A return to normalcy

Having a kiddo of course means that life as you knew it is in the past. However, it's nice to have some sort of normal, adult interactions despite being the primary caregiver to a one-year-old. I had occasionally gone to Spinning Guild meetings for a couple of hours, but there was always mental acrobatics trying to figure out how to Get Big I down for a nap right before I left and make sure he nursed at the right time, etc. Just a bit of a hassle.

But last night I left the little man with his dad right after dinner and went to my first Commissioner's meeting. (Craig's dad sucked us into service, I'm actually fairly excited.) I wasn't even that worried about it either. I got to go do adult things with people who could use more than one-syllable words, you don't have to worry about them if they wonder off and don't wear diapers. Or if they do wear diapers, I don't have to change them.

I did call after the meeting to see how things went and Craig reported that after a bit of crying and wondering around the house looking for me, Big I settled down to the business of playing for the evening and by the time I called at 8:30, he was asleep and all was well.

Yahtzee!

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And since I've been slacking on the photos lately, here's Big I at the playground a few days ago. Wearing his 'tchoos' (shoes).

What a Beautiful Boy

The Dallas Morning News has been reporting the most beautiful, sad, and important story of a local family. Choosing Thomas is such an unusually wonderful pro-life story for the secular media.

What a fantastic, touching, meaningful story for this family to share. I hope they find some comfort in having known their baby and thank them for sharing the value of his life with others.

It also made me think of my uncle Thomas who died as an infant and all those innocent children who are in paradise praying for us. Thank God for all their sweet souls whether we knew them or not.

Some yummies

Made these the other night. Yum. And who doesn't love a good, easy crock pot recipe?

To go with them, I sliced some plums, nectarines, and peaches in half and chunked up some banana. I put the fruit on a skewer in a sort of kebab and cooked them on my cast-iron griddle until they were soft and had black marks. It would work well on the grill outside too. Drizzle with honey...oooohhh yeah.

Book report

I keep meaning to post about all sorts of things. I've been doing some knitting, the cantalopes have taken over the yard, Craig and I put up some new shelves that make my inner organizational geek want to wiggle with joy like a puppy. But I can't. I've been sucked in.

I just hadn't been able to put down Birth Day: A Pediatrician Explores the Science, History, and the Wonder of Childbirth until I finished it. It was absolutely fascinating and funny to boot. I learned more than I ever even considered about the history of childbirth...from why we give birth the way we do to drugs to cesarean births. (It certainly made me glad to have children this day in age...even 50 years ago could be a scary, lonely experience.) The discussions on the insides and outsides of the birth process and the physiological aspects of the mother, the fetus and the newborn baby were easy to relate to and entertaining...I finally understand how the umbilical cord to belly button thing works! But none of it was heavy. In fact the author frames it all in his experience as a pediatrician in a hospital setting and a new dad himself, most of it very funny. I highly recommend this one for anyone who has children, may have children, or was once a child themselves.

(And in case you are wondering, I do read things that are fictional and do not involve babies in some fashion or another. Just everything in those categories lately haven't been worth mentioning.)

Recap

Busy times here. It's too much to cover it all, but here are a few highlights.

• Big I's first birthday was a quiet affair. He did have a few bites of cake and a good time in his new sandbox his Grandma and Grandpa Tennill gave him. He also practiced his Godfather impression.

• He loved the beach (as did his daddy). He was beyond perfect with all the air travel and car travel. Even during the 6+hour delay in the Atlanta airport.
  

• He loves his newest birthday present, courtesy of his Aunt Cheri, that he received today. It took him about two and a half minutes to find the 'adult' buttons on the back instead of sticking with the big one on the front. Video proof here.
  

That's all for now.