One more . . .

I cannot help myself, I have to share yet another walking video. This time in the cutest outfit my mom got her. I am just so besotted, what can I say.



Two nights ago, I heard a little noise coming from Alice and went to her crib. She was talking in her sleep. Nothing intelligible, just sweet soft whispers. I am so curious about her inner life. She talks to us all the time, with such articulate cadence to her sentences. We just have no idea what she is saying. Soon. . .

As for more progress on the sleep front, last night she took a particularly long time to get to sleep. So long that I finally finished the last of the Palliser novels that I had begun reading in honor of election season. Tom had given me a new translation of Anna K for my birthday, but I couldn't go from Planty Pall to such uniquely unhappy families in the same night. Alice, though awake, was playing quietly in her crib so I decided to join Tom downstairs. She called for me a couple of times. Our conversation went like this:

Alice: Mama
Mama: Nite nite, Alice.
Alice: Mama
Mama: Nite nite, Alice.
Alice: Mama
Mama: Nite nite, Alice.
Alice: Mama
Mama: Nite nite, Alice.
Repeat.

But no crying, and she did finally go to sleep. So tonight, I read just the short first chapter and came downstairs. Papa, we owe you BIG TIME. Thank you so much for making all of this possible.

In other news, we have been having spreadsheet fun as we try and figure out just how much house we can buy. It remains somewhat of a mystery, as people mention the tax breaks you get for a kid and a mortgage. How much exactly to the penny is what I want to know for my spreadsheet!!! I also need to figure out how much water, trash, and insurance costs. More things came on the market this week. Of course, I then think, maybe we should wait and see what the economy does . . . but I think we both just want to buy a house and be done with the transient lifestyle!!! I just realized I need to add a column to our spreadsheet: cost of upgrading from grad student style collapsible furniture to grown-up home owner it-doesn't-matter-how-much-it-weighs cause we are hopefully never moving again furniture.

Any and all home buying tips are welcome!!!