A Promise to you, The Reader.

Argh, the post I just tried to post disappeared, so the gist of it was I'm so sorry that all I ever start with is "oh my baby is growing so fast; he's almost ____ old." I promise to find a new way to begin my blogs, hopefully with something more exciting.

Shh, shh, shh, baby sound asleep.

It's the only time I get a chance to write these days, when the baby is sleeping. Quick updates. Ethan will be five months old come Monday. He's been eating solids now for about three weeks; we started with brown rice cereal, then bananas (his favorite), sweet potatoes and most recently, avocado. He'll eat just about anything as long as it's mixed with bananas. I know I say it (write it?) all the time, but it's amazing how fast the time has gone by. I look at pictures of him when he was brand new and cry now; I barely recognize that baby. Don't get me wrong; who he is now is fabulous. The smiles, the giggles, the way he holds onto me, or lights up when he sees his dad or brother-- his personality shines through more and more every day. Every day I find myself wanting to savor every minute, wishing I could remember it forever. And now I'm tearing up, so moving on.

We're doing some crafty housework these days. We tore up the gawd-awful carpet in the living room to find the original pine floors underneath. After briefly considering putting down bamboo floors, we decided instead to just sand and seal what we had. So last night, our was filled with the fumes of polyurethane and much to our dismay, it made the floors look horrific. Jason will be sanding again tomorrow, in hopes to bring it back to how it looked before. Next week, we'll paint the walls and he'll build shelves for all of my books! Also next week, before the shelf-building, we're taking a mini-vacation to Richmond. We're taking the boys to King's Dominion for two days and then to the Children's Museum one day. It will be nice to spend that time together and I'll be able to ride some roller coasters. Really, that's what I'm most excited about.

And now I'm going to try again to post some pictures from this past weekend in Winston Salem. My friend Kelley got married, and because Jason had a gig, Whitney came along to help out with Ethan. Thank goodness she was there; I'm not sure I could ever be a single parent.

One from last week; Ethan snuggled up in his favorite blanket:


Sweet potato 'stache:


Lily Tomlin Chair:


Ethan, Max and me!




Okay; I officially suck at uploading pictures onto this blog. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd appreciate it. But anyway, there are a ton more on my webshots page, so check that out. And if you're in or near Winston-Salem anytime soon, I highly recommend the Children's Museum. Of course, you should take a kid with you. I mean, we took an almost five month old, and looked a little funny, but whatever works. And then you should walk around the corner to Mary's, Of Course, a delicious little restaurant that serves local goods and makes the most awesome oatmeal brownies.

And Another Thin(g)

I've recently become obsessed with the idea of children's museums. Next weekend, we're taking a mini-vacation to Richmond with both boys and my folks. We'll do two half days at King's Dominion, but I'm most excited about taking them to the Children's Museum of Richmond. And this weekend, I'm down in Winston-Salem, where I've discovered they also have a children's museum. This is where we're going tomorrow. I know Ethan is too young to really play, but I want to explore and see if it will be worth a Friday trip in a few months when he's more mobile. I'm already dreaming up a place in Roanoke/Salem, where I can run a children's library and reading programs as my next potential job. Let me know if there's anyone who wants to help get one going, or just fund us.

Think, Think, Think.

Recently, I've found myself turning off the radio and the iPod in the car while I'm driving. I've found the quietness to be much more effective for processing, and I really enjoy listening to Ethan's coos, giggles and sighs.
I've had a lot to think about these days. I go back to work in just about a month-- actually, a month from today. That means Ethan is almost five months old. Where did the past five months go? Five months ago, I was pregnant and round and laboring on and off and now, I'm laying next to my very soft and cuddily baby boy. I've been thinking a lot about how I'm going to handle teaching and being a mom and squeeze in a workout, not to mention time for Jason and me, time with my friends and family and some time just for me. It's a bit daunting, despite the fact that I know so many women who do it successfully.
I've been thinking a lot about the kind of person I want to be/hope I am. I've been trying to be more deliberate in my words and actions. I hope that when I encounter people, I leave behind a positive feeling. Today, Jason and I went to lunch; we just needed to spend some time together. Our waitress was very sweet; she was young and enthusiastic and helpful. She engaged us in coversation; made suggestions; complimented our baby. As Jason was paying the check, I went and found a manager, just to let him know how wonderful she had been. I think far too often we focus on and voice our opinions on things we don't like rather than the things we do like and appreciate. Before we had even left, her manager had passed on the compliment to her and Jason and both walked out feeling like we had left their days a little better than before. It sounds cheesy, but I still like the Girl Scout motto-- leave things better than you found them.
And in my thinking tonight, I'll be thinking about Randy Pausch and his family. Randy is the Carnegie-Mellon professor who wrote The Last Lecture. He passed away today. Here's a link to an article about him:
And if you haven't read his book, The Last Lecture, you should. It will definitely make you think.

The cliche is true; kids grow so quickly. Our search for childcare has ended (I hope; fingers crossed). Until the deal is sealed, I won't write out the details, but it's the third best thing (next to one of us, or a grandparent). It will really make me feel more secure about going back to work.
Ethan is 4 1/2 months old today. Four and a half months! There are times when I remember being pregnant like it was yesterday. I can still clearly recall the day he was born and it makes me sad that one day those details will become fuzzy. He started eating brown rice cereal two weeks ago and he's mostly liked it. The other day we started bananas. He loves bananas! I mush about 1/3 of one up in the food mill and thin it out with a little breastmilk and he goes to town. Next up is sweet potatoes and then maybe pears or some squash. I have to admit that I'm pretty excited about this latest development. Is it sad that I'm looking forward to a weekend night at home, pureeing and making baby food? I mean, two years ago my weekend nights were all generally spent in bars listening to music, usually closing the place down. Now, it's almost 11pm as I type this and I think it's super late.
And Halsey. Halsey who looks more and more like his dad everytime I see him. Halsey who makes me-- all of us, really-- laugh when he tilts his head to the side and says, "It will be fun," so matter of factly. Halsey who is obsessed with helicopters and guitars, who loves to draw on the sidewalk with chalk and who is a great conversationalist. Most recently, he's been learning about safety around the house. He can open the front door by himself and has been known to slip out oh-so-quietly (he's never made it farther than the front porch before he's busted). We've talked about how he can only go outside with an adult. He can only cross the street when he's holding hands with an adult. He can (fill in the blank) with an adult. Of course, in three-year old speak, he says "I can only go outside with a dult." With a dult. How cute is that? These are things I hope we never forget.

Backyard Campout

Remember when I wrote about Jason being the best dad in the whole wide world? Here are some pictures to prove it. The boys' backyard campout, 2008!

Cereal Killer

So today was the big day-- we started Ethan on cereal. We had originally planned to wait until he was 5, 5 1/2 months, to get him used to it before he starts going full time to the sitter. But I just knew he was ready. He sits up with support, he can take 7 ounces or more of pumped milk and he's so interested in watching us eat. At times, he'll study us and then move his hands back and forth to his mouth. So tonight we tried the brown rice cereal and he did great! He loved it. I can't believe he's eating cereal; he is growing up way too quickly. His personality is really starting to develop, too. He loves music (his favorite song is the "Yes, Dear" theme song. It makes him giggle every single time). We can tell now when he wants to be a part of everything or when he'd rather spend some time on his own. He's discovered his feet and is fascinated with them. In a few weeks, we're going to Richmond and we'll visit the Children's Museum there and I'm looking forward to both of the boys experiencing that. I think one of the greatest things about being a parent is introducing them to new experiences and being a part of their growth and learning.

And now, some pictures!

My Boys.

Just notes:
-Ethan is four months old, as of Friday. These four months have gone by more quickly than any time before. I wish I could videotape every moment; I don't ever want to forget how soft his skin is, how fresh he always smells to me, the peachfuzz on his shoulder, the sound of his giggle or of his cry (it still sounds like a kitten to me). I don't ever want to forget the way he nuzzles into my neck when he's tired, or the way he loves to sit outside and swing or how much he loves music. I just don't ever want to forget. (And now I'm crying).
-Halsey suddenly no longer seems like a toddler to me; he's a boy. He's a preschooler. He's so observant and so sweet. He always tells me he loves me, he loves to hold and kiss Ethan, he adores Jason. His laugh is contagious. Ever since our neighbors put up tents in the their backyards (we think for out-of-town guests), Halsey has been obsessed with camping. So today, he and Jason went to store and bought supplies for a backyard campout. They set up the tent, built a fire, roasted hotdogs and made smores. They're outside now, sleeping. I hope Halsey has incredible memories of the times he and his dad spend together.
-Jason, my number one. Tomorrow is our one year anniversary and I am thankful for our relationship. He is a great husband, an incredible father, and a best friend. I'm looking forward to many, many more anniversaries.

And pictures will be updated as soon as I can find some more time. It's harder to get and stay organized these days, but I'll get them up soon. :)