First

Another one for the history books

Well, it was bound to happen eventually, what with my sailor-mouthed husband and my own lack of verbal censorship around the children. Sawyer said his first bad word on Saturday - in front of my PARENTS!

He was quietly playing with a couple trucks in the kitchen and the little truck kept falling off the big truck. Sawyer's not always that easy to understand, but my dad and I both froze when we heard him say, quite clearly, "Oh my God dammit."

Surely we didn't understand him correctly. I let it slide. A few minutes later, I was back in Arden's bedroom and I heard him say it again from all the way across the house. He must have gotten another evil stare from my dad because he came running to me.

The thing about this is that for all the f-words and s-words that Scott uses, he picks up on MY bad word. I let it fly recently over I don't even remember what - probably some innate object that wasn't cooperating in the middle of a hectic moment.

I went through a whole long speech with Sawyer about bad words how there are some words that mommies and daddies say that children should never use but how it's okay for him to say "Oh My Gosh!" (something he had been saying for a few weeks with out the blasphemist twist). "Alright," he said.

The next day he was running across the room, fell down and said: "Oh my GOSH Dammit."

Boy, am I ever gonna hear from the Baptists now!

One for the history books

Dear Arden,
On this day you and I watched the inauguration of President Barack Obama together as it streamed (slowly) on a computer at work. Later, we watched on a television at the pediatricians office as the new President departed the Capitol. Moments after that, you were diagnosed with a high fever, strep throat and bronchiolitis. Nothing short of a typical day. Later, you slept in the back of the car while I pirated high speed internet from the library and emailed my stories in to the newspaper. I hope that as you read this in the future, you think it all trivial (a black president? what's the big deal?). But, just so you know, today, it felt like a very big and very wonderful deal. Now, if we can just get you healthy . . . that would be MONUMENTAL!
Love,
Mom

more pictures

Yay for photos from Scott's camera!

We took Justin and Sawyer on a trip to visit my aunt and uncle in Albany over the holiday break. Finally have photos. More posts to come. (This was my favorite picture from the trip).

Nourishment

To the prude: beware!

I stopped nursing Arden last week. She had reached the one year milestone, and I was leaving her with my mother for four days, so it seemed like time. But, I am . . . oh. so. sad.

I distinctly recalled the sudden feeling of loss I had when I stopped breast feeding Sawyer at 9 months. I mourned my baby powerfully. A week later, I got pregnant.

This time - knowing it was the last time - I was determined not to cut anything short over my own impatience or inconvenience. Arden's lack of budding teeth and aversion to solid food helped matters so that we actually made it to the American Pediatrician Association's recommended one year. It was a HUGE feat, as any mother who's attempted breast feeding knows.

Yet here, again, is this overwhelming sense of loss. The hardest part was coming home from my four-day vacation to discover my milk had not completely dried up and that I could, if I really wanted, continue. But, then I had to consider weaning a willful and determined toddler and that was something I am definitely NOT interested in. Arden, too, was teetering between the comfort of me or a much quicker and more reliable meal.

It was painful to watch those final tears of milk - once captured as liquid gold - fall to the ground.

My body's baby making days are over. I turn 35 this year and Scott turns 40 (for the third time) and as much as we are looking forward to raising this family over the next 17 years, we are hoping to perhaps have a little life left over at the end of it all. It's a dream, I know. Because kids these days never leave home; because we will never afford retirement; because the world will be too dangerous for travel. But, it's a dream all the same. And I'm sticking to it.

Arden's first birthday party

While I still need to post photos and stories from the second half of our holiday break, I am going to jump out of chronological order here to post pictures from Arden's party today. (Her real birthday is Monday).

opening presents w Carolyn Gardner


blowing out the first birthday candle with a little help from some friends: Jen, Livvy, Wyatt, Sawyer, Daddy, Justin, Mama, Carolyn, Annie and Charlotte.


Eating ice cream cake (Justin's choice). She LOVED it.

I would like to note here that Sawyer had a sailboat party theme planned months in advance with a cake made by Scott and a sailor suit ordered by Mimi 6 weeks before the party and matching invitations printed and mailed to all extended family. Arden's party was organized by email two days in advance and the cake (store bought) was served on non-themed white paper plates (gasp). I don't know whether its the second child syndrome or Christmas-time birthday syndrome, but I can attest that the party was just as lovely. Arden was an angel and she actually seemed really excited about blowing out the candle. And she looked darling in the scottish outfit given to her by her great Auntie Bonnie.