28

I am mostly finished with my 28th birthday. I am not one to list the wonderful things people did for me or pretend like my husband is perfect or far better than he is, but today was so great that it seems notable for history and all that Jazz.

Mind you, before I start, my baby is crying and sleeping on my bed in another room. She's been struggling at this time of night. I tried to go to the store to get her acid reflux medicine today, and they told me that my insurance dropped her from our coverage without telling me. Her medicine was too expensive without coverage. So, the day has not been ALL great. Only mostly great. Perspective is important.

My 28th birthday really started a few weeks ago when my mom kept asking what I wanted for my birthday. She got my wheels turning. I narrowed it down to three things in different price ranges to cover my bases. She ended up sending me check, and since I had been thinking about it for so many weeks, I just went straight out and treated myself to the Bosch mixer I had put on the list. This is something I would NEVER normally buy for myself. But for about the last 5 years I have handed my birthday check to my husband in one way or another, and this year I decided I was due for a gift.

I went yesterday to get the mixer and made bread in about an hour and a half. Tim was impressed when he got home, and I think it warmed him up to the mixer and me spending the money on me.

I thought my birthday was basically over last night as I was getting ready for bed ... and then when Tim opened the door to the garage to throw something out there, I saw a bunch of balloons. I called him out, and he smiled and got all excited about giving me "all my gifts." What? There's gifts, I thought. I can't remember getting a birthday gift in a very long time. We just don't really do that.

Tim came in the house with the balloons, a new laptop, a Michael Jackson CD, a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos and a carton of Bryers Mint Chip. WOW!! It was a party. I was so excited. We were going to buy a laptop anyway, but the fact that he actually went and did it and got what I wanted when I wanted it was really cool to me. I was probably just as touched at the MJ CD. As we all know I have a special love for young Michael Jackson and a great sadness for old, crazy Michael. I had been wanting a complication CD. He did the research and got the best one. He was very thoughtful -- Far more so than I was for him just 3 weeks ago.

In the morning, I sent Quinn to a friend's house, and my Lindsay took me to Mimi's Cafe for breakfast. We took only our babies and had a wonderful conversation over muffins and eggs. It was quiet and peaceful and wonderful. We both ended up nursing our little ones the entire meal, which would have seemed stressful to new moms, but we had a table in the corner and never took one thought about it (unless avocado started landing in McKenna's hair.)

I've spent the rest of the day with my girls since Tim is at work. I watched a movie while Quinn took a three hour nap, and then we watched a little TV while I set up my computer. Then we went outside to play with balls. We ran around like crazy until we were too tired to go on. Quinn ate a great dinner, and McKenna took a whole oz of a bottle. One of my favorite moments of the day was when Quinn actually starting Happy Birthday to me as I scooped her out some mint chip. She normally only seems ice cream with cake at birthday parties, and she put it all together. It made me want to just squeeze and kiss her. I did a lot of that today.

I am off to take a bubble bath with my little one, and then Tim is coming home to make me dinner. Sounds like a plan!

Anyway, it has been a great day. I don't love getting older, but it helps that Bridget, Kari and Lindsay are all SOOOO much older than I am!!! :)