Baby Rule #?: Dress Warmly

Our house is pretty drafty. It was built in the 40's and has no insulation (unless you count two layers of brick covered in plaster as insulation which I don't) the walls are cold to the touch. As a consequence we dress in layers as warm as we can find. I also have a penchant for putting Jo in dresses - every day of the week if I can. Auntie Jen has a weakness for buying Jo awesome shoes. And my love for 'girly' hair dos and accessories is well documented. All of these things culminated this week in a level of adorableness that has no precedent in this house.

Behold our cherub.

Holiday Rule #2: Or don't

We may have recognized Pancake Day in this house, but we did much less for Valentines. I've never been much of a fan of Valentine's Day to be honest. There's no mass distribution of cards in schools in the UK so it was only fun if you actually got a card. Valentines is definitely a "Hallmark Holiday" in my opinion and I'm all for a boycott. Unless you see a particularly cute outfit at Target. And it's pretty cheap. And you can't help yourself.

Apparently my principles can't stand up to cute. 

In my defense there weren't really other celebrations around these parts. Though we did make a few cards and send them out to some prospective boyfriends.... 

Holiday Rule #1: Celebrate anything you want

Pancake Day in this case!
Who doesn't love an excuse to make crepes and macerate strawberries?!
We always celebrated Pancake Day growing up. I had no idea about Mardi Gras until I moved to the States - such an interesting difference in interpretation there, no? We'll be sticking with pancakes in our house I believe.

Sleeping Rule #1: Take pictures?

I read somewhere once that you shouldn't take pictures of people when they are sleeping because it violates an intensely private situation. The thinking being that if you are witnessing someone else sleeping they obviously trust you and you'd be violating that trust to take pictures of the drool spilling across their pillow.  I am undecided though. For only one reason - Jo falls asleep with me much less than she used to and I know one day she won't fall asleep with me at all. And I want to remember this perfection:

Appearance rule #1: Don't be fooled

So that's technically not my rule, but we all know it's true. Here's another proof of it.

You might look at this dog and think - "Huh, there's one of those silly little lap dogs who are kind of lame, sitting around on fluffy pillows and generally being ridiculous"

But you would be wrong, because this dog is a genius. 

A genius I tell you! 

Turning 30 Rule #2: Get Something You've Always Wanted

In my case, I have always wanted an ice cream cake. No one gets you an ice cream cake when your birthday is in January and everyone wants hot chocolate on account of the brass monkey weather.

We used to go to volleyball night with at church when I was younger. Afterward we would sometimes go to Baskin Robbins. They had a book of ice cream cakes there. I can still remember some of the pictures.  A rabbit and a clown (don't they know about the general clown/creepiness situation?)  were at least two of the options.

Anyway, for months before my birthday I was coaching Adam that the one thing I really wanted was an ice cream cake.
I got one.  A delicious Coldstone chocolate ganauche confection of many wonders. With my name written on it even.

And I violently hacked it apart with a large knife apparently.

There's no need to be alarmed. Irene clearly wasn't.

Illness Rule #1: Don't give it to the baby

Take any measures necessary.

Even if the baby looks at you funny.