Here we go again...

I've been pondering a question in my mind for the last few days: If you win the jackpot, do you keep playing the lottery? No, Trey and I haven't taken up gambling. I'm way too cheap for that. I'm thinking about it in relation to having kids. Perrin is so perfect (temper tantrums and affinity for mud puddles aside) that I really do feel like we won the jackpot with him. I love him to death; he's healthy, happy, funny, smart, cute, brave... everything I could have ever dreamed for in a child.

Here we are, pregnant again! Now that I know how awesome parenting can be, I'm really excited to add to our family and have another sweet baby to cuddle and love. But... is it possible that we could really be blessed with TWO perfect children? I don't want Baby #2 to ever feel like he/she has to live up to some impossible standard set by our wonderful first child. But come on... Perrin is pretty stinking awesome.

It also just occurred to me that Baby #2 might read this blog someday and wonder if we really do love him/her as much as we love Perrin. Well, dear Baby #2, let me just say that we already love you with our whole hearts and can't wait to meet you. We know you and Perrin will have very different strengths and personalities, and we are so excited to learn all about you! Yes, your older brother is amazing. But you are too. Also, you're making me throw up an awful lot right now but I love you anyway. You're totally worth it. Doesn't that make you feel good?

Happy anniversary to us!

Yesterday was our 6-year anniversary. In the first few years of our marriage, we made it a point to always travel somewhere fun for our anniversary--Eureka Springs, Branson, Hot Springs, etc. We have some awesome memories of sleeping in a tree house, relaxing in a mountain-side hot tub, horseback riding, and exploring together. Now that we have a child, anniversary celebrations have been toned down a bit. We didn't even leave the house yesterday evening--just cooked a nice dinner together (with Perrin scrambling into our laps as we tried to eat), and fell asleep soon after putting Perrin to bed. Fun, but not exactly on par with previous anniversaries. And not exactly loaded with romance. To top things off, both Perrin and I woke up puking yesterday morning. Nothing says "romance" like being sick AND cleaning up someone else's throw up!

We are in the diapers/bedtimes/messes/Elmo overload/playdough on everything phase of life right now. And I'm okay with it--in fact, I wouldn't have it any other way. But I do feel tinges of nostalgia for our carefree days of dating whenever and wherever we felt like it. I guess even as adults we still experience some "growing pains." I'm happy with where we are; I'm excited for the future. But change is always tough.

Between feeling sick yesterday and exhausted by the time dinner was over, I'm not even sure if I kissed my husband yesterday. On our anniversary!! Isn't that sad? I did send him on an "Anniversary Egg" hunt (similar to an Easter Egg hunt... one chocolate egg hidden for every year we've been married). But I'm telling you... my creative and romantic powers must have taken that anniversary trip without me because I feel about as romantic as a stick.

So, dear Trey, I apologize that your previously romantic wife is too tired to even give you a kiss on our anniversary (or too tired to remember, if in fact we did kiss...) I know this is just a stage and we'll have many wonderful anniversaries to celebrate in the years to come. In the meantime, we'll just have to settle for snuggling on the couch with the Veggie Tales theme song playing in the background as our toddler flushes his toy trains down the toilet. Maybe we can even sneak in a kiss before he pours his apple juice on his head.