Ding Dong, OMG where is my cake?!

Hear that noise? It’s the sound of church bells and music. If you listen a little closer, you can hear gifts being wrapped and speeches being practiced. A little further into the noise and you hear phrases like “WHY ISN’T THE DVD SLIDESHOW PLAYING ANY SOUND?!” to “my mother is driving me insane with all the sex advice”. And even further into it are freakouts by the bride because her hair didn’t turn out right or freakouts by her grandmother because the janitor decided to sleep in that Saturday and no one can get into the church to decorate. Finally, at the end of the sound spectrum, louder than any yelling or freaking out, you hear that breathless whisper of the two people the wedding is all about- “I love him/her so much and I cannot wait to marry them”.

 

Those, among many others (including wailing and gnashing of teeth) are just a few sounds that came from my wedding day. I couldn’t sleep the night before so I packed and repacked my suitcase and ended up popping a sleeping pill b/c I knew it was going to be a long day. My hair looked fabulous at the salon but one step outside (on the hottest day of the year that far) and it went flat. 3 days before we had drama about the centerpieces and I felt torn the whole week before because I wanted to spend time with my family from Chile but I was doing wedding stuff. But, like most things in life, everything came together and it was a perfect day where I felt beautiful and loved.

 

One of the main things that got me through those hectic months before the wedding (you know, the semester that I took 18 hours so I could graduate, did my internship, worked 30 hours a week, coached cheerleading at SCU, and temporarily lost my best friend) was my bridal party. My bridesmaids were the best. They were there for me, let me whine, helped me make 400 ribbon wands, picked out dresses, and willingly forked over the ridiculous amount of cash it takes to just BE in a wedding. (Thanks girls. I know those celadon floor length dresses are doing you a lot of good sitting in the back of your closet) They showered me with Pampered Chef, lingerie, Corningware and pillowcases. I know I told you all that day how much I love you, but I’m saying it again! You rock!

 

So why all this reflection on weddings, you ask? Well, next weekend kicks off my 3 of the 4 weddings this year that I am matron of honor in. I have to admit, it’s a big job. I can throw a baby shower with my hands tied and blindfolded but wedding showers are different! Every wedding I have been in I was a bridesmaid, I showed up and partied but I never planned. So it has been a learning experience and in some ways, feels like a lot more pressure because hello, this is one of the most important days of their lives. I want to be the shoulder to cry on, the ear to freak out at, the one with the emergency sewing kit in my bag and have the answers to embarrassing but necessary questions.

 

Next weekend the first best friend is getting married. Amy is my oldest friend- we go way back to first grade. And now, she is marrying my husband’s best friend! I am so happy for them and excited about their wedding in Pensacola on the 27^th. Not jumping up and down about the 6 a.m. sunrise ceremony, but its going to be awesome. I am so proud of Amy for never settling and for listening to the voice of God in her life. She was swept off her feet by her Prince Charming and I have seen how she and Daniel bring out the best in each other. She has been a model daughter, a loving sister, a loyal worker, and a wonderful best friend. I have zero doubts that she will be all those adjectives and more when it comes to being a wife. Congrats to the Purifoys, may you have many years together and oh, I dunno, about 17 children. Ha!

 

Next on the list: Natalie and Chassity. Don’t worry, your blogs are coming! J

Death of an iDream

July 11, 2008. It was supposed to be the day I finally got an iPhone. Alas, AT&T has crushed my technological dreams of a mobile computer with their retarded rules about upgrades and contracts. Their new version comes out next week and is half the price- $200. A lot for a phone, I know, but this is actually a good deal when you break it down. It’s an iPod (alone that would cost $150), a computer that surfs the internet, a GPS system, a camera, and a phone. It probably blows your nose for you too, if you ask it to. So you might be able to see why I was so excited about it. However, when I called AT&T, they told me I hadn’t been with them long enough for an upgrade and if I bought it without an upgrade it would be close to $500. GAH!

 

So, I hung up the phone (gingerly, since apparently I have to make this POC cell phone last til October) and muttered under my breath the evils of capitalism and oh well, I still love America and I`ll keep my thoughts on what you can do if you don’t to myself. That’s another blog though.

 

The most irritating thing about it is, I have finally managed to save enough to buy this phone, but if it sits in my account ‘til October, you can bet that it will get spent at the end-of-summer sale at the mall, or on diapers, or on a pair of shoes that Aubrey must have bc that kid, she just loves to kick her shoes off. I’m sure there’s a lesson in all this. Until then, I’ll continue to get lost, listen to the radio and be Facebook-deprived.

 

UPDATE: Mégan suggested I call the Apple Store, and they told me that I could buy the phone there for $200 and they would activate it. So apparently they are sticking it to the man, but I guess I’ll find out the true story when I show up to the store next week. Either way, I suddenly feel silly that I am whining about a phone. Oh well, I haven’t blogged in awhile, so hopefully its accomplishing what I want it to accomplish- giving you glimpses into my mind that I probably wouldn’t normally talk about unless you asked.

The year of perfection has ended…

When Aubrey was born, she was an abnormally good baby. Sure, there were a few rough nights (due to her idiot breastfeeding mother deciding to eat chili for dinner) and crying fits when we messed with her routine, but for the most part, I kept waiting for the ball to drop. People kept saying things like, oh just wait til you get her home… just wait til she starts formula, just wait til she gets a tooth, just wait til she starts to crawl… and still, the perfect child remained. I took it for granted- the fact that a bottle could fix everything, the fact that she slept for 13 hours every night, the fact that I could set her down with a toy and have a good 30 minutes to clean or check my email.

Well, thanks a lot, “people”, because your dire predictions have come true! The child can’t have formula anymore, she has 2 teeth and 2 more coming in, and she likes to scream til 4 am unless I am holding her. And dishes? Forget it. I’m about to kill the planet and buy styrofoam plates.

Aubrey is a year old. She is becoming a little person with opinions and preferences. She is letting me know that she will not fit into any mold that I or anyone else makes for her- she is letting me know that she is Aubrey, and you know what? Aubrey is amazing. She steals my sleep and makes me smile while doing it. She smears baby food into her freshly-washed hair and manages to get a laugh from me for it. She OPENS HER MOUTH when she sees Stella going for a lick and instead of freaking out and grabbing the clorox, I delight in the fact that my dog does not want to eat her and enjoy the shrieking giggles that ensue from my daughter’s mouth.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a person of lists, to-do’s, chore days and laundry sorting. A dozen roses are nice, but Ryan really gets the “aw” factor when I come home to a house smelling like bleach and vaccum lines in the carpet. I feel safety in my routine and have done everything in my power to protect it.

Aubrey broke that down in no time… and the beautiful thing is, I have delighted in it. I still love a clean house and folded laundry, but I love sitting on the floor playing peek-a-boo with my kid way more. So yeah… I don’t have a perfect little blob anymore. I have something much better- a 15 pound teacher of life who flings her toys everywhere.

Talk about lucky.