how time flies, whether you're having fun or not.

Wow, I just realized that I haven't posted in a long time. Time just gets away from me in the summer, it seems...not to mention that I'm way more inclined to not be sitting at the computer during nice weather. So, a few things: 1. I worked on making a mei tai baby wrap all day last Friday. This has sent my baby-carrying enthusiasm into full swing. I was forewarned that such things tend to develop an addiction...and I'm starting to believe it. Anyway, the mei tai is undoubtedly the best carrier thus far in my experience (that is, of the ring sling, pouch sling and the good-ol' snugli). I can wear it for an hour at a time and not feel the slightest ache. I'll post pictures later. 2. I'm spending today packing and getting ready for our weekend in Michigan with Matt's family. The whole clan usually spends the 4th of July and at least part of the two weeks surrounding it up there on the lake. We leave tomorrow afternoon and return on Sunday night. I'm looking forward to getting away, I guess...but during our visits for the last two years, such things have taken place as coming down with a severe UTI in the middle of the night while sleeping half a mile away from the bathroom, getting shot and burned on my pregnant belly with a firework, and returning home with a tick on my scalp. This will be my first year there with a baby, so we'll see how that goes. 3. I spent Monday and Tuesday of this week watching Matt's boss' 4-year-old son while his wife was out of town. Tuesday afternoon, he pulled out a piece of paper and a marker and said, "I know a game we can play! I'll draw a picture and you guess what it is!" I agreed, and he proceeded to draw a very nice sailboat. "Oh! I know what that is!," I said, excited that I wouldn't have to hurt his feelings by not knowing what he'd just drawn. "It's a boat!" He was thoughtful for a minute. "Well, no." He pointed to the sail and said, "See, this is the whistle. It's a house with a whistle on it, silly!" How could I have missed that one? 4. I've found a new pleasure in iced chai lattes. Really. It's really good. Anyway, I'm off to make a dinner for a friend who's just had a baby and start and finish packing.

It happened.

Ambrose was sleeping soundly on my bed last night, and I got up for a drink of water--for a mere thirty seconds--and the next thing I knew, he'd toppled over the edge. I think most of the trauma was just from being so harshly awakened from a dead sleep, and he only cried for a minute before nursing back to sleep and forgetting the whole encounter. I, however, layed awake for an hour feeling incredibly guilty and wondering who even let me be a mother anyway. Perhaps the worst thing is that I've been afraid of that happening for awhile now, and even bought a guard rail at a garage sale last week. I just hadn't put it up yet. Other things that have happened this week: Ambrose has totally mastered the army crawl. And is getting faster. He's finally getting to the point where he can sit unsupported for long periods of time, and is usually pretty good at tipping over gracefully. I started giving him a few solid foods to try. Being the good Irish boy he is, he liked the potato alot. He couldn't seem to believe that people actually eat avocados, though. He has started to say, "mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm-ah" over and over, particularly when he wants to be picked up. Is it really way too early and very wishful thinking to believe that it could be the effort to get out a "mama"? Probably, but I can still pretend. I found a Johnny Jump-Up at a garage sale last week as well. I know, I know, they're bad for baby's legs...but every now and again won't hurt, and he LOVES it. And, he really looks like Matt in this picture. (And no, it's not the runny nose.)

A new experience.

Yesterday, after I spent the morning pleading with Ambrose to take a nap (and getting extremely frustrated with this cycle: nurse to sleep, lay down, wake up, scream, repeat), I finally got him to sleep on my bed.... Poor guy has a cold and a nasty cough. I can only imagine that he feels pretty crummy. He does, however, smell like eucalyptus oil, which I think is heavenly. Of course, he then slept for over three hours and I was totally missing him by the time he got up. Funny how that is. It was nice to get the house cleaned, though. He's changing so much lately--and getting so mobile! He rolls or scoots to get around, and is constantly reminding me that I need to start moving important things off the floor & bottom shelves. And that I need to vacuum. He can sit up on his own for a moment or two, and I'm thinking I'll start giving him some solid food to try out in the next couple weeks. Should make for some good pictures. :-) Oh, and he weighs 19 1/2 lbs. All that is to say, life is pretty uneventful right now. And that's okay.

nooooo! not another kiss!

Unfortunately, I've been seeing a whole lot of this adorable little cry face today. I'm not sure what the deal is, but I don't like it.