Really didn’t get off to a good start. It is always difficult to get up early and get two kids fed, dressed, shoed, and into the car before 7:30 a.m. Usually, however, the stress of it all can be overcome by an otherwise enjoyable outing, and the day can be salvaged. But there is just not a good way to overcome a morning involving going to the OB/Gyn for a pap smear, where a well-meaning and chatty woman says to you: “I think I just saw your baby kick.”
My Day
July 21st, 2006Weekend in Carolina
July 20th, 2006I drove up to Charlotte to meet my friend Laura, then the two of us headed over to Winston-Salem to stay with Honey, Slade, and Honey’s Mom, Bonnie, a.k.a. BonBon. We spent Saturday surveying James and Dana’s new compound (including deer stand and four-wheeler). I’m exhausted, so without further ado, here are some pics.
Honey and Laura
Honey’s Bitchin’ Jukebox (very late 70’s/early 80’s)
James makes big fire and I see sparks
Stimpy, big as ever, and still likes a good butt pat
Still on the Honeymoon
Tough Guy
Slade and I get into the metallic mailbox letters
My favorite pictures from the weekend. This dog statue is going to be auctioned off to support the Forsyth County, NC Humane Society. Very cool!
Mischief Afoot
July 19th, 2006
Rollie and Owen Wilson
July 14th, 2006In the mornings, we often check the news for the headlines, then I read the New York Times and skim the Atlanta Journal-Constitution while Todd watches The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Rollie eats his cereal and Tiller sits on the floor playing. Sometimes something on the television will catch Rollie’s eye and he will comment on it. This morning, it was Owen Wilson.
Jon Stewart: “Welcome Owen Wilson!”
[Wilson enters to audience applause.]
Rollie [excitedly]: “What’s dat?!”
Todd: “That’s Owen Wilson.”
Rollie: “Oh, Owen Wilson . . . Dat’s cool hair!”
Todd [laughing]: “Yes, Owen Wilson does have cool hair.”
Like Mother, Like Son
July 13th, 2006
Rollie’s new cracktop, right beside Mama’s. . . The family that blogs together stays together.
Nine Months
July 12th, 2006Or, more accurately, “Holy Shit! We Kept Yet Another One Alive For a Full Nine Months!”
I don’t know if you can tell from this picture, but you have strange eyes. They are brown in the middle near the pupil, blue/gray on the outside of the iris. My eyes are the same way, except mine are green with brown in the middle. Sometimes yours look brown, sometimes blue, sometimes green, and sometimes almost violet. I think they may eventually end up brown, but we will see. Who knows?
You are really becoming exciting these days. You have had your pincer grasp down for months already, and relish in picking up specks of dirt off the floor, self-feeding, and giving me the vulcan death pinch while I am breastfeeding you. Speaking of breastfeeding, I must give myself a big pat on the back for sticking with it for so long. I really think we are going to make it to a year! I am so proud of me, and of you for making it relatively easy on me. I admit that I will miss the closeness a tidbit, but mostly i will be glad to move on to the next level with you.
You are eating all sorts of solid foods and have been for awhile. You love the smooth pureed fruits and vegetables, and are now warming up to the chunkier “meal” jars of food, but your favorite thing in the world is to eat whatever you can feed yourself: Zwieback toast, rice krispies (“crippies,” as Rollie refers to them), and mashed foods like mashed potatoes, finely chopped pasta, and mashed banana. You ate a small piece of moist blueberry muffin the other day at Joe’s, and i thought your mouth was going to fold back over your ears, you smiled so big.
You have been sitting up unassisted for awhile now, but are just starting to show interest in moving around a room. You roll from front to back with abandon, rolling like a log to nowhere, but laughing maniacally the entire time. You are my own personal Roomba – When you run into an obstacle, you just start rolling in the opposite direction. No crawling yet, but when you are sitting, you bend one leg in front of you, and the other one is stretched out behind in a modified split, then you reach for objects. You haven’t quite figured out how to get that front leg behind or up under you, but i think you are close. Then again, maybe you will be one of those babies that foregoes crawling for pulling up and cruising. You are already starting to sit next to a table, facing it, and then using your arms to pull your chin up over the side. What upper arm strength! Now, if you could just figure out to pull your legs up under you, you would have it.
You go to bed at 7:30 pm every night, and you wake between 7 am and 8:30 am every morning. We are still working on your naps, but they seem to be getting a little longer. One in the morning, about 2 hrs after you wake up, and then another in the afternoons. I am even getting the hang of making your nap coincide with Rollie’s quiet time. I am a Parenting God.
You love to laugh, and are the smiliest thing ever. Not quite so much whining as during the first 6 months or so of your life. I think that is in part because you are able to move around a little more.
On Monday, you waved back at me for the first time. I was pumping gas in McDonough for the trip to Warner Robins to see Grandma and Papaw. I peered in the window to see you and Quint (the dog) and you saw me and gave me a big smile. I began slowly and deliberately waving, and you waved back. You have only done it a few times since, but just that one little communication will tie me over for a good long while. You know me. I know you. We wave. Payoff.
Now I want you to say my name. Mama.
I know there are so many more little moments I am forgetting. Even if I forget them, know that i cherished them while I could remember.
I love you, baby Tiller. You have made our lives better, albeit a little more hectic.
Your nine months stats:
Length – 28 inches (50-75%)
Weight – 19 lbs 12.8oz (50-75%)
Head circumference: 43 1/2 cm (25-50%)
Here are some of my favorite pics from the last three months:
Bathing beauty at the lake
On the boat
Playing on the floor
With paci on the floor of your room
Getting kisses from Dada
And getting sleepy on his shoulder
Asleep at the zoo. I love to watch you sleep and see the veins on your eyelids.
In your party dress at Scarlett’s birthday party
Smiling for the camera
You think your brother is the funniest thing ever
Let me apologize now for the stars and stripes outfit. It was a gift, and hideous, but when else in your life can you ever get away with wearing stars on your bloomers? It had to be done.
Displaying your split-crawl this morning.
Smiling at me this morning
Happy Nine Months!
Love,
mama
God and Country
July 7th, 2006
My favorite picture, by far, from our weekend in Alabama.
This is a local church there. Growing up, Todd and his friends referred to this church as both “Six Flags over Jesus” and “Fort God.” Much to my amusement, they still refer to it that way. It is a fairly imposing structure, standing dark and faux-gothic over the corner lot it sits on. One of their close friend’s father is pastor there.
It seems like every time we drive by it, i hear another story about it. This trip was no different. After spying this large-scale display of God Bless the U.S.A. I drunkenly made our designated driver, Ned, pull over so I could take this picture at 1 a.m. (I am not sure, but I think that taking ironic photographs of places of worship is a hanging offense in Alabama.) It was then that Ned and Todd told me the best nugget I had ever heard about Six Flags over Jesus. It seems that the beautiful stained glass window you see above is not really glass at all; It is plastic. Wait. It gets better. If you are sitting inside the church, you cannot even see this wall of stained plastic. It can only be seen from the outside of the building.
Priceless. Absolutely priceless.
Epiphany
July 6th, 2006It is strange how I can build someone or something up in my head, so that it almost becomes monstrous, without there being much reason for all of the analysis and dread and dislike. Then, in one short space of time, a fog will lift (or sanity will return) and suddenly i realize with distinct clarity, that all of my fretting was for naught, that the object of my gut-wrenching anxiety was really nothing (William) in the big scheme of things. That it was not a bogeyman, but an insecure child worthy of my pity and goodwill, not my dislike. That the shininess of someone might upon closer inspection be a little rusty, too.
I am sorry i misjudged, but more sorry that I doubted myself.
Crikker’s Wedding
July 6th, 2006We spent the weekend in Auburn for Todd’s friend Crikker’s wedding. Todd and I dropped the kids off at my in-laws’ house on Friday afternoon. We headed into Auburn, checked into our hotel, and the weekend began! Friday night, we grabbed pizza and beer, then went to Iain and Noelle’s. Here are some of my favorite pics from the evening:
The Hostess with the Mostest, Noelle
Muir and the ladies
Iain and his spirit
Vanessa, Kate, and me on the ill-fated swing.
Todd wearing a Fez
Vanessa and I dig Monster Trucks. At least at 2 a.m.
On Saturday, we had a slightly hung over lunch with Cass, then headed to the pool. It was so hot that Todd’s room key melted. Then we got all gussied up and headed out to the farm in Salem for the wedding. This was, by the way, my favorite wedding, style-wise, ever. Also the only wedding i have ever been to that had both fireworks and a live bull. Here are my favorite pictures from the wedding:
Cute roadside sign at local gas station
Cass, Lauren, Vanessa, and a dapper Ned before the ceremony
The Bride and Groom
Me, Brook, and Nessie at the reception
Lights in a tree
The dance floor and pavillion
Fireworks
Me playing with fire
After the reception, we went out to Buffalo’s bar in Auburn. Things got a little fuzzy for some of us after that.
Laura and Kim
Matt with dartboard
Karate Kid Spinello
Ned and Sam
We took tons of pictures, so check out my flickr photos to see more of them.
p.s. See y’all at Iain’s funeral!
Boy Eats Corndog
June 30th, 2006
Todd, Rollie, Tiller, and I checked out the Corndogorama this past weekend. One word will sum it up: HOT. Very, very hot. So hot that matilda and I quickly retired to the nearest coffee shop for an iced coffee. (Matilda digested a magazine.)
That’s Mr. Corndog himself, Rollie, at right and below.
“Corndogs make me photogenic!”
Todd’s favorite new coozie.
Corn dogs! Funnel Cakes!
Matilda and I hide out at Joe’s. Rollie later joins us for a post-corndog cookie break.
