Jarmon: Did you buy our daughter a Juicy Couture track suit?
Me: Possibly. But this isn’t it. This one is from Walmart and cost $10.
This exchange sums up the two things my husband loves (hates?) most about me. My ability to be annoyingly frugal… and stupidly excessive. (To be fair- the Juicy outfit is from TJ Maxx, but still…). Arabella seems to be headed for the same fate. I think I mentioned before how she prefers her Walmart blanket over any of the many she has from Pottery Barn Kids. Speaking of which, the sheets I bought there for $30 a pop? My mother got practically identical ones at Walmart— 2/$10. I feel like I’d probably be at least a little less annoyed with my husband for spilling wine in my kid’s bed if I had purchased the lookalike ones at Walmart. Oye.
Anyway, I’ve been MIA the last week because there just hasn’t been much to write about. I guess that’s how you know you are settling into a routine. And I guess maybe that’s a good thing.
Arabella tried peaches and pears for the first time this week. She doesn’t seem crazy about either (apples are her favorite), but she eats them. I, of course, can’t help but sing the Peaches song every time we open a pack of peaches. Maybe it’s actually my singing that is causing Arabella to make the pained expression rather than the fruit?
Arabella is also starting to outgrow things besides clothing. Call me crazy, but I thought all of these bouncers and swings and related items would last more than (or at least) six months. Not so much. There seems to be a shortage of space in the stroller bassinet attachment– and she is flirting with the weight limit for most of the other contraptions.
Tonight we went to Uncle Julio’s for dinner— Arabella’s first time there. It was significant because it was also the last place we went out to eat before Arabella was born (yes, it’s been a while). She seemed to enjoy watching all the waiters go by and was also fascinated with watching the men making tortillas at the station next to our table. I decided the dinner should be a memorable one for Arabella, so I gave her a taste of guacamole. She was unaffected by it and promptly went back to chewing on her unicorn. Go figure. If only we could all be so unaffected by guac, ha!
When we got home we tried to put her to bed, but she wasn’t having it. We are definitely in the midst of that dreaded sleep regression people talk about. The last two nights she has gone to bed after 10p. I have no doubt we are creating a monster, but when she is tossing and turning I can’t help but get her up to play. Maybe I’m just a softy because I’m a night owl too? Because I remember tossing and turning in my own bed as a child— not tired and wanting to be up with the adults? Oh well. She’s only little once. And if she’s going to be a monster… at least she’ll be a cute one.
Trina Orlando 