peter cooked!

peter cooked!
Originally uploaded by js_hale

grilled halibut with papa mango salsa and steamed artichoke!

Gutentach!

Peter, Jacob and I are back from Germany - we were there for a wedding, a good friend of Peter's who is from the town of Bremen. This was taken in one of the oldest wine cellars in Germany - they actually have wine that was bottled in 1648. Some of the oldest bottles are stored behind the doors pictured here. A tour of the cellar was part of the wedding festivities, along with sampling real bratwurst. We have all these pictures of Jacob asleep at various sites in Germany. We joked that he'll have to go back one day to all the places that he visited as an infant.

After Bremen, we traveled to the Mosel region (not Iraq) for more wine sampling. We opted for the countryside, figuring it would be easier with a baby (which was true) and more relaxing. Peter bought Rick Steves' guide, which helped us decide where to stay & what to do. The highlight was Burg Eltz which is listed as one of Steves' must-sees. That and the restaurant at the place we were staying was FRICKIN' AMAZING - the meal (my Mother's Day treat) was not cheap, but it was a worthy splurge. Nothing German about the menu - damn fine French-inspired cuisine. The hotel was a cute B&B, but like most places the walls were super-thin. I was extremely glad that Peter had decided to lug the laptop with us because the place had wireless, and I downloaded some delightful white noise off iTunes - I highly recommend it. Only cost 6 bucks and worked like a charm.

I am very happy too b/c I finally figured out how to save my photos from my phone onto my computer - WOOOO!! It was a whole ordeal, installing software, the software not working, trying to make it work, not happening...I finally figured out a back-door way to get the photos and I couldn't be more pleased with myself. AND the baby is sleeping, Peter's making dinner...life is GOOD!

Germany

In our rush to get packed and go, we forgot USB connectors and such to upload photos - and since my phone is a CDMA and Germany is all GSM, I can't automatically upload from my phone like I normally do. We'll catch up when we get home. 

I had forgotten how great the food is in Germany, especially the bread!! Big mounds of fresh, dense peasant breads every morning for breakfast. . . makes me swear up & down that I'll go to the local bakery at least twice a week when I get home, instead of merely subsisting on grossly inadequate loaves of store-bought poo that we normally eat. :) 

We are in the Mosel wine region for the next 2 days, just taking it easy. Cochem is a medieval town from which we are basing our operations - it's kitschy and touristy, but small-scale and charming - a lot like St. Augustine, but older.  It's raining, so we're planning on visiting wine cellars today and saving the castle hikes for tomorrow - fingers crossed that the weather is better tomorrow. Peter is chomping at the bit to "storm the castle." 

say cheese!

say cheese!
Originally uploaded by js_hale

Jacob practices his flirty face

Baby's first beach trip - Crissy Field

Met up with Peter after a particularly "what-a-day" workday. Watching the dog frolick in the surf is an effective way to get rid of stress. Funny that we have to come into the city to go to the closest beach. :)

Baby monitor is ON...

I am frittering away precious Jacob napping time, but had to announce that he is taking a very rare afternoon nap BY HIMSELF - like, not on my chest, or next to me, etc. I won't make too much of it b/c it might be an isolated thing, but MAN it feels like progress!!! 

We're in "sleep training" now, trying to get Jacob to sleep by himself. Starting out very easy by trying to get him to nap on his own during the day. It is fairly easy in the morning - afternoons are much more challenging, and sometimes it's tough for him to nap at all. Nighttime will still be the same bed-sharing routine probably until he's a year old or so. We'll see. For now, I'm celebrating this very small step - I probably should go before he wakes up.  Jeez, what to do next before he wakes up....laundry? pay bills?? Prepare dinner??! The possibilities are endless and ooh...so enticing! Uh oh, just heard a little cry....so much for that. :)

Napping & nappies

favorite napping position
Originally uploaded by js_hale

Peter is on a ride this morning, and so I put Jacob in the Didymos sling as I do every morning and took Teddy for a walk around the complex. He definitely prefers the Didy over the Ergo, and at this stage, it's more comfortable for me too. This is the next best thing to breastfeeding to get him down for a nap. 

I just remembered what I've been wanting to rant about! CAN SOMEONE PLEASE MAKE A CLOTH DIAPER THAT DOESN'T LEAK??  And if you, gentle reader, have been lucky enough to find one that works, PLEASE let me know. So far, the only thing that works is layering - I use 2 pre-fold cloth diapers, and a wool diaper cover, and that usually works. It's really funny to see how big you can make his butt look when you put a giant diaper ensemble on him! :)  Anyway, I've tried Thirsties, Bum Genius, Knicker Nappies (do you love these names??) and a few others and invariably, they leak when he urinates. So if anyone knows about a cloth diaper that works, I'm all ears! 

On the same subject, I am trying to figure out what is ultimately better for the environment -it would seem like a straightforward problem - disposables are made mostly of plastic and use up landfill space. But it takes a lot of water to rinse out & clean cloth diapers. But it's definitely cheaper to use cloth - right now I'm "hedging" and using a combination of both.  Thoughts? 

poop face

poop face
Originally uploaded by js_hale

Babes in dreamland

2 funny dreams about our 10 week old son, Jacob. Last night, I dreamed we were in an airport terminal, running to catch a flight.  Jacob jumped out of my arms and started running himself - I said, "Amazing! He's walking at 3 months!!!?" The funniest part about it was seeing the body of an infant tearing down the corridor. I'm sure I laughed in my sleep. 

The second dream - I'm lying down on my side, getting a relaxing massage - a slow, circular pressure on my lower back.  Then I realize that my son who's applying the pressure, except that it's not a massage at all - he is kneading his head into my back to wake me up and feed him!  I think that these dreams are indicative of the LACK of sleep I'm getting - but at least I'm entertained. 

kickin' it on a Sunday

kickin' it on a Sunday
Originally uploaded by js_hale

Dad and Jacob relax after Infant Massage class

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I took Jacob into the city for shoe shopping, then stopped by Pat's new place on the way home. Just before heading over to Pat's, Peter, Jacob and I were taking a little coffee break at the Westin St. Francis, when Jacob blew out his diaper - it was epic, all over his pants, all over MY pants and onto the chair. No biggie - at least that's what I told myself over and over as I dashed for the Ladies' Room - wouldn't you know there was no changing table. Fortunately, I had a spare outfit and a Ziploc bag - WHEW! Hours later, he is as you see - happy as a clam, in his Uncle Pat's lap. 

laughing up a storm

Mom was making funny sounds and tickling my belly.

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Originally uploaded by js_hale

I caught a smile!

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Originally uploaded by js_hale

Jacob was 8 weeks old yesterday - this kid is so resilient, it's amazing. He had 2 shots yesterday, and after hours of napping (no coaxing or shushing required - he was OUT), he's smiling again. He was originally scheduled for FOUR SHOTS (!!) but I put the kabbosh on that - at a mere 2 months of age, 2 shots per visit is quite enough, thank you. It kills me to put him through it - I have to remind myself that we all went through it, though my own experience with it was pretty traumatic - and comfort him as best I can after each visit. My pediatrician had a great idea for when they're older and they know what's coming - have a wrapped present ready for them to open after their shot. I think I'll throw in a scoop of ice cream, too - I'll need it just as much as he will!

All is quiet...

Wow, I actually have some time to write stuff - now if I could only think of everything I wanted to blog about! So it goes with the Mommy Brain . . . Jacob slept from 11pm til 5:30am last night, which was AMAZING. Would have been great except that I had a nightmare that was like a scene cut from the Exorcist - ugh! But the weird part was waking up from it - Peter had already gone to work. Jacob was right next to me (we're bed-sharing), totally undisturbed, even though I'm pretty sure I was mumbling out loud during the nightmare - and I felt strangely calm and more protective of Jacob than anything else. I guess that being a mom - knowing that I had to keep it together for my kid - had a calming effect. I went back to sleep until 7:15 or so - just had breakfast, Jacob is taking his morning nap, and we'll go walk the dog soon. Life is so, so good. :)

7 weeks old

7 weeks old
Originally uploaded by js_hale

next thing you know, he will be growing whiskers!

Ice cream on a Sunday

Went on a hike with friends and had ice cream afterwards.  This place serves up the good organic stuff & is way too close to where we live. www.threetwinsicecream.com 

Couldn't help myself...

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Originally uploaded by js_hale

I've been going through his clothes today and playing dress-up. This is his "I love Big Dumps" t-shirt from Keystone.

6 weeks

6 weeks
Originally uploaded by js_hale

and 12.5 pounds

Passport photo!

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Originally uploaded by js_hale

Yesterday we went to the post office to get Jacob's passport application. We are going to Germany in early summer. I was surprised that they make you hold your baby out like this for the photo - probably was instituted after Homeland Security came into being. It used to be that 1 or both of your parents would take the picture with you while you were held. Bizarre that they do it this way now, if you ask me - maybe they do it as a means of targeting potential infant combatants! In any event, Jacob totally took it in stride.