Week 35?! How did we get here so quickly? How in the world is it 2011? It's hard to believe how close we are to the arrival of Baby Ov. There's not many days that go by when we don't proclaim "just __ more weeks!!" We're making our way through the last of our baby preparation list. I continually fret over what's left to do while Mike is able to relax in the knowledge that we've gotten most major tasks done. Quite typical for us.
I mentioned a few posts back about how it had been four years since our first date. New Year's Eve was the fourth anniversary of our second date. I seem to remember staying up most of the night and into the next morning during our second date. Fast forward four years later - we watched New York ring in the New Year and then headed to bed. In our defense, we got up at 5 AM the next morning to head to Pasadena and see the Rose Parade. It was one of my goals to see it and Mike surprised me with tickets he bought all the way back in February!
We loved the parade. The weather was perfectly clear, sunny and crisp. We had great seats and oohed and awwed over each of the floats. The pictures below are a few of our favorite floats. Note the gloved hand in one of the photos. There was a man sitting two rows ahead of us who waved his hand high at each passing float. It's actually a miracle that of these three photos - just one of them has his hand in it. At first it was a bit annoying but by mid-parade we got a kick out of his waving hand. I bet he had a sore arm today.
Mike has blogged a few times about his hopes for Baby Ov. He wants to be sure she isn't afraid "toss her hat in the ring", would like to keep her off reality shows like "Bachelor Pad", and wants her to understand basic airplane etiquette. I concur with all of his goals for our little girl. After our morning at the Rose Parade, I have a few things I'd like to add to that list. About halfway through the parade, a few girls from one of the Rose Bowl game schools showed up to find their seats. They were in the row behind us and from the time they sat down until the end of the parade, they had a constant running broadcast of their thoughts of LA/CA/Pasadena/the parade. They were of the opinion that everyone in California was rude and had no manners whatsoever. They felt that weather was freezing (one of them was wearing a little dress that came about 6 inches above her knees with nothing covering her legs and short boots). They thought that every school band marching in the parade came from their state. They proclaimed that never in a million years would they ever live anywhere other than their home state. All in all, they just couldn't wait to get out of Los Angeles and back to their great state!
I'm all for a little pride in where you're from but my hope for Baby Ov is that she isn't so small minded that she believes everything in the world revolves around where she's from. I want her to have a healthy love for her home, mixed with curiosity and respect for places in the world that aren't exactly like what she's grown up with. Mike and I have both been lucky enough to do some traveling through the years and have even lived in a few different states than where we grew up. I hope we're able to provide our baby girl with some of the same opportunities we had. I want her to take in the differences of the place she's visiting, be respectful and appreciative of the new experience and put any potential negatives into perspective.
It's a daunting prospect to know that we're going to raise an actual person. It's up to us ensure she's a functioning and productive member of society. And hopefully we can keep her off reality tv shows, have some etiquette on planes, not be afraid to try something new, and appreciate new and different places and experiences.
Here's to a happy and healthy 2011 for all of you. We're so excited about what's to come in the next year!
