Showing posts with label tis the season. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tis the season. Show all posts

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Snowzilla: The Wrath of Jonas

We didn't know what to expect when we woke up. So, we came prepared.


We checked outside: not bad, not bad... probably should have brought everything inside, but oh well. 


Then the real fun began. 



THE SNOW FLURRIES.


No precious snowflakes, no sir. Real bonafide blustery snow-filled winds. Mama sips her coffee and ignores, "Out? Snow!"

We also did chores, which reminded me to look for a smaller broom set for Grace. Afterwards, we went to Laura's room, cleaned up and out clothes (I am purging!!) and fixed up a little play fort with the toddler mattress currently not in use. The girls love it, and I am pleased too! 


The snow continues - 10" by noon, with an expected 6-10" more today. 

View from our kitchen window
Will worked a 24 hour shift in the PICU and refused to stay another minute; alas, another resident could not get in, so he worked another 2 hours before a 20 minute drive. Fortunately, it seems everyone is staying off the roads, more or less - in their cars. Everyone loves walking in the street already, he reports, and even more so with snow! He is grateful that I made him take our Honda, because his light Toyota would never have made it. There it is in the driveway, where I had him park so the house wouldn't look empty. Mistake, I guess. That's his driver's side mirror and door handle sort of visible.

The roads are cleared hourly... if you can tell.
We watched our neighbor shovel his sidewalk for a bit, the birds outside, played, snacked a few times, and organized.



Laura is walking around the downstairs using the wall and furniture, so I'm ecstatic! Plus, she's the cutest little bear. 


And now the snow is up to the door on the porch. Stay tuned as I decide what to cook for dinner!



Where are you camping out? Any snow adventures? Or sunny skies?

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Wednesday, February 25, 2015

#5Faves: Second Baby Buys

We do not need a lot for this baby - but a few things were in order for Bebe Deux:

{one}

(Her very own) Wubbanub




Before Grace's first Christmas, we drove from New Orleans to Lexington, KY and Toledo, OH for two residency interviews before arriving home. On the way up, we stopped at a family friend's house for the night. Will's best friend from medical school and his wife Whitney gave Grace her wubbanub. Whitney was in her intern year of pediatrics and said these were a big hit. Honestly, I was dubious. A stuffed animal attached to a binky? Really...interesting?

Then, we stopped by Will's aunt and uncle's house for his UK interview. His little cousin M "borrowed" Grace's little binky and we couldn't find it. Desperately, I gave her the wubbanub and life was wonderful again!

Over a year later, Grace is still enamored with her dino. Sure, it looks silly - but the animal is light enough to carry around, sits on the baby's chest, helps the baby learn to grab on, and becomes a fast friend in the middle of the night.


And for all those times when Grace just needs some time to relax, her wubbanub and her blanket are there.

{two}



Grace has this blanket in blue, and it is her most favorite possession (after her dino wubbanub). Satin on one side and velvety on the other - this blanket is super soft and cuddly. Machine washable to boot!

{three}




This just arrived in the mail - and with all the rave reviews, and I am very excited to try and use it! We do not have the sink space we did in New Orleans, so the babies have to be washed in the tub - but small babies are slippery and small. This is the perfect solution: mildew resistant, light, contorts to hold baby slightly upright.

{four}


This is the gift of all gifts. We are being given this beeeeeautiful stroller, and will be celebrating spring by walking in the Life Without Limits 5k in Philly this April (for cerebral palsy research!). It's also going to give me few excuses to get outside with the girls every day during the summer, and a nice outlet for exercise and freedom.

It'll also be a good reason to revive my postpartum Couch to 5k training!

{five}

Extras!






Anything you splurged on for your baby? Any basics you're re-stocking?

Linking up with Jenna - hey-oh!

Saturday, June 7, 2014

My View (vol. 15)

Oh yes.
Glorious.

Yesterday, us three drove to Dauphin Island, Alabama (about a two hour drive) for a family beach trip. And it was honestly one of the most perfect days ever-ever. We hung out right on the beach under our tent (well, I did), ate lunch and drank beer, enjoyed possibly the most deliciously lukewarm Gulf water, napped and enjoyed being out.

This is our last weekend in the South (for now?); next Thursday, we move up north to Pennsylvania for three years.  Until then, here's to the Southern sky I've learned to love ever so dearly.

Mississippi -- approaching the Louisiana border

An InLinkz Link-up
Happy Saturday!

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Grace Harriet's Baptism


Grace Harriet was baptized on November 30 at 11 a.m. in Our Lord Christ the King Catholic Church, the same church Will and I were married in, and by the same priest, Fr. Ed Smith. (It was so lovely having her baptized at home, surrounded by our large family!)


Almost everyone was there to celebrate! (Grace's godmother, my dear friend Heather, is currently studying art history in Scotland. My sister Marianne was her proxy.)


My brother John is her godfather.


"Grace Harriet Baldwin, the Christian community welcomes you with great joy. In its name I claim you for Christ our Savior by the sign of his cross. I now trace the cross on your forehead, and invite your parents and godparents to do the same."
(The Rite of Baptism)


"God calls each one by name. Everyone's name is sacred. The name is the icon of the person." (Catechism of the Catholic Church #2158)


"Receive the light of Christ! Parents and godparents, this light is entrusted to you to be kept burning brightly. This child of yours has been enlightened by Christ. She is to walk always as a child of the light. May she keep the flame of faith alive in her heart. When the Lord comes, may she go out to meet him with all the saints in the heavenly kingdom."
(The Rite of Baptism)


"See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is."
(1 John 3:1-2)


"When words are inadequate, people speak in gestures and signs: a hug, a touch, a gift.The language of ritual enables people to share events words cannot express. 
God's action is no more limited to sacramental actions than the whole of married love is lived out in the marriage bed. But the sacraments, like lovemaking, are moments of intensified encounter. 
In any such exchange, the more expressive the gestures and symbols, the more eloquent the communication. The More meaning you intend a gift to convey, the more carefully you choose or make it. 
Baptism speaks with water and light, oil and white garment, song, and sometimes even welcoming applause. The ride can speak as expressively as a tender embrace or as perfunctiorialy as a routine good-bye peck. Routine and tender moments both nourish love, but not the same way. One speaks of minimums, the other of possibilities. The options offered in the Rite of Baptism let you express the meanings you have discovered in the sacraments in a very personal way."  -- Carol Luebering, Handing on the Faith
Welcome, Grace Harriet!

Monday, August 19, 2013

Sunday's Small Things

Today begins the second week of Will's summer vacation, and I've been enjoying the break immensely. By break, I mean break from driving him to and from school- because otherwise, my schedule has not varied greatly.

I had an OB appointment, a birth class, and a lactation class this week. Will and I missed the birth class after going swimming late in the afternoon, deciding we were starving during the post-swim walk around the track (for more my-speed exercise), ordering Chinese food from the place a five minute walk from our apartment, and after being completely overwhelmed with how utterly delicious it was, fell into a food coma while watching Sherlock. We have no regrets. We're currently re-arranging our meal budget to more regularly accommodate for Chinese deliciousness.

And what, you may ask, does this have to do with Sunday? I was merely setting the stage. We've had a low-key week, an informative week, and an all-around lovely week. I even made carrot cake! (The answer is yes, it is delicious. Recipe from one of my favoritest ever cookbooks, The New Best Recipe.) I've started taking sleep medication (yes, my doctor gave me the go-ahead) after a few especially bad nights the previous week, and I am SO HAPPY TO SLEEP THROUGH THE WHOLE NIGHT.

...This may not happen again for a long time, so I am relishing in it. Especially the taking-meds-because-no-one-needs-me-awake-every-few-hours part.

Carrying on.

This morning, Will made us delicious eggs and ham, complete with coffee - which we drink cafe au lait. That's the fancy term for sugar and lots o' milk, with coffee there purely for caffeine purposes.

Mug shots.
We watched an episode of Burn Notice before parting ways to do chores and other menial tasks, like studying and article writing. I had a really fantastic interview with a source, which is always gratifying. I'm writing about the common core in New York, but you should look it up, because it's in 45 states already. One of the more fascinating parts of the common core is that it claims to be a state-led initiative, but it's the same in every state (centralized) and the federal government gives educational grants to schools which thus requires them to use the common core. The common core will and is affecting public schools, home schoolers, private schools, Catholic schools. More on this later.

After my interview, Will wanted to go to the park, and then promptly fell into bed and took a nap. I continued working, but started craving a snow cone.

Background: there is a snow cone place down the street from our apartment, and every time I pass it, rain and shine, there is a line out the door. Does that not scream quality snow cone to you?? I've been trying to make a fun trip of it with Will for about a month now, but we always think about getting one just before the shop closes down.

BUT TODAY WAS DIFFERENT. After I poked Will awake and subtly hinted how much I would love to get a snow cone before mass, and how we needed to leave soon so we didn't hit the hour before communion mark, we set out to our destination. The place is called Hansen's Sno-Blitz and it is practically a historical landmark. The shop is not fancy, and has old newspaper clippings laminated or framed on the wall. Their slogan is "There are no shortcuts to quality!"

Strawberry!
Will and I both agreed: less syrup next time. But still delicious.

Happiness!
Then, off to mass! We go to St. Patrick's Church downtown.

Glorious church! Here's a better shot.
I loved the readings and reflections today.

"Jesus' intent here is not primarily to condemn people, but to challenge them to right living according to the covenant established with God. So must this be our intent."
The priest gave a wonderful homily as well; he also sounds like he needs to work for an audio book company. His voice is simply sonorous!

Dinner was prepare yourself, and we were soon joined by our only friend in NOLA and her sister. Almost two hours later, our two friends in NOLA left us until Wednesday.

I talked to my family today as well, and received text message updates on their happenings and the goings-on at home. Isn't that what Sundays are best for? Spending time with loved ones, especially family? I'm cherishing Sundays with Will because I know they will not always be so care-free. In a month or so (!!), we will have a bundle of joy who will need to be completely cared for, watched, changed, feed and burped. In a few years, we will (hopefully) have a few more. Will's schedule will be set by the hospital, and my schedule will be continue in its flexible, changeable ways.

And I am so, so, so, so, so grateful for all of it.

Check it. 35 weeks, y'all.
Anyways, it's the small (and so not-so-small) things. A belated happy Sunday, dear readers!