tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74111282024-03-07T14:03:09.007-08:00dillard57Art, autodidactism, yoga, food, stuff as it comes.dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105327678989007548noreply@blogger.comBlogger218125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411128.post-66897950291462567422011-11-25T12:15:00.000-08:002011-11-27T15:18:06.969-08:00Better late than never<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhma9qNN2dZw_t2OvhHGz6cpbAosnXbeLpxQUqVTlRYPIuY7xNqaUjA9Mf2eHzin6P51oQLfwCGuiUnGfmviVRQwIQ5UiHUxajwWLJG0_BkXMXhwauIJjTr5e2uhjp_cr3B4s2YbA/s1600/IMGP5547.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679030993427578050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhma9qNN2dZw_t2OvhHGz6cpbAosnXbeLpxQUqVTlRYPIuY7xNqaUjA9Mf2eHzin6P51oQLfwCGuiUnGfmviVRQwIQ5UiHUxajwWLJG0_BkXMXhwauIJjTr5e2uhjp_cr3B4s2YbA/s320/IMGP5547.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9p7vX36f0MQ-w3wuRHz3C2SyAsiQmcwpySoRtbYdmcb3Q8XAmHhwelKnzrPLrVwwIH65hOzHYlA61qhY5dXhiFDkj0GqzGv3mqo5p5HMK0h2CBPZyUDTiH-sjdzivH2sWVQAlw/s1600/IMGP5536.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679030542335726962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9p7vX36f0MQ-w3wuRHz3C2SyAsiQmcwpySoRtbYdmcb3Q8XAmHhwelKnzrPLrVwwIH65hOzHYlA61qhY5dXhiFDkj0GqzGv3mqo5p5HMK0h2CBPZyUDTiH-sjdzivH2sWVQAlw/s320/IMGP5536.JPG" /></a>The peanut and the pumpkin patch.<br /><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiilsJfmXg9esNqwB608w2R2JLQyTrzEfGVm8DC6gZE4ZbFrSg1B0cU-XFg15EuZK7U3kpuIxON3k-w34OD3R0W6crOmbL1LIR47O237uHS4NFHI58u5II1vapWXtKVWT7nwaLg6g/s1600/IMGP5538.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679030539687320066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiilsJfmXg9esNqwB608w2R2JLQyTrzEfGVm8DC6gZE4ZbFrSg1B0cU-XFg15EuZK7U3kpuIxON3k-w34OD3R0W6crOmbL1LIR47O237uHS4NFHI58u5II1vapWXtKVWT7nwaLg6g/s320/IMGP5538.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div>Some leftover autumn pumpkin pics.</div></div></div>dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105327678989007548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411128.post-13730267934267910582011-11-23T11:11:00.000-08:002011-11-27T16:17:17.476-08:00On Turning 40<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhebSikNqQYiKPC-lMbVuQPiAgvW_w5ICpSORkOsVXm2eaKzEKAme9dZKT2xC8gnzwWaTOc0WUzCd0NSxTrbopXlQp-HSD40PPzkOUes4EP6q4sDoU-ddnyoUuQ9ZySdPEKVV4mvg/s1600/IMGP5435.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679833657222964354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhebSikNqQYiKPC-lMbVuQPiAgvW_w5ICpSORkOsVXm2eaKzEKAme9dZKT2xC8gnzwWaTOc0WUzCd0NSxTrbopXlQp-HSD40PPzkOUes4EP6q4sDoU-ddnyoUuQ9ZySdPEKVV4mvg/s320/IMGP5435.JPG" /></a> <a name="_MailAutoSig"><span style="font-family:'Arial', 'sans-serif';">This year was a big birthday, a life turning point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I’m not the type of person who keeps her age a secret.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I don’t care if people know my age, and I don’t feel shame about my age. I think getting older is ok. So turning 40 was not a secret, nor was it a birthday I particularly felt I needed to celebrate in a big way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I told family and friends that I have gotten so much love and support and generosity with my wedding and the birth of the Peanut, that I did not need any more parties or presents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I celebrated with Mr. Right on the day, and then the next day both me and the Peanut were sick so we laid pretty low.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Whoopee!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We are Party People.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></a><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><p style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto" class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig"><span style="font-family:'Arial', 'sans-serif';">Being the overly introspective type, nonetheless, this landmark birthday does give me pause.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>What does it mean to turn 40?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>What does it mean to move into this new decade?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I didn’t want to let this one go by without a good ponder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And my dear friend Tina feels like I am some sort of trailblazer as I am a year older than her to the week, and one year older as a momma.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>She called me last night to remind me that I had not yet shared my musings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I was so honored that she even wanted to hear them that I am trying to oblige her now.</span></span></p><br /><p style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto" class="MsoNormal"></p><br /><p style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto" class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig"><span style="font-family:'Arial', 'sans-serif';">I asked a few of my personal trailblazers:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>how was or is the 40<sup>th</sup> decade?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And what was your favorite decade?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I received the expected mix of answers, but almost all of them asserted that the 40s are a good decade, a year of coming into to your power as a woman, especially.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I like that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>By 40, you finally feel confident enough of yourself to be yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And to like yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And to know what you need and when you need it and then go and get it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I like all of this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I can see why it would be true.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig"><span style="font-family:'Arial', 'sans-serif';">I am a little sorry to leave my 30s behind though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The first 5 years of 30 were pretty good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I had an extremely fulfilling run as “Urban Artistic Single Woman” who was all hip and had all kinds of adventures and had freedom and a large community of friends and activities..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I miss my very sweet apartment, the 3<sup>rd</sup> floor of a triple decker in Somerville, filled with sunshine and my artwork and my cat and my books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>My time was my own – a concept I suppose you never appreciate until it’s gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Then I met Mr. Right and oh my goodness, it has been a whirlwind ever since.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I won’t bother tracking all the changes (most of which have been tracked in this blog), but let’s just say I’ve gone from “Urban Artistic Single Woman” to “Suburban Exhausted Working Mom Who Can Barely See Straight.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In some ways, all my childhood dreams have come true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And in some ways, the transition has been one of the two toughest times of my life. My world is definitely much smaller and much more chaotic. I also think becoming a new mom later in life has its advantages (maturity, gratitude, stability, lots of friends with help and advice) and some disadvantages (less stamina is a big one). So my age does have an impact on my parenting.<br /></span></span></p><br /><p style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto" class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig"><span style="font-family:'Arial', 'sans-serif';">I’ve always envisioned my 45 year old self as this wise person who looks back in time at me and smiles, both a little ruefully at all the flailing about I do, but also with encouragement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>That it will turn out OK, that I’m doing fine, that it will be fine in 10 years … now 5 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>She looks calm and has found the place where I need to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>So now I’m that much closer to finding her, even if I feel like I’m a bit frayed around the edges these days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>So yes, 40 is just fine with me.</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig"><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;font-family:'Times New Roman', 'serif';" ></span></span></p></div>dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105327678989007548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411128.post-28839763150986682492011-08-20T09:56:00.000-07:002011-09-02T09:14:03.020-07:00We Liked the Fingerlakes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3ZeQ5jZV3XdICeeA8VZbfMQDnYi6BI1Z6BOCfAFPWwrVjtwEITHZRBktfFF1wry83WDu2UCpAPAZ0Jd8K7liJKSn1046A1-x7sNB6XW6fklk8829cq8YRtnJDFOgyykQ0p9_qw/s1600/grace+006.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642983527668176002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3ZeQ5jZV3XdICeeA8VZbfMQDnYi6BI1Z6BOCfAFPWwrVjtwEITHZRBktfFF1wry83WDu2UCpAPAZ0Jd8K7liJKSn1046A1-x7sNB6XW6fklk8829cq8YRtnJDFOgyykQ0p9_qw/s320/grace+006.jpg" /></a>When a state has New York City, the big city tends to drown out anything else in range. So we had no idea how much fun we could have in the Fingerlakes. Every day was packed! The Peanut's two favorite activities seemed to be the pool and visiting a goat farm. She was having paroxsms of joy at both places. The rest of us really loved the waterfalls, the "gorgeous gorges" and eating LOTS of ice cream. I loved being able to hike UNDER waterfalls and swim right up to them. How cool is that! Literally very cool, it turns out.
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1eOnyGvVLDh_Mv_bavBn0uEG5B41nTBe-0NWJ_gaHtZXapVgNzR9d6_wAta4BdQ_2PAmyLyqT2ky7407T_zvqQafyAbbAcH2hQeCVisL-MAW1AOGDB-gziAm7xkrCivn9psNUg/s1600/grace+007.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642983529563539346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1eOnyGvVLDh_Mv_bavBn0uEG5B41nTBe-0NWJ_gaHtZXapVgNzR9d6_wAta4BdQ_2PAmyLyqT2ky7407T_zvqQafyAbbAcH2hQeCVisL-MAW1AOGDB-gziAm7xkrCivn9psNUg/s320/grace+007.jpg" /></a>
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<br />dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105327678989007548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411128.post-85091196384551175622011-07-13T11:42:00.000-07:002011-07-13T11:43:13.797-07:00The Little ThingsWatching this makes me endlessly happy.<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy9qOquHDqj6kT-2KYWLZgeilo3XtWrq14h3yBZRGd7hNmPxDyfzSEtzysclK8qT3EbOLqpgqXJZHE' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105327678989007548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411128.post-50387070439454184952011-06-29T12:57:00.000-07:002011-06-29T13:04:33.432-07:00Summer Fun Must Do List<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" 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name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:";font-size:100%;" >This list is going on the fridge and to be monitored carefully! The summer goes by too fast and I want to make sure I actually have fun.<br /></span><ul style="font-family: arial;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:100%;" >Go to an ice cream stand and eat the ice cream outside and having it drip down my arm</span></li></ul><ul style="font-family: arial;"><li><span style="Arial","sans-serif"font-size:100%;" >At least 2 beach days where we have time to swim, walk, read, snooze and build sand castles<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>(ie just a walk doesn’t cut it)</span></li><li><span style=";font-size:100%;" >Cooking things on an outdoor fire, most importantly, smores (will do this on vacation)</span></li><li><span style="Arial","sans-serif"font-size:100%;" >Going to the local pool </span></li><li><span style=";font-size:100%;" >Take Peanut to local baby pool</span></li><li><span style="Arial","sans-serif"font-size:100%;" >Playing in the backyard pool from grocery store (already did this, yay!)</span></li><li><span style="Arial","sans-serif"font-size:100%;" >Eating popsicles in the backyard (already did this, yay!)</span></li><li><span style="Arial","sans-serif"font-size:100%;" >Making ice cream with the kids (have them create a crazy flavor)</span></li><li><span style="Arial","sans-serif"font-size:100%;" >Lobster on the backyard porch at mom and dad’s (coming up, yay!)</span></li><li><span style="Arial","sans-serif"font-size:100%;" >Fireworks!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>(could we do this on vacation or in New Hampshire on a weekend?)</span></li><li><span style=";font-size:100%;" >Walden Pond at least one time where I can swim! </span></li><li><span style=";font-size:100%;" >Go out to eat at a restaurant where we sit outside and have drinks</span></li><li><span style="Arial","sans-serif"font-size:100%;" >Go for a boat/kayak ride (we can plan to do this on vacation, but maybe also in our town)</span></li><li><span style="Arial","sans-serif"font-size:100%;" >Eat watermelon outside</span></li><li><span style="Arial","sans-serif"font-size:100%;" >Eat cherries outside</span></li><li><span style="Arial","sans-serif"font-size:100%;" >Water balloon fight/squirt gun fight</span></li><li><span style="Arial","sans-serif"font-size:100%;" >Go pick fruit somewhere</span></li><li><span style="Arial","sans-serif"font-size:100%;" >Trip to secret New Hampshire swimming hole?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>(this one is as little more ambitious as it is a weekend away)</span></li><li><span style="Arial","sans-serif"font-size:100%;" >See some fireflies (probably on vacation)</span></li></ul>dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105327678989007548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411128.post-87941572407301942512011-06-12T16:38:00.000-07:002011-06-12T16:40:49.027-07:00<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyurbrWqwx57I9L0RMlla5yQTLMFQU5YangWl8O7cMdfI4p7Y1avwbFVYGFNCLmX5lAYKGXYTD45Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>She doesn't smash the cake so the video is mostly worth watching for her very serious expression. Hope you enjoy.dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105327678989007548noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411128.post-8399381445508659622011-06-12T08:09:00.000-07:002011-06-12T08:50:50.722-07:00Happy Birthday Little Peanut!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqwmz1VXB1svvY5ylrVCsOgtq47jDi3wLi4kZ9vGXtGYR-UMhfUpfFBPIyrT6iD-TOE5nO5R_9huJc0VzwGvfr7fFJRLl9HHjBk6CY2vh-humNJZ8f_KMWLCVkNQ_15WvEmMMgQ/s1600/IMGP5321.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617359756245454626" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqwmz1VXB1svvY5ylrVCsOgtq47jDi3wLi4kZ9vGXtGYR-UMhfUpfFBPIyrT6iD-TOE5nO5R_9huJc0VzwGvfr7fFJRLl9HHjBk6CY2vh-humNJZ8f_KMWLCVkNQ_15WvEmMMgQ/s320/IMGP5321.JPG" border="0" /></a> Grandma made a butterfly cake and a MILLION cupcakes. Thanks, Grandma!!!!<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAZP5qZTtvamCi-yQARXs2PlNlu_DJ6OTKv3XBmRhvZBswAtWl1ss5CPwMoXH1Kg3pr5Yo0Huka4QiNLnWPmkpNrEhI0BIUygQf4iqwtzAzbpxO8TVD3DKa-Dt6ZYNZfthF0sbVA/s1600/IMGP5284.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617356782243683394" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAZP5qZTtvamCi-yQARXs2PlNlu_DJ6OTKv3XBmRhvZBswAtWl1ss5CPwMoXH1Kg3pr5Yo0Huka4QiNLnWPmkpNrEhI0BIUygQf4iqwtzAzbpxO8TVD3DKa-Dt6ZYNZfthF0sbVA/s320/IMGP5284.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHq85a0PwdGvgGKckd5z4-V6sTAw5EYit1OWh0zMMef_cjKa8_uHCkABZgQljuPyUKirh1Jphq9PXsDj_kwOs6ytseJS9e3pkodkqePGcKipfQWQKxrpS_zOyO5Bm48SjA-YexXw/s1600/Grace+035.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617359762808362370" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHq85a0PwdGvgGKckd5z4-V6sTAw5EYit1OWh0zMMef_cjKa8_uHCkABZgQljuPyUKirh1Jphq9PXsDj_kwOs6ytseJS9e3pkodkqePGcKipfQWQKxrpS_zOyO5Bm48SjA-YexXw/s320/Grace+035.jpg" border="0" /></a>We had quite a day. We crossed our fingers that the rain would hold off so we could play in the backyard, but it was not to be. We moved everything inside and managed to squish far too many people in our house. The Peanut played with all the kids and we all enjoyed her new toys and books. We were celebrating her birthday but also our survival of our first year as new parent and whew, what a year it was. I'll try and post the happy birthday video later but for now we thought you'd like to see a few pictures of the birthday girl.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxxdClF9sY-JbKdNs_R_QkhsnlkY7CdsbI-jREI2KgiNXcFVuOYEGUOfZx7jgv3OyR1GDdKzoYtlzRGZTdATgv0CAJQGy-EnGfPZaGOjdJsAn-v46TMrh-i3yIpfmtxOX9mMWirQ/s1600/Grace+043.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617356779278136162" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxxdClF9sY-JbKdNs_R_QkhsnlkY7CdsbI-jREI2KgiNXcFVuOYEGUOfZx7jgv3OyR1GDdKzoYtlzRGZTdATgv0CAJQGy-EnGfPZaGOjdJsAn-v46TMrh-i3yIpfmtxOX9mMWirQ/s320/Grace+043.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>She was a very dainty cake eater ... no cake smashing for this princess. It was so great to see all of our lovely friends and family who were able to make it out to celebrate.</div></div></div>dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105327678989007548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411128.post-67726017343305298572011-05-15T05:07:00.000-07:002011-05-15T05:10:57.249-07:00Mother's Day<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RCMpe1ChImJjtW2WMOJxSdjczEOyRPW448yfJ-b5QxjLNNIurKAUPamY0mv8JbuelhrfdjeObAAsdePkfMEqCSJESm3jjyvxBkiutgQuALCF97zuhiaYnNVu0TnpYJ6IRRSVrw/s1600/IMGP5182.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606913925255950082" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RCMpe1ChImJjtW2WMOJxSdjczEOyRPW448yfJ-b5QxjLNNIurKAUPamY0mv8JbuelhrfdjeObAAsdePkfMEqCSJESm3jjyvxBkiutgQuALCF97zuhiaYnNVu0TnpYJ6IRRSVrw/s320/IMGP5182.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXRrtDFpuPM9CKq29sAj2qnvdEUix8_qnQX7dkcRCo-rw_OPFiJdv93Fr_ejQZ3fE-Kh2gUuq9Ui227OfKdsIcwI1Ll1bgoYcZEr7Av6uJn47QKeN4pDJcYiDqg5TXL3k4BHp90Q/s1600/IMGP5168.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606913926183371858" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXRrtDFpuPM9CKq29sAj2qnvdEUix8_qnQX7dkcRCo-rw_OPFiJdv93Fr_ejQZ3fE-Kh2gUuq9Ui227OfKdsIcwI1Ll1bgoYcZEr7Av6uJn47QKeN4pDJcYiDqg5TXL3k4BHp90Q/s320/IMGP5168.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>A year of firsts ... and here's </div></div><br />my first mothers day. The peanut had a wonderful dress, courtesy of Grandma. Having such a cute peanut is really like having a dolly some days.dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105327678989007548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411128.post-88231086547751925572011-04-09T17:50:00.000-07:002011-04-09T18:11:05.001-07:00Things we love at 9 months<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQakmponbHQEGUSbgRgVPDuqp66KkBQUGV-vZlMEFLxWBT9u3WfI8_0RT1k0Oj9nhJUVVZa1u2zDYV99qKY0K-Uayt5jR6s7Zb-N7qLnGcR0RCc7xZmKi_3MDn2Sxflv51XYKHbw/s1600/Grace+120.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593752847480026530" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQakmponbHQEGUSbgRgVPDuqp66KkBQUGV-vZlMEFLxWBT9u3WfI8_0RT1k0Oj9nhJUVVZa1u2zDYV99qKY0K-Uayt5jR6s7Zb-N7qLnGcR0RCc7xZmKi_3MDn2Sxflv51XYKHbw/s320/Grace+120.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong>Food:</strong> Gracie loves any orange food … squash, carrots, sweet potatoes. However, she seems to be tiring of baby food in general and would rather feed herself. She LOVES puffs and cheerios and would happily eat nothing but those. We like the squeezable baby food from HappyBaby for car trips and on the go -- no spoon needed and you just put the lid back on! She still loves to nurse, gets that totally blissed out look on her face as she first connects. Ahhhhh. <strong>Toys:</strong> Balls in any form … small balls and large beach balls or exercise balls. She thinks they are great. Empty water bottles, 2 liter bottles for the music they make. Empty coffee cans are great for the noise they make when you roll them on the floor. She was super into a plastic drinking cup we had for use in the bath. Pretty much any of her "real" toys aren't as exciting as these toys. She does love her bird house from Auntie Sue, the velcro part especially. She likes her toys but doesn't play with any particular toy a lot; she kinda cycles through. She doesn't have a lovie yet that she really responds to. When she nurses, she'll hold onto something for a minute or two and then reach over and drop it very casually on the floor. <strong>Books:</strong> Her favorite books right now involve interactive elements, like textures or doors to open or peekaboo! She likes one with peekaboos on every page and a mirror at the end -- she always kisses the mirror at the end. I'm not sure what that is about. She's big into kissing in general these days. Kissing meaning she grabs your face and licks you. According to her daycare providers, she grabs other babies as they toddle by, pulls them down and proceeds to lick their heads. The daycare providers say her toddler friends think its fun.Mr. Right is not happy about this. <strong>Clothes:</strong> We vacillate between 9-12 months clothing. I struggle with daycare outfits. My favorite clothes are cotton onesie type tops (with snaps) and matching pants. Things that come in sets make the whole matching thing so much simpler. I don't like sending her to daycare in dresses and tights -- too uncomfortable. And she has several pairs of baby jeans and baby overalls, but they just are a little too stiff for a baby who is trying to crawl everywhere. I'm not sure I get the baby overalls concept -- I think it was a big trend a few years back. Looking forward to trying out our convertible carseat. We also have a lot of baby gates to buy and install, not as excited for that.dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105327678989007548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411128.post-12060148208976988892011-03-26T09:09:00.001-07:002011-03-26T09:10:49.146-07:00Crawling and Turning and Teeth!It's a milestone frenzy! Here's a photo of her ... scooting? crawling?? I've never looked so closely at our floors before. Mom calls her the new mop.<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyCJo5STfOyJ22R4J1CQt9S_XewIbwx-16WMfrCrunHbJeEz5XVEO2iJPRC-M1ZrdDXqA1gFSxohvc' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105327678989007548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411128.post-50831383977411666252011-03-10T11:36:00.001-08:002011-03-11T08:26:59.165-08:009 Months<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE2iwrm59W6EM5m0N-0ZkvhpB8gq8-wLF2u6n5WIAQDn9_UwrGTC57_OXk0wNDI0hK8pGw7neRQwIvSQPHVBadkx2g8XKxnoPY6Hywru2RSQIPlBso86_cSOgF4Jv7w4VRCKMGFw/s1600/grace+porch.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE2iwrm59W6EM5m0N-0ZkvhpB8gq8-wLF2u6n5WIAQDn9_UwrGTC57_OXk0wNDI0hK8pGw7neRQwIvSQPHVBadkx2g8XKxnoPY6Hywru2RSQIPlBso86_cSOgF4Jv7w4VRCKMGFw/s320/grace+porch.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582858941887133538" border="0" /></a> Photo credit to Auntie Sue and her mad photo skills!<br /><div> </div><br /><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Age: 9 months!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Size and Shape: </span>Definitely can't fit into the 6 months anymore and sometimes even 12 month sizes are a bit small. 17 1/2 pounds. She is definitely getting more hair and occasionally has bedhead which is endlessly amusing to me.<br /></div><br /><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eat:</span> The peanut remains a fussy eater and sticks pretty close to the banana and orange vegetable spectrum. But she tends to like anything she can feed herself or sees me eating. Puffs are her favorite. And paper still is very popular.<br /></div><br /><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Getting Around</span>: She is good at turning in circles on her bum and moving around inch by inch this way. She can definitely move several feet pretty quickly when I look away for a second, but she is still not fully mobile. She likes to crawl underneath tables and then get kinda stuck.<br /></div><br /><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">New People</span>: She is getting more comfortable with new people as long as she has time to adjust first. She still is pretty friendly with anyone as long as she is feeling secure. </div><br /><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best moment this week</span>: We had a lot of fun with my sister visiting from Pittsburgh. It was great to show her the Ipswich Bird Sanctuary, and she was really awesome about taking the Peanut early in the morning so I could sleep in a little.<br /></div><br /><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Worst moment this week:</span> Being in the emergency room because she was covered in hives. It was awful to see your perfect baby looking so awful, even though she was pretty cheerful through the whole thing. We now know she is allergic to penicillin (assuming they identified this correctly). I hope it isn't the first of many er visits ... although Mr. Right says don't count on it.<br /></div><br /><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">What I miss:</span> When you don't have a kid, you can budget out your time off of work. It is strange to give up so many of your vacation/sick days for her. Of course it's worth it and we've had some fun playtime, but I wonder if there will be much left for summer vacation.</div><br /><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">What I am looking forward to</span>: People say she will sleep through the night at some point ... when?</div><br /><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Weekly Wisdom:</span> Trying to learn the "sweetness of doing nothing." Learning to just sit and play with her and enjoy this time that is going so fast.<br /></div>dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105327678989007548noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411128.post-794640059962941872011-02-14T10:59:00.000-08:002011-02-14T11:01:10.179-08:00Happy Valentine's Day!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF44DHrZwQhbJJ6YdVc6P-CLQXMuBNyy8o3MijsPFnSERaCeHC_235vGwIPGgM5mI8VWRpz8xEh6yOklFLJZur7iqcd60yxAUndpBaPqj0fq1kOHjWY4OkvRaKpb0UZxVGpujnMA/s1600/grace+001.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF44DHrZwQhbJJ6YdVc6P-CLQXMuBNyy8o3MijsPFnSERaCeHC_235vGwIPGgM5mI8VWRpz8xEh6yOklFLJZur7iqcd60yxAUndpBaPqj0fq1kOHjWY4OkvRaKpb0UZxVGpujnMA/s320/grace+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573622179013461330" border="0" /></a><br />At daycare they told us to wear red. So we did. We did a better job than last week on pajama day when we did not wear pajamas because mom didn't get the memo. Sigh. We'll get on top of things one of these days.dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105327678989007548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411128.post-59875635445138996462011-02-11T18:58:00.001-08:002011-02-11T19:03:30.401-08:00Delicious delicious paperIt's definitely getting more challenging to take the monthly photo as the Peanut has discovered she likes to eat paper and in general just has become very curious about everything. We did our best. But next month I think we'll have to make a sign out of prunes or something. She won't eat those. <br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dycdkydn_lEjqwXJa2hqfpZCA0GhOeu9-k1iyRS6ABEUgr39wgo0OhoeM2BbkelEKuqnkZKg5N5QuA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105327678989007548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411128.post-4562302376295175162011-02-11T18:51:00.000-08:002011-02-11T18:58:06.566-08:008 Months Old!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7L8-RFsPSo-BSvCg2YfFcKlHOzQwbmvrzhNtD_JbX4KNSPFBNoi-Hnlsuciig9Cy8a4Fl9PHs97GZSkrGh8_TuSs3dAsOGRSXmRfQsVfwjMt8kH0fwNHl9DV4HktWBq8tB-ToA/s1600/Grace+016.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572631744727896498" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7L8-RFsPSo-BSvCg2YfFcKlHOzQwbmvrzhNtD_JbX4KNSPFBNoi-Hnlsuciig9Cy8a4Fl9PHs97GZSkrGh8_TuSs3dAsOGRSXmRfQsVfwjMt8kH0fwNHl9DV4HktWBq8tB-ToA/s320/Grace+016.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>Age:</strong> 8 months!<br /><div><strong></strong> </div><div><strong>Size and Shape:</strong> She has been right on target with her clothes -- wearing 6 month clothes at 6 months. Which, strangely, makes her on the small side. She's definitely getting longer -- her feet are starting to stretch through her 6-9 month pajamas so it looks like we're moving into the 9 month clothing sooner than I thought. But she's definitely not got the long legs that her brother and sister have, so I don't think she'll be a six footer. </div><br /><div><strong>Eat:</strong> She likes her food but is not an adventurous eater, unless you call eating paper/floor lint adventuresome. On a spoon, she mostly likes bananas, avocados, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, and cereal. I am baffled that she does not like yogurt much. And I can never tell if she's going to eat one bite and done or want two jars of food, so it's always a guess as to how much to make/open. When she is feeding herself though, she happily eats everything in sight, including her daycare write ups and any stray bit of thing she can dig up that I later find in her mouth. </div><br /><div><strong>Getting Around:</strong> Still not crawling but occasionally she'll inch toward something. She seems much more interested in standing, but is not pulling herself up yet. She is definitely heavier -- even in the carriers she is awfully heavy now.</div><br /><div><strong>New People:</strong> She's adjusting to some new daycare people. She hung out with John during the superbowl but was perplexed by his beard. Doing better with "stranger danger" but does NOT like it when you walk out of the room. She watches you very carefully to make sure you are still there. And if she is sitting in front of you while playing, she will reach behind to make sure all is well. She will play independently for a while and then turn around and want a hug, and then go back to playing again. It's very sweet.</div><br /><div><strong>Best moment this week:</strong> I love it when she says ma ma ma ma even though I'm not sure if she knows that is me. Also, I found out that one of my best friends is pregnant! Yay!</div><br /><div><strong>Worst moment this week:</strong> When she threw up all over me on Monday. We all had some sort of flu and I was thinking she didn't get it and then, oh, yes she did.<br /><strong></strong></div><div><strong>What I miss:</strong> I do love seeing the newborn infants at the baby café and how teeny tiny they are. But I love the age she is at now: so interactive! </div><br /><div><strong>What I am looking forward to:</strong> When she says "ma ma" about me! I'm not sure I'm ready for her to be mobile -- I know things are harder then. We are trying to baby proof now.</div><br /><div><strong>Weekly Wisdom:</strong> Trying to continue to "make friends with the moment." </div>dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105327678989007548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411128.post-26222175286542508612011-02-08T10:26:00.001-08:002011-02-08T10:34:55.345-08:00Early Valentine's Day Prize from Daddy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq_jNSfLqcrcimjK2SQmPHl7BdmtbAAGEuV8RY2mM7X3n5UtVO9MOLWF-X_m2MG_r0DRgn-Tg5XvFnBNsaw-zelHVXshLNFEmuiP_hj9wq7noNZp3HmlFFs1Zn-DmYzfxpCR8M4g/s1600/Grace+015.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571387041318840338" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq_jNSfLqcrcimjK2SQmPHl7BdmtbAAGEuV8RY2mM7X3n5UtVO9MOLWF-X_m2MG_r0DRgn-Tg5XvFnBNsaw-zelHVXshLNFEmuiP_hj9wq7noNZp3HmlFFs1Zn-DmYzfxpCR8M4g/s320/Grace+015.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>It was a very delicious cookie. Thanks Dad!</div>dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105327678989007548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411128.post-61058211980633480092011-02-08T10:18:00.000-08:002011-02-08T10:24:31.532-08:00Peanut Waves Away Post-Nap PaparazziPlease, no photos at this time. <br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwQpw4KVLGPlZpeNsX_RK4ERB3Vj0v3YbQE2RZAGD3xb4MMi_M1NAfrzLi8JYT_fgQyvtI-F_wi4vs' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105327678989007548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411128.post-46324383489944031902011-01-27T08:33:00.000-08:002011-01-27T09:07:35.805-08:00The Holiday Newsletter I Never Sent Because My Brain Melted<a style="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd92NZY3JRhp3bwnuI2fZW9EZsBbYocoKeTGpJZFd-bSjXn4fHVrmJQPzTZCKPfuntaVJSNeYO96bKnkw-_NQIy6c9golwvFSmyEnRbY53OrjUfd9veHtIkdYERNZCYYhgk0iukQ/s1600/grace+hat.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd92NZY3JRhp3bwnuI2fZW9EZsBbYocoKeTGpJZFd-bSjXn4fHVrmJQPzTZCKPfuntaVJSNeYO96bKnkw-_NQIy6c9golwvFSmyEnRbY53OrjUfd9veHtIkdYERNZCYYhgk0iukQ/s320/grace+hat.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566912523199703282" border="0" /></a><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapedefaults ext="edit" spidmax="1026"> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapelayout ext="edit"> <o:idmap ext="edit" data="1"> </o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->This post inspired by my dear friend Susan in NJ, who resolved to write one blog post per year. In my previous life, I manged to send out an annual newsletter. This will have to do for this year (and yes, I know I'm a little late for the holiday).<br /><p class="MsoNormal">Dear friends and family,</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Here is where I attempt to summarize an entire year in the life … and this was one was a doozey.<span style=""> </span>But let’s start back in January.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We were settling into our new home in Melrose.<span style=""> </span>This was the first time we’d set up a home together so it was a lot of work!<span style=""> </span>We started sharing the news about my pregnancy right after the holidays.<span style=""> </span>I was almost four months at that time, so I couldn’t hide it much longer anyhow.<span style=""> </span>The first question most people ask is if that baby is a boy or a girl.<span style=""> </span>I would have loved to have known but Baby wasn’t cooperating and kept its legs crossed, so my doctor told me we’d just find out in June.<span style=""> </span>I had no idea that one possible answer was: “we wanted to know but couldn’t figure it out.” I was completely flummoxed by this. Let's just say that was the first of many flummoxes this year.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The estimated date of arrival of the Peanut was June 29.<span style=""> </span>We planned a few small trips in the meantime knowing we wouldn’t get around much after that date.<span style=""> </span>In February, Mr. Right and I did a house swap with a family in Montpelier, Vermont.<span style=""> </span>Rob went to school in Castleton VT, so about once a year, he starts yearning for the green mountains.<span style=""> </span>We had a great weekend exploring the town and cross country skiing on a maple sugaring farm.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Mr. Right travels a lot for work and this is cause for both pity and envy, depending on the trip and how hellacious his travel schedule is.<span style=""> </span>When he said he had to go meet people in Santa Barbara, I said there was no way he was going without me.<span style=""> </span>I cashed in some miles and joined him out to the West Coast and hit all my favorite haunts on the weekend before he actually had to do work.<span style=""> </span>Our favorite part of the trip was taking him to Cold Spring Tavern, an old stagecoach stop in the Santa Barbara foothills, reached after a windy drive through the mountains with amazing ocean views.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>We also made it down to LA to see my dear friends Lia and Angela for a quick dinner before I flew back east.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">After that trip, I was better able to settle in for the remainder of my pregnancy.<span style=""> </span>I worked up until the end.<span style=""> </span>On Thursday, June 10 I led an offsite event for work and went home feeling tired but otherwise normal.<span style=""> </span> I went to bed and woke up with a shock at 1:00 am. My water had broken! 2.5 weeks early! The conversation that evening continued in this vein for a while longer. What! But! Ok! We can do this! But we have no diapers! Or car seat installed! It's Ok!<span style=""> </span> Call the hospital! No, call the midwife! Ack! Finally we managed to pull our gear together and get into the car.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">At 5 am on June 11, The Peanut was born.<span style=""> </span>It took me a week or two just to believe she had really arrived.<span style=""> </span>She was so little at 6 lbs and 11 oz and 19 inches.<span style=""> </span>We both were expecting a large baby since we both are relatively tall people, but nope, she remains a petite little girl.<span style=""> </span>I never knew having a baby could generate the mountains of pink clothing that have descended upon us.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">As advertised, our life will never be the same again.<span style=""> </span>All of the clichés, both positive and negative, are all true.<span style=""> </span>You just can’t prepare yourself for it – you just have to live through it.<span style=""> </span>The peanut is a happy baby and for the most part, a pretty easy one.<span style=""> </span>She still isn’t really big on sleeping for long stretches, but everything else about her is pretty much perfect.<span style=""> </span>Adjusting to new mom-hood has also been a stretch for me; let’s just say it feels like your entire brain gets rewired.<span style=""> </span>Maternity leave was less fun than I expected:<span style=""> </span>I had visions of a lovely summer off, spent going to the beach or other outdoor adventures with my sweet baby.<span style=""> </span>Instead, it was HOT and this baby did NOT like her car seat.<span style=""> </span>We spent a fair amount of time on the couch at home, huddling in the air-conditioned rooms.<span style=""> </span>But that was easy peasy compared to returning to work.<span style=""> </span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">There are just not enough hours in the day or enough sleep to go around.<span style=""> </span>The life of after work activities and projects no longer exists. <span style=""></span>Now I scramble to get ready while holding her as much as I can in the morning, rush off to work, rush home from work to connect with Mr. Right and the Peanut until bedtime while simultaneously trying to prepare, eat and clean up from dinner and get ready for the next day. Then I try and get as much sleep as I can between feedings.<span style=""> </span>Talking on the phone? Reading a book? Watching a tv show? Visiting with friends? Cooking/cleaning/other projects? No longer on the schedule. I now understand and sympathize so much more with any new mom who has ever existed and said they were tired and unable to go anywhere/do anything/drink a full glass of water.<span style=""> </span>Yup.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">My three saving graces in all of this chaos:<span style=""> </span>1. loving friends and family 2. The Baby Café, a nursing moms group that meets just down the street and 3. the internet, where I can google anything and read way more advice about anything I could possibly want to know.<span style=""> </span>What amazes me is how every single dimension of babyhood requires dissertations worth of research and preparation.<span style=""> </span>Like, feeding Grace baby food.<span style=""> </span>Who could ever master the ginormous array of options and opinions?<span style=""> </span> The most valuable to me of all the advice I've been given so far was from a very elderly woman at the drug store who stopped to admire the Peanut. "Just enjoy every moment. It goes so fast." Her wistful smile still catches at my heart; that will be me if I'm lucky in 40 years when the Peanut is grown and has her own peanuts to raise.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Ultimately, I’ve learned that most important lesson:<span style=""> </span>just give up trying to master it and blunder through.<span style=""> </span>Oh and, “Let it go. This too shall pass.”<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>Grateful, amazed, and freaked out pretty much is my continual state. So, happy new year indeed. If I don't return your phone call, hang in there. I'll call you back in 2012.<br /></p>dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105327678989007548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411128.post-82880152705865867332011-01-10T11:57:00.000-08:002011-01-10T12:03:07.824-08:00Yes, we had a lovely holiday, thanks.We had our first Christmas with the munchkin. She even had her first plane ride to Pittsburgh and did very nicely, conking out on my lap almost immediately both coming and going. She received lots of great presents and really was only interested in eating wrapping paper.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrYGtdbTBSoU1vku5b1OYwq0TFYj2UkAOf0UCA9f7fv0c7bnwoXpmhiXt03FBhVOLrZFK5RpJbFUFaxkE8m3Gs9jWvZmHqaFCrpD1Z6hKnTyH54IA5K-sO5t04jsofNLSDeGtNeQ/s1600/Grace+024.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560649399570936130" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrYGtdbTBSoU1vku5b1OYwq0TFYj2UkAOf0UCA9f7fv0c7bnwoXpmhiXt03FBhVOLrZFK5RpJbFUFaxkE8m3Gs9jWvZmHqaFCrpD1Z6hKnTyH54IA5K-sO5t04jsofNLSDeGtNeQ/s320/Grace+024.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div> </div><div>Now the holiday is over and we're home together on a work day because she's got a little fever and cough. We're listening to silly kid songs and trying not to get cabin fever and eat all the leftover holiday cookies in one day. </div><div> </div><div>Happy new year everyone! Can't believe she's seven months old tomorrow.</div>dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105327678989007548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411128.post-35837606015478032462010-12-16T17:52:00.000-08:002010-12-16T17:57:58.990-08:00Out of Sequence But Still Cute 5 Month Old Video<p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxtI5UUO6NfXowD51yNJ5DX0ZbGG43YESf0ah2KV82E-ZMCPVYY2MDD1A4KEJm7O32SV9c1Brb8IiY' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><p>Apologies for the shaky cam as I tried to hold onto her while filming.</p>dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105327678989007548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411128.post-15517102780040616732010-12-16T17:40:00.000-08:002010-12-16T17:49:16.330-08:00Six Months Is A Big Deal<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUVVSKATZ5BVcdjVzZka3U-SUjSYUtTFhVNVpIMLZEShMJMVwvGUTkcZ3LasV3Pq6Lc75Y6jvvVZY2fPKw4kLBkRpOuEmuSt0xQiUNU5i1lTwGaipfZETuwJNWnLrVYzuKP_ivOA/s1600/Grace+037.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551461358893315746" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUVVSKATZ5BVcdjVzZka3U-SUjSYUtTFhVNVpIMLZEShMJMVwvGUTkcZ3LasV3Pq6Lc75Y6jvvVZY2fPKw4kLBkRpOuEmuSt0xQiUNU5i1lTwGaipfZETuwJNWnLrVYzuKP_ivOA/s320/Grace+037.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551461354327906674" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9nCpF0h21o_2Kv7Euhkc4K8cgzPdU6OrMIMUie4x5oHU6915OGkPandOXG9q0p-ApvnpCxy9V-KkjLv3IjHM8pHPMmtybKs-ysqfx_wiL2c2z87OKzSVArSOZVX3NdASr8Vf1qw/s320/Grace+036.jpg" border="0" />My sister reminded me to post the latest in my monthly progression photos so there it is. </div><div> </div><div>Here are a couple of outtakes from that photo session which show how much more active she is. Poor Mr. Duck. She sits up all by herself and plays with her toys for long periods of time (well, long enough for me to drink an entire glass of water sometimes!) She loves her toys, especially Mr. Piggy and Sophie the French Giraffe, the weirdly hip squeaky toy. It is fascinating for me to see how she changes. I am amazed each time with the comparison and can't remember her ever being that tiny. Just those few photos on the side demonstrate how her level of activity has changed -- I was barely able to keep her on the seat in this last one.<br /></div><div>We are having fun growing and learning together. And then there are days that aren't as fun when I'm exhausted and struggling to hold it all together. Being a working mom is every bit as hard as promised. And sometimes it is so hard I just weep and wonder when it will get easier -- wasn't that supposed to happen by now? I do love her so. And this motherhood thing truly does kick my butt every day.</div><div><br />Happy holidays from the house of chaos and sleep deprivation and adorable baby girl!</div>dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105327678989007548noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411128.post-27779333790860271742010-11-17T18:22:00.000-08:002010-11-17T18:25:11.661-08:00Sweet Potatoes!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOQSGehSPR-IqE-sQ8nSWYwQKtv-hvfRqJIs6Tz1opwOBltlTGNbh4rY494oQDf-XWfTI1IKo9NGBmxdIydhl-n3YMDZ8a2gwPOQfagAAvk0oZ5tt-0mww5IWDCPfg-73bfJ8dw/s1600/Grace+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540709871573353762" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOQSGehSPR-IqE-sQ8nSWYwQKtv-hvfRqJIs6Tz1opwOBltlTGNbh4rY494oQDf-XWfTI1IKo9NGBmxdIydhl-n3YMDZ8a2gwPOQfagAAvk0oZ5tt-0mww5IWDCPfg-73bfJ8dw/s320/Grace+005.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>We've added solids to the daily repetoire. She doesn't like them at home but she loves them at daycare. She's growing up, the little peanut.</div>dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105327678989007548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411128.post-49291601288835887802010-10-06T11:58:00.000-07:002010-10-20T07:25:53.648-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk8n-wbVxKkY6IE9ffU2oZopp8VAYYCGnvG9NajBnVS7rMSV99pcIZuQoczMMul8xwk2BN5RIStO0_WVV2_8IPbXGH7rIe-eRmLGlA0TdyvxkW34WrVcM2YmL3ONGwtb5nPtKB1w/s1600/Gracie+email.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525010233393168882" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk8n-wbVxKkY6IE9ffU2oZopp8VAYYCGnvG9NajBnVS7rMSV99pcIZuQoczMMul8xwk2BN5RIStO0_WVV2_8IPbXGH7rIe-eRmLGlA0TdyvxkW34WrVcM2YmL3ONGwtb5nPtKB1w/s320/Gracie+email.jpg" border="0" /></a><b><span style="font-family:Arial;">Age:</span></b> 4 months! (3.5 in this photo)<br /><p><b><span style="font-family:Arial;">Size and Shape</span></b><span style="font-family:Arial;">: She is still a peanut. She looks BIG to me because she was once so tiny. But when we're out and about, people constantly say, "Look at the tiny baby!"<br /></span><b><span style="font-family:Arial;">Eat:</span></b><span style="font-family:Arial;"> We seem to have our nursing and pumping routine more or less in place. I have noticed that she doesn't "unlatch" as much now, probably because she wants the extra comfort and mommy time, so our sessions can go much longer than they did.<br /></span><b><span style="font-family:Arial;">Getting Around:</span></b><span style="font-family:Arial;"> We haven't had as much carseat problems, but we haven't taken her in the car quite as much as we were. So we shall see. I think she is happy to not have to spend much time in the car -- one of the benefits of daycare is that I'm not dragging her with me all over creation anymore. We love our variety of carriers! Still love the bjorn and baby hawks best.<br /></span><b><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1286391522_0" style="BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; CURSOR: pointer; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous">New People</span>:</span></b><span style="font-family:Arial;"> There are new babies at the daycare and we're told she is very friendly and smiley with all of them. She continues to be a friendly little soul with everyone she meets, giving smiles and patient with being passed around from person to person.<br /></span><b><span style="font-family:Arial;">Best moment this week</span></b><span style="font-family:Arial;">: She looked up at me while nursing and smiled and laughed, which made me cry it was so sweet. Probably very confusing for her to have mom laugh and cry. We also love her "dinosaur noises" where she shouts "Aaah!" in this growly voice over and over. It was also wonderful to get to skype with my mom and dad and see my mom's big smile when getting to look at her granddaughter. Oh and I got to go to <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1286391522_1" style="CURSOR: pointer; BORDER-BOTTOM: rgb(54,99,136) 2px dotted">yoga</span> last night for the first time since … probably 6 months pregnant! It was AWESOME. Felt so good and was such a great break.<br /></span><b><span style="font-family:Arial;">Worst moment this week</span></b><span style="font-family:Arial;">: Saying goodbye in the mornings. Mr. Right always calls to tell me how the drop-off went which makes me really happy.</span><b><span style="font-family:Arial;"> </span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family:Arial;">What I miss</span></b><span style="font-family:Arial;">: I am wishing I had captured more of her "newborn" moments by video or snapshot. She is much more of a "baby" now than a newborn.<br /></span><b><span style="font-family:Arial;">What I am looking forward to</span></b><span style="font-family:Arial;">: She has become so communicative in her dinosaur voice -- makes me realize how fun she'll be when we can actually talk!<br /></span><b><span style="font-family:Arial;">Weekly Wisdom:</span></b><span style="font-family:Arial;"> Going to yoga reminded me how much taking care of myself helps me be a better mom. </span></p>dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105327678989007548noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411128.post-41657467874803613632010-10-06T11:55:00.000-07:002010-10-20T07:35:22.215-07:00Summmer Cooking in Review<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRGQj40TbDICiSOuIa56C4BiYecc89yleWcBjlYC-L4s-eQ1afhaL44y-_7PaPMJRHPQTcFmWYBq9m9be_cfSwR55bYITOqTaW_yFcxDm9iN_hsqggMYF6KVfdPzFoO38X1qb3gQ/s1600/pickles.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530136528338263138" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 256px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRGQj40TbDICiSOuIa56C4BiYecc89yleWcBjlYC-L4s-eQ1afhaL44y-_7PaPMJRHPQTcFmWYBq9m9be_cfSwR55bYITOqTaW_yFcxDm9iN_hsqggMYF6KVfdPzFoO38X1qb3gQ/s320/pickles.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">And now a break from baby blogging:</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span><p><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">Despite a busy and HOT summer, <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1286391278_0" style="BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; CURSOR: pointer; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous">Mr. Right</span> and I managed to do some cooking. Some of these meals were real accomplishments, worthy of a post here in the blog. A lot of them were driven by Mr. Right's food passions. Here goes:</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1286391278_1" style="CURSOR: pointer; BORDER-BOTTOM: rgb(54,99,136) 2px dotted"><strong>Baked beans</strong></span> -- <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1286391278_2" style="BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; CURSOR: pointer; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous">Mr Right</span> brought home a recipe he found on the internet to make the beans. Curious, I scanned it and was annoyed that the recipe for <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1286391278_3">homemade baked beans</span> involved TWO CANS OF FACTORY MADE BAKED BEANS. WHAT??? We dug up another recipe to use instead, and found the secret to making really good beans is to accidentally bake them for three hours longer than the recipe says. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">For father's day, the kids and I gave Mr. Right a bbq smoker. Mr. Right made ribs and tenderloin on his first try. In keeping with Mr. Right's generous personality, when the recipe called for a few pieces of wood to put in the smoker for flavor, he used 3 different entire packages of wood. So the meat was definitely smoky, but very tasty. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><strong>Beer can chicken</strong> -- This was fun for Mr. Right to try. He even bought a little contraption that keeps the whole thing upright. As always, beer can chicken is super yummy. And amusing to discuss.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1286391278_4" style="CURSOR: pointer; BORDER-BOTTOM: rgb(54,99,136) 2px dotted"><strong>Fried Chicken</strong></span> -- During a hard week at work for Mr. Right, I emailed him during his workday, "Want to make friend chicken for the first time tonight?" And you know you have a husband who likes to cook when he is just as excited to make it as he is to eat it. Our first try was pretty successful as we followed the recipe to the letter. Second try was less successful as we were being more experimental, and we didn't let the oil get hot enough. But both times it was very fun and very delicious. Next time we do this, we're going to brine the chicken in buttermilk and salt. And use the crisco and not the <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1286391278_5" style="CURSOR: pointer; BORDER-BOTTOM: rgb(54,99,136) 2px dotted">cooking oil</span>.. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><strong>Pasta</strong> -- I insisted that we do this over the summer as we have been talking about making pasta at home for years now. And you read about how incredibly easy it is. All of this was true. The recipe we followed was much more extravagant than is really necessary as it used a DOZEN eggs, but as I mentioned above, Mr. Right is of a generous nature and wanted to try the fancy recipe. The noodles were delicious, and it was fun to make. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><strong>Canned pickles</strong> -- I can't claim I made these but rather I learned at the feet of a master: my amazing mother-in-law. She showed me how to make <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1286391278_6">bread and butter pickles</span> using cucumbers grown in her own backyard. And did I mention she did it all with her arm in a sling from a broken elbow? She is incredible. And these are some good pickles, spicy and sweet, and they are so beautiful in their jars. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><strong><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1286391278_7" style="CURSOR: pointer; BORDER-BOTTOM: rgb(54,99,136) 2px dotted">Ice cream</span> with lumps</strong> -- I've made ice cream before (and blogged about it here), but this was my first time using the <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1286391278_8" style="CURSOR: pointer; BORDER-BOTTOM: rgb(54,99,136) 2px dotted">Ben & Jerry's</span> cookbook as well as trying to use flavorings. We made a batch of <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1286391278_9" style="CURSOR: pointer; BORDER-BOTTOM: rgb(54,99,136) 2px dotted">chocolate chip cookie dough</span> flavor and it came out great. My only caveat is that it is a lot more work making this than regular ice cream, as you are basically making ice cream AND a recipe for cookies at the same time. But it thrilled my stepdaughter to get to make it, and she helped so it wasn't too much work.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">And after all these lovely gourmet moments, we also have the evenings like last Monday, where you mix a can of creamed soup with pasta and chicken and serve. I made it for Mr. Right, and he is the happiest man in the world because he loves that type of thing just as well as the gourmet treats. All good.</span></p>dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105327678989007548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411128.post-63738037337668562010-09-22T17:21:00.000-07:002010-09-22T17:24:06.625-07:00the Most Beautiful Sound in the WorldJust time to post this!<br /><br />So lovely.<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzblZRLNBQgabK3PaLVJ_vH9P5dg8deSyBVM_pqFj_JGAwcIdN_kjHnJb3fFxnyNwq6oEY9rgWRaA0' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105327678989007548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411128.post-3700287656442586282010-09-02T15:03:00.000-07:002010-09-19T15:33:48.244-07:00Is using a template cheating?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpguBWZuvTXIxwXqI-CqzFbUJq6Fwa-NvESFdpPguX4VUdaZPc40hWN4PjcqlKBjdaJFssSPZxPaVYJQYJ1xT3ZVu5Rw4ryH2MLncK5P56cBBOQ7kB8FXTpWmu-vt4kVlHBdH95Q/s1600/Grace+012.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518755848955066050" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpguBWZuvTXIxwXqI-CqzFbUJq6Fwa-NvESFdpPguX4VUdaZPc40hWN4PjcqlKBjdaJFssSPZxPaVYJQYJ1xT3ZVu5Rw4ryH2MLncK5P56cBBOQ7kB8FXTpWmu-vt4kVlHBdH95Q/s320/Grace+012.jpg" border="0" /></a> Some people who are regular baby bloggers do this weekly update. I thought I'd have fun filling it out.<br /><br />Age: 14 weeks today! 3 month photo here! Gracie is good friends with her duck; they are about the same size now. <br /><div>Size: Pretty much all 0-3 size clothes. 12 pounds according to the Baby Cafe scale. Her size 1 diapers are getting snug. She definitely is no longer newborn size. Sigh.<br /></div><div>Sleep: She's a good sleeper and has been since the beginning! She wakes up to eat and then immediately falls back asleep. I know we are incredibly lucky, so just by writing this I may be dooming myself to her deciding to be awake after eating. Knocking on wood furiously!<br /></div><br /><div>New activity: She has officially found her thumb so the fingers are always in her mouth, even when she's trying to eat, which can be a little awkward.<br /></div><br /><div>New People: She is making lots of friends at daycare. They say she is a snugglebug, which is so endearing. She is also trying to make friends with her squeaky giraffe, so I guess she isn't picky.<br /></div><br /><div>Weekly Wisdom: It's only week two back to work, so our routines are still developing. I need to be patient! </div>dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105327678989007548noreply@blogger.com1