Lucy's New Favorite Word is...

Da-Da! Though her mommy is a bit jealous, she's excited to hear her little one's rapidly expanding vocabulary. In addition to A-Ba (Lucy's favorite word for weeks and weeks), we now say Da-Dad-Da-Da over and over again. And even though it's probably wishful thinking on her mommy's part, she thought she heard a "ma-ma" as well. Jamie and Jennifer are quite confident that they have a future linguist on their hands. If not a linguist, then perhaps a reporter. Lucy's definitely a nosey, talkative little girl!

In other exciting news on the baby front, Lucy had her 6 month check-up last week. She's now in the 98th percentile for height (28 inches!) and in the 66th percentile for weight (16.97 lbs.). She's quickly outgrowing her clothing. Jennifer sees a future of high-waters for poor little Lucy. Overall, she's a happy baby girl who never meets a stranger. Right now, her favorite activity is jumping in her rainforest jumperoo. She LOVES this contraption, and begins jumping the minute her parents put her in it. Jamie and Jennifer wake up and go to bed with the sounds of laughing monkeys, a wailing elephant, and a catchy little keyboard tune playing over and over again. Good times!

First Snowflakes

Today, Lucy finally got to see her first snowflakes--an unexpected delight.

The drive up to Maple Creek Farm in Burnsville, NC for the maple syrup tour was gloriously sunny. But as got closer to the farm, Kirbie remarked, "Is that snow?" Before we knew it, the sun had given way to clouds. Small white specks of snow quickly turned into larger puffs of cotton. By the time we pulled into the rough gravel parking lot of the farm, we had entered a winter wonderland. We huddled by the wood stove as the maple syrup bubbled. When we could take the cold no longer, we all darted back to the car, but not before snapping a few photos of Lucy's first glimpse of snow!

A Happy Valentine's Day

Yesterday marked a special occasion for our family--Lucy's first Valentine's Day. Let me just start by saying that I'm a sentimentalist for this the loviest of all lovey dovey days. I think it probably has something to do with the fact that Nanny and Mom always made it an event for us. I still remember vividly the Valentine's Day when Patrick and I got our bed tents as a present. I don't know if any of you remember these brilliant contraptions, but they fit neatly over twin-sized beds all across suburban America allowing wimpy kids like us to camp out in the comfort of our own bedrooms.

Every year close to Vday, we would go down in Nanny's basement and she would pull out a little Valentine from the 1930s that she sent as a young girl to her Dad--a man known as a "wanderer,"roaming the country, finding odd jobs. This colorful little card signed "To Daddy, Love Mary" had the fun message "Don't say skee daddle when I say I love you!" She'd share the story with me and I always loved the fact that she'd saved this card after so many years--one of the special memories she had of her often absent father. She always loved Valentine's Day. Each year, until she passed away almost 3 years ago, she would send me a Valentine.

I suppose it's these disjointed, yet fond memories that leave me excitedly purchasing white doilie cutouts and oodles of conversation hearts.

This year, I was excited about Valentine's day, but for a different, new reason. It would be Lucy's first Vday. I've been prepared for over a year, having purchased the mandatory "Baby's First" bib for this occasion. Sometimes I'm certain that those greeting card holiday manufacturers are also in cahoots with the baby bib makers. The next thing you know, there will be bibs for "Baby's First Summer Solstice," etc.

Of course Lucy's school also went all out for the celebration. Though I complained about having to put together Valentine cards for the infants--yes all of the infants in her class exchanged cards...In fact a few of the mothers even went the extra mile wrapping up little bags of biter biscuits--I secretly reveled in it. I was thrilled to go through her little bag of Valentine's signed by the parents of her little friends. And her teachers had even put together a Valentine with her picture on it for us. So sweet!

Until last week though, I hadn't really given much thought to what we would do to celebrate Lucy's first Vday. A close friend of mine always spends Valentine's Day with her husband and kids. She makes dinner (complete with a heart-shaped meatloaf), and sets a formal table with Valentine decorations. Over the years, they have created a special occassion that they look forward to year after year. And now, I've stolen her idea (Thanks, Linda!).

This year, we invited our friend, Kirbie, to join us for dinner. I put Lucy's Vday bib on, set the table, hung my heart-shaped doilies, and broke out the "real" dishes. No, we didn't have champagne, but we drank out of our flutes anyway. As we ate, I had one of those moments of joy, the moments where I feel a squeal about to escape my lips but I stifle it for fear of scaring those next to me. Lucy ate her organic winter squash (might I add in her new highchair purchased on Vday) while we dined. After putting Luce to bed, Kirbie and I sat on stools in the kitchen, dipping strawberries, bananas, and pretzels into the most decadent chocolate fondue you can imagine. Later, we joined Jamie in watching a documentary on Appalachia. At close to midnight, Kirbie headed home and we went up to bed. As I lay there, almost asleep with Lucy's little feet against my elbow, Poods at my feet and one hand touching Jamie's hand I thought, "What a perfect Valentine's Day."
Yes, I know some people would be horrified at the thought of such a night. And perhaps I used to be one of them. Not go out for Valentine's Day? No flowers and chocolate? No dressing up and dining out?

But our day was perfect. What could be better than sumptuous chocolate, conversation with good friends, and snuggles from a magical little baby girl? Not much, I say.

Little Sweet Potato

Just a few photos of Miss Lucy eating her sweet 'taters as they say down here in the South.

A Conversation Regarding the "Incident"

She locked the door after listening to her last student's story involving an elderly grandmother and a recent fall. "See you next week," she said as she opened her umbrella and walked briskly to her car. She never liked walking alone at that time of night, especially on this campus. As she turned the key in the ignition, she longed to be home. She'd spent the day cleaning and had prepared a lasagna for dinner. She'd left her husband a detailed note on how and when to heat the dinner she had prepared, instructions on the ratios of cereal and bananas for the baby's meal along with the simple request to give her a bath.

Since the baby had recently begun a sleep strike, she felt her mind beginning to numb, and she could hardly wait to change into her flannel pajamas, devour her food, and rock her baby until the sweet delight of slumber arrived. Her baby's sleep strike usually began at 4am. She figured that if she could be asleep by 11, she'd have at least 5 solid hours, something she desperately craved. She picked up the phone to call her husband and check in, confident that her careful, deliberate preparations during the day would insure that he'd have no problems. Yet when he picked up the phone, he sounded rather strange.

"Hello," he said, voice almost inaudible.

"Everything ok?"

"Not really. We've had an incident."

"What sort of incident? What do you mean?"

"She had large diaper. It was bad..."

"What do you mean by bad? What in the world happened now?"

"Honey, I don't think you quite understand. This was a monumental amount. I guarantee you've never seen anything like it," he said.

To which she responded,

"Honey, I change many diapers every day and I've never had anything like that happen. What's wrong with you?"

"No, you don't understand. It was Everywhere,"

Shaking her head, phone in hand, she asked

"What do you mean by everywhere?"

"On the floor, in the sink, in the tub--the water was brown and muddy--on the dog's feet, in my hair, on her feet, in her mouth..."

"Wait a minute, " she said. "How did she get it in her mouth? How did you let this happen?"

"It just went everywhere. There were no wipes and..."

"Why didn't you make sure there were wipes before starting to change her???"

"Honey, that's bedside the point. There were no wipes and I was trying to hold her legs up and it was going everywhere and then the dogs started trying to lick the diaper and then she got it on her feet and then started sucking on her toes. And when I tried to stop her, she just laughed at me..."

"Oh, stop exagerrating, I'm sure it wasn't THAT bad," she said, scolding him.

"Honey, I don't think you quite understand the amount we're talking about here. There was more than you can imagine. So when I picked her up to fill the tub, it got all over me. And the dogs were tracking it around. I filled the tub but the water got muddy fast so I had to drain it and give her another bath. The first was just a rinse... And then it got on the dishes in the sink and on the scrubber and on the nozzle. So I bathed her again and then finally got her clean. Honey, it was awful," he finished, his voice weak.

"Where is she now?" she asked.

"In my arms asleep," he said whispering.

"Why are you whispering?" she asked.

"Because she's asleep..."

She started to point out that he need not whisper. After all, the baby had slept through almost an hour of her husband's vacuuming just days before, but instead she said,

"Have you put the lasagna in? I'm starving..."

"No...it's been awful. I haven't had time."

"So you're telling me that for the past 3 hours you've been dealing with this?"

"Yeah...you don't understand. It was everywhere," he said.

She hung up the phone, stifling a laugh yet not altogether unafraid of what she would find once home. The door was locked, but she could see him sitting at the computer desk, shirtless. Not wanting to fish for her keys, she knocked. He rose slowly and came to the door with the defeated look of a little boy recently scolded by his father.

"Where is she now?" she asked.

"She's asleep on the couch, but be careful. There may be some on the couch."

"Oh good lord honey. I can't believe you let this happen. I leave for the night and now This."

He follows her into the kitchen. She sees a mountain of baby wipes, shampoo and soaps on the kitchen counter, and a heap of soiled clothing on the floor near the washer. "Honey, I really don't think you quite understand..." he said following her.

(Names/identities have been changed to protect the innocent. However, I'm sure you can guess who the stars of this show are--especially the husband!)

Intoxication

On Friday, Lucy hugged me for the first time. When I went in to pick her up from school, it was business as usual. But when I snuggled her close, she immediately wrapped both of her little arms around my neck, opened her mouth and kissed my cheek. As she looked up at me smiling, I fell even more in love than I ever thought possible.