Habbakuk 1:5b

"For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe even if you were told." Habbakuk 1:5b

Friday, July 31, 2009

We've been busy

We have been busy busy busy at Grandma's house. TBL went through this 3 mo growth spurt which was super fun. Daddy has missed both of his major growth spurts but ironically Daddy is getting less sleep away from the two of us than we are. TBL is also called 'the bug' or 'bug' for short so I took a picture of him in his adorable bug onesie while we were out for a walk. On Wednesday afternoon, we went to the Canastota Dunkin Donuts to meet Lizzie and Phil who are in from London for Lizzie's sister's wedding. They brought their niece along with them who slept the entire time. For living across an ocean, I sure have seen these two a lot this year. Three times in 9 months-- not bad :-) We had a delightful visit over coffee and donuts.
On Wednesday night Bill, Gabby and I were all signed up for a 5K cross country race on the west side of the city. Well Bill and Gabby didn't accompany me on this adventure so I ran it alone. It was a super tough course. The weather was overcast, humid and a bit rainy but not really hot. I ran fast for me considering that 3 months ago at the exact same time I was having contractions and getting ready to push out TBL (rather getting ready to try for almost 4 hours to push out TBL). I finished in 30:52 which is a 9:56 pace. My best 5K time in my 'prime' last summer was 28:18. I am thrilled with myself for getting back out there and not being so far off my times from last summer while still carrying around 13 extra pounds. I did end up passing this gal in the pink right near the finish. She ran a great race as well.

Red faced and happy after the race
My mom stayed home to put TBL to bed and my dad went with me. He walked around the course to cheer me on and took plenty of pictures.
On Thursday we all (Mom, Dad, TBL, me, my niece Madison and brother David) up to the Adirondacks to Old Forge which is about 1.5 hours north of Syracuse. We played car bingo on teh way up and were really missing Bill because one of the cards has a 'bald man' on it. My dad was the judge and the final say and was really strict. He wouldn't let us use an overpass as a bridge. He insisted a bridge was over water. Everyone won a few rounds and were glad that we didn't get the chance to mark 'skunk smell'. We spent the day at Enchanted Forest Water Safari (where the fun never stops). We had a blast. We got to eat lunch at the Pied Piper which is a greasy roadside restaurant which is a must during a trip to Old Forge. David, Madison and I got to ride a bunch of water slides and my folks hung out with TBL. TBL did great there in the park just chillin' in the stroller, going on walks and in the car except for the last 20 minutes he screamed to let us know we were late for his bed time. He passed out right when we got home and he got in his jammies and had milks. I love the Adirondacks. I love the scenery and the smells and the memories of spending time up at Saranac in the summer just enveloped me as soon as we crossed into the park. My mom took tons of pics of us at the park that I'll have to post later.
Madison spent the night and this morning we hung out before heading out to the mall. Madison just loves TBL and the feeling is mutual. He just laughs and coos and smiles at her.
After we went to the mall, we had lunch at the famous Syracuse original, Dinosaur BBQ. TBL had some milks while we all had BBQ. It was delicious!
Here is a shot of us outside. I can't wait to keep coming back here and taking pics at all of our favorite places as he grows up; Dinosaur, Sno Top, Pavones, Swan Pond, Enchanted Forest and he will have a visual timeline of his visits to Grandmas house.
He's one lucky, loved little boy!
I can't believe our week is up and we have to leave tomorrow. I am trying not to be sad. I am missing my husband so once I can get through security and stop crying about leaving my folks I'll be excited to be on my way back home.




Tuesday, July 28, 2009

he's going to be a genius and helpful and well mannered and neat

Well it was another tiring shopping morning for TBL. He did great and even transferred well to the car seat and got in the house all asleep but then Mommy opened the front door too loud and up he was. Ugh! Grandma is trying to put him back down for a snooze now. Well that didn't work so Mommy gave him some more milks and around the block once and now he's out again in the stroller on the front porch. Grandma and I are enjoying the nice weather sitting out on the porch with him.
We bought him some great toys today. Firstly is this really cool fish pond that he can load and unload. It has a seahorse in it which is crucial to his development. I didn't know seahorses were real until I was 25. I thought they were mythical like unicorns. I went to the New England Aquarium with two friends while I lived in Boston and the first tank I saw when I walked in was the seahorses. I freaked out, had my face on the glass practically shouting 'they're real. they're real'. I called my mom and scolded her for not telling me as a child that seahorses were real. 'I didn't think I had to' she responded. Well TBL is going to know from toddlerdom that yes seahorses are real.
Next we got this great wooden memory game for car rides. TBL is going to be a genius. He'll probably have all 7 double sided cards memorized by the time he is 7.
Adding to his genius are going to be these characteristics; helpful, well mannered and neat. We got this great magnetic responsibility chart with tasks on it like say thank you, no whining, make your bed, set the table, help with indoor chores, help with outdoor chores, feed your pet, pick up your toys etc and then little smiley faces for each day of the week. I will need advice from my friends who are mothers of helpful, well mannered and neat children ( you know who you are) about when you start introducing responsibility. I just want to know when I can break out the cool magnetic chore chart.  
Back to the genius part of play is this really cool wooden and magnetic book of letters. I like it especially because Q is for quail and not quiet or queen like lots of other books.
We found this for our friends, the Pradarellis. They have two girls, Abby and Emma, too bad they are in 7th and 5th grade and way past dressing up dolls because this would have been the perfect set for them. 
Grandma is going to have a full load for TBL when she and Grandpa drive out over Labor Day weekend. 

back to clogging the drain

Well a year ago about this time I got pregnant with TBL. Is that too much information? Too bad. For everyone who knows me, I have a thick dark curly head of hair and for as long as I can remember I have been clogging drains in the shower. Soon after I became pregnant, the shedding of my hair stopped. I could brush it without having a ton fall down my back and I have spent the last 12 months not having to clean out the shower drain after every shower. Well the honeymoon for my hair is over. As thick as it got when I was pregnant and post partum, it is now back to my pre pregnancy shedding and drain clogging. It was nice when it lasted. Don't worry about your stock in Drano going down because I'm back as a loyal customer.

Monday, July 27, 2009

TBL is exhausted

We have had a great time so far at Grandma's. My brother, David, and his family (Melissa and Madison) had us over for a BBQ on Sunday afternoon. Melissa's parents, sister and grandmother were there too who have become part of our family as well over these last 13 years that they have been married. They are so great and just loved meeting Lucas. David and Mel's house is just so perfect... well decorated and neat. Always makes me jealous when I go over there. I wish my house was well decorated and neat but then I think to myself... David and Mel have done so much with this house in terms of painting and decorating and cleaning that I am just tired thinking of all the painting and decorating and cleaning that I would have to do with my house to get it to look like theirs. So my jealousy soon becomes fatigue and then I get over it. David and Mel also have a fabulous garden and this year have really started growing tons of veggies. That I take credit for. For years, my other brother, Brian and I would make fun of David for some of his political and social views but turns out my time in Iowa City and at the Vineyard has turned me into just as much of a liberal as my brother :-) and even more so maybe.  I knew I could swing them to my side of the organic grocery issue if not make them vegetarians with just a little push in the right direction. So I bought David a copy of 'Omnivore's Dilemma' and 'Animal Vegetable Miracle' for his birthday last year. Well now they are eating mostly organic, Melissa is making cheese, they are growing tons of veggies in the backyard and may add corn next year, David is volunteering at the local farm where they get their veggie boxes from every week. Still eating meat but it is all organic and free range and properly fed. I have lots of pride in my hand in turning my brother from the dark side; they are now  much better at it than Bill and I are and inspire me to shop and eat better. Today after another 12 hours of sleep, me, my mom and TBL had just a great day. We ran errands, had lunch at Friendly's *yum!* and TBL took a 3 hour nap this afternoon. He woke up at 4 pm, had some milks, took a quick walk around the neighborhood charming everyone we stopped to meet and just like clockwork it was 6:30 and he was tired, got his jammies on, had some milks and is out like a light. My mom and I had sweet corn and grilled tuna sitting on their back screened in porch with a gentle breeze nice sunset and beautiful view. My parent's wisely bought a house with a creek and forest in the backyard with no way it could ever be developed. 

At Target my mom bought TBL his first set of rain boots for when his sweet little feet get bigger
All this fun has really tired him out
And, of course, tonight was topped off by a stop at Sno Top for another twinkle coat cone. Last night I took a good run, no Sno Top after dinner (I did have Sno Top before lunch but who's keeping track?) and am going to run tomorrow morning just to hopefully stay even in calories eaten and calories spent. Wishful thinking. 

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Manlius initiation

We got to Grandma's in a great car seat that we got lent to us from my sister in law's cousin. TBL finally made it to 4824 Candy Lane. My friend, Amanda, who lives in Boston drove in to meet us and spend the weekend so she arrived shortly after we did from the airport. After TBL got some milks it was off to Pavone's for pizza.

three summers ago Amanda and I met up in Connecticut during another family trip and got our picture taken in front of Mystic Pizza. here's another pizza shot for our scrapbook.
then we walked to the Swan Pond and fed the ducks. TBL slept during this part of his Manlius initiation.
AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! we had made it to Sno Top; the Mecca of Manlius.

I couldn't hardly stand to get a picture taken because I was so ready to order
TBL slept through this too
YUM! twinkle coat!!!!!
Today Madison came over and got to meet her cousin for the first time.
They became fast friends. We walked up to Harvey's to get some shampoo and we finished our walk at Sno Top again. I am not going to lose the last of my baby weight this week with Sno Top so close by. TBL was taking a great nap in the stroller when someone in our town had an emergency and screaming out Stickley Drive came the ambulance followed by another emergency vehicle with lights and sirens ablazin'... turns out TBL is not deaf after all because it woke him up and he was screaming and screaming. Not even the firetruck on his outfit made him happy. Poor little TBL.

Not for the faint of heart

I have decided traveling along with an infant on two small commuter planes is not for the faint of heart. It was way harder than I thought. On our first leg to Detroit we sat next to a hefty fella who seemed less than pleased to be next to us. The feeling was mutual. Lucas did fine. He cried a little bit, slept a little bit, ate a little bit. He was melting down as we landed and I thought no problem, we'll be off soon. Turns out it took over 20 minutes for a bridge way driver or whoever to come and get the gate thing next to our plane. Lucas was less than pleased and everyone on the plane knew it. While in Detroit I called my friend, Julie, who has traveled alone with three kids. I had to call her and extend my awe of what she had done. She said this is the worst trip I'll ever take and there is a reason she stopped traveling alone after her trip with her eldest three.
I took some pictures of our day together.
Here TBL is in his stroller loaned to us from the Lemans while we were waiting for our plane in Cedar Rapids after Daddy dropped us off.

A close up shot

How jammed my backpack was... toys, changes of clothes, blankets, water, book, wallet, boydoll, diaper bag hanging off the side

Hanging out on the plane from Detroit to Syracuse. We sat next to a lovely lady who is a mother herself and kept saying how good he was doing.
Plane self portrait
Our friend from church, Cris, who had her son Eric on the same day as Lucas flew two weeks ago from Chicago to Brazil by herself. My mantra yesterday was... Cris flew to Brazil, you can fly to Syracuse. Cris flew to Brazil, you can make it just a little while longer. And turns out I was right. The plane landed and we were at Grandmas!

Friday, July 24, 2009

he did it!

it took one failed suppository placement and one successful suppository placement and after 9 days TBL took a crap. we couldn't be prouder.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Seven days and counting...

Ok so TBL has not pooped in 7 days. Yep 7 days. I have asked advice from baby-wise people who say not to worry. Breast milk apparently is such the perfect food that there is not much residue left over to make poop out of. The peds ER lady said she had a kid go 15 days. My family practice PA friend says she's seen 10 days. I know I know I know that TBL is going to have the ultimate crap all over me and him when we are in the airplane on Saturday going to my folks. I am going to be prepared with change of clothes for both of us and lots of wipes. He hasn't been unhappy or crying in pain. He farts a lot so I know that he isn't obstructed. It has become quite the family/friend saga that I am getting phone calls only about TBL's poop. My sister in law had a dream last night that he did poop. We asked Jesus last night and tonight in our bedtime prayers for TBL to poop. I'll keep you posted. Meanwhile he has been smiley and super cute.

cute little matching car socks
farting
smiling after farting
super cute in his 'little man' outfit
hanging out in his walker
mommy wanted him to nap but he wasn't having it
he just kept smiling at me
so adorable
out of the swing for some playtime
he loves his hand and anything in them
For Mother's Day/present for having my abdomen sliced open to deliver this kid I wanted a silver Tiger Hawk which is our school's graphic mascot with Lucas' name engraved on the back so I could always wear Lucas Hawk around. Bill has been working and working and working on finding one in silver and getting it engraved. He finally got it done and gave it to me today. I LOVE IT!
you can't see but it says Lucas on the back

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

This morning I was getting ready for my run and Bill was hanging out with TBL. He talks to him in a funny voice that makes him laugh. This is what I overheard...
When you're bigger you and I are going to have a toad. Mommy won't like it but we'll have a toad that we'll feed bugs and stuff
We'll play Risk
And we'll take naps and be sniggly. We'll tell Mommy that the boys are tired and they are going to take a nap

It was really precious. Bill is such a great dad. TBL loves him and his face just lights up when Daddy comes in the room. I don't think I'll even mind having a toad around as long as my boys stay as cute as they are now.