Harper had his 1 year checkup today. I scheduled it before he moved into his new classroom so it ended up being right in the middle of lunch/nap. They were able to feed him before I picked him up. He had three vaccinations and the once over. He also had to have a blood draw for lead testing and anemia. That was not so fun. I had already soothed him from the shots and then I had to take him down to the lab. And because he is a baby it took them a while and two sticks to get what they needed. He was not amused. And I had flashbacks to last summer when he was hospitalized with MRSA. Poor kid fell asleep as soon as he was buckled into his car seat. He stayed that way as I carried him back into daycare and put him in his crib. The good news of course is that he is healthy and happy and on the right milestones. He weighs 20lbs 11ounces (which is below average but he has stayed on his curve) and is 30.25 inches long (he was above average but is slowing down). He does not walk yet but pulls to standing and stands for a moment before gently lowering himself to the floor. Talking is mostly the mama, dada and other sounds. He is fast as lightning at a crawl, persistent and into everything. I think we were hoping we would not have to do the full childproof lock down but we definitely will. He thinks the word "no" is quite amusing. He is mostly on milk with a shot of formula at night because we did not want to throw out a can. He took a little time to accept the sippy cup but does fine and we are just keeping the bottle before bed until I am sure he is getting enough in his belly at dinner. He loves cheerios and goldfish and hates having his teeth brushed. He loves the tub and does not mind having water poured over his head. He still favors Jeff in looks but I do see a bit of me in there too. And so far remains the happy laid back sweetpea he has been since birth (not counting teething or illness).

365 days of loving you...

At dinner tonight:

Jeff jumped up to close the windows because we could see rain was coming. Keegan and I started talking about where rain comes from. I was sticking with the Mother Nature story. He states that God has a watering can. This was a surprise because I have had exactly one conversation with him that involved God. Keegan proceeds to tell us all about how God is invisible and how he created everything. Jeff asked him who talks to him about God. He paused and then said, "Everyone else but you two." Keegan told us that God hangs out at cemeteries to keep the people company. And I told Jeff with amusement that it doesn't matter what we do God gets to them all eventually. But Jeff did explain to Keegan that when he grows up he can decide what he wants to believe in. I am still waiting to grow up and figure out what I believe in. Sometimes I do wish I had a nice established religion to fall back on.

I leave for a conference in Miami tomorrow. I thought that as Keegan got older it would be easier to leave for business trips. I was wrong. Hopefully it is just because I haven't traveled as much since Harper was born. Before he could be talked out of tears and he really didn't have a concept of time. But thanks to school he now knows what four days means. And I did the trick where tomorrow doesn't count because it will fly by since that is the first day I will be gone. And Friday doesn't count because that is the day I will be back. He even thinks two days is too long. I know he will be fine because he never has any trouble leaving me. And once I am gone things go well. But I do try to acknowledge some extra anxiety because I am his only living parent and letting me go has got to test his faith every time. And promising him a present doesn't hurt either.

This morning when I dropped him off at school I took a little extra time to visit the chicks with him. They just arrived last week and have grown every day. They are in a pen with a heat lamp but soon they move into the chicken coop the older grades built. I wish we could have chickens at our house but those are limits of living in the city. We will have to get our fix with the school ones.

Four years ago Jeff and I went on our first date. And exactly one year after that he proposed. After the first date he then proceeded to drive three hours each way almost every weekend for the next year and a half to see me. And when I expressed concern about how much he was putting himself out he told me, "I am not going to be lazy in love." Indeed.

I can't believe all of the things that have happened in this short time. And one of the many reasons we celebrate this date as well as our wedding anniversary in October is because it was so important to everything that followed. Obviously everyone remembers their first date but that night really changed our worlds. And that is because it brought hope and the very surprising possibility of true love during a time when neither of us had any reason to believe in either. And that has sustained us through what has been very a challenging past four years and many more hurdles that as a blended family we can anticipate in the future. Over that four years besides the infinite blessings that night has brought to me as an individual it has brought so many more to my family and my life.

Why does the former wife care what or when Jeff and I celebrate? And why am I surprised that she lied to her tweeple about having been there with him before?

"Grow up Raj, there is no room on the internet for the truth."

Howard Wolowitz, The Big Bang Theory