Thankfulness

It’s 9:26 PM and the power is out. I’m writing in word and will post tomorrow. We’re having an end-of-summer storm.

Usually I love power outages, but tonight Mother Nature did not have the best timing.

I had finally motivated to get off my lazy bottom and was in the middle of laundry, tidying and making food for M. I was in the basement getting a can of tomatoes (for his latest favorite – star pasta with tomato, zucchini, cheese sauce) when it went out.

It startled me and I knocked over a jar of tomato sauce when I was trying to make my way to the door.

Wet laundry in the wash, a dryer that locks you out when the power goes out (darn New Zealand technology!) food half cooked, new tv shows not recording, a tomato and glass mess on the basement floor, and…the worst of all…I forgot the yummy Fig Newtons in the car and was going to zip out after I finished in the basement, but with the power out the garage door won’t open (without using the safety release, and even Fig Newtons aren’t worth that.)

I was not in a good mood when J came downstairs to see if I was ok. Did I mention that we both have cold and he had gone to bed early?

Anyway, I was all sorts of grumbly for about five minutes before I had one of my Pollyanna-esque mood adjustments. In the grand scheme of things my slightly disrupted plans are so not a big deal. I have a wonderful life!

So far M has slept through everything, J bought us the best LED flashlights, it’s not as hot as it was a few weeks ago, so I’m not missing the air conditioning, the laundry will finish overnight, the tv didn’t look all that exciting anyway, M will not suffer for having zucchini and leftovers and I probably should go to bed early myself.

Plus, there was the most amazing fruit in our CSA box tonight – kiwi berries – they’re like miniature kiwi but not as tart. Not quite as yummy as cookies, but pretty darn good.

Ok, I’m off to cozy up in bed with one of these amazing little flashlights and a book…and my honey...well, my big honey. Hopefully the little one keeps sleeping!

Self portrait with M when he was five months. He was so round and squishy!

Teething or Cold?

Unfortunately, it's probably both...

M has been a grumpy fountain of drool for the past few days and now he has a a fever. The poor kiddo had a tough day. There were lots of pauses to snuggle with blankie and whichever parent was closest. I even got one of his very precious post-nap-snuggles. Usually M is ready to go after a nap and won't stop for anything, but every once in a while he will lie on my chest and doze for a bit. It is so sweet and cozy and wonderful.

It was a rough day for Mama and Daddy too. But, we had nice time going shopping and taking a walk to the park. He refused to let me put him down while I was prepping dinner, so I broke out the sling and made it one-handed. After a dinner where he only wanted applesauce (and to feed Mama graham crackers - I am so getting this if it's a cold) we had bath time. He loves bathing in the tub - and hates to get out at the end. Then he had about an ounce of bottle and fell asleep.

Now we're enjoying some very cheezy tv and a much deserved beer. Whew!

M has started driving things around and making "vroom" noises. It's so amazing to see him learn and grow. My baby is becoming a little boy!

Books

M has started showing interest in books. He has started carrying a book over to me and sitting in my lap (he's not so subtle, my lad) it's so cute!

After months of wondering why all the books suggest reading to infants, when at most my little guy would use them as a teething toy! Here's to many more years of reading together.

M with Go, dog. Go! (Note: The shirt says "PEE-town." It's from Provincetown, MA.)

Saturday Play

My active little guy!

Now we are one

M turned one while we were on vacation. We planned to have a party with family and friends on the Cape today, but ended up heading back to NJ on Thursday because of Hurricane Earl. (Which turned out to be only slightly more than a stiff breeze... *grumble*) I'm a bit bummed that he didn't have a first birthday party, but I know he won't remember it. Instead, J and I got our favorite pizza and a little cake. M liked gnawing on the pizza, but wasn't so sure about the cake! It was pretty wonderful to be home with my boys.

So, happy birthday my precious little boy! I really can't believe that it's been a whole year since a became your mama. It's been an incredible 12 months and I love you more and more every day.

Bathroom Excitement

Ok, perhaps that's not the best post title.

Anyway, two weeks ago I went to the basement in out laundry room and discovered water seeping down the ceiling. Not fun. We called our plumber and it turned out to be a leak in our second floor bathroom sink. Even less fun. And, to access the leak the bathroom floor would have to come up. Yep, that just sucks.

Before

The skeleton of our house. Pretty creepy.

Our new PVC pipes

On Monday, our contractor arrived to remove the floor. Wednesday the plumber fixed the pipes. Now, I'm waiting for the contractor to come back and put everything together. Hopefully I'll have "after" pictures soon!

Fabric Store!!

I've lived in NJ for seven years and my poor husband has had to listen to me moan about the lack of a good fabric store ever since we moved here. My local stores are pretty terrible, mostly directed at boring home dec fabrics. A couple of years ago I discovered Fabric Warehouse Direct - it has a ton of very inexpensive stuff, but it's hit or miss and usually pretty generic.

I wanted yummy, fun, exciting options - Amy Butler, Anna Maria Horner, Heather Bailey, Cloud 9 - but honestly, I would have been thrilled with a Jo-Ann's.

And yes, I admit that my complaints are pretty pathetic considering I'm only 35 minutes from NYC, but I'm lazy and I've always found the garment district a bit overwhelming.

Last week, while searching for directions on how to make a pennant/banner for M's birthday party. I discovered Rock Paper Scissors in Montclair. So close and so wonderful! I went for the first time yesterday morning and it was pure crafty heaven. I found just the fabric for our new bathroom curtains and a cute little owl print for a pair of pants for M. Such fun!!

Weekending

We had a quiet weekend. I had to work on Friday and Saturday night, so we stayed close to home. Lots of swimming and trips to the park. And lots of chores completed! J replaced our grungy old basement sink and I conquered Mount Laundry. M spent lots of time looking cute. He's very good at it.

M's latest favorite toy is the baby gate at the foot of the stairs. He absolutely loves opening and closing any door, but the gate is at just the right height for him.

"Will you open the gate Mama? Please?"

(this picture makes me want to wake him up for a cuddle. So tragic!)

Wanna swing?

While swinging he was making a "lalalalala" sound with his tongue (I can't describe it, but I remember doing it when I was little. It was pretty cute.)

I love this picture because he looks less like a baby and more like a little boy. (Also the reason I hate this picture...)

And, I love this one, because he's still my baby, and oh boy does he love his blankie.

I had a twinge of "my baby's growing up," when we went to the local playground on Sunday. It was the first time I let him out of the stroller to play. We ran into one of our neighbors and his three-year-old daughter. M had such fun following her around the playground and trying to do everything she did. It was so sweet. But a little sad. My teeny, tiny baby wears shoes and plays with other kids at the playground!

This Moment

This Moment - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. A beautiful idea from soulemama.