Should have taken two weeks...

We hiked, we saw a turtle, we went to Montauk, we made eyes at the waitress, we ate rice krispies, we got a tooth, we met our cousins, we crawled after them, we fell in love with our oldest most surly teenage boy cousin, we discovered Daddy is allergic to bee stings, we spent a morning in the ER, we had our first swim, we met our namesake, we pulled to standing, we went fishing, we stayed home with Grams while mom and dad made out in the truck, we met the rest of our cousins, we had a party, and then we swam some more.

It was too short, and too hard to get home at 8 last night and still need to rid the house of bug bomb chemicals AND lower the crib mattress, but we managed and here I am back at work. A little tanner. A little fresher. And a little more rested. Which is good, because we have some serious child proofing to do!

Off to vacation, and doubt I will blog!

First stop is Grandma's (my mom's) on Friday night, with a swing by Grandma Jane's (my grandma). Next we visit some crazy fshermen in RI and spend Saturday night at my brother and sister-in-law's house. Next morning: ferry to Orient Point! Let's hope I don't throw up like I did in October! Then a week at Grams' (Bill's mom) house, with her cousin D. (16), visits from The S.'s of Northport (more cousins for Eva la Lou) and capped off with L's baby shower and MORE cousins! (well one and a half...)

Dear Goddess of Baby Mouths,

Please tell me that Hyland's Teething Tablets will help poor Junior Miss. And me.

Last night, her crying made me cry. I felt both so sad for her and so frustrated at her that I had to leave the room for a little while. When I left her screaming at day care, I didn't really feel much guilt mixed in with my relief. But now I feel bad.

Anyway. Her mouth has the potential to ruin our vacation, so please. Let the tablets work!

Thanks,

Martha

So, those cute little birdies down there? Our sweet babies? MUST DIE. Actually that's sort of the problem. First there were five. Now there are two. They try to fly and flop. Onto the deck. Bill, being the love of my life, takes care of disposing of the dead/dying bodies. Yesterday one fell and seemed to be okay. So he put it back in the nest. (I'm pretty sure that it's a myth that birds will abandon a baby touched by a human.) No matter. It fell out again. So he got rid of it. But adter, he looked at his hands with we CRAWLING with tiny bird mites. Gross, right? Even grosser? When we found them all over my legs when I walked past the dog. Even grosser. When we determined Bill's itchy, um, areas, where not a result of hot and humid weather. Oh yes. Not as bad as the crabs he had back in the day, but gross nonetheless. He ran out and bought Rid, flea bombs and flea powder for the dog. We did his body and my legs and the dog. I hate to say it, but I think I might need to do my HAIR!!!! We were gonna bomb on Friday when we leave for vacation, but think maybe Bill should do it today at lunch time (you only have to be out for 2 hours...)

We need to get rid of the nest too. We are hoping it will be empty of birds when we get home in just over a week.

Scenes from our walk....those barn swallows are our porch tenants. They pay in pooh. But they are cute! And noisy, when mama swings by with snacks!

I've been feeling alternately optimistic and pessimistic about my post-baby body. I seriously thought my belly was like no one else's. Ever. I was wrong.

I think we may be trading sleep for teeth, but since none have appeared it is hard to know for sure. We tried to tell Miss Eva that someday soon her teeth would stop biting her and she could start biting with them. She was not comforted by this news. I was, however, very proud of Bill for stepping up and alternating sitting up with her. I am proud because she was FREAKING OUT and this usually freaks him out. But he rose above!

I love good customer service. My AC adapter on my Medela Pump in Style shit the bed. Bill tried to get a new one for me at Babies r Us when he went to pick up Eva's Chifferobe on Sunday. (He came home with outlet covers and I immediately assumed he'd screwed up...bad MARTHA) But they don't carry them. So I called Medela and they are sending me one for free!!!! FREEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

Miss Eva is finally better, but I had to leave the office on Friday because the puking (which had subsided for 24 hours) was back. Later that night I made the mother sacrifice and caught her vomit in my bare hands. Who wants to get a rug cleaned???? She also had a slight fever on Friday afternoon....Poor Pookoo. She is also teething. Is there any other explanation for the sudden cries of pain and irritability? She's soothed by distraction only. Poor thing.

But overall she's much better. So much better, in fact, that she sat up from lying on her belly on Saturday night! She is also working hard at pulling up to standing with something other than our hands. This morning I woke to her singing "La babababababa LA!!" She was perched on one foot and had the other between the bars of the crib...swinging vigorously. She was probably so happy because she SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!!! (She's didn't go to sleep til after ten though...much later than normal!)

What better way to celebrate six months of life than with projectile vomiting followed by dehydration? None better!

Poor Miss Eva, and also, WOW Miss Eva, how did you manage to get puke up one side and down the other? (Of me.) She's feeling much better now after a visit to the doc and a day in my office...her cure consists of breast milk and pedialyte. We are still waiting for one of her standard super soaker pees, but she's much perkier than before. Probably due to all the intense loving attention from her PP mamas.

Of course Bill and I got into a big old fight last night over what he perceived as panic and I perceived as, "What the hell do I do now that we are both covered in baby puke and Miss Eva is dry heaving?" I was so frustrated with him. And still am a little. He was so not understanding the situation and insisted on explaining five times WHY he thought she was vomiting, while I tried to tell him that it's not vomiting that's the problem, it's dehydration, so who cares WHY she's doing it (probably a virus)? Anyway. Grrr. Not helpful.

Tragedy! My pump won't pump! Eeek! I hope it's just the transformer!

Yachting

Misery is a baby in a life jacket that makes her unable to move her arms forward of her body. Poor darling. I explained misery is better than death by drowning but she disagreed. Once we were anchored in shallow water, in the shade, we freed her from the hell that was the life jacket. And if that makes me irresponsible, so be it. As Bill pointed out, in case of sudden sinkage I could just hold her as I stood in the waist deep water.

BUt it was great. Eva napped. We all ate. We fished. I caught a bass. Eva played captain. And a mama mallard came by with her ducks.

We fed the ducks and Eva watched them dive with great interest.


No one drowned and only I got sunburn.

Sweet bloated jesus, am I feeling puffy.

I think Trixie WANTS to be traded in. When I got to work and was rolling up my window, the crank broke off in my hand. BROKE, like cracked plastic and all. You can't break me so easily Trixie la Honda. I wish I could quit you. But I love you, rusty door and all.

We had a little photoshoot on the morning of the fourth, since we were stuck at home. Poor Trixie decided to drop 3/4 of her exhaust system into the road 35.8 miles from home on Monday afternoon. So I drove to A's to pick up the Junior Miss and then drove home, white knuckled, convinced that a.) Miss E would die of carbon monoxide poisoning en route and b.) sparks from the dragging pipe would set the entire car on fire. I think the headache from the stress and roaring engine is FINALLY gone. How much do I want a new car? So much. I mean, the Fit is GO! But so is not having a car payment... Anyhoo...no car meant hanging at home til Bill finished his morning trip and then we went to Pburgh to pick up my laptop in anticipation of a few days at home working and then went to Border's and Gander Mt. Yes, celebrate independence by consuming. How American.

Anyway, I got three books for summer vacation (ONLY 10 OR 11 working days til...not sure if I will work on the Friday before) and I've read more than half of one already...Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld. LOVE IT. Miss Eva got a bigger camo onesie (courtesy of her dad...) and a pair of sunglasses the she refuses to keep on. Then on the way home, we stopped at the camp to pick wildflowers and pick up explosive materials. Bill started thinking about when Miss E is older and he was imagining how cool it would be to have her as a skeet shooting partner and how good she'll be and how much fun they will have. It was cute.

We went to Steinhoff's for dinner with our pal Rachel, the amazing artist and fishing guide. And avoided fireworks, and most likely, tears from E.

Which reminds me...on Monday (i hit the mall then too, I needed an anniversary card for Bill...) I saw a tiny baby (two months, TOPS) crying hysterically in pain. (It's amazing how after a few weeks, we became so fluent in baby crying and its meanings!) Why? Mom was getting her tiny little ears pierced. I never cared one way or anther about this before, but it KILLED me. I mean, I got an awful feeling in my stomach seeing that poor thing. Why????

Yes, she is part elf. I think it's on her father's side.

Miss Eva slept like a stone last night, which I attribute to one part love from her book club aunties, one part oatmeal and carrots for dinner, and one part falling asleep one her own for the second night in a row. I've been putting her down awake (and I mean, rolling around, grabbing toys, babbling AWAKE) and she eventually (15 minutes) falls asleep on her own with NO CRYING!

We had a nice weekend, visiting with S. on Saturday to see her giant baby. And then a hike in a thunderstorm to where M and J were camping. Their campsite at a local state park was awesome...you can step through the cedar to the top of a rocky cliff which makes for a perfect veranda. Of course it's a good thing Miss Eva is easily confined, or she might have ended up on the lake.

It's my anniversary today!