A Piano and a Sweet Baby

I have been trying for AGES to get a piano. I was trying to get an real piano before I ever met Mary Kay (Ria's piano teacher). Literally, I think it's been over a year that I've been trying to purchase a piano. Well, there was this one time that the Spirit prompted me to talk to my Relief Society president about keeping her ear open for news of a free piano. Well, I didn't speak to her right when I felt the prompting and when I did she was SUPER upset to learn that I wanted one because she'd JUST (LITERALLY moments prior) given one away that needed a home! ARGHHhhhh! Ah, well. That'll teach me, right? Well, I wish that were so, but that's a who other issue.

So, in my search, I've found no fewer than 4 pianos that we've tried to purchase. At least 2 of those I had reached the 'talking to' stage/phase of trying to finalize a purchase (through Craigslist) when the deal fell through. What a BUMMER! There was this one piano that I had such a hankerin' for, too... it was JUST the right color. AHWELL!

Fast forward. I found another $100 piano (the amount I'd determined to spend, the amount those other pianos cost - money given to us for said purpose) this week and got in the 'talkin' phase. blahblahblah... Fast forward some more to today: WE GOT IT!!! It's quite a good piano for the price. We do need to tune it, but it's not too big of a deal (not too far out of tune). The move of it cost more than the piano! hahaha And hhheeeeeeerrre it IS:


Isn't it lovely? Ria has already practicee on it today. Kat has already played on it a little... though she was exiled from it for banging her sippy cup on the keys!! YIKES! It sounds nice and is in pretty good condition. I did a good wipe down of dust and stuff. It's a bit more fragile than I would like with my little ones, but I'll just have to work on keepin my eyes and ears out for them on/around it. It'll be all right.

I'm not officially taking piano lessons or anything and I'm not bustin my bum (cause I can't take the stress) over a specific number of days or amount of time spent practicing, but in my own mind I'm taking lessons right along with Ria. I've been working on the things she's supposed to be working on. I have a slight advantage since I do know some basic music stuff (since I played the flute a TINY bit in middle school)... but, for the most part it's new and exciting and I'm hopeful that I will be able to play the piano for our FHE songs at some point down the road! ^_^ A good and worthy goal, I think... especially since I never REALLY learned how to play the piano when I was a young and single female (foolish me!!).

I'm sure YouTube movies (on my channel - have you checked it out??) of Ria playing and singing will follow! Mary Kay gave Ria the song For Health and Strength to learn for Thanksgiving and Ria LOVES it! It's a Primary Song, too (though not with the same name). Mary Kay was very pleased with how well Ria played it on Tuesday and suggested getting more Primary songs for Ria to learn. Ria was TOTALLY stoked! Then Mary Kay suggested that maybe Ria could play while the Primary children sang at some point... and Ria was just about to jump right out of her skin! It was REALLY neat to witness. So... that may be something in the future... though I'm not sure if she wants to try for a Sacrament Meeting sort (since she's the Primary chorister) of thing or what. I almost hope NOT because people are sort of weird about Ria already (because of her reading)... ahwell. I guess I should really work on my thoughts & feelings because I should not even think about starting to put her light under a bushel, right? *sigh* That IS a problem for me... it's always easier to be impressive if no one knows about the good stuff! Ya know?

So, can you tell I'm excited about this newest addition to our household!? I AM!!!!

The other and even MORE wonderful addition, my Tea, is just amazing. She finally poohed yesterday. I know, I know... no one REALLY wants to hear about baby pooh. Bare wtih me, please. I want to illustrate another way my chubber sweetie is AWESOME. Okay. So, she hadn't poohed in more than 3 days. I could tell she really wanted to and was even trying at some points, but just couldn't get it out. And even though I could tell she was in pain, at times, she BARELY cried even on the last day when the pains were, obviously, the worst! She would screw up her face and get all red with the pushing... and she might he cry out when it hurt the most, but she NEVER started actually crying! And as soon as I was holding her and trying to comfort her, she would calm down. AND EVEN at least 3 times on that last day of constipation, she would talk and smile at me when I was trying to comfort her after I witnessed her totally in pain! Isn't that a SWEET baby!!!?? I pray that she will remain so sweet, tolerant, and easy as I certainly have a time with her two older sisters.... :) We'll see.

I'm pretty sure she is, at 5 weeks old, nearly the size of a 6 month old!!! Seriously. She fills up my lap, that's for sure. She is, at LEAST, almost bursting out of her 0-3 & 3-6 month onesies. Amazing, right? She's DEFINITELY bigger, at this age, than Ria or Kat were!!!!!!!!