armstrong Roberson is what we decided upon, and Will very gladly will tell you that "Baby Ben" is in my tummy.
Speaking of Will, good grief is he growing up fast. He is all boy, and such a talker! ( I know, big surprise he is a talker, he is my child.) He loves to play pretend and lines all his toy vehicles up to make them into one huge train. He is currently obsessed with the movie Cars, and runs around the house quoting lines from the movie. Potty training is happening slowly but surely, probably more slowly than necessary but that is totally on Momma and Daddy. He graduated to a toddler bed in early March, and has done much better than I could have hoped. We still find him sleeping under the bed fairly regularly, but he is staying out of things for the most part. He likes to tell stories and play at the park, and he absolutely knows how to turn up the cuteness factor to try to get what he wants. Will is also going through what I am told is the typical emotional, dramatic 2-year-old phase. Everything is either a huge joy or a huge tragedy. We get several mini-meltdowns on any given day. The funny thing is if you can get a word in edgewise to tell him what is going on, he normally calms right down. I will offer something and he will scream and moan " I don't WANT that!!", and if I can get through the noise enough to remind him he isn't being forced and ask him how to say it nicely, he will calm down immediately and say "no thanks, Momma."
In a couple of weeks my best friend will be coming to visit in order to paint the spare room to become Will's new room. We are going to decorate it with Thomas the Tank Engine decals and the walls will be painted sky blue and grass green. I think it is going to be great, and I know Will is going to love it. We will also be adding a waterfall to the murals in the nursery, along with a big turtle with Ben writing in the shell markings. Plans for these rooms have caused me to start nesting early, and I know I am driving Eli out of his mind. But I get so anxious worrying about all the things around the house that I want done before Ben arrives, because I know it will be months before we are really back to any kind of normal once he arrives. I got in such a tizzy Saturday that Eli let me have my way, but only once I promised that Sunday afternoon I would take a break and go see a movie in order to protect every one's mental health. I agreed, and as usual in these situations, Eli was right.
That is as much as i think goes in this particular blog. I have several entries under the topic of baking, and books I have read that I will share shortly, and if I am a slacker please feel free to call me on it. I truly want to be more consistent with this blog.
The last time I wrote, I was welcoming the beginning of a new decade of my life. What I did not mention in that post was that Eli and I were also beginning the journey to welcoming a new life into our lives. On my birthday I was just shy of 6 weeks pregnant, the tiny life so new that we had not yet been to our first prenatal checkup. My excitement about this pregnancy was and is beyond description. We had a long road of trying and disappointment leading to this new life, and the relief of success and joy following is such a gift.
Pregnancy has been good the second time around, though more different than I would have suspected. Unlike my first pregnancy, I have had a multitude of symptoms to deal with, including 3 months of morning, afternoon, and evening sickness. Yuck! Aside from said sickness, none of the other symptoms have been particularly bad, though my repressed immune system has made allergy season much, much worse than normal for me. I have such sympathy now for those who go deal with severe allergies every year. I don't know how I would cope.
One of the good differences about this pregnancy is my exercise routine. When pregnant with Will, there basically was no routine between working until 7 months along and then moving to a new city almost 1000 miles away from our apartment in Baltimore. This pregnancy I have been at the YMCA as much as possible. In the first 2 trimesters I was there 5 days a week more often then not. These last 3 weeks have not been as good because of travel and appointments, but I am back in gear this week and plan to continue this routine through the end of the pregnancy. I feel so much better and have not gotten nearly as big as I did the first time around. May I just ask, where has yoga been all my life? I scoffed at yoga for years but have now seen the light. I have a yoga class every day of the week and it is my favorite activity by far.
We found out in mid-March that our new bundle is a little boy! Will is going to have a baby brother, and I may apply for combat pay. :) In all seriousness though, I am delighted to have another little boy. Before we knew, when asked Eli and I would both say it would be nice to have a girl, to have one of each. And there was plenty of talk about how wonderful a little girl could be. When the ultrasound tech was taking the images, she initially thought we had a girl, only to correct herself two minutes later when the umbilical chord moved out of the way. If there was ever a sure-fire way to know if you truly had a preference, that would be it. Thankfully, I was just as happy to learn he was a boy as when I thought he was a girl.
Choosing a name for this little guy was a bit more of a process than with Will. Will's name had been decided upon long before he even existed. This time, we had plenty of girl names ready, but not another boy name. I went though one of those giant baby name books and made a list, then made Eli do the same thing without seeing my list. The list of common names between the two lists was depressingly short, so it sat untouched. The day we found out the gender, while we were waiting for the doctor, I asked Eli what he thought about Benjamin. Eli, in his customary way, thought for a quiet minute, then said he liked it just fine. A few weeks later, after learning that Benjamin happens to be a family name on Eli's mom's side of the family, we agreed on a middle name from my side of the family. Benjamin Armstrong Roberson is what we decided upon, and Will very gladly will tell you that "Baby Ben" is in my tummy.
Speaking of Will, good grief is he growing up fast. He is all boy, and such a talker! ( I know, big surprise he is a talker, he is my child.) He loves to play pretend and lines all his toy vehicles up to make them into one huge train. He is currently obsessed with the movie Cars, and runs around the house quoting lines from the movie. Potty training is happening slowly but surely, probably more slowly than necessary but that is totally on Momma and Daddy. He graduated to a toddler bed in early March, and has done much better than I could have hoped. We still find him sleeping under the bed fairly regularly, but he is staying out of things for the most part. He likes to tell stories and play at the park, and he absolutely knows how to turn up the cuteness factor to try to get what he wants. Will is also going through what I am told is the typical emotional, dramatic 2-year-old phase. Everything is either a huge joy or a huge tragedy. We get several mini-meltdowns on any given day. The funny thing is if you can get a word in edgewise to tell him what is going on, he normally calms right down. I will offer something and he will scream and moan " I don't WANT that!!", and if I can get through the noise enough to remind him he isn't being forced and ask him how to say it nicely, he will calm down immediately and say "no thanks, Momma."
In a couple of weeks my best friend will be coming to visit in order to paint the spare room to become Will's new room. We are going to decorate it with Thomas the Tank Engine decals and the walls will be painted sky blue and grass green. I think it is going to be great, and I know Will is going to love it. We will also be adding a waterfall to the murals in the nursery, along with a big turtle with Ben writing in the shell markings. Plans for these rooms have caused me to start nesting early, and I know I am driving Eli out of his mind. But I get so anxious worrying about all the things around the house that I want done before Ben arrives, because I know it will be months before we are really back to any kind of normal once he arrives. I got in such a tizzy Saturday that Eli let me have my way, but only once I promised that Sunday afternoon I would take a break and go see a movie in order to protect every one's mental health. I agreed, and as usual in these situations, Eli was right.
That is as much as i think goes in this particular blog. I have several entries under the topic of baking, and books I have read that I will share shortly, and if I am a slacker please feel free to call me on it. I truly want to be more consistent with this blog.
Monday, January 2, 2012
A New Year, and Goodbye to my 20's
So we welcomed in 2012 very quietly at my house. Eli and I made it to midnight, but just barely. I know that 2011 was not a good year for many people, but we really can't complain. Given the ups and major downs of 2010, 2011 was nice for us because it was steady. No huge highs, but also no terrible lows. Given the circumstances I say that counts as a pretty good year. I am looking forward to all that 2012 will bring for my family.
Just a day after saying hello to a new year, I have had to say goodbye to a decade. Today I turn 30-years-old. I am no longer in my 20's. To be honest, this doesn't bother me a bit. I would be lying if I didn't admit this birthday has caused me to pause and reflect, but I came to no negative conclusions. I am glad to be 30. I hope that my 30's will be a time of really enjoying adulthood and being confident and satisfied with my decisions and the direction of my life. I want to be less concerned with what I "should" be doing, and more concerned with what will make me and my family happy. A decade of not worrying what other people think sounds really wonderful, doesn't it?
Just a day after saying hello to a new year, I have had to say goodbye to a decade. Today I turn 30-years-old. I am no longer in my 20's. To be honest, this doesn't bother me a bit. I would be lying if I didn't admit this birthday has caused me to pause and reflect, but I came to no negative conclusions. I am glad to be 30. I hope that my 30's will be a time of really enjoying adulthood and being confident and satisfied with my decisions and the direction of my life. I want to be less concerned with what I "should" be doing, and more concerned with what will make me and my family happy. A decade of not worrying what other people think sounds really wonderful, doesn't it?
Monday, October 3, 2011
5 Years and Proof My Husband Knows Me
In just a few shorts days, my wonderful husband and I will be celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary. It really seems crazy that we have been together for 7 1/2 years, and married for almost 5. Crazy because that time is both forever and a blink of the eye. I am so incredibly lucky that I am every bit as happy today as I was on my wedding day; happier really as our lives are so much fuller.
We have done so much and grown in a multitude of ways since we began dating. We got together the summer after college graduation; I started to make a list of some of the things we had experienced/survived together but stopped because I realized that the particulars aren't necessarily interesting to you dear readers, and regardless a list wouldn't begin to explain our experiences and history. I would imagine that most couples that have travelled more than a handful of years together happily (at least mostly) would say the same thing.
So to celebrate what we both consider our first milestone anniversary, we agreed to be a little extravagant with our gifts. We talked about general budgets and went on our merry way. I puzzled for a while over this- Eli is not particularly easy to buy for as he rarely has a burning desire for any "thing" and what items he puts on a wish list tend to be very modest. After a lot of thought I decided to get him a new subscription to satellite radio, and a pair of replacement ear buds with microphone for his Iphone. When we bought the Caliber in 2008 it came with a full year of Sirius free, but we had to let it lapse at the end of that time because we didn't feel we could afford such a luxury item. Eli had been sad to see it go, especially since we were just transitioning to the daily commute that would be keeping him in the car up to 2 hours a day. I was able to get him 15 months worth of the radio and stay within budget (yay free previews and discounts for being a return customer)!
Strangely, all through this talking and planning time, Eli never once asked me what I wanted. Even more strangely, I didn't really notice. Typically Eli will ask for my input before buying a gift. He doesn't always get the things I suggest,(which I actually really like) but he at least asks. But the time came and went and one day he just let me know he had ordered my gift and it would be arriving in a couple of days. He had it delivered to the lab so I wouldn't see it by accident if it was left on the stoop by the deliverer. Of course this lit a fire under my behind and I immediately ordered the subscription. The plan was to hold on to our gifts and actually present them to each other on this Friday. Unfortunately, in my haste to catch up with him, and the haste of the person selling me the subscription, the radio was activated the day I purchased the subscription, rather than our anniversary. I spent a fruitless 20 minutes on the phone trying to get it corrected with no success, so I told Eli we would have to exchange gifts early. He didn't seem to mind this, and in fact seemed very confident about his gift.
It was only in the day leading up to the exchange that I really started to wonder what he may have gotten me. My sister and best friend were both full of ideas- they got me so excited that I started getting nervous. I had been messing with Eli and told him that I had to go pick up his present because it had been delivered early, and I needed the Caliber and a tape measure to measure the hatch because I wasn't sure if it would fit. This really threw him for a loop. So after we put Will to bed I asked him if he wanted his present 1st or 2nd. He said first, so I made him put his shoes on and go out to the car, closing his eyes as he approached so he couldn't see anything. Once inside, I first gave him the ear buds, which he was delighted with and laughingly said could be his entire present. I told him to hush and turned the car on and the radio. He was so excited. It was probably the best gift giving I have ever done.
As we walked back into the house I was getting more and more nervous. He retrieved my gift from the basement. It was in a big black garbage bag, so I had no idea what it could be other than it obviously was somewhat heavy. Eli made me look at the ceiling while he removed the garbage bag. What I saw when I looked down made me immediately start crying- I was beyond excited. What he gave me was:
That's right dear readers, a 5 Quart Kitchen Aid Artisan Mixer!!!! I have wanted one of these since we got married! This, the Cadillac of all stand mixers, and it is mine!!! If I ever had any doubt about how well my husband knows me, and how much he really does pay attention to things (even if his short term memory isn't always the best :) ), that doubt is gone forever. This was the most thoughtful, wonderful gift he could have possibly come up with. I know that some women would consider various forms of bodily harm towards their husbands if given a kitchen appliance as an anniversary gift, but not me. This present was perfect.
We have done so much and grown in a multitude of ways since we began dating. We got together the summer after college graduation; I started to make a list of some of the things we had experienced/survived together but stopped because I realized that the particulars aren't necessarily interesting to you dear readers, and regardless a list wouldn't begin to explain our experiences and history. I would imagine that most couples that have travelled more than a handful of years together happily (at least mostly) would say the same thing.
So to celebrate what we both consider our first milestone anniversary, we agreed to be a little extravagant with our gifts. We talked about general budgets and went on our merry way. I puzzled for a while over this- Eli is not particularly easy to buy for as he rarely has a burning desire for any "thing" and what items he puts on a wish list tend to be very modest. After a lot of thought I decided to get him a new subscription to satellite radio, and a pair of replacement ear buds with microphone for his Iphone. When we bought the Caliber in 2008 it came with a full year of Sirius free, but we had to let it lapse at the end of that time because we didn't feel we could afford such a luxury item. Eli had been sad to see it go, especially since we were just transitioning to the daily commute that would be keeping him in the car up to 2 hours a day. I was able to get him 15 months worth of the radio and stay within budget (yay free previews and discounts for being a return customer)!
Strangely, all through this talking and planning time, Eli never once asked me what I wanted. Even more strangely, I didn't really notice. Typically Eli will ask for my input before buying a gift. He doesn't always get the things I suggest,(which I actually really like) but he at least asks. But the time came and went and one day he just let me know he had ordered my gift and it would be arriving in a couple of days. He had it delivered to the lab so I wouldn't see it by accident if it was left on the stoop by the deliverer. Of course this lit a fire under my behind and I immediately ordered the subscription. The plan was to hold on to our gifts and actually present them to each other on this Friday. Unfortunately, in my haste to catch up with him, and the haste of the person selling me the subscription, the radio was activated the day I purchased the subscription, rather than our anniversary. I spent a fruitless 20 minutes on the phone trying to get it corrected with no success, so I told Eli we would have to exchange gifts early. He didn't seem to mind this, and in fact seemed very confident about his gift.
It was only in the day leading up to the exchange that I really started to wonder what he may have gotten me. My sister and best friend were both full of ideas- they got me so excited that I started getting nervous. I had been messing with Eli and told him that I had to go pick up his present because it had been delivered early, and I needed the Caliber and a tape measure to measure the hatch because I wasn't sure if it would fit. This really threw him for a loop. So after we put Will to bed I asked him if he wanted his present 1st or 2nd. He said first, so I made him put his shoes on and go out to the car, closing his eyes as he approached so he couldn't see anything. Once inside, I first gave him the ear buds, which he was delighted with and laughingly said could be his entire present. I told him to hush and turned the car on and the radio. He was so excited. It was probably the best gift giving I have ever done.
As we walked back into the house I was getting more and more nervous. He retrieved my gift from the basement. It was in a big black garbage bag, so I had no idea what it could be other than it obviously was somewhat heavy. Eli made me look at the ceiling while he removed the garbage bag. What I saw when I looked down made me immediately start crying- I was beyond excited. What he gave me was:
That's right dear readers, a 5 Quart Kitchen Aid Artisan Mixer!!!! I have wanted one of these since we got married! This, the Cadillac of all stand mixers, and it is mine!!! If I ever had any doubt about how well my husband knows me, and how much he really does pay attention to things (even if his short term memory isn't always the best :) ), that doubt is gone forever. This was the most thoughtful, wonderful gift he could have possibly come up with. I know that some women would consider various forms of bodily harm towards their husbands if given a kitchen appliance as an anniversary gift, but not me. This present was perfect.
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