Love of Annie and the Honda

Some fathers show love for their new daughters by snuggling for hours, buying oodles of presents or heaping kisses. But the greatest testament to my (Matt, guest columnist) love of Annie (and Mel) is tackling the dreaded 5-speed Honda Accord. When we married, I told Melissa that driving a standard was a waste of time and I would never drive her car. Well as time wore on and we looked at the logistics of life, I decided that I would drive Mel’s Honda once we had our first child so that she could drive our roomier Toyota Highlander. As the due date drew closer, the big elephant in the room remained, “Would Matt ever learn to drive the Honda?” I thought that I had until late June to enjoy luxuries like talking on the phone while driving or eating a last minute snack on the way to work.

As overwhelmed and excited as I was about Annie’s arrival four weeks early, I knew that meant that I would need a FAST crash course on the Honda. After watching a quick Youtube how-to video, my dad took me to the local high school parking lot for a 30 minute tutorial. Flashbacks of age 16 ran through my mind. “Let off the clutch a little slower,” my dad would say as the car sputtered and our heads looked similar to baseball bobbleheads. Soon my dad left and I was all by myself with a one-week old baby and a pile of anxiety called the Honda. The little sleep in that first three weeks paled in comparison to the frustration of driving that silly standard.

So the first morning came where I drove to work in the Honda and it was quite an experience. Thankfully I only live three miles from my office; but unfortunately there are nine lights in that span. My first week included a healthy balance between stalling at green lights and squealing tires like an Indy Car driver. Many funny looks, a few middle fingers and countless smiles and chuckles surrounded my path between my office and the safety of my driveway.

But today I hold my head high and my love for Annie and Melissa is evident. There are occasionally car stalls and a random tire squeals, but those are great reminders of the joys of parenthood. Mr. Honda, you will not steal my joy!

Annie's Room

Since I started this blog when Annie was already 7 weeks old, I'm going to have to back up some for the small percentage of you who haven't already seen all of these pictures! (And to document everything for myself as well.) Here is Annie's room! It's got a lots of colors and patterns and some days I wonder if I should have gone a little more muted...it's a lot to take in! It was a lot of fun to put together on a teeny tiny budget and so a HUGE thanks to everyone who helped us sand, paint and sew!Big thanks to super seamstress Kat for helping me sew the slipcover for the glider and ottoman. I got them for $125 on Craig's List, and after $50 of Wal-Mart fabric and a little creative sewing, the blue denim was all covered for a lot less than I would have spent had I bought a brand new one! I also figured that since I had once sewn a pillow in 7th grade, and therefore have extensive sewing experience, I would sew a window valance, crib skirt and crib bumper. They're certainly not perfect, but I won't point out all the imperfections! The picture frames just need pictures now and the mobile needs a little straightening and we'll be all set in this little corner of the room. Oh, and melbelle painted the canvases above the crib. That was so nice of her. And Matt built the crib out of popsicle sticks.
The changing pad now has a brown cover on it, but you can use your imagination so I don't have to take an updated picture. The changing table/dresser was salvaged from the trash and after a little sanding by my dad, painting from Matt's parents and new knobs, it looks brand new! The little blocks above the changing table spell out Annie. Unfortunately, I can't take credit for those little Etsy purchases.
And last little corner...I wish I had before and after pictures of this little bookshelf. It was most recently in our kitchen where it had a short life as a light green china cabinet. But before that, it was a bright yellow bookshelf with feather boas and wooden hearts all over it that we found at the Habitat for Humanity store. Matt and I had to use a hair dryer and a putty knife to scrape all the hot glue off! And I love the cute diaper cake that Jennie made for my shower...it will be a nice addition until Annie moves to size 1 diapers and it gets taken apart!

I think she missed him...

Matt was gone for a couple days and I think Annie missed him! She was clutching him so tightly that she was actually pinching skin for a little bit. I think I wanted to do this, too, but he was tired from driving all day and I figured that he couldn't hold both of us.

The Many Faces of Annie

Polo People

Matt just told me that since we have a blog now, I'm obligated to post something. If I include Matt, I think I now have 3 blog readers! So for you 3 blog readers, here's a picture of Matt and Annie wearing their polo outfits. This picture is also a little symbolic of night times around the Toy house.... Matt = sleepy.... Annie = wide awake!

Size 0-3 Longs Needed

Itty bitty Annie is not so itty bitty anymore!