happy halloween?

not the photo op I had imagined

It came as a surprise to me when I found myself sitting outside this afternoon carefully and methodically carving a pumpkin.  It was calming, satisfying work and I was actually excited to put my pumpkin outside next to Allen's and Kaellyn's. Those who know me know I am not a fan of certain holidays, Halloween being second only to New Year's Eve as the most annoying. But, as I've mentioned before, Halloween is a Big Deal to Allen.

If I had a dime for each time I've heard someone (myself included) talk about how becoming a parent really changes you,  I'd be rich (and I most certainly wouldn't live in The Shack or wear hooded mom sweatshirts from Old Navy). I suppose it is true that when you have a baby you lose a little bit of cynicism and begin to see the world through the baby's innocent eyes and truly are able to experience the world in a calmer, slower way. Well, maybe.

Cue Pregnant Fantasy #347 - Taking The Baby to the Pumpkin Patch! I couldn't wait! Allen mentioned a pumpkin sale in the parking lot just down the street, but that was hardly acceptable! I wanted to go to a REAL pumpkin patch. I wanted to sip apple cider and chew on hay, while frolicking with the weens through row after row of pumpkin. My mom reminded me of Evergreen Acres, a Patch owned and operated by their neighbor 1/2 mile down the street, out in the country. Perfect, I thought! We loaded the baby, dogs and associated gear into the truck, ready to make a day of it.

winding road AFTER the 1/2 mile walk

I had the grand idea to walk to the Patch from my parents' house - it's right around the bend, after all! Baby secure in the Ergo, I failed to remember that "around the bend" is a much farther distance in the country than in the city, and that there was also a long winding road leading to the farm once we arrived. Upon arrival, we were informed by the owner of the patch that we could not take the dogs to the patch and by Kaellyn that she was ready to take a nap. There was hay, and rows of pumpkins, but it was hot, and there were, ewe, bugs. Did I mention that Kaellyn wanted to take a nap? Oh, and we (read: Allen) had to carry 40 pounds of pumpkin back "around the bend". Needless to say, our day at the pumpkin patch was not picture perfect but it certainly was a learning experience.

Below are some photos of Kaellyn in her bumble bee costume. She didn't like it very much. In fact, I'm beginning to think that maybe, like me, Kaellyn just isn't a fan of Halloween in general. That's ok. I just hope she doesn't inherit Allen's disdain for the Christmas season, or we're in trouble.

the one semi-peaceful moment

at least one of us is happy!

note Flash was spared this year

shooting The Baby

My friend Christina is learning photography, and Kaellyn had the honor to be one of her first human subjects. Keallyn had just turned 6 months old and I was eager for the opportunity to have some professional photos done, Christina was eager to practice taking some, and Kaellyn was eager to, well, do what babies do. We had a fun afternoon, and even had a mid-shoot wardrobe change! The shoot was before Kaellyn was crawling, so I can imagine it would be a lot more challenging with a mobile baby (isn't everything?!).

The end results very much exceeded my expectations. Not only are the photos absolutely stunning, but they truly capture Kaellyn's personality and development at 6 months. And believe it or not, I actually really like each and every photo. It took me forever to decide which shots to display here, and I just know I'm going to have an even more difficult time choosing which ones to frame and display.  I can't wait to spruce up this blog, too!

In the end, I decided to feature different photos than Christina featured on her blog. Visit her blog, C&C Marriage Factory, to see more! I think Christina is extremely talented, and she has definitely found her calling!

water babies

While I was pregnant, I fantasized about taking my baby swimming. We would have matching cover-ups and lounge around on a mother-daughter raft while singing sweet summer lullabies. Realistically, the internet is abound with information about infants and swimming. Did you know that babies who swim have more advanced motor development, social skills, and intelligence? And OMG - in England early swimming has been found to helps babies to talk earlier (er... would this really be a good thing?)! Also, babies who swim regularly tend to sleep more soundly, and they are less likely than other babies to suffer from colds, sniffles, and even asthma? Shut UP!!

On the other hand there's the contaminated water, increase in ear infections not to mention hyponatremia and other arbitrary hypo-ailments.  The internet is also ripe with stories of parents who, after beginning swimming early, become actually less vigilant around the pool because they mistakenly believe their young child can swim. The latest concern is, get this, the apparent possible erosion of tooth enamel from the acidity of the pool water. Sheesh. My baby just got some teeth and now they could erode away? Sometimes I wonder if parenting might have been somewhat easier back in the day of my parents' age. Sure, they didn't have all the cool gadgets and mechanical accoutrement that we have, but they also weren't bombarded from all directions by an overabundance of superfluous information and unsolicited advice.

While any potential beneficial effects are all well and good, my considerations when beginning an infant swim "class" were the following: will she enjoy it and will I enjoy it? I did not enroll expecting KK to become an Olympic swimmer by age one. I did so because I love the water and spent my childhood poolside, and hope that my daughter will someday share that interest. Also, Water Babies is yet another activity to get us out of the Shack to meet new moms and babies, and Kaellyn has some really cute swimwear (including cover-ups). Besides, she seemed to enjoy the pool at the beach during the summer, if not particularly the water at least the social aspect of it. Heck, she spent nearly 10 months floating around in the womb, so why not?

From my experience so far, these "classes" are more like a playgroup in the water. We sing songs.  We do the Hokey Pokey in the water.  We kick and splash. The wheels on the bus go round and round. The class also mixes up the day a bit and takes up a big chunk of the "witching hours" between 4-7pm when nothing seems to sooth a cranky baby. As an added bonus, the entire ordeal really tires Kaellyn out, so she usually sleeps nicely through the night afterward.

Taking a baby swimming alone is really difficult. I learned this the hard way on the first night of class. The class in Arlington county is offered only on the weekends and evenings so it is enormously popular and the damp, musty locker rooms are full of frantic parents with wet, pruned children invariably underfoot. I did not have a working strategy for transporting The Baby, struggling to get myself and said baby undressed and dressed, all while using one arm and holding the squirming baby in the other.  Being dripping wet, cold and barely clothed, finagling a naked baby - not so easy. Thus Water Babies is no longer a mommy and me event but instead... a Family Event!

Yes, I just posted a picture of myself wearing a bathing suit (a mom bathing suit, no less) on the internet, and I don't care. Another sign of adulthood, I reckon.

Doing the worm:

Swim to the duck:

7 months!

At seven months, Kaellyn is doing all sorts of things that a few weeks ago I had only imagined possible. She has become very aware of the world around her and is basically crawling! She loves using her hands and mouth to discover everything - and by everything, I mean everything! Nothing is safe - thus the childproofing has begun.  She can't get very far in the Shack, though. Everywhere she goes, she runs into a wall (see video below of the mobile baby). She is very observant and recognizes her own name (and it's variations) and the opening theme song to General Hospital. She loves the Zoo that lives in our house, and her most recent fascination is the Big Orange Cat (BOC).

Kaellyn has two teeth on the bottom that are getting really sharp! She has started swimming lessons and we are taking a pilates class together (her plank is da bomb). She has also started sitting in a high chair, and now that she is eating 3 meals of solid food a day, we are able to feed her in our makeshift dining room/office/computer room instead of balanced on the couch/dinner area/dog fortress! 

Kaellyn recently spent two nights with Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Ed while Allen and I went to St. Louis for a wedding.  St. Louis is a nice little city that offers a lot to do. It certainly was fun to dream about all those fun activities while spending an entire day asleep. Actually, we did manage to see the Arch and taste lots of yummy food between the wedding activities and resting. It's funny how one's accommodation priorities change when weekends away are few and far-between. A large, comfy bed and hot, luxurious shower were definitely necessities! Being near the hottest restaurants and bars? Not so much. Oh, and reading a novel on the plane? Extravagant! By the way, in case you are wondering, while I missed Kaellyn, I didn't worry about her. It was great to get away and recharge (read: sleep) knowing she was in good hands and having a fun time.

Kaellyn crawling:

hey mommy, let's scan some documents while eating these yummy prunes!

The Jumparoo is boring and confining now that I am mobile!