I've Been Wondering

...and I really probably shouldn't be pondering thoughts along these lines but, well, here it is...

Where's Paulo?

It's been almost four months without a word. He's not ever been um, chatty but he's never gone this long without sending me some kind of proof he was still breathing.

I dunno. I have faith that he can more than take care of himself. I just wonder sometimes.

~Ali

It All Comes Out in the Wash…

Or so the saying goes...

So, you know how it goes, you sit and chat with your honey about nothing, really, just small talk in the comfort of each other’s arms, right? You’re slowly getting to know each other, more and more every day, and even when you think you know all there is to know… WHAMMO!

You get nailed.

And why is it they can’t ever drop a good sort of bomb on you? Like they won an award for most productive Honor Society student or they’d been a mentor for an underprivileged child? No, can’t ever be that easy, can it?

Of course not, not with my husband anyway. See, we’d been talking about the kids and somehow wandered onto the topic of school… whether they’d be going to a private school, or on base, or whatever. Not things I’d thought of, but things he and I needed to start discussing eventually.

And as these things go, we started reminiscing about our past days in school. Mine were boring. I went to an all girl boarding school in Boston, just far enough away from my family to suit my needs. Graduated early, at 14, moved on to an Ivy League college, graduated at 17, and to Ireland after that. Interesting? Yeah. Exciting? Not so much. Well, not until Ireland, but I was almost an adult by then…

So, what does my charming husband tell me about his school days? “Oh, nothing much, Cookie, just that I got suspended for propping a dead deer up in my algebra teacher’s chair my freshmen year. And came close my junior year for squirting Doe in Heat in the girl’s locker room. Other than that, the parties, skipping class to go fishing, I was a good kid.”

Oh gods, and I spawned with the man! Heaven help me.

Better yet, please help Rayna. I have a feeling my Cowboy’s gonna be a hit with all of Rory’s friends. But Raynie? I dread the day she brings home her first boy. Daddy and Uncle Albie propped on the porch, shotguns in hand, and evil grins plastered on their faces. I guess it’s a good thing Mama’s got access to all the really good weapons.

~A thoughtful, Ali

Finally

It’s been awhile, no? Well, good reason behind that at least. Lil Miss Rayna Rhose has finally decided to join us here in the real world. About darn time, huh?

What’s that? She was early. Pshaw!

Okay, well, maybe a little early. But not by much. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. They’d predicted February 3rd. She arrived on January 25th. That’s only, what? Nine days? Not bad.

And talk about harrowing! That last week before her birth was crazy! Poor Billy got stuck babysitting me and, when it came down to the wire, I thought the poor boy was gonna pass out on me on the way to the hospital. Blake was stuck in an interview with a skank of a reporter. Come to find out she was doing everything in her power to get a piece of my man. Lemme tell ya, she’s soooo lucky I was busy having a baby because if he’d told me that before? Yeah, you know it too.

But, delayed or not, he made it just in the nick of time. At 4:23 PM, on Friday, January 25, 2008, out little girl arrived, happy, healthy, and screaming her little lungs out, thankful to be free at last. She weighed in at seven pounds, nine ounces, and has the biggest, bluest eyes you’ve ever seen. Well, unless you’ve been lucky enough to latch onto her daddy’s that is. And oh, the curls that little one has! Little dark brown ringlets everywhere!

I’m simply amazed at how much she resembles her half-brother, Rory. But then, they both look so much like their daddy that it shouldn’t really surprise me. However, knowing that they have two different mommies, it kinda stops me in my tracks, ya know? Lil Bucky seems to really like his little sister though, let’s just hope it stays that way, right? But so far, so good, and I’m not complaining.

And daddy? He’s in heaven. I’ve never seen Blake as content as his is right now, Rayna asleep on his chest, Rory with his head in his lap, thumb in his mouth, drifting off with his sister. Daddy looks like he’s not far behind either…

Which means Mama might actually get herself some quiet time. Shh… don’t tell, but I think I’m gonna sneak off and have myself a bath…

~Ali