Thanksgiving 2008: Report Card

I've been married and a home owner for 3.5 years, and this was my first major holiday as a hostess. Here's how it went down:

Turkey: A. Very moist, thanks to the brining process, which is definitely the way to go.
Gravy: D. Too thick, too greasy, too rich. But I know how to fix it for next time...I think.
Mashed Potatoes: B. Forgot the scallions, which I really like. But I get bonus points for them actually being warm when served.
Salad: B. I did a spinach salad with strawberries, grape tomatoes, and avocado. Completely forgot the slivered almonds and feta.
Other dishes: A+. Made by Grandma Esther. They were all hot and tasty! (Thank you.)

So, for my first Thanksgiving, I'd say it wasn't bad at all. In fact, it was pretty good. More important than the food, however, was the company. Bradley, Munchkin and I were joined by Bradley's 2nd and 3rd cousins, his mom and Rick. We had lovely conversation and explored our Wii, which B got for his birthday (early). Fun!

Here are a few pics:
Me and My Turkey



Little Lumberjack



Our Mascot (no, I didn't make it)


More pics here. Don't forget to check the gallery for pics you may not have seen.

I Never...

There's a game we used to play in college called "I Never." Now that I'm a Mom, however, the phrase "I Never" has taken on a slightly different connotation.

I Never...realized how noisy baby laundry is in the dryer.
I Never...expected my baby to feel heavy at three months of age.
I Never...thought I'd have to get my wedding rings resized.
I Never...knew how excited I would get about poop. Baby poop, that is.
I Never...EVER thought I'd spend as much time as I do on the couch...nursing.
I Never...really thought that I would love my child as much as other people say they love theirs.
I Never...prepared myself for how my child would affect my marriage.
I Never...anticipated the need to purchase an entirely new shoe wardrobe.
I Never...thought I'd be able to operate on small amounts of interrupted sleep.
I Never...knew how very expressive infants can be, both facially and vocally.
I Never...expected a smile from my son to send me reeling away from the brink of "I can't handle it."
I Never...stared at other people's strollers in the Starbucks like I have in the last 12 months.
I Never...thought my little body could be responsible for large amounts of flatulence.
I Never...expected to be living in THIS house with a child.
I Never...knew the phrase, "It's never too early to start reading," was actually true.
I Never...expected that music would take a (very distant) back seat in my life.
I Never...appreciated my mother the way I do now. (Well, Mom, you knew that was coming. :o) )

I am thankful to have this knowledge, and I wouldn't trade it.

A New Verse...

...to "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush."

Right after "This is the way we wash our clothes," we'll add,
"This is the way we torture the baby, torture the baby, torture the baby.
This is the way we torture the baby so early in the morning."

What the video doesn't really pick up is that every time you blow in his face, he takes a sharp breath in, almost as though he's drowning in air.

Mean mommy.

For the record, Dad was holding the camera. :o)

Escape to Mimi's

As any new mom can tell you, the absence of her spouse can induce panic.

So when Bradley went to Las Vegas for work, we went to Mimi's!

Mimi and Papa and Auntieomi took care of all three of us (Oliver included) while we were there. We had a lovely four days of rest, play, tasty dinners, and TLC. Munchkin got to meet his Great Grandy B, hold and taste a rattle, and see snow (lots of snow) for the first time.

Here are a few token pics:

The. Best. Website. Ever.

Thanks to Auntie A for sending it. When I was watching, all the puppies were sleeping but one--who spent five minutes climbing all over the others to find a spot to snooze.
Enjoy.
http://www.ustream.tv/videoplayerpopup/channel/317016

LoveScarf

Yesterday, I went to chemo; not for myself, but to keep a friend company through her 5 hour treatment. This is her second time battling breast cancer. As we were leaving the hospital, I commented to her that I was completely stunned by the number of people receiving treatment at this hospital, in this city, on this day. Cancer, unfortunately, is everywhere.

So, while I'm one month late for official breast cancer awareness, I'm still going to try to raise some anyway. Fellow blogger, Kage, has organized a LoveScarf project out of NYC. Please consider knitting or crocheting a scarf (or hat) that will be donated to a cancer patient at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Email Kage for a mailing address: kristy at kristyglass dot com.

If you can't do that, perhaps you can find another way to donate your time or love to cancer patients and survivors in your area. Visit Avon or Susan G. Komen for the Cure for more information.

It's November 12.

I'm just sayin'. The economy can't possibly be THAT bad, if these people can afford to run their Christmas lights for seven weeks.

For the Record

Lest anyone think I am the perfect mother with the perfect child, I'm here to set the record straight.

Yesterday, I let my child "cry it out" for the first time. And yes, I DO think he's still too young for that. But sometimes, a Mom's gotta do what a Mom's gotta do.

It all began with a nursing session around 7:30 AM. Munchkin was unusually impatient and fussy, and ended his session by puking up half his breakfast on his playmat about 30 minutes later. Not a problem...it was laundry day, anyway. So, I cleaned up the spit-up, covered the wet spot (temporarily), and sorted the laundry. I even got the whites in the washer before hell--in the form of an adorable, yet cranky, child--broke loose. Literally, THE REST OF THE DAY was spent alternating between carrying him, rocking him, giving the paci, taking it away, putting him down, picking him back up, bouncy chair...all while enduring bloody murder screams.

At 2:45 PM, I was wracking my brains, trying to remember all the mommy advice I had read in my books about what to do to keep my sanity. This graced my memory: "When all else fails, sometimes you need to just put your baby in the crib and walk away." So I did. I closed the nursery door, went into the bathroom two floors down, ran the fan to block out the noise...and had an "Ugly Cry." Now, I know I don't have to explain what that means; we've all had them. During my UC, I weeped out "I can't do this I can't do this I can't do this" for a few minutes, before I remembered an anecdote from a friend, in which her child was left to "cry it out," and puked all over himself and his crib because he got so upset.

Faced with another puking episode, I rescued the babe, plopped him in the stroller and took him out for a walk--another suggestion from my Books. 45 minutes later, we returned home to nurse again, still while fussing and squirming.

At 5:00, I finally discovered the problem, because it manifested in the form of poop. Yes, my darling son pooped himself so badly it required an immediate soaking of clothing and a bath. Poor kid.

After a very stressful day (for both of us), Munchkin responded by sleeping through the night.

Darn it--I just lost your sympathy, didn't I. ;o)

Feeling Bookish

It's never too early to start reading!

A couple of our current favorites:

- "That's Not My Puppy" (Usbourne)
- "The Going-to-Bed Book" (Boynton)
- "Nursery Rhymes" (published by Priddy Books)

The latter is particularly special because it comes with a recording of each nursery rhyme set to music...and the singer is English. So we now have a lovely collection of nursery rhymes sung by a poor man's Julie Andrews. Many of you know that it is a secret dream of mine for my children to speak in English accents. This is a great start! ;o)

"Here we go round the 'mool-bree' bush..."

One of the books on our wish list is "Gallop," by Rufus Butler Seder (what a name!). We saw it at a children's boutique in the city, but were convinced we could find it cheaper elsewhere. He uses "scanimation" to tell his animal story. When I was a kid, we used to call these "holograms." You know, that plastic-y stuff that shows one picture when you hold it still, and another when you change the angle slightly? Seder's book is comprised entirely of these pictures. Way cool.

At this rate, I'm sure Munchkin will be reading in no time--being brilliant and all. ;o)

Milestone

Watch and learn.

"Change Has Come to America"

I wasn't planning to post about the election. I believe very strongly in being gracious in victory, and was concerned that any mention of it would have been misconstrued as the opposite.

However, this blog is turning into a memoir or diary of sorts for my son, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention this historic event in our country's history.

So...


Dear Munchkin:
Today, our country made history. The 44th President of the United States will be Barack Obama, the first black man to be elected to this office. Here is an excerpt of what he had to say:

"This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one thats on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. Shes a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing - Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldnt vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that shes seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when womens voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that We Shall Overcome. Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we cant, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America."

2 Months

10 lbs, 2.6 oz; 23 1/4 in

Dear Munchkin:
We visited Dr. B again today (our wonderful pediatrician) for your two month checkup. Can you believe it? He said, and I quote: "Wow, Munchkin is very advanced," in reference to a couple of benchmarks you have reached a few months before expected.

I love watching you...

- hit the monkey on the "jungle gym"
- watch the ceiling fan with rapt attention
- shove your entire fist in your mouth
- have smiling conversations with me, many still while your paci is in your mouth
- truly enjoy taking a bath
- take breaks while eating to look around and smile at me
- better tolerate being dressed in "real boy" outfits
- ride your bicycle
- play by yourself on the jungle gym for loooong stretches of time
- suck on your fists with vehemence, trying desperately to find your fingers
- stick your tongue out at your Dad
- move your head with your eyes when you track objects
- hold yourself up during "tummy time," with your fists balled up under you
- roll from your tummy to your back (which so impressed Dr. B)
- recognize your Dad when he comes home from work
- decide how you're going to handle that puppy who loves to kiss you

Lions, Tigers and Bears...oh my!

As my friend, "Auntie G," put it, "When it's 70 degrees in Chicago on November 3rd, you go outdoors."

And so we did! We took the boys to the Lincoln Park Zoo on Monday, primarily as an activity for mommies; not because we thought they'd actually be able to appreciate the animals. The LP Zoo is an amazing thing, really. If you face one direction, you see the downtown skyline. If you turn around 180 degrees, you see a giraffe. We also saw hippos, rhinos, bears, cats, and even spiders and cockroaches (ick). But my favorite moment of the day came in the primate house. There was a particular breed of monkeys (nope, can't remember which kind) enclosed in a glass cage that were showing off for us. They chased each other around, they played on the rope swing, and--most amusingly--rebounded off the glass right before our eyes. I took Munchkin out of the stroller with the hope that he could perhaps see the furry guys that were so close to us. I like to think he could. :o)

Oh, and the best thing about LPZ? It's free!


(There is a white-lipped deer in the background.)

"Happ"-y Halloween

Yet another Halloween celebration occurred last Thursday, when Munchkin and I were invited to a daytime party (hosted by our friends, the Happs).

Here's how the ages stacked up:
Elmo-2 yrs
Skeleton-10 mos
Monkey 1- 9 mos
Monkey 2- 8 mos
Sunflower- 7 mos
Turtle (our host)- 6 mos
Pumpkin (Munchkin)- 2 mos

We had a marvelous time! The adults ate yummy treats, the babies ate yummy milk (some had finger food!), and we watched the kids interact with each other. Christine had put out Turtle's "jungle gym," jolly jumper, swing, etc., which kept the babies thoroughly occupied. We did manage to get a group shot of all the kids, but Munchkin didn't make it into the shot you see posted. Supposedly, another parent has better pics. I'll post it when I get it.

Thanks, Happ Family!


More pics: http://gallery.me.com/hannahrae#100166

The Elephant or the Donkey

Tomorrow is Election Day, and no, I'm not here to pander.

Since I live in Illinois, I frequently hear comments like, "Well, we live in a blue state, so it doesn't really matter if I vote or not." It's certainly true that the Presidential campaign trail seems to run cold in states like ours, and I have often wished to live in Ohio or Florida, just to get a little attention. But I try not to let these sentiments dissuade me from showing up to the polls. After all, not all elections are for Presidents--including this one. I haven't forgotten to check out the issues surrounding our local races; and I never just vote the straight ticket without doing plenty of research.

Tomorrow, Bradley, Munchkin and I will all go to our voting facility together. It is a family tradition I hope to continue until Munchkin is old enough to vote, himself...even if we're still living in this "blue" state. Regardless of the outcome, voting is our right, our privilege, and--most importantly--our responsibility.

Make your own mark on this historic election. Go vote.


(Composed on 10/26/08)