I have yet to take her monthly photo, but yes, my little Laura is nine months old. She really is such a peanut! Today was her check-up and she weighed in at 16.5 lbs and measured 23 inches long. But my amazing pediatrician said that she looks great, has fantastic muscle tone, and there’s nothing to worry about. Someone has to be small, like he said 🙂 Our next visit will be in June for her one-year check-up. Crazy! A year ago I was making sure I was taking the best prenatal vitamin, and now she’s scooting all around the place. She’s not crawling yet, but don’t kid yourself; if Laura wants something, she finds a way to get it! None of her teeth have come through yet. They’re all right under the gums, the poor thing. I think she’ll have like five pop at once. She’s a good eater, though. She loves any kind of soup I happen to be eating and gets angry when the spoon goes into my mouth instead of hers. Such a cutie.
Category Archives: Family
entirely too much winter
Yesterday we woke up to snow-covered everything. When all was said and done, between Tuesday and Wednesday’s snow I think we got between 14 and 16 inches. (It’s already compacted down, though.) Schools were closed yesterday and our power was out for about eight hours. During that time I channeled my inner pioneer and saw just how resourceful I could be when it came down to it. Having no power meant that our well wasn’t pumping water into the house, so we filled stock pots with snow and set them next to the wood stove to melt. Then I made tea on the wood stove 😉 It’s not too often that you actually use a wood stove to cook with in this day and age, but that’s how I heated up our lunch and it worked just fine! While the power was out the boys made a fort in Jake’s room:
The power came back on in the early afternoon, thankfully. There are still people in the area without power. And, naturally, today we have a cold, wet, yucky mess on our hands. Schools are closed again and it’s been alternating between snow, rain, and sleet all day. Since the weather isn’t fit for outdoor play, the boys are having a pyjama day. There’s been reading, playing with the Wii and with G.I. Joe action figures, doing Pix-Os, and I’m sure a bunch of things I don’t even know about. I made cupcakes for them to decorate after lunch. It’s not quite Crumbs, but they were pretty good!
Laura’s not feeling well. She’s all sniffly, sneezy, and snotty. She allowed me to put her down for a few minutes to work on the cupcakes though. But she’s still so cute, even when she’s not feeling herself.
I also cleaned out and rearranged the cabinet that holds our glasses, made hot and sour soup, and also made chai tea concentrate. Now, because I had such a busy morning and barely slept last night, I am totally wiped out. I think I’m going to spend the rest of the afternoon watching shows on Netflix and (if I’m lucky) getting some crochet in, too.
happy saturday
Oh goodness, am I worn out today. I’ve been running around since early this morning. I certainly won’t need sleeping pills tonight (not that I ever do — I don’t have any problem zonking out). The day started out with Mass and a parents meeting for First Communion. That lasted most of the morning. In the afternoon I did have some time to just hang out. I checked out the library’s book sale and picked a few books up. And tonight was the Cub Scouts’ Blue & Gold Banquet. Jake received his Wolf badge.
We had a great time but it was a little long. In fact, we had to skip out a tiny bit early because Noah and Laura were just too tired. We didn’t get home until about 9, which is very late for them. But dinner was great (spaghetti, meatballs, salad, and fresh bread) and we were treated to some Native American dances, which were really cool. Jake loves studying about the Native Americans so I know he especially enjoyed it. A busy, but good day.
the thing about babies…
… is that once you think you’ve got them figured out they go ahead and change on you. A couple weeks ago, after employing a mishmash of sleep-encouraging techniques written about in various books (in particular, The No-Cry Sleep Solution), Laura had gone from waking once an hour, to getting at least one five-hour stretch of sleep and waking two to three times a night. I am sure some of you will drop your jaws, aghast that an eight-month old was not sleeping straight through from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. but I was quite happy with this. I don’t believe that babies “should” be sleeping totally through the night at six months, but that’s my own thing. I do, however, believe that this up every hour business was for the birds and mostly because she wanted comfort because she couldn’t figure out how to go back to sleep on her own.
We were doing great! I was getting sleep! Everyone was happy! And then… we started going right back to where we were. Only this time my non-nursing comfort techniques just made her angry; they didn’t soothe her at all. So here we go all over again. The poor thing still hasn’t had any of her teeth poke through, and I have to believe that the discomfort is part of this. The last couple nights there were a few instances where nothing at all would console her. Those tiny little gums are so swollen. I really think she’s going to get them all at once. (It all goes so fast, though doesn’t it? One day you’re stressing about baby teeth, the next you’re trying to help your teen find the best acne treatment.)
So I don’t know. I’m just rolling with it. I don’t mind letting her fuss for a while, but when you’re pretty sure she’s not feeling well it’s hard to let her whimper. Sleep will come eventually, I know. Neither Jake nor Noah slept through the night until after a year old. But now? They go to bed between 7 and 7:30 without complaint (and will go to bed earlier if they’re tired) and sleep until at least 6 a.m. I just have to be a little more patient.
weekend catch-up
No, I have not slacked on my daily photos — I’ve just been away and haven’t had time to upload them. Friday afternoon we drove up to WMass to visit with my family. My parents are so great — they watched all three kiddos while Drew and I went out to dinner at Rovezzi’s in Sturbridge. If you’re ever in the area, you must go here. The food is just so delicious! It was the first time we’d been out without a child since April or May. We started with an order of eggplant rollatini. Drew got lobster ravioli and I got Cabernet braised short ribs with pumpkin-sage mashed potatoes. Behold:
december 4
For dessert we shared an order of pumpkin tiramisu. Wow, it was just the perfect ending to a wonderful meal.
Saturday we went to a little (and I mean little) craft fair at a local church. Honestly there was nothing that was of much interest to me, but I didn’t want to leave without buying something. They were so excited to see someone and I didn’t want to be a disappointment. I did end up finding a french horn Christmas decoration with a pretty bow and fresh greenery. It was only $5, so I thought that was fair. After lunch we went to my brother’s house where we met the newest edition to the family. Baby E. is so cute! We didn’t stay that long because all of the kids were getting cranky, plus the weather was starting to get nasty out. By the time we’d reached Blandford on the Mass Pike, we were in a line of cars behind a cop, all going no faster than 45MPH:
december 5
The weather in Blandford is always so much worse than on any other portion of the Pike. I don’t understand why, but the rain is heavier, the wind is stronger, and the snow blows a whole lot more. I was relieved to get to the Berkshires and well-maintained roads. The rest of our drive was a little stressful. We saw a couple of accidents and spin-outs. We were so relieved to finally get home, but Drew ended up having to snowblow the driveway (he was afraid it would freeze overnight).
This morning the snow looked very pretty!
december 6
Laura’s been pretty cranky today so I’ve spent most of the day juggling her. I also got most of our Christmas cards addressed and I’ll finish those up this week. Soon I’ll be getting the kids in an early bath and ready for bed. And another week begins.
it’s up!
Although our tree has technically been up for about a week, we didn’t decorate it until today. It’s such fun unwrapping all the ornaments, isn’t it? We don’t have a specific theme for our tree; we just have lots and lots of different ornaments that we’ve collected through the years, a few going back to the 1970s. (Drew’s mom gave him an ornament every year!) Whenever we go someplace on vacation or on any kind of special trip we like to purchase something to use as an ornament for the tree. Also, I admit to hitting the Hallmark Keepsake ornaments hard after Christmas every year when they go on clearance for 50% off!
This year we had popcorn garland, but we forgot to put it on until we were halfway-through decorating. So, it’ll just have to wait until next year. (Have you ever tried to put garland on a tree that’s already been decorated? If you can do it, then you are much more skilled than I am — of course I’m pretty klutzy all around so it’s probably that most people would have no trouble!)
Here’s a peek at the finished tree:
Yes, we do even have the train going around! A few years ago the boys received this Lionel train as a gift from Drew’s aunt. We’ll probably have to box it up for a year or two once this season is over, though. It’s quite fragile and once Laura is mobile, well… I’m not going to risk her damaging it. She’s already grabbing and going after things! Have you put up your tree yet? Be sure to post a photo when you do and let me know. I just love looking at everyone’s trees!
Our lights are also up outside. I will have to take a photo of the house later. Drew has these neat mounts that snap onto the gutters so he can put them up from the ground — no need to stand on a ladder. It makes it so much easier for him and I since he’s not 10 feet up, I don’t need to worry (or be outside spotting the ladder). I still have a little decorating I’d like to do, but it’s plenty early. I’m glad the big stuff is all set, though!
thanksgiving
Ah, Thanksgiving! Ours was very low-fi this year. Drew and I are feeling a bit under the weather and his aunt is still is recovery-mode from her heart surgery back in October, so we didn’t go crazy with anything this year. I didn’t contribute too much to the food, really. I made a pink grapefruit cheeseball (from a Tastefully Simple mix, so it wasn’t much effort, LOL!) and stuffed celery (because to me, celery slathered with cream cheese and green olives is as necessary as the turkey). Drew made the cornbread and we headed down to Westchester for a very traditional dinner of roast turkey, green beans, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and cole slaw.
I could do without the sweet potatoes or turnips, and I always find the cornbread odd because it’s not something I grew up with, but it’s interesting how each family has its own traditions. Cole slaw is another dish that I feel is unique to my in-laws’ Thanksgiving table. My family always does a big tossed green salad with Italian dressing. The cole slaw does go well, though.
My mother-in-law makes the best stuffing in the world, in case you didn’t know. It’s her mother’s recipe and it is seriously the best with the sausage and the cranberries. So good. She makes a great turkey as well. I was so full from dinner that I really didn’t feel much like dessert, so I only had a couple cookies. Yes, we all ate well.
This morning we went out for little Black Friday shopping. I don’t care, I always enjoy going out the day after Thanksgiving. It’s something I’ve done for years. The sales were a little underwhelming this year, but we had fun nonetheless. I think I just get excited about it because it’s the one day a year when I don’t have to sit around waiting for the stores to open up. Drew and I were up shortly after 5 (thanks to my little alarm clock, Laura) and once Noah woke up around 5:30 we were able to head out. (Jake is at his grandma’s until tomorrow.)
We’ll finish putting up our Christmas decorations this weekend. Drew put up the lights on the house today and our tree is up and ready to be decorated. Hard to believe that December is so close!
oopsie
It’s deer season here in the Hudson Valley, so when I heard a “bang” slightly before 6 this morning, I just assumed some hunter shot his Thanksgiving dinner and rolled back over. When Laura woke up and I walked into the den, I looked out the window and realized that the noise wasn’t a shotgun after all. No, it was one of the woodpiles. Somehow it had fallen over. Poor Drew was not happy to know this, since he now has to restack it all.
In other news, I’m so pleased! Last night I put 328 photos from this year into photo albums. I’m caught up through Halloween. I have a couple years’ worth of photos in envelopes in my closet that need to be put in order and in albums, but I’m thinking that with all the deals going on right now on various photo processing sites, I just might limit it to 200 photos per year that I need to catch up (I use albums that hold 200 photos), order them a year at a time, and get them in albums just so I can have everything up to date. I can use the prints I already have as extras or let the kids use them for photo albums of their own.
One thing I wish I had a photo of is this ridiculous camper that’s on someone’s property en route to the library. It’s a complete piece of junk, but it’s “FREE!!!” (as the crudely spraypaint-on-plywood sign proclaims). It can’t be driveable. There’s no way you’d get motorhome insurance for it. I haven’t the foggiest idea what someone would do with it. I have to return some books on Saturday so I’ll be curious if it’s still there.
What are you doing for Thanksgiving this year? We’re having a very low-key dinner at Drew’s mom’s house. I’m bringing my Tastefully Simple grapefruit cheeseball (YUM!) and I’m also making stuffed celery because to me it just isn’t turkey day without it. We’re also in charge of wine (big surprise, right?). Originally I was going to make dessert, but my MIL had an apple pie in the freezer and someone brought her a tray of cookies, so there’s no sense in going crazy on the sweets since no one really feels like dessert anyway. I’ll save my cheesecake for another time.
halloween ’09
Wow, what a busy Hallo-weekend! We kicked it off on Friday night with a trip to the local fire house. They put on a free Haunted House. I still bear the scars of a terrifying haunted house I went through in 7th or 8th grade on a trip to Salem, so I was happy to wait outside with the baby. And after getting one look at a guy in costume, Noah came running over to me to wait as well, LOL. Jake and Drew went through and Jake chose the “non-scary” version, thankfully. Drew said that he imagines that if you choose scary it’s really scary. Everyone looked great in costume and they did a fantastic job. Actually, one of the guys ended up sneaking up on Drew and gave him a scare near the end 😉
The rest of the weekend was filled with a Halloween/birthday party for Noah, a Saint’s Day party for Jake, and trick-or-treating at the mall. Since we don’t live in an area where you can walk from house to house, it’s easier (and safer) to take the kids to the mall for trick-or-treating. They’ve gone house to house before, at my MIL’s, so they’re not missing out on anything. And on a rainy day like Saturday, the mall is a lot drier! Though I admit there is a certain “trash” quotient at the mall. People seem to lose their sense of taste and adult pick some awfully, um, inappropriate costumes. It did make for an amusing show. The boys got a decent amount of candy as well as coupons. Most of them were useful, but some were pretty useless for kids. At least the vitamin/supplement store didn’t hand out fat burner ads. I guess every business is doing what it can to get more customers and I can’t fault them for it, especially since they were giving out candy.
Yesterday we hit Target for Halloween clearance and got the boys their costumes for next year. We also picked up two Ninja Turtle costumes just for everyday play. Tomorrow I need to run some errands over that way so I might take another peek, just to see 😉
Hope your Halloween was spook-tacular! I’ll leave you with a couple photos of my boils and ghoul (to quote the Cryptkeeper).
playing catch-up
I feel like this has been such a long weekend, and yet it seems weird that it’s already Sunday night. The time dragged, yet where did it go? Friday morning we were off early, heading to WMass to my grandmother’s funeral. It was very nice and I think she would have approved of her send-off. My mom kept things simple, just as Babci would have preferred. The service was private, just immediate family. Afterwards we had lunch at Steaming Tender and everything was delicious! I opted for a bowl of lobster bisque and a garden salad and I really enjoyed them both.
After lunch we headed back to my parents’ house. Drew and Jake stayed for a few minutes before heading back here. Jake had a birthday sleepover to attend on Friday night and there was no reason for him to miss that. I stayed up at my parents’ with Noah and Laura. My cousin gave me a much-needed haircut and I basically hung out with my family for a couple days. It was quite relaxing. I came home early this morning and then we all picked up Jake from his religion class and then hit Friendly’s for lunch.
As for Drew’s aunt, she continues to do well. It is still crazy to think that a week before all this happened she was in Sicily. If I ever do extensive travel I think I might consider travel insurance after all this, just in case.
So now I am just hoping for a boring, quiet week. Noah is on the mend from a slight case of pneumonia. I think my cold is finally gone and Drew is fighting off something. I’m thinking that a week of comfort foods might be in order. I’m done with excitement for a while, thankyouverymuch.