A short sweet Valentines visit!

Grandma and Grandpa visited baby Neil and we all were just thrilled. We played and played and had dinner at Druthers downtown. The beers and appetizers were a real improvement on this summer's trials. Both the beer/cheese dip and the sauce that went with the fried mozzarella were lovely. We all enjoyed each others company the following morning, lazing around, visiting lamp stores, thrift shops and cuddling. Grandma and Grandpa drove home in the snow this afternoon...hoping to beat the storm named Nemo. I'll let you know how we fared and will share the visit's recipes in the am! For now, a few sweet photos.

Cubby Wisdom

The Bump

Today I got an email from The Bump entitled "13 ways to tell you're ready for another baby"...

Are you ready for another baby? Click here to find out!

Good god Bump. Seven months out and you've already got the Female Parts For Rent sign back up. Sigh.

Apple Experience

...I assure you it's probably not the norm. Neil doesn't get a whole lot of sleep at his little apple bottom peace palace, but just listen. They have a garden and a compost pile. They have a resident bun named Alfie and will be raising chickens in the spring. They visit the state park and the forest on a regular basis. I visit Neil twice a day and when I sniff his baby hair it is all granola and cinnamon and sautéed onions. He smells delicious. Not of bleach. Of love and outdoors and good food. I leave him and he's smiling. Today they made him a gnome hat. We are lucky.

New crystals of snow

Chowderfest 2013

When I finally woke up this morning (finally meaning 8:30, which is late around these parts lately), the sky was that leaden heavy grey and it looked and felt like snow . For whatever reason, Neil had a shitty night and was awake between 2am and 4am. I think it was farts, but honestly I'm sick of giving him excuses. He babbled to me and I snuggled against him in my bed until his conversation gave way to the sandman. So Colin gave me an extra hour to sleep it off this morning...

While Neil took his morning nap I visited the farmers market. In the winter it is literally a block away from where we live, but the walk had a chilly edge. The proximity of the market, fresh produce, local meat and live bluegrass...these wonderful things are not lost on me. We are lucky. The winter market is held in an elementary school, and I love to look at the children's art while I wait to exchange my empty milk bottles for full ones. It's always so bright and cheerful.

When I got back we headed downtown for the 15th annual Chowderfest. If you haven't gone, let me be the first to say that it is a lot of standing around in the cold for a little bit of chowder from each participating restaurant in town. Great for you if you have a beer jacket on. But Colin did it right this year, and with the HUGE prospect of a long sleeved t shirt on the horizon, we zipped through five restaurants to claim our prize.

Afterward we hit up the Henry St Taproom for a couple good beers and a seat by the fireplace. Neil played ladies man as usual. I actually enjoyed the way this panned out this year. Sure, there was no drunken craziness, no fights, no late night pool, no bar hopping. But now we're tucked away at home, with a homebrewed milk stout, watching the Devils play and the snow fly. I do believe I like this version of Chowderfest better.

I Love Friday

String Theory

Neil and I were invited to spend an afternoon at a homeschool space class. I learned about black holes and white holes, galaxies and solar systems while Neil got passed from mom to mom. He just loves everyone. At one point I looked down the row of mothers and just about everyone was knitting. I'd love to learn to knit again. My brief stint in Albany was disrupted by my move to Saratoga. I made it through maybe an eight of a scarf. Along the same lines, I spoke briefly with the presenter while the children were drawing galaxies. He tried to explain the String Theory to me, which is the idea that everything is made up of the same teeny tiny bundles of energy...possibly handed down by divine creation...and that they vibrate throughout the universe to make up gravity... And that if this idea is true, everything can be explained by one math equation...

I think I'll stick to learning how to knit for the time being...

Seven month update

Well here we are in February...Neil began his seven month on January 23rd.  So much has happened. Part of me wants to pick up where I left off, and another part just wants to leave a big gap there. I just looked back and realized I didn't even write about Christmas. Good lord...well...I suppose that's the reason...I just had to go help someone finish their nap...

Christmas was an exhausting whirlwind of extreme fun.  I don't think there could be a better holiday than your first baby's first Christmas.  Come on now.  He was held and doted on and loved up and snuggled down by all of his grandparents and got to play with his Uncle Mick.  We ate fondue at my parents' house. Man, I don't know why they want me to make it every year...I always drink wine and forget one thing or another.  This year I forgot to double the amount of wine, and the cheese ended up being really stringy, in a playfully funny way.  It provided some laughs and tasted great, so whatever. We spent Christmas morning at the Schweizers, and Christmas evening at the Corbetts.  We did end up having a White Christmas, and fireplaces and woodstoves were aglow.  Truly, it was a magical week spent close to family.  Neil was just starting to sit up, and he got lots of practice while playing with his myriad of toys.  He also spent an evening with his (generous) Ani, while we blew off some steam during a Phish show at MSG.

So then the whole month of January happened. I'd like to say that nothing exciting happened, but of course it did...however so small. 

At Neil's six month appointment his pediatrician suggested we get him a head xray (!) to make sure his plates weren't fusing shut too early (!).  So I spent a day schlepping around getting daycare sorted out and giving this poor kid to the not-so-friedly xray technicians.  He gave me a bewildered look at one point and I just couldn't imagine what it would be like to have to endure more than this one medical experience with your child.  The results were fine, but it was a stressful day.  I'm fine with not living that experience out again. 

We spent the rest of the month in flurries and frigid temperatures here.  Neil has tried bananas, avocados, carrots, mangos, sweet potatoes, squash, rice cereal and applesauce.  He is so not a big fan of avocado and lukewarm to the rest. Sometimes he's real into stuff and other times he snubs the spoon.  He's sitting without assistance now, and endures less and less topples as the days go on.  He LOVES Doug and gives him a big smile.  I'm hearing a lot of DA DA DA DA DA especially when he is tired or whiny.  Since he has started at Apple House he has had a lot of sniffles and coughs, so we recently bought this humidifier to help alleviate sickness symptoms.  His room does feel a lot better now.  I'm happy with the product so far too, as it is not made with BPA or phthalates. Neil is also taking baths in the "big boy" bath tub....the enormous clawfoot cast iron tub.  We might need a smaller baby bath tub to put inside this thing...it's just too much water for one small nugget!

I guess that's it really.  Colin has been brewing and I have been enjoying the balance of work and staying home.  I like my work, teaching kids about the great outdoors, and I really want Neil to see/understand that women are capable of doing more than staying in the home and taking care of children (even though mothering is the hardest, most rewarding, hardest, best job of all).  I feel like this sounds snarky but by no means is it meant to be. Stay at home moms rule. And so do working moms.

Ok. I'm bouncing around.  I'll have plenty to write about in the coming days.  I'm just going to have to do a better job of sitting down to blog regularly. On tap this weekend is Chowderfest and the Superbowl, and next week my parents are visiting.  So that's lots of eats and good times awaiting us! Photo time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One more Saturday Night...

I know there is so much to write about, Christmas, New Years, what Neil's been up to, dreams for 2013...but right now I just want to relax into the evening. There's a chicken roasting in the oven and a small boy in my lap. We are enveloped in fog after a walk through the muddy cold town and I couldn't be happier. It's a new version of Saturday night.

First Day at Apple House

Tomorrow

Da da daaaaaa....is Neil's first day at Apple Blossom Bunch hippie wonderland day care...feel free to send me flowers and chocolate at work.

Big N

You know you're a mama when...

Neil's 6 month well visit

15lbs 10oz
25.5 inches
16.5 inch head circumference