Thursday, September 27, 2012

Travels: Day 1&2

We have returned from a rather largish venture across the country to visit very dear and missed friends and, like all good vacationers, have tons of pictures (all generally of the same thing). To sate your curiosity and at the same time maintain readability, we'll break the posts up a bit (you're welcome).
Let me start by saying that H is probably the best traveling toddler you could imagine. Plans got majorly altered to somehow include almost nothing but driving on twisty roads (in addition to the 6+ hour flights) and there was the whole time change thing PLUS sleeping in something other than her normal bed (hurray for the Peapod! Worked perfectly!) BUT she was an angel. Bit whiny at times (though I was way worse) and needed to run at others, but she was contented, made no peep on the plane, and slept through the nights with a reasonable wake up time. Phew.

Day 1: Travel Day. Up and ready to go for our pick up at 8. My subtle suggestion to avoid I90 till the last possible mile was ignored and it took 1.5 hours to get to airport. Upon arrival at Logan (at 0930) we were informed our plane (10 departure) had already boarded. No problem, we just sprinted to security where the line was miles long and cut to the front. Then another run through empty terminals to ours, where amazingly enough there was a person who allowed us through. We jogged to the very back of the very full plane and made no eye contact, slumped into the last row (not our seats) and the plane started to taxi. I realize some folks enjoy that sort of non-wasted time; I was ready to kill my beloved traveling partner. H immediately won over the stewardess who kept her well supplied with cups of ice and didn't make us hold her when the seat belt sign was on (H does not get the concept of "sit" so well). We nursed on take off as I was advised and I don't know that it mattered, but the pressure changes didn't seem to affect her. None of the stuff I'd carefully planned and packed had any interest for H the whole trip but the window shade, seat belt and arm rest received a thorough inspection.
Upon arrival at San Francisco we were able to take our time exiting as our ride was experiencing technical difficulties (wouldn't start) and was delayed by an hour. Finally, much joy and hugging, a 45 minute drive among palm trees, and home to a beautiful apartment. We explored and then headed to a nearby park to let H burn off steam, Steve to watch her, and Kelsea and I to catch up on everything. David got home and we feasted, then bedtime for all at the early hour of 9...which was really midnight.

Day 2: David kindly took the day off of work, so after a great breakfast he and Steve headed out to get our rental car and then we all piled in and went to San Fran and Sausalito where the roads were nothing but hairpin curves. We went down Lombardo Street and had burgers and ice cream in a park, then we drove to Muir Woods. This was to be a meeting of the Redwoods with a leisurely stroll on the boardwalk surrounding them. Somehow that changed to a short jaunt on a gentle incline which, when all was said and done, took 3 hours with no water through high desert country with buzzards circling us. Caked in dust we staggered back to SF and ate dinner in Chinatown, then walked the shops (I bought H and I cute leather bracelets and S picked up a kite) before heading home to hot showers and very inviting beds.
Stay tuned for Day 3+4 in which we travel to the ocean and the mountains and get very car sick.
And if this starts to sound like whining, please know we had a wonderful time but a vacation isn't a story unless there were some unplanned happenstances, right? :)

Just made it!

No one in this town knows how to use straight edge

Got to drive over it



When she wasn't in her carseat she was generally in the carrier. Very tolerant.

Palm trees everywhere

The locals

Vacation treats; french fries for lunch

Notice how happy and fresh we look at the beginning. So full of hope and naivety

I think it was here someone talked us all in to a longer "walk"

A redwood
 
 

What the walk was supposed to look like

H gave up on us all and took a nap

The summit. We'd already left the trail and didn't know it.

Do you see any redwoods?

Pretty much all hope abandoned here. We could sense the rattlesnakes and vultures closing in

Civilization!

It's good to be alive


Ummmmmm....

You had to dodge swords to walk down the streets

A wonderful end to a satisfying day
Hoping you all had a wonderful week and are enjoying this great fall weather! 
 

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Unpacking

The house has been livable since we moved in back in May. However, the kitchen was the only room that had been unpacked exactly as I intended to use it (and that's because Allie came over and helped the week before). All of the rooms have since had something done to them to improve efficiency and each has a master plan in place but nothing's going to happen overnight. Anyway, H's room has been completely neglected. I debated even giving her the room and instead dividing ours with a wardrobe system, but ultimately she made the move to independence (and has slept through the night since day 3). So it's been the dump-and-slam room (you know, where you toss something in then slam the door so nothing tumbles out). However, I have 4 huge tests to get done in the next three weeks as well as 45+ hours of studying for clinicals on Oct 17th, so the rearranging bug hit....like it always does. I took advantage of some clearance items at Target, decided to go a bit more pink and frilly white than I'd originally intended, and did some major purging. I still need to get material to make curtains to surround the loft bed because for now we'll just chuck storage stuff under there, I need to recover the bench cushions with the same fabric, white lace curtains need to be hung, and the guest bed needs a new duvet cover, and more art work needs to get hung, but it already looks more like a functional little girl's room. Also, in the process of unpacking the rest of H's books and toys, I was stunned to realize how many books this child already owns. I thought we'd have tons of storage space but really, there's one cubby left free. Wow. Guess the blank wall I'd been contemplating might become a bookshelf. What a great problem to have!
Also in the weeks happenings:
-Lots and lots of listening to lectures and reading
-The discovery that H sprouted 3 molars without either S or I noticing or medicating for, ouch.  (Parent of the Year award can be sent to our address, available upon request).
-Bike ride (H freaks whenever she thinks she might get to go on a ride. "Obsession" doesn't come close)
-Successful trip to Sister Thrift and Old Navy....for H, of course
-Meeting Wesley Carlisle for the first time. He is beautiful, calm (he was sleeping, lol), makes little squeaks while he sleeps (forgot about how noisy newborns are), has a great hairdo going on, snuggles gloriously, makes hysterical faces when you kiss his cheek, and I wanted very much to take him home with me. His mom wasn't in a sharing mood :) (and mom looked fabulous. one would never know she'd just had a baby. seriously)
-Being very very very proud of my brother who just finished his last training for the special forces and is set to graduate this coming week. He's overcome a ton of physical issues as well as just life and I'm so impressed by him. Hope he (responsibly) whoops it up this weekend :)

You can see the need for the bed curtain

Kid-stuff storage! Any ideas on how to hide ugly router cords?

Some of H's shopping-spree haul. 2 super cute hats in the mix.

New fall hat

The love for Little Blue Truck continues

She was very into the sidewalk chalk this time


A few of my pickling cuks

Working on her cursive

Love toddlers in hoodies

Demonstrating where her ears are

"eyes". This week she learned "elbow". Hearing her pronounce two and three syllable words just floors me.
Lots of goings-on this coming week so hopefully I'll have nothing but pictures for you :)

Monday, September 10, 2012

She's lucky she's cute

Happy gorgeous Monday morning! This is the beginning of the semi-last week of my semester, the one where I panic about everything I thought I was going to get done weeks ago, yadayada. In true fashion the weather is beyond perfect (long sleeves!!!!!!!) and H has decided this is the right time to assert her independence, mainly by saying "NO!" to absolutely everything and pitching a fit about everything I didn't do the way she wanted (which also seems to be everything). It's obviously time to teach her a bunch of new signs so we could communicate more effectively and/or she could change her gibberish to actual words.
There are a few things currently keeping her alive. The first is the humongous breakfast she fed herself with a spoon. The second is that she was thrilled to be back in the lillebaby as all strollers seem to have gone to work with Steve (also all the bike helmets) and even snuggled on our walk back. Third, she really is stinkin' cute. And I'm happy to report that it was as I suspected: I do love the toddler age. Yes, her whining is driving me nuts, but it's so much fun to see her put stuff together, come up with new expressions, watch her laugh at the funniest things, marvel as she picks up new physical skills, realize that she tends to observe before jumping into something, be relieved that she picks up on subtle social cues quite keenly...in short, she's a real person and I'm happy to realize I like her as much as I love her.
Some proof that mini people are by far the most adorable kind (sorry about the rotation, even my computer is saying "no!" today. thank goodness for ikea chocolate):

I showed her once, and now she likes to swing herself on her tummy


She's started walking up stairs using the handrail or our hand instead of dropping to crawl

 
 
Obviously videography (or narrating) is not my forte, but I was proud of her for gutsing up to slide since she'd been refusing the last few weeks.
OK, off to memorize abx regimes for postpartum infections and what to do if catastrophe occurs in labor (run screaming is not the acceptable answer, apparently).

Friday, September 7, 2012

Good-bye, Summer

So, I had a whole post typed out but decided you really didn't need the stupefying level of detail into our lives I'd added. Here's the abridged version (and sorry for the lack of pictures, the camera took the week off):
-The house got cleaned and parts organized
-My closet just needs the electrician to do his thing and a wrought iron stool to complete it
-H has started walking way up on her tip-toes. Funny to watch but is this a bad thing?
-What's the opposite of a nursing strike? Whatever it is, we're on one. I was thinking of weaning her off her nap nurses but at this point just naps and waking/bedtime would be a huge reduction. Hopefully a passing phase as we have a week separation coming up really soon (ahhhh!!!!!!).
-Two weekends in a row seeing Allie!
-Nice gathering of friends and tons of good food to celebrate the end of summer/beginning of a school year and great weather for it
-I've jumped off the coffee bandwagon yet again and the white chocolate caramel latte creamer I just bought is ensuring I stay off
-Ikea trip wherein I only spent $30 and H now has a new potty. She's quite interested in it but we haven't committed to full training quite yet. The timing's kind of crummy given all the changes coming soon so she might not get trained till this winter when I have a term break. Anyone have a fool-proof method? I was looking at this one...
-H got blood drawn and two shots, did really well with it all. I, on the other hand, had sit for a few minutes afterwards to stop the shaking. So different when you're the one getting the bloodwork/shots (and I've had plenty this past year!) and worlds different from when you're giving them. I was always pretty matter of fact, no apologies, when I administered them, and I have no problem getting one. Trying to nerve myself up to take her in, strike the right tone between honesty and 'you'll be fine', just hold her while someone jabs her and not (in her eyes) protect her.....ugh, parenting really really sucks sometimes.
-A new obsession. Poached eggs on buttered English muffins. Words can not describe, and as soon as I finish my breakfast I start thinking about the next days'. Used to be a carton of eggs lasted weeks, sometimes months. Now it's gone in a few days.
-We're attempting our second date ever since H was born, tonight. Um, no idea what to talk about or do. Realistically we're going to scarf our food while talking about her and then go get her. But it will be nice to eat my meal when it arrives instead of feeding her...
-H is VERY into pillow piles. As a matter of fact, she now says "pillow" quite distinctly. She likes to organize them in a nest around her and fuss with them until they're just so....and then flop over and start adjusting again. Add a book to the mix and she can entertain herself for 20-30 minutes at a time. Just watch it if she even suspects you to be harboring one, though. My backside is getting sore....
-I have a red tomato. Ok, it's not dark red, perfectly ready to eat, but it's mostly red and mostly unscarred so I've picked it and am letting it shelf ripen. The first one of the year!!! Also another green pepper is growing.
-Henri can say her own name. She pronounces it like Ava does, "Hen-hee" and it's pretty cute. She looks through all our pictures and names herself whenever she sees a photo (and there's lots, lol).
See? Pretty typical week. And here's what was on the camera:

Pillow pile

H's artwork on the fridge

The closet! A few things under the desk are still waiting their spots, but mostly done. 

A few of my textbooks

Study inspiration

Flowers for the desert table
The coming week is one in which I buckle down and read like crazy for the upcoming exams, and try to curb my enthusiasm for the adorable bundle that's arriving on Wednesday!!!!!!!!!!! (not mine (obviously) but one I get to oooh and aaahhh over)