shake it fast!

I've loved dancing for as long as I can remember. I remember when my parents gave me a leotard and tights for Christmas along with my first ever ballet class at the Cleveland School of Dance. Before that, my sister, cousins, friends and I would "choreograph" (read: talk about) dances and shows and perform them on the "stage" (read: bench) in nanny and papa's basement. Thinking back on it now I feel like I was probably always the one that instigated this and dragged others with me. We played "Burnin' Down the House," and "Mousercize" records on their record player and thought we were so freaking cool.

I remember my awesome outfit for the jazz routine in my first recital. There's still a picture of it floating around somewhere. Hot pink. Rainbow Sequins. Silver shoes. Sequin Headband. Hawt.

I remember playing my dad's Cathy Dennis "Move to This" CD over and over again in the living room to practice my moves.

I can still remember so many dances from all my years of classes and cheerleading... to Big Band, Rusted Root, 2 guys banging on pots, pans, and tables (seriously), rainforest sounds, Coolio, U2, REO Speedwagon, the Beastie Boys. Wearing bleach-stained unitards, chevron pants, ballet skirts that my mom sewed for me, anything that my (eccentric) dance teacher could find in bulk at the thrift store.

That was such a big part of my life. I bet my mom and dad can remember a lot of what I'm talking about. I even sucked both of them into dancing at one point or another (mom, just for a class I think; dad, for multiple rehearsals and a public performance!)

Stopping dancing (in high school, when I decided the weekly classes and rehearsals took too much time away from friends and boyfriends) is probably one of the only things I regret in my life. Since I stopped formally dancing, my personal career has continued. Sophomore year of college my roommate and our closest friends choreographed a dance for... ourselves... because... we were bored? and rehearsed for hours a night until the person beneath us complained. In addition to David's and my sometimes nightly dance parties in our living room, I also convinced him to perform a choreographed first dance at our wedding. I convinced a team at work that we should make a video for one of our clients with all of the popular dances commonly done at weddings so that they could practice and participate with their family. Dancing when I was pregnant with Ellie was the thing that made me happiest and made us laugh the most. Really, a pregnant woman dancing is a w e s o m e. In the first few weeks when Ellie was only happy if she was being bounced around, we learned that putting on music and bouncing to the beat makes it so much more tolerable, fun even. You should try it--feeling grumpy? Stuck doing something that you don't want to do? Click this link and shake it fast. You'll feel better.

I hope Ellie loves to dance. I hope she'll ask me to make up shows with her. Maybe she won't want to take classes, but she'll be expected to participate in family dance parties. And hopefully she'll teach me how to dougie.

tummy time in months

As her half birthday approaches, I can't stop myself from looking and thinking back to the beginning. It's unbelievable how much she's changed and how much she's changed my life.

Click on the picture to make it bigger so you can really appreciate her beauty :)

smorgasbord

I didn't forget about this place, but I haven't found the time (or motivation) to hang around here. A few quick updates and a super cute pic of the girl:

• Everyone tells you they grow up so fast, but it's unbelievable to see it happen. It took so long for her to grow and develop during the 40 long weeks of pregnancy, and I didn't realize all the craziness and change that would happen in just the first few months of her life. I can't wait to order invites to her first birthday party. (what up, tiny prints?!)
  
• She's over 5 months old, has her very own high-chair (thanks to a well-planned ebay purchase by dad) and is slightly obsessed with any food that is in her reach. Actually, she's pretty much obsessed with any object that is in or out of her reach and is letting us know by attempting to dive-bomb off our laps in the direction of everything she sees. She's enjoyed avocado and sweet potato meals and thinks both are finger foods.
• She's getting pretty good at sitting up on her own (unless she's practicing her aforementioned dive-bomb technique) and figured out how to roll all the way around which makes her much more mobile than we are ready for. I'm excited for all that is to come, but can't believe our little girl might be thinking about crawling and walking soon?!

• She loves Alden, her feet, when people cough, the remote control, jumping (like crazy!) in her jumperoo, standing up in her walker, napping in our bed, peeing with her diaper off, and clawing the crap out of our faces in the morning.
• David and I are still a little lost and more exhausted/disheveled than I'd like to admit, but I wouldn't change anything. Life is wonderful!