Valentine’s Day 2007. Spent with screaming and crying (but cute) baby who will, in a week or two, cut her first tooth. (I’m sure hoping, because there’s got to be an end to the wailing and gnashing of… well, gums, at this point.)

(Drool control was on overtime today, and after multiple outifts changes to remove onesies that were soaking wet around the neck, I gave up and left her in a bib and diaper. Thus the picture of the happy, free spirited exhibitionist baby.)

On the plus side, Tylenol and cold teethers are helping. And Wes arranged to have Chili’s take out brought home to me! (We can’t get onto one of the bases here, and it’s the base that has Chili’s. Through various schemes and plotting, Wes worked it all out, and it was a wonderful Valentine’s Day dinner. Even if there was a nearly naked baby pushing herself around the kitchen in a walker and drooling all over my clean floors and a teether while I ate. At least she let me eat! )

Wes got Ana an “exciting play box” for Valentine’s Day. You can see it behind her in the picture. Let me tell you — this is one Japanese toy that lives up to its name. Hours of baby entertainment in one cube! Ana seems to like it, especially the shapes from the shape sorter side that are just the right size for her mouth.

I got Wes hardback copies of all the Harry Potter books, which he is already enjoying. He should, since he personally ordered them. I can’t criticize too much, though, since my gift — a china serving dish to match the plate Wes got me a couple of months ago — was no surprise either. Our wedding china is a Noritake pattern that they sell here in Japan. We didn’t bring the pieces we have with us when we moved here, and to complete the rest of the set here and ship it back to the US would be more expensive than just buying the rest of it in the US one day. (And on the same token, shipping what we already have over here and buying the rest here would also be very expensive since china has to be double boxed, then would have to be mailed priority international to keep it from breaking, yada, yada, yada.) This made me very sad because I LOVE that pattern and they have it here, so to make me feel better, Wes had me pick out a really colorful and totally different Japanese-style pattern to collect, have, and enjoy while we’re here. (And when the day comes for us to head back, I’m, of course, going to ship it on ahead of us. Like I’ll be able to leave it behind! I don’t know if Wes knows that, but by the time that day comes, he’ll have so much else to ship that he won’t even realize that I slipped a few pieces of china into the load! Then, I’ll have two sets of very different, very nice china. Hmm… almost like I planned that all along, huh? )

Anyway, good day overall. Not that different from every other day, though, since Wes is always kind, sweet, and romantic. Aww… And since Ana is usually irritated for some reason or other.

Hope yours is great as well…