Sending a message to the world...

The next President of the United States - Barack Hussein Obama.

“If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.

It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled, Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states. We are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It’s the answer that led those who’ve been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment, change has come to America."

Happy 15-Month B-Day Mia!

I can't believe my little girl is a walking, talking 15-month old now. Took her to her well check appointment today - she got 2 vaccinations (did not like those one bit) and found out she is 32-1/4"L (94%) and 21.3lbs (25%). She is a bean pole. Doc says she is proportionate height and weight wise, so this is okay. Looks like her body type may lean more to being long and lean.

Mia is a little shy around unfamiliar people and tends to cling onto either Pete or I for dear life in these circumstances. And she's pretty slow to warm up to scenarios that are out of her element. We're thinking partly because she spends the majority of her time all day with me, in our little routine she's comfortable with, and partly because we may just have a bit of an introvert here. Doctor says this is normal and putting her in preschool part-time in another year would be a good solution to this stranger/separation anxiety. Anyway, should be an interesting photo op with Santa next month. Yikes.

Her new favorite word is DUCKIE. Everything is duckie or doggy. Another new thing is when you ask her what sound a cat (DUCKIE!!!) makes, she meows. It's pretty darn cute. And of course we have the word balloon, more like BRROOOON. We can't get out of Publix without a friggin balloon these days. Luckily they are free over in produce. Also she is starting to say OUT! OUT! when she wants to go outside, which is a whole 'nother thing...

Mia is obsessed with going outside. Obsessed. After breakfast every morning we take Chili down to Rivercrest Park. She points out the sky, the trees and the cars. And she looooves the breeze blowing her hair all around. Usually we are in the buggy and toward the end I let her out to get on the swings and toddle around the playground, back to the car. Well she doesn't like to get back in the car. No sir. Tempers flare. This goes for being in the backyard too. She does not like to go back inside, in fact I'm convinced she'd walk around out there all day and night if it were up to her, after all she's just getting the swing of this walking thing anyway and being inside is boring. She knows perfectly well how to walk on her own. BUT she prefers to hang onto one of our fingers and lead us around where she wants to go.

When we are inside her favorite things to do are read books (especially the ones where she can identify objects like shoes, dogs, cats, frogs, bananas, etc). She loves to reorganize things, whether it be the pile of laundry in the basket, her bookshelf, etc. And opening and closing cabinets is super fun. Throwing dog food around is even more fun. She definitely gets into things she's not supposed to, testing her boundaries as toddlers do. I'm getting pretty good at redirecting her attention and showing her what's appropriate. Still, I can see the terrible two's setting in, and it scares the crap out of Pete and I. We were just saying today that we have the next year or two cut out for us with this one. She definitely lets us know when she doesn't get her way. At this point she is too small to try and reason with, so we're just trying the distraction approach and keeping our fingers crossed that she moves on.

Anyway I think I'm starting to babble now and not make much sense, it's been a long day and I have Election Eve coverage on, which is making my head spin. Hope everyone is doing well. Glad the holidays are closing in and we'll get to spend more time with a lot of you. I'll be posting Halloween pics in the next day or two, so keep on visiting.