What happens when you let a cat in your house: a tribute to Charlie

Charlie was our downstairs neighbor's cat. He was extremely loving and very patient with Lacey. He was only a couple years old at most, but he passed away from a heart attack (caused by congenital defects) a few days ago. We are very sad about this, especially because Lacey loved him so much. She asks to go play with him sometimes, and it's hard to have to say, "No, Charlie is all gone."

A few weeks ago, our neighbors went out of town and asked us to take care of the cats for them. Charlie got to the point after a few days that he would come to our door to ask for food or company. So, we'd let him in and he'd wander around and try to avoid Lacey for the most part. But this is really what happens when you let a cat in your house (keep in mind that Phil and I are both "cat" people):

First, he'll take over your spot on the couch. Phil was sitting there previous to Charlie's entering.

Then he'll take over your pillow. Possibly (probably) your whole bed.

Then he'll take over your wife. That was a snuggly cat. 

And then undoubtedly continue to take over your entire house, and eventually your life. But this cat was so snuggly and nice that you wouldn't even notice.

We'll miss you, Charlie! See you on the other side!

Our first broken bone

As parents. Phil and I have both had broken bones (Phil broke his arm once, and I've broken my arm 3 times).

But as for Lacey, this is the first. Lacey was playing No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed (I guess) one morning while I was in the bathroom. Then there was a thud and a scream of "ouchie!" and an upset child that not even cartoons and chocolate chips could console. Well, they did console her for a while, but she kept coming back to me in tears, asking for kisses on her arm. Her arm didn't look broken or swollen, but I could tell there was something wrong. And sure enough, the doctor confirmed that her arm was broken. So on went the splint (with much protest from a very upset child--good thing we good Daddy with us so that he could hold her down). And then back we went a few days later for the cast, which required the use of a papoose--basically she had to be strapped to a board with velcro so that she couldn't move or wiggle, since she was being completely uncooperative. Not that I can blame her for that. But actually once she was in the thing she calmed down and just watched what the doctor was doing pleasantly. She's adapted really well to having the cast on her arm. She even willingly holds out her arm for me to put a plastic bag over it before her bath. Little children really are amazingly adaptable. She has to have the cast until the end of June.

Happy Birthday Lacey!

Lacey turned 2 years old on May 8. It happened to coincide with Mother's Day this year, so we had lots to celebrate that day! I thought a lot about my first mother's day 2 years ago, when I got to bring Lacey home from the hospital, and of course about the two days before that when my little angel came into the world.

To celebrate, we invited our Bobo family over for waffles and cake and ice cream. It was quite a crew in our little apartment, but I loved it, and Lacey loved it even more. Nothing could have made her happier on her special day than running around with her cousins.

I know it's hard to tell from this picture, but one of the best games of the evening was Make Lacey Laugh Her Head Off. It was pretty easy to do, and these two were pretty good at it.

Waffles for dinner! She really is enjoying them, I don't know what the silly face is all about.

 Time to open presents! With a little bit of help, she got the hang of this part fast.

 She loved the sparkle tissue paper (I think we still have sparkles hanging around places). And she had to stop and read every single book before moving on to the next. She got a lot of books, which is good, because she loves to read.

Here's the monkey cake that I made. I think it's pretty good for a first attempt at decorating a cake. It was delicious, too. 

Dr. Lacey, checking on Daddy's health. 

Say cheese!! Johnnie likes to take pictures, and Lacey likes to pose for them. An adorable combination.

Well, needless to say, the past two years have been full of joy and frustration, lots of ups and downs, but mostly it's been ups and joys. Lacey is such a happy child, so ready to love anyone she sees. She runs and runs and never stops until Mommy enforces nap time or bed time. She's doing everything a two-year-old should be able to do, and more. She's such a little smarty pants, it's difficult for me to keep up with her sometimes. But that really just keeps life interesting, right? We're so lucky to have Lacey as a part of our family, and we're looking to celebrating her many, many more times!