Meeting Scott and Lisa's Family 2011

One of the things we did on the Cape on this visit that we enjoyed most was to spend some time with Kevin's cousin Scott and his lovely family. Scott is his cousin on his father's side, and though Kevin grew up with them, Scott was a bit older than Kevin so they were never really doing the same things.  Kevin hadn't seen Scott in many years, and I had never met him or his family.  It's funny how family can be though, we got along like we'd always known each other and had a great time.  We spent the afternoon playing with the kids, sitting on the sand, and swimming and jetsking around the pond.  Believe it or not, Kevin and Marlene were the only ones to drive the jet ski and Scott, Kathy, and I rode on the back in turns.

Group photo! Getting three kids into a photo is like herding cats!


Jack and Kevin playing catch


Marlene and Jack make friends with Ellen


James with Auntie Lisa


Marlene looked for crabs all afternoon


Kevin and me, swimming in the pond


Jet-skiing grandma!

Cape Cod- August 2011

This post might cause you to suffer from picture-overload (cute-overload?), but I just couldn't leave anyone out. It's like James is a famous person, and everyone needs his or her photo with him! Okay, I admit, these photos are mostly at my request.

Visiting Great Grandma Catherine again, but James is so much bigger now!


Our family


James, you are right to be suspicious of Nomar's cute tricks


With Great Aunt Nesie


Flirting with an older woman (looks like it's working)



With Great Uncle George (and his Red Sox infant bodysuit)


With Great Aunt Fran on the beach


Enjoying a little beach snooze


Kiss attack from Grandma

Girls' Nights- August 2011

Group photos of two recent nights out with the girls. For the record, Kevin goes out regularly with his guy friends but he doesn't document everything he does with photography.  Go figure.

Getting Cuban food at Copellia in Chelsea- Michele, Christina, me, Rachel, Sarah T

 
Mexican food at Cancun with the ladies from work- Adrienne, Christie, Akua, and me

James is 16 Weeks 2011

James is growing fast! He's been a little better recently. He still complains a lot if he doesn't have constant attention, but either I've figured him out now, or he no longer cries for no reason. If he's crying he's either hungry, tired, or teething. And he still loves his jumperoo, so that gives him something to do that doesn't involve my sore back. Although he still likes for either me or Kevin to sit in front of the jumperoo and stare at him while he jumps. He's a total attention ham. The plus side of this is he loves photos. I mean look at this big hammy smile. I love it.

James at 14 weeks + 6 days

Unfortunately, James has recently made some decisions of which I don't approve. It doesn't bode well for adolescence. He has decided that consonants are passé. He stopped cooing and now makes these lengthy vowel sounds that seem to mimic the sing-songiness of conversation without any consonants or, you know, words.

Me: Hello, James. How are you today?
James: Ah-oooo. Anh. Eeeooo. Oo-oo-oo.

I keep telling him I want the consonants back and sometimes he growls in response. I do sometimes hear him making a rolling rr sound. I'm not sure if this is a normal baby thing or if he's trying to imitate my Spanish. It's pretty awesome though.

[TMI warning.] The other decision he made was that he wasn't going to breastfeed anymore. He made this decision after his three month shots. The shots weren't necessarily to blame, as we also spent the night in North Fork the night he stopped, so maybe he was freaked out by a new location and never resumed? Or most likely, his teething is getting in the way. I still try sometimes but not with much success. It's been annoying to pump all the time, but it's interesting how little milk I was making-- it's doubled since I've been just pumping, but it's still not enough to completely keep him off formula. (Why did I ever give him a bottle?!) We're thinking about introducing food at the four-month mark. The pediatrician says it will not help him sleep through the night, but I'm not convinced. It doesn't sound true. He wakes up to eat; ergo, if he's full, he won't wake up, right?

James's usual sleeping position


Napping on our bed

Isn't he the absolute cutest when he's asleep? I go and stare at him when he's asleep sometimes, and my heart swells. It's all I can do not to pick up and risk waking him. And at night when he wakes up, I feed him, and when he falls back asleep sometimes I linger too long to justify just holding him. Also the smell on the top of his head is intoxicating. Kevin doesn't smell the same scent as me, and I'm starting to suspect it's a momma-baby link only. I seriously feel a little dizzy (in a good way) when I sniff his hair.

Repeating an outfit on the blog for Nana's sake (15 weeks + 5 days)


I am cute. Deal with it. (15 weeks + 6 days)

James is getting good at grabbing things. He often pulls his pacifier out and sometimes manages to put it back in the right way. Other times, he stabs his cheeks with it. He can clasp his own hands together. He frequently reaches for toys, especially his favorite toy--his feet. I'm not kidding. The other day he woke up for the day but then spent another hour in his crib happily playing with his feet while his very grateful parents slept. We might now be entering the period of time where his new skills are not just praise-worthy but also a threat to the peace. He has twice grabbed Kevin's glasses right off his face and put them in his mouth. And I take so many pictures... that I accidentally caught him the second time.

Looking innocent (16 weeks + 3 days)


James is so sneaky, he doesn't even look at the glasses before making a grab.


And straight into his mouth. Well done.

James Visits New Jersey- August 2011

James recently took a little scream-filled ride to New Jersey to visit his great-grandmother Daisy. (Side note: Recently it has occurred to me that she might spell it Daysi. I always assumed it was spelled the English way. Like many Hispanic people she goes by her middle name, so I never see it in writing.) She fed us an enormous and delicious lunch of ribs, plantains, and moro (black beans and rice). My brother David stopped by to visit with James as well. They seem to get along well, except that James is a Red Sox fan who watches every single game with his father at 5 a.m. in the morning, and David is a Yankees fan.

With his great-grandmother Daisy or "Abuelita" to me


Taking a little nap on Abuelita's super-girly bed


With his Uncle David

After, we went to my mother's place so that her friends Onel and Tania could meet James. Onel is one of my favorite people ever since he was extremely supportive of my parents when my dad was sick last year. Onel and Tania live in Pennsylvania, far-out, and Onel has a very demanding job, but he still came to see my father a number of times. He would come to the hospital and find us in any room where we had been moved. My dad was always happy to see him. It got to the point where I half expected him to show up at the hospital when I was there having James. But I guess he decided I might prefer privacy. Ha! He is always welcome anywhere he wants to be when it comes to my family.

Posing for Arelys's camera phone picture


Holding on to Onel's finger (with Onel and Tania)


Trying to subtly move into biting down on Onel's hand (teething issues)

Five Years Since We Met 2011

On Saturday, Kevin and I celebrated five years since we first met at a coffee shop in Charlottesville called Mudhouse. I know that by now we should only be celebrating our wedding anniversary, but I can't quite let that day go.

I was terrifically excited about dating him by our second date. I once asked Kevin when he first "knew" and he said it was our sixth date (just 18 days after we met) when I volunteered to give blood with him and then almost passed out while donating. He took me back to my place and asked me to be his girlfriend. A little more than a month after we met, we exchanged I love yous. I had been waiting impatiently for him to say it first.

The day before Kevin said I love you. Yes, I am making "jazz hands"

We had been dating just under four months when we spent our first Thanksgiving together with his mother and brother. (I often tell the story of how the first words out of his mother's mouth when we first met were to ask me if I wanted children!) We were engaged by the following Thanksgiving in 2007.

Hiking the day after Thanksgiving 2006

What's the point of all this? I have a lot of friends I've heard wonder out loud how you know when you found the one. When I was single I often wondered this myself, and I was super frustrated by married people answering, "you just know." It sounded phony. It sounded like they couldn't think of a single redeeming quality about their significant other, or that they had chosen their partner pretty much at random. But when I dated Kevin I suddenly understood. The way you know is that for the first time, you feel confident that this is the person you choose to love. It's the confidence that distinguishes it from your other relationships. In other words, you know because for the first time you don't "think," you "know." That's why people say they "just know." I know it so hard that my only confusion is why every woman isn't also in love with Kevin. Maybe they just don't realize what I have going here.

And here is the gratuitous photo of James (on the five year anniversary of when we met):

He would be waving if he knew how to wave.

North Fork with Jon and Becky 2011

Perhaps in an effort to convince me that Long Island is not a developing country Kevin whisked me off to North Fork on Thursday, where our good friends Jon and Becky had rented a vacation house for the week. Kevin has been visiting them there for the last two years, but this was the first year I didn't have to work so I could join them. The plan was to relax and make lobsters for dinner and enjoy the beach the next day.  The first plan was a success. We enjoyed some wine and beer in the backyard while Jon grilled up some corn, and then went inside while Becky boiled the lobsters. It's only the third time I've ever had lobster right out of the shell, and the first time was when I was a kid, so I struggled quite a bit with my attack strategy. The delicious reward was well worth it though.

Enjoying a walk along the bay

Jon watching Kevin and James enjoy the hammock

Wine, check, pacifier, check

Sorry, lobster buddy, we have special plates for you and everything

The next day it rained so we had to rethink our beachy plans. We decided on a two vineyard, one brewery tour. I haven't gotten out of the house s much as I used to so I was super excited. We were a little concerned about taking James to adult places even though Becky assured us they were family-friendly, but James was surprisingly well-behaved, for James. Kevin did kindly take him outside for a little while at Lenz Winery while I hit the wine tasting, but he did get to try most of the wines first. I really liked the wine there and enjoyed my time chatting with Becky while Kevin and Jon fed and bounced the baby outside.

James then had a total meltdown in the car, but since it was in private, we were pretty psyched. He rallied for the Greenpoint Brewery, possibly because he was so stimulated by all the new sights and sounds. (Stimulated = freaked out.) By the time we got to Paumanok Winery, James fell asleep for his big afternoon nap so we were able to relax, enjoy the view of the vineyard, and ask Jon and Becky about their trip to Paris from a few years ago.

Three Clous at Lenz Winery

Becky and Jon at Lenz Winery

Greenport Harbor Company

The boys at Greenport Harbor Company

Becks and Jon at Paumanok Winery

Us at Paumanok Winery

What other baby can say he celebrated his 100-day mark with a winery-brewery "crawl?" Not very many, I'm sure. He had a semi-traumatic doctor's appointment the previous day before we left for North Fork, so we know he's now 15 pounds 7 ounces, and measuring 25.5 inches long. Though when I measure him, I get 26 inches... but somewhere around there.  Our mothers insisted we ask the pediatrician about introducing cereal or other solids to get James to sleep through the night. The pediatrician said that he shouldn't have any, and that it definitely wouldn't get him to sleep through the night. In fact, he suggested NOT feeding the baby at night, but just going in to comfort him. I'm not too confident about that idea just yet. I feel like James is stubborn and strong enough to cry for hours in protest. But we will eventually try if his sleep doesn't keep getting longer on its own. Right now he's up to four hours at a time, and some nights he only gets up once.

At the pediatrician's with his super intense finger bandage for his anemia test

Long Island is a Third World Country 2011

It is a record-breaking 102 degrees Fahrenheit outside right now. Our little air-conditioner is just one year old so it's fairly modern but it can only keep our living room at about 82 degrees, but the temperature inside is rapidly climbing. We've had blackouts twice this summer, and I'm praying we don't have one today because I'm not sure how we'll handle the heat without the air conditioner. Go stay with someone? Not a great option when you have to pack a million baby things.

Also, the water in our county tested positive for E. Coli as of Monday. We found out yesterday. That's three days of drinking, bathing, and brushing our teeth with yummy E. Coli water. Not to mention that the baby drinks powder formula which is now terrifying. Since we found out we've been using bottled water for all our drinking needs and boiled water for cleaning stuff.  Right now I'm boiling water for the baby's bath, but due to a fear of burning the baby, the baby will almost definitely be getting a pretty cool bath today. I myself would like a cool shower, but since I'm not going to boil enough water for myself, I wonder what's better- not showering or bathing in E. Coli water.

Of course, the 102 degrees and no potable water are just recent developments on Long Island. There was already the uncivilized behavior and terrifying driving. And if I did live in a third world country, the taxes would much lower and there would be readily available tropical drinks. On the bright side, I don't have to worry about rebel armies on Long Island. But then, there are all those Yankees fans.

Cartagena, where I wish I were, instead of Long Island

James is 3 Months Old 2011!

James turned 3 months old on Wednesday, which happened to fall on the day he turned 13 weeks as well. The 3-month mark is considered the end of the "fourth trimester." As previously reported, James holds his head up, smiles, squeals with delight, coos, pushes to standing position with his legs, and is wearing 3-6 month size clothing, with an emphasis on the 6 months side of things.

3 Months!

So, what's new? Kevin and I both noticed that he's getting much better at grabbing things and putting them in his mouth. It's funny how these basic things make us so ridiculously proud and amused. About a week ago, he grabbed Kevin's glasses off his face and stuck those in his mouth. Kevin ran into the room to report the happening. I was delighted. Mostly he just puts toys or blankets in his mouth. Ironically, his pacifier is one of the hardest objects for him to correctly maneuver into his mouth.

He rolls onto his side now from his back, but seems to want to avoid ending up on his belly. He hates tummy time, but he's not quite as awful at it now, and he manages to lift his head a little or grab something in front of him to pull himself forward, but he won't push up onto his forearms. He can also rotate himself round on his back so if you put him down he'll end up diagonal or perpendicular to how you left him.

Also, I think that sometimes he repeats a sound. I'm not sure if he is repeating or if it's just coincidence plus motherly imagination. For example, the other day I said "ya, ya, ya," when he was crying on the changing table, which means "enough, enough, enough" in Spanish, but is often used as a comforting sound much like "it's okay" might be used in English. I think he said "ya" back, but it's hard to say as it's a simple sound, and it's normal for him to make "ahh" coos. I also hear him trying to make the "rr" sound in Spanish sometimes, though this might also be coincidence, especially since it sounds more like a growl. Michele is also pretty sure he tried to "click" back when she spent some time making clicking noises at him.

Finally, just as he was starting to scream a little less often for no discernible reason, he started teething. He's got a little swollen bump in his mouth on the top left and he keeps his fist in that spot most of the time. Teething is the worst because there is no way to fix his problem.  I've given him a little Oragel here and there but it doesn't help for long.

This is what teething looks like


Doing a little better the next day with Oragel and the teething giraffe Chrissy got him

Oh, and yesterday he started paying attention when I read to him from his books! He's been completely ignoring the books until now. Though obviously I hardcore staged this photo.

My favorite book to read to him

Doesn't hate:
Sleeping in his crib at night
Breastfeeding at night
Bathtime
When people sing to him, almost any song is good
Driving in the car at nighttime
Books!

Likes:
Drinking from a bottle
Cooing to anyone who will chat back
Having his belly rubbed like a puppy
His activity mat
His swing
Chewing on his toys
"The Itsy Bitsy Spider" is his favorite song (based on smiles)
Oragel
The "1-800-Victim2" Commercial

Hates: Everything else, including, but not limited to:
Breastfeeding during the daytime
Sleeping in his crib at naptime
Driving in the car in the daytime
Possibly he hates being held and not being held in equal amounts
His bouncy chair

Kayak's Maiden Voyage 2011

For Father's Day I wanted to celebrate Kevin for being such a wonderful dad, so I got him an inflatable kayak.  Not only is it the fun sort of outdoorsy thing he loves, but it gives him a reason to take a break from his work and baby care (his two main activities). After all, he has to take advantage of my present. Since it's inflatable he can drag it around to New York lakes and Cape Cod ponds. It also helps make up a little for the lack of hiking around here.  Here's the kayak's first launch!

Blowing up the kayak


The launch


He's off!