Love Letter to Auntie and Uncle

I hope no one minds indulging me in a bit of sentimentality today...

I was sitting on the front lawn with Olive, Jolie and Leah the other day, and the mailman came walking up with a box addressed to Miss Olive. Of course we couldn't wait to go inside to open it! Inside was the cutest hooded jacket and a jumper for Olive from our favorite Elmhurst family, the Husains. It just so happens it was getting a bit chilly, so Olive put the jacket on right away and we snapped a couple of shots:


This was just one in a line of packages and cards that come from the Husain residence, and lately I've been thinking about my Aunt Bini and her role in my life. My fondest childhood memories are of my aunt whisking me away for adventures in Chicago and beyond. We ate exotic foods, visited museums, spent many hours at "the dark place" (the mall), and wiled away days at her adorable house in Oak Park, where I would catch fireflies, pick blackberries in her backyard and run around pretending to be a city kid. My time spent with her was a refuge from my sometimes tumultuous home life. She was also an important connection to my mother, who lived so far away.

Then along came Uncle Itrat, with his funny mustache and funnier laugh. From the very start he treated me like his own flesh and blood, introduced me to wonderful food and people, and put up with me through my bratty teen years and never once judged. Together Bini and Itrat had two wonderful children who have grown up into wonderful adults, each as caring and kind as their parents!

I am writing this because I am just awful at letting people know how much I love them, and I am touched each and every time a package arrives, or a card, or an email inquiring about Olive's latest adventures. Bini and Itrat have been a huge part of my life and so many of my good memories involve them. They have been more than "just" and Aunt and Uncle, and they continue to be more to Olive and I feel so grateful to have them in my life.

So, thank you.

And our first word is...

Yesterday I was in the living room with Olive, and Hannah was whining at the back door to go outside. She'd been outside just a moment before, so I knew she was just trying to lure me back there to throw the frisbee for her. I tried to ignore her barks and whines, but finally grew impatient and called sternly,"Hannah!!"
"Annah" a tiny voice chirped back at me. No! I thought...there's no way she just said her first word.

"Hannah" I said again.

"Annah"

"Hannah!"

"Hah na"

Since then she has said it 3 more times, each time parroting back when we say Hannah first. It figures her first word wouldn't be mama or daddy, but the word used most in our house. We say Hannah about 1000 times a day, usually followed by "No!"

Along with talking, walking seems imminent. Olive now pulls herself up to standing easily, and is starting to pull such daredevil maneuvers as taking both hands off the table at once. This is usually followed by a crash to the ground, but she is also learning how to balance quickly. I'm very, very scared of the walking phase.

Mother's Day was very nice. We had a beautiful day. I got to sleep in! Then we went to Costco and bought some nice steaks, and Andrew prepared them using an America's Test Kitchen preparation, which involves heating them in a low oven until they reach about 100 degrees, then quick-searing them on the grill. Best steaks he ever made!

We've visited the test studio at Lifetouch twice to have photos taken. Supposedly we have prints coming, but I didn't get them in time to send to Grandmas for mother's day, so I'm feeling a little let down about it. We did manage to get some of the photos on disk though, so we will probably just make some prints ourselves.

As unbelievable as it may seem, I am already planning Olive's first birthday party! Save the date for August 16th and get your ticket to Minneapolis. She is growing up so fast!