Don't feel like dancin'......I'd rather shake my head.

Huh. They really do grow up super fast.

So. Ava turned 9 months old on Sunday and she. is. totally. walking.

I don't have any really good footage of her doing it yet. This is because she cannot concentrate on anything but the huge black thing in front of my face when I get the camera out. Hopefully I will sneakily get some footage this weekend. Maybe.

She's been taking one and two steps for about a week and a half now but I don't really call that "walking". However, I looked up from my laptop this afternoon to see her walking in the middle of the living room like it was no big deal, she does it all the time mom, duh. But I couldn't help freaking out a little. It scared her but whatevs. It was totally exciting.

I need to remember that moment for future reference when I curse the day she learned to roll over.

I am not a super-fan.

For so many reasons, I do not enjoy moving. Mostly. All the pros I used to see in the situation are pretty much nonexistent.

But you get to meet new people! Yes. You do. I like new people. But it's really hard to get to know said people when you live 20-30 minutes from them and baby-care relief, in the form of a husband, doesn't come until 8:30 every night. Girls night out during the week with new friends? Not an option for me. Weekends? Not to be rude, but I want to actually spend time with the husband I hardly see and baby doing something FUN (gasp!). Generally that nixes the girls nights out on the weekends too. Also, I like my old friends and people have a hard time getting used to me. I'm too loud. Or laughy. Or something.

But you get to know a new area!! Yeah. And spend 90% of the time lost for the first month (all hail the GPS!). Not to mention that you have to find your new favorite hole-in-the-wall eatery, new shortcuts, a new mechanic and new doctors. I loved my old doctors. LOVED.

(SIDEBAR RANT: IF you think that being a doctor is for you? A couple of hints: 1)ACTUALLY brush your hair in the morning. You don't want your patients' mothers to be able to tell the exact angle your head was lying on your pillow all night. Weird. 2) DO NOT waltz into the examination room and TELL a mother that their baby is getting a flu shot. You ASK if they want one for their baby. This mother will tell you no. They are stupid. Annnnnd 3) freaking lose some weight. I know that sounds harsh. I don't mind if you're a little chubby or you have a little belly but don't be morbidly obese and expect me to feel like you're that in tune with and well-versed on taking care of the human body. JUST A FEW TIPS. End of sidebar rant.)

But you get to experience something different! Yeeeeaaahhh..... moving from Indianapolis, IN to Hobart, IN? It's still Indiana. Only slightly more grating. Less with the Colts and more with da Bears. Also, a long "a" polluting every vowel sound. Oh. And people aren't warm and fuzzy here. At all. They're warm and fuzzy in Indy. And did I mention that I have to drive through Gary too often? It really does look like that.

I can't really think of anymore pros to moving. The only future pro I see is moving into my OWN HOME someday and that won't be happening for a while. For now, I will be moving again at the end of this week. I should probably be packing now.

I think I have all the ranting out of my soul. Maybe. Sorry, friends. Kind of. Maybe I'll post some pictures of a sassy baby I know dancing to make up for it.

Week 4 ....starting to get somewhere

Miles walked: 5
Pounds lost: 3

Slow and steady wins the race, my friends. Slow. And. Steady.

Week 3

It occurs to me that I didn't do an update for last week. Probably because it was a bad one.
Miles walked: only 2.5 booooo
Pounds lost: none. I don't even want to talk about it. Finally got that scale. Yikes.

IKEA is my personal hell

Went to IKEA yesterday.

It was all, “heeeeeey, remember that thing you took the time to pick out online because you’re a really indecisive person and options paralyze you? Yeah…….we’re out of stock of that thing. We know your computer said we had it in stock but we don’t. BUT HERE ARE 15 OTHER OPTIONS IN YOUR PRICE RANGE THAT YOU’LL PROBABLY LIKE. And if you try to go buy this thing at another store it will probably be more/too expensive or not as cute or a combination of the two so just get it here. We know this will cause you to change your mind no less than 5 times therefore making you have to snake your way back and forth from throw pillows to duvet covers 5 times as well so here! Here are delicious Swedish chocolate bars EVERYWHERE (3 for $2.49)! And meatballs! And lingonberry preserves! Because we want to make up for it. And because we know your blood sugar is mighty low at this point and your baby is probably grouchy so you’ll be rash and buy them. Ooooo! But don’t get in that checkout line. It’s for ten items or fewer. You have 12. We realize there is literally NO ONE in line behind you or in front of you but please go to the other checkout line and wait behind the guy that’s here from Missouri buying $4000.00 worth of stuff for his business. And while you’re waiting try not to smell the delicious cinnamon buns we have cooking by the exit. We know you can’t eat them. We’ll see you soon because we know that, even with all of this crap, you cannot resist us! And we have a sofa you want! OKAYTHANKSBYE!!!”

Those pearly gates better not have giant IKEA flags attached to them.

Oh. And go check out Rebecca's blog to see what's up my sleeves for Thanksgiving. She's having a whole month of Celebration Preparation so if you want to try something new for the holiday season that is rapidly approaching us, CLICK ON THE LIIIIINK. And read.

Week 2

Miles walked: 7.5
Pounds lost: .....gettin' that scale today...

Because you can't really get enough Darcy, can you?

Listen. I am not one of those Jane Austen lovers who has read all the spin-offs. I read one by Shannon Hale called Austenland that was pretty decent (in a please-pass-the-ghirardelli, guilty pleasure sort of way) but once you read one, haven't you read them all? I don't see how these spin-off novels can wind up being anything but paltry and predictable. I eye them suspiciously.

Fast forward to today.

We got Netflix this week and for two people who have watched only what we can capture via antenna on our tv since we got married?? Netflix is like Christmas. Danny pointed out today, and I think he's right, that I probably like having all the options of things to watch more than I actually like watching them. Nevertheless, I happened upon a Jane Austen spin-off MOVIE and I thought I'd give it a try, if only because it was put out by the BBC. Turns out it was fabulous. There were still some cheesy parts, but it was so fun to see *spoiler alert* Bingley as a drunk, Mr. Collins married to Jane, Georgiana as a wicked girl, and Wickham as a very noble man indeed. Not to mention the way the movie looked at these often-dreamt-about characters as simple humans instead of characters.

Lost in Austen

Watch it.

Week 1

Miles: 7.5
Pounds lost: still need to invest in a scale. Let's saaaaaaay 2 pounds. For my self-esteem.

Lu-huving the daily exercise. Makes a momma happy and productive.