Oh, Woest Me!

I'm sorry I have to complain a little bit. Apart from suffering any major tragedies, I can safely say this was the worst weekend imaginable! To start, we moved apartments, which in and of itself is very hateful and agonizing. It has to be mentioned that my husband is absolutely superhuman. I have never seen such a moving machine. We've moved together before, but the last time I was pregnant and too involved in my own pitiful state to notice his ridiculously brutish strength! 

What made the weekend especially miserable was the fact that we've all come down with our own little slew of ailments. Leah has been sick with a cold since pretty much the holidays. Nasty nose, cough, fever and sore throat. She topped it off this week with a lovely outbreak of PINK EYE. Don't even get me started on pink eye. Ok, you got me started. I'm particularly bitter about this nasty little malady because of course, she passed it along to me in record time. Seriously, how mangy is pink eye? Normally I would have just gone into quarantine but I had to be out and about because of the move. Leah and I were a sight to behold walking around revolting everyone who got close enough to make eye contact. Pink eye is often paired with an awful cold so of course we couldn't be spared that either. Last night in preparation for bed I started by putting drops in my beautiful bright pink eyes, took 4 advil, inhaled some nasal decongestant and popped in a throat lozenge...  

Sam has been able to miraculously dodge the pink eye but has been plagued with the worst hay fever imaginable. After a frenzied, full-fisted eye, nose and face scratching he looked at me through red rimmed, teary eyes and said, "Baby, where's the cheese grater?" Me: "It's packed up, why?" Sam: "If I had a cheese grater I would grate my face off." 

The one highlight of the weekend was the discovery of a delicious little shop called Yogurt Station. Holy shiz. Frozen yogurt in all sorts of delightful self-serve flavors and a wall full of every topping imaginable. The best part is that it's all "do it yourself" so you can go wild with whatever you want... no more scrimping on the cheese cake bits or brownie bites... it's all you. They just weigh your concoction at the end and charge you accordingly. The fatty in me made a proclamation to Sam that we would be "eating there EVERY DAY UNTIL APRIL FOOLS DAY!!" Which of course is only a couple days away, but you get the idea. 

Anyway, now we're all moved in snug as a bug in a rug. I'm sure we'll all look back on this someday and laugh... someday. Today is not that day. 

It's Chi-Town, Baby!

So after the long and arduous process of applying for business schools, interviewing, exploring and twiddling our thumbs we are finally certain where we will be moving... CHICAGO!!! Sam will be attending the University of Chicago for his MBA starting in September and Leah and I will be dutifully tagging along for the ride. I'm dreading a few things... Chicago winters, OBAMA FEVER, leaving the west and close proximity to most of my family, and let's be honest, living on a student budget. But I'm also super excited for the new adventure. 

I'm thrilled about the prospect of being able to head up to campus to meet daddy for lunch and to escape the daily grind of "professional life." What can I say? Sam and I met at college and while I know it won't be nearly the same, I'm feeling especially smitten and romantic about the idea of living the student lifestyle again. No doubt I'll go loiter around the library once a week and make Sam pretend we're meeting for the first time... 

I've never been to Chicago before so I need all of you well-traveled folks to tell me the must-sees for my exploring pleasure. 

1..2..3..4..

Sam and I decided to get serious about exercise this year. We took some video of our first class together -- turns out we have a bit further to go than we anticipated.

No, but seriously, have you ever seen such uncords in your entire life? Sam gets especially joyous every time we watch it.

My Quirky Little Gee

Leah has developed some charming little idiosyncrasies in her short time here on earth. I decided they had to be documented lest they be forgotten forever. Most of the photos were taken with my phone because I had to be quick on the draw in capturing the moment... so don't be judgy.

First is her absolute inability to sit anywhere, in any position, without crossing her little pillowy feet. Even when she's seated on the floor, toys strewn all about, her feet are crossed directly in front of her. I think she's in the beginning stages of a condition inherited from her Papa (my dad) known affectionately as "the cricket syndrome" in which he is completely unable to keep himself from feverishly rubbing his feet together whenever shoes are not present. Thanks, Papa!

Second, my little munchkin is a masochist. What started as a sweet little habit during nursing, has blossomed into full fledged self destruction... in the form of pinching. She used to softly pinch my hand or arm while she nursed. Then she started to get aggressive about it and I had to set some pinching boundaries. Little did I know, my refusal to satisfy her pinching fix would send her tailspinning into the dark and lonely world of self-pinching. Many a time she has interrupted moments of peaceful rocking or humming with a shrill shout... only for me to discover her little hand up her shirt--pincers in action, wrecking havoc on her belly. I've learned not to leave my little lass pantless for any amount of time. Her voluptuous thighs are too tempting and the ant-biting begins... in the following picture you can see this disturbing behavior along with her face while doing it... stop doing this to yourself, Leah!!

Third, she's discovered one particular position to be especially satisfying for snoozing. The first time I came upon her in her crib, my heart leapt out of my chest and I immediately soiled my drawers. I was sure she'd suffocated. Much to my delight, she was snoring away dutifully and after many foiled attempts to move her into another position I gave up, and this has been her position of choice ever since... I think she's aiming to highlight her finest feature...

Finally, the following face is quite disturbing, but alas, my strong-willed little fatty has settled on it as her official "picture face." As soon as she sees the camera, she contorts her face into this expression and holds it until the flash is over, then reaches for the camera to have a look at the splendor I have captured. I remember being little and making faces for pictures that I was certain were super sexy... only to discover I looked like a complete tard. Poor little lamb, thinking she's so sexy....