I miss you!

OMG I haven't blogged in 82947584923374 years.  Aren't excuse blogs the worst?  Ugh.  

And I'm probs not going to for another two weeks...

Boo YAH.

Because this guy is home on R&R!

YAY!

But I really do miss you, and have tons of fun baby pictures to share...!

Get excited!

Shit is getting real.

'Kayso.  I blog almost never 'cause I overthink this shiz and don't want peeps to think that I'm too stupid/lazy/cheesy/mean/whatever.  But dude, I need to vent.  And more than all that stuff I'm awesome, and pretty nice.  

Unless you're my father-in-law.  

I feel like maybe I should do what all the other nice wives do and smile at him and agree to dates so he can hang with the baby and ignore it when he does things that creep me out like this: send gushy emails about how excited he was when Lu touched his beard, lay down on the ground next to 9 month old Lu when all the other people were just regular sitting, send letters to B in the 'Stan about how frustrated he is that he doesn't get to see Lu enough without even sending me a freakin' email!!!

OMG

Losin' mah shiz here.  I'm not even sure how we can be friends after this.  

And here's to being a bit more regular.  

And hopefully sleeping more. 

Ooohhh babylove!

Lamesies.

So I haven't been around.  On purpose.  I didn't want to drown the internets with all my tears and mush.  

Y'know the times I've blogged?  That is the exact same number of times that I've talked to my husband.  Except less, 'cause he still hasn't called but I miss my bloglove.  

F your face, Assghanistan.  

I've been pretty busy hanging cabinets, drinking wine, and indulging the chub on my little miss.  It's been awesome.  

Please note the thigh rolls.  My personal favorite. 

We're a whopping sixteen percent done with this deployment though, so that's pretty awesome.  Less awesome is the amount of pounds that haven't been lost.  Some days whoopie pies make me happier than walks.  

Also there has been boatloads of rain.  

Thanks Maine, for giving me excuses 50% of the time.  

Louisa is pretty much ten months old.  How did this happen?  

A fan of swinging.

(Self portraits are a bit of a challenge!)

Deployment Pity Party

Babies bathed, fed, and put to sleep on time: 1

Errands run post-departure: 4

Homecoming videos watched: 0

Sappy songs listened to intentionally: 1

Eye-makeup applications ruined: 0 (!!, rockin' it!)

(It was pretty close though.)

Anti-Stress face masks: 1

Bags of pity candy: 2

Root Beer drive-thru trips: 1

Angry gestures from other motorists due to absent-minded driving: 1, but I'm pretty sure he was just having a bad day too.

My day of Sads & Self Indulgence is almost over...  I'm pretty excited to start knockin' out the days!  

Bring it on, Deployment #3!!

Fab Friday

So, one more ER visit and a couple million prescriptions later>  Acute Bronchitis + Asthma flare!  Awesomeee!

Really, just frustrating because I have so much to do these next weeks, and its harder when I'm all sick.  Whatevs, the meds started again this morning, so hopefully I'll be chipper in a day or two!

AND, Brian gets Monday off, so bonus weekend day!

AND, Lulu is decked head-to-toe in pink today, which just makes me happy.  

Please ignore the hair, this was immediately post-nap!

Happy Friday!!

Unintended break!

So, I've had the supersicks...  Awesome.  But, have only had one hospital trip and two medicine refills so, score!

But, turns out B is actually deploying and all of my denial has gotten me nowhere.  Plane tickets home are purchased, moving days tentatively scheduled, and I'm bummin', yo.  

But Miss Louisa is always a party in the backseat so we're keepin' on.  I might share moving pictures so you can be jelly that you're not me.  Get excited!

Phone Pictures!

So after I filled out an insurance claim my phone gave a flicker or two of life.  This morning I actually had a few solid minutes that the screen was light enough to kind of see!  I pounced on that opportunity and sent a bunch of pictures to my email...  There are still tons more that I'd like to save, so hopefully she has another bright moment soon!  

But anyway, here is some of the fun I salvaged:

Early morning baby smiles!

Baby is getting excited about this eating thing...

Naps

Self portrait with Lulie!

Baby sleeps.

Baby nap not on me!

Lulu, when she fit into her infant seat!

Brian, while he was at NTC.

Laundry day with babycakes!

Pretty Louisa

Silly baby Lulu

Naps on Christmas!

Not sure why she is half naked...?

Sleepy Lu

More baby naps...

The end of our street, Yay AK!

Louisa's 1st Christmas tree!

So, clearly out of order, and I obvi am obsessed with my Lulu, especially when she sleeps!!

Day 14

A picture of you last year -- How have you changed?

18 weeks!

Well, I'm not pregnant anymore!  And this little lady is rockin' my world on a daily basis:

And Brian has been not deployed for the last year...  So, pretty awesome.  

Minus the deployment countdown, obvi!

Days 12&13

Day 12

Kind of ironic that the topic for yesterday was: Something you don't leave the house without. 

-Military ID, 'cause the gate guards here are pretty strict, and I'm terrified that I'll lose it and not be allowed back on post

-Cell phone

-Mascara, wearing it

So yesterday morning, my id went missing.  I searched the car, the house, everywhere.  It was gone gone.  I panicked.  Hours late, bam, right in my diaper bag!

Also, after seven months of regular abuse from Lulu, my cell phone collapsed while we were out at dinner with friends.  It gave a weak little shudder and refused to turn on.  I took it apart to dry, potentially baby saliva was the culprit?  Nothing.  So I'm leaving it plugged in today, but I don't have high hopes.  Bummer.  

Day 13: Goals

Convince Louisa that sleeping through the night is the cool thing to do...

Ha!

Fortunately I've already accomplished so much that I wanted to.  Bachelor's degree, rockin' husband, cute little baby...  

Now? 

 I'd like to be more healthful, find a job that makes me happy (or at least have enough time off to be with my awesome fam), take at least one vacation to Europe, buy a house, perfect my self-tanning technique, the usual.  

Maybe pay off my student loans?  That seems a bit radical though.  

Catch Up! Days 8, 9, 10, 11

Day 8: A place you've traveled to

via

This is where I live, currently, but definitely not home.  Totally counts because it takes forever to get up here.  

Someday we're going to vacation in luxurious, exotic locations...

Day 9: A favorite picture of your best friend

My sister, Meg.  Isn't she a beaut?  That is baby Scarlett and Tyler, also, but they don't count as my bff.  

Molly!  And her sleepy Alyssa.

I almost used one of Brian, but he is my husband, which is in a totally different category than bff.

Day 10: Something you're afraid of

Um, scary movies.  Lame, but seriously.  I've never seen one of those Saw movies, and I plan on keeping it that way. 

Those bitty little geckos that live near Fort Hood, TX.  

Bad things happening to my awesome people.  

That Lulu will spontaneously stop breathing while she sleeps.  Or the other million fears that suddenly arrive when you have a baby.  Seriously, the world never seemed so dangerous until this awesome little dangerbaby came along!

DangerBaby, oh no!

Day 11: Favorite TV shows

I kind of feel like blogging about tv is lame.  Am I more fun to you if we watch the same shows?  Not that awesome.  So, I'll tell you what I don't watch:  Housewives.  None of them.  I just can't handle it.  Even though my mom could maybe fit on the show.  Maybe.  

Evidence.  (Don't worry, she knows.)

Yay, done!

Day 7

Favorite Movies

Romeo and Juliet, Leonardo edition.  

*

Love Actually

*

Dirty Dancing

*

Bride and Prejudice

*

Obvi I have awesomeeee taste!

*All images from google

Day 6

A picture of something that makes you smile:

Miss Lulu's wild Einstein hair

Scarlett in sprinkles! 

Day 5: A song to match your mood

Sap-fest.  Just so you're aware.  

We are currently in the homestretch leading to Brian's third deployment.  It just sucks.  Whatevs, mostly. He's in the army, a certain amount of suck is expected.  But I've been in serious denial and now time is running out.  Suck. 

So my mood is sappy.  Also, tired of packing but I don't think they have songs for that.

Adele, Lovesong

Day 4

My Parents

First, I need you to appreciate that I'm having a glass of wine and eating jelly beans with Brian.  On a Sunday night.  Because Lulu has woken up every hour for the past two nights and wine+jellybeans makes it bearable.  Also having a car paid off for the first time in a long time... GO US!

Google images

So.  

Keith, my father, is an intelligent, somewhat anti-social, electrical engineer.  He has four kids: my two sisters, one brother and myself.  He has not been a dad to my sisters and I for a long time.  He and my brother are quite close.  I choose to not have a relationship with him for a lot of reasons, but maintain distance because I do not want Lulu to know or be influenced by him.  

My mom. 

-Raised four kids after a horrendous divorce.

- had me convinced for years that she was a hairdresser for Madonna.

- has Lady Godiva hair extensions.

-invented the 'Wrapping Machine' song (vital info).

-told her kids that eggrolls were made of cat meat so she would get them all.

-has amazing table manners.

-is capable of talking to anyone, seriously.

-is probably the most crazy person I know.  Most of the time in a fun way. 

- married a man that I hadn't met until our trip home last month, and is adopting his 6 year old daughter.

(just call us the Kardashians)

Clockwise from top: Me, Meg, Molly, Mum, Max
2006

Yea, I come from crazy.  And I'm pretty sure I'm just perpetuating the cycle!  

Day 3

Your First Love

Google Images

Oh.

Romantic style?  

Um, this is a bit awkward.  My husband totally reads this. Truthfully, my high school/college boyfriend was the first person I loved loved romantically.  Unfortunately, he lived a few hours away and was a few years older, but refused to acknowledge his advanced age, ifyouknowwhatImean.

Lame.

(Thank goodness!)

Things absolutely worked out the way they were supposed to. 

Day 2

What is the meaning of your blog name?

You've probably heard the old nursery rhyme: 

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary. 

 How does your garden grow? 

 With silver bells and cockle shells and pretty little maids all in a row. 

Well, I get that a lot.  Also, the Mary had a Little Lamb.  Awesome.  

But, I had a blog to name.  And I have an unfortunate lack of creativity, so, BAM.  It bears remembering that when I started this blog I was unsure if I would stick with it, or if anyone would really ever read it.  I've debated changing it, especially since I learned that there is another Quite Contrary out there, but my lack of creativity and propensity to be contrary makes it okay.  I really am pretty contrary lots of the time.  You can ask my sister, she'll agree!

There is also a chance I may have a bit of a revelation and change it one day.  Get excited for that potential ambush!

Day 1

I am Mary Katherine.  

Wife to Brian, Mum to Louisa, Sister to some of the best people.  I am currently in Alaska, thanks to my husband's relationship with the army, but that is due to change shortly.  

Fifteen Interesting Things:

1. I've never had a speeding ticket or been in a car accident. 

2. I am awesome at wrapping presents. 

3. Buffalo Chicken Salad is my favorite thing to eat, ever. 

4. When I was little, I insisted to be called 'Princess Aurora' for an entire year. 

5. I graduated from college at 20. Bachelor style.

6. I hate feet. (Except Lulu's.  They are the cutest things ever.)

7. My little sister and I used to have sleep-overs in each others rooms when I was in junior high. 

8. I love compliments on my cooking!

9. I am horrible at writing back to people.  I also feel super guilty about this...

10. I was home-schooled for two years.

11. I didn't have a pedicure until I was 21. 

12. I took four years of Latin and two years of Greek in high school. 

13. I am a super-duper blog creeper.  I suck at writing comments, but I probably like you a lot and pretend that we're blogfriends.  Yes, you. 

14. I got a tattoo on a whim two weeks after I turned eighteen.  My mom saw it a year later and flipped out.  Pretty funny in hindsight. 

15. I wear perfume to bed sometimes because it makes me feel fancy.

Phew!  Fifteen things is kind of a lot when you're making them up!  

Doin' It.

Idea stealing, that is.  If you haven't noticed, I blog almost never.  I'm half happiest I've been in a while, and half insanely bummed, which results in way too much mental chaos to put into words.  


SO, my blogfriend Jessica at Learning As We Go is doing this thing, and I'm totally copying.  Hopefully it will be enough to get me out of this life-funk and blogging rut!  Yay!


Day 0: The 30 Day Challenge Explanation and Description
Day 1: Introduce, recent picture of yourself, 15 interesting facts
Day 2: Meaning behind your blog name
Day 3: Your first love
Day 4: Your parents
Day 5: A song to match your mood
Day 6: A picture of something that makes you happy
Day 7: Favorite movies
Day 8: A place you've traveled to
Day 9: A favorite picture of your best friend
Day 10: Something you're afraid of
Day 11: Favorite tv shows
Day 12: Something you don't leave the house without
Day 13: Goals
Day 14: A picture of you last year - how have you changed?
Day 15: Bible verse
Day 16: Dream house
Day 17: Something you're looking forward to
Day 18: Favorite Place to Eat
Day 19: Something you miss
Day 20: Nicknames
Day 21: Favorite ALL TIME Picture of yourself. Why?
Day 22: What's in your purse?
Day 23: Favorite Movie
Day 24: Something you've learned
Day 25: Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs
Day 26: Your Dream Wedding
Day 27: Original Photo of the city you live in
Day 28: Something that stresses you out
Day 29: 3 Wishes
Day 30: a picture of yourself this day and 5 good things that happened since you started the challenge


Sounds interesting, eh?  See ya tomorrow!

Lulu has a tooth!

Her first one started poking through yesterday!  It's not so obvious, but I'm working on getting some pictures!

We're back from our awesome vacation to Maine, and a bit sad because the countdown to deployment is officially on.  I'll share more of the fun and vacation photos soon!

Throne stealing!

Cousin FUN!