guh-dah-dah

In Garrettese, the noun guh-dah-dah can mean "doctor," "helicopter," or "hot dog." Today it mostly meant "doctor," as that is where we have spent the majority of our time.

First it was for Caleb's 12 month well check-up. He's growing fine, as we all suspected he was. The highlight of the visit, of course, was when he got his MMR vaccine. He did a first-rate job of making extra sure that that was a super fun moment for all involved. At any rate, here are his stats:

Length: 31 inches (yes, he is tall)
Weight: 21 lbs 12 oz

After Caleb had a chance to sleep off some of the more immediate effects of the shots, it was off to the dentist for Garrett's routine cleaning. Garrett was a star and has stickers to prove it. His teeth look great and he has no cavities (which means that I'm a star, too, for making sure they get brushed every night).

angles of exhaustion

eat your spinach

If you've ever wondered what heaven tastes like, then go make this. And be quick about it. Eternity sounds like a long, long time, but trust me when I say you won't want to wait.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

5 garlic cloves
1 small jar alfredo sauce
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen spinach, thawed and drained*
1 (14.5 oz) can artichoke hearts (non-marinated), roughly chopped
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened

Wrap garlic cloves in tin foil and bake them at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. When they have cooled, squeeze them out of their skins and chop finely. In a medium bowl, stir together all of the ingredients. Spread the mixture into an 8x8" pan and bake at 350 until bubbly and hot (about 25 minutes). Serve with crackers or slices of French bread.

*Drain by tightly wrapping the spinach in a cheesecloth or tea towel (with no nap) and twist to squeeze the water out.

in public transportation paradise

We recently bought a membership to the New York Transit Museum, and thought today would be a fine day to test-run the benefits. Elizabeth and her grandma joined us, which definitely enhanced the outing. The interactive exhibits were the highlight, as you can see below. Seriously, if there could be such a thing as a public transportation paradise, then this would be it.

Garrett liked driving the bus...

...while Caleb liked driving his stroller.

Apparently I have them trained well to do things like sit nicely on the bus...

...and cross the street at crosswalks.

But maybe it's time to teach them that headlights aren't toys.

Vintage subway cars are fun to explore...

...and race through.

All that running made us hungry, so we picnicked by the water fountain on Court Street that Garrett, in all his authority, declared we needed to stop at.



Are these city kids or what?!

something's fishy...

It's raining again today, but I'm not complaining. Compared with the life-sucking heat we've had this summer, this cool, gray, fall-like weather feels wonderful.

But the rain, well, it's keeping us inside, so to pass the time, this morning we embarked on a sewing project. Garrett was eager to help. He cut scraps...


...and pinned pieces...


...and with a whole lot of help from Mom, this is what we made:


A fishing pole and a school of fish made primarily out of felt. I found the tutorial here, and used it as an incentive while potty training Garrett. (It must have worked, too, because he had six straight days AND nights of staying dry!) It was easy to make, but it's even more fun to play with.

last day with lina

According to the academic calendar, the summer is just about over, which means that Garrett has aged out of the Early Intervention extension he qualified for because of his June birthday. As such, yesterday morning he had his last session of speech therapy with his beloved therapist, Lina.

We are sure going to miss her. He's been working with her in half-hour sessions, three times a week, since the middle of April, and in that time he has made tremendous progress. According to the progress report Lina completed, Garrett's speech delay has improved by almost half. He still struggles with pronouncing word endings and speaking intelligibly in sentences longer than two words, but individual words are clearer and his receptive language is a lot better. He's gained the confidence he needs to try harder to use words instead of whines and grunts to communicate, which has made life with him a lot more pleasant. And, thanks to Lina's charming Brooklyn accent, he's starting to talk like he belongs in this city!

He'll continue speech therapy, with a new therapist, once preschool starts in September. The hope is that, in addition to the formal therapy, a school setting will help close the gap of his speech delay as well as improve his social language skills. I think he will love school. It will be an adjustment at first for his obsessive-compulsive little self, but once he learns the routine, I think he will thrive.

It will also take some adjusting to get used to not having Lina around anymore. Our summer schedule has revolved around those speech therapy sessions, and it will be strange to not have them to look forward to anymore. But more than that, we'll miss Lina herself. She is a talented, hard-working, well-educated, and incredibly patient speech therapist. Garrett was devoted to her and so was I. So, thanks for everything, Lina. You've given us much, and we will forever be grateful for that.

celebrating one year of caleb

Today is Caleb's first birthday. On this day one year ago he waltzed into my world, and I'm so happy that he did. Our family would not be complete without him.

We had a small birthday party last night. First he opened his presents. Garrett helped.


Then he played with his presents. Garrett also helped.


He cleaned up nicely in the gift department. Along with some new clothes for the fall and two Sandra Boynton board books, he got a vintage Fisher Price chatter telephone, the Little People Noah's Ark, and one of those knob and button pop-up toys. He has spent today playing with each of them. (And so has Garrett.)


After presents we had chocolate cupcakes. Caleb blew out his candle (with a little help from Garrett).


And then Garrett needed a candle of his own in his cupcake to also blow out. (Birthday etiquette is currently lost on him.)


Unlike the frosting fiasco at Garrett's first birthday party, Caleb really enjoyed his cake, frosting and all. He made a big mess, just like he was supposed to.

*****

Caleb has spent his first year growing at break-neck speeds. See the slide show below of his first twelve months for proof.

*****

And now he is one. I can hardly believe it. But as bittersweet as it is, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Happy birthday, Caleb, you silly goose!

for caleb at one year

Dear Caleb,

Well, here we are: your first birthday. I didn't think it would come so fast, and yet I should have known it would. I know it couldn't be kept forever, but it is still bittersweet to see your babyhood come to an end. But even though I'm finding it a little hard to let go, I want to wish you the happiest of birthdays and welcome you to the toddlerhood you seem to be so eager to be a part of.

Much has happened in the milestone department in the last month. First and foremost, you walk -- independently and everywhere! You are very well-balanced and prefer getting around on two legs rather than four.

Another big milestone has been milk. You consumed the last of your formula a few weeks ago and have been a cow's milk drinker ever since. With it you've begun your transition to sippy cups, but bottles are not gone altogether yet for they are still too soothing.

Speaking of food, you eat more like a big boy now, often refusing to be spoon-fed in favor of feeding yourself small bites of table food. I love watching you grab and mash bananas into your face, or stuff your mouth with scrambled eggs, using your entire hand and all of your fingers to do so. It is very messy, but it gets the job done.

Along with this mealtime independence comes an inclination to be more picky. You're not as bad as your brother, but you seem, unfortunately, to be heading in that direction. When offered something you are not interested in, you pick it up and decisively throw it to the floor. Sometimes, because of a new fascination with gravity, you get a little carried away and before anyone can stop you, your dinner is splattered beneath the highchair.

With age comes responsibility, and you have accepted yours willingly. When it is time to clean up, you put toys away -- sometimes where they go, but more often in the garbage can. Your favorite toys include: the cobbler bench, especially the nails, which you like to pull out and suck on; cars, which also, when you're not driving them across the floor, go straight to your mouth; balls, which you kicks, throw, and bounce; the beanbags, which are not only fun to toss, but also fun to balance on your head; and Garrett's dolly and the accompanying bottles, which you expertly feed to it.

When things don't go your way, you can throw a tantrum with the best of them, and when people around you laugh, you join in without knowing why. You are a tough fighter and have adapted well to your mother-hen of an older brother. Overall you are a happy boy, which I love (and which gives me hope that your recent bout with separation anxiety at nap and bedtimes will be a short-lived phase).

I love you, Caleb, more than you can ever know. You bring such joy to our family and to my life. Happy, happy birthday -- I am so glad that you were born!

Love,
Mama

and it was everything he hoped and dreamed it would be

The zoo trip was just about as awesome as Garrett had hoped it would be. I think he saw every animal on his must-see list and then some: turtles, elephants, zebras, bears, roosters, fish, monkeys, and, of course, seals (which, in this case, are more correctly known as sea lions, but to Garrett there was no difference). If we'd have let him, he would have stayed glued to the sea lion exhibit the entire day, barking and clapping his hands right along with them.




The Children's Zoo was a highlight. It had by far the most interactive exhibits. Both boys went a little crazy in the petting zoo -- Garrett feeding and tickling the animals, and Caleb watching them (and his brother) in awed fascination. He wasn't too keen on touching them or otherwise getting too close, though.



We rode the bug carousel and the "tour of Asia" monorail, burrowed through the prairie dog tunnels, strutted alongside free roaming peafowl, saw lots and lots of newborn zoo babies (peachicks, several varieties of Asian deer, rhino, sea lion, squirrel monkeys, among others), stamped our "Zoofari" passports after visiting various exhibits, visited several "zoo poppies" (did you know that Garrett has been dry, day AND night for THREE straight days? He has, and we are all so proud), and by the time we left the zoo in the late afternoon we were exhausted, but happy and fulfilled.

But the fun wasn't over yet. Back at home we ordered in pizza, rented Madagascar, and put our tired feet up as we continued to enjoy ourselves. It was a first-run showing of the movie for all of us; Garrett laughed his way through because of the slapstick, Caleb laughed periodically because Garrett was laughing, and Blake and I got a kick out of the subtle New York City zoo humor.

So, a successful day all around. Garrett's already talking about his next trip to the zoo, in between listing off all of the animals he saw yesterday. Maybe, while the magic is still alive, we'll make a trip to the Prospect Park Zoo. Any Brooklyn friends want to come? I can get one guest in for free, if that is at all enticing....

today's the day

Today's the day he's been waiting for nearly all week long. Today's the day Garrett gets to go to the zoo. But not just any zoo. Today's the day we're making the trek all the way up to Bronx Zoo.


For the last few days, ever since we announced to Garrett that we'd be going, he has been absolutely giddy with anticipation. I've never seen him so excited for something in all his life! He's been barking like a seal (his favorite exhibit at the Prospect Park Zoo) and listing off all of the animals, along with the sounds they make, that he plans to see while we're there. Every time we get ready to leave the house for some errand or other, he asks anxiously if we're going to the zoo now, and every time I have to tell him, "No, we're going on Friday," "We'll go to the zoo in two more days," "Nope, not today, but we'll go tomorrow!"

While I know the zoo ants crawling around in his pants will be put to rest after our visit, I will be a little disappointed when it's over. Do you realize what an incredible motivator this zoo trip has been for him?

"If you want to go to the zoo, you need to eat your noodles."

"They only let boys who wake up dry go to the zoo."

"Be nice to Caleb and share your toys or we won't go to the zoo."

It's been an awesome tool to have at my fingertips because it actually works: he's eaten his noodles, he woke up dry, and he's shared his toys (albeit a little reluctantly). I will take him to a zoo every week if I have to in order to keep this magic alive.

But today's the day, and if Garrett has anything to do with it, it'll be a great one.

for ye shall go out with joy

For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Isaiah 55:12

My mom did this piece of calligraphy for us for Christmas, and we finally had the means to get it framed. Isn't it beautiful? (Thanks, Mom!)

After I've crashed on the couch, completely exhausted, at the end of the day, I like to read the verse over and over to remind myself that I can get up and do it all again in the morning. (Even after a sleepless night spent trying to figure out what on earth was making Caleb spend his screaming like the world was ending.) And what's more, I can do it joyfully knowing that someone out there will be cheering me on.

defining me

For the last few months I've been slowly working on formatting my original blog in order to print and bind it in book form. As I've read through my old posts, I've watched a time-lapsed version of me grow and change. As much fun as it's been to reacquaint myself with former versions of me, it's also been startling to see how different I am now than I was four and a half years ago when I first started blogging. My circumstances have changed, and as such, the topics I write on and the style in which I write them have also changed. My purpose for writing has evolved, and the time which I can allot to blogging has been altered.

Things which once so staunchly defined me no longer do. While I'm not yet an old hat, I'm also not defined anymore by new motherhood. I've lived in Brooklyn for three solid years now, and while there will always be new city adventures, I feel that I have acclimated. I still like to call myself a writer, but I don't have the time or energy very often these days to devote to writing creatively. My life has fallen into a pretty predictable routine, which on the one hand is fine -- I love routine! -- but on the other, the fervor I once felt has died down.

These realizations have been a little disconcerting. Has all this change led to something better? Or have I let certain aspects of myself fall unnecessarily by the wayside? In an effort to ward off a minor identity crisis, I've garnered a list of some of the things that make me who I am today. Some are silly, some are serious, but collectively they help define me.

• I am Blake's wife, and Garrett and Caleb's mother.
• I live in Brooklyn, and, at the rate things are going, will probably live in Brooklyn for a long time.
• I don't own a car.
• I love eating chocolate chip cookie dough.
• My house is clean because I'm constantly cleaning it.
• I hate being late.
• I would be fine if I never went to the Natural History Museum again.
• I like to cook.
• I am no good at making small talk.
• I am not a night owl.
• Even though I don't have much time for it (and what I produce, I'm realizing as I read through my old blog posts, is mediocre at best), I still love to write. I think like a writer, and revise like a writer, and let words consume me like a writer.
  
• I am not a big fan of playing board games.
• I'd much rather read a book.
• I am the Bishop's wife, and sometimes that is really hard.
• I like to make things, and enjoy simple sewing projects.
• I collect dishes and other kitchen things.
• I do my very best to keep my promises.
• I love the smell of rain-soaked sidewalks.
• I am always doing something. If I'm sitting still, I'm probably sick or completely exhausted.
• I like it when the bright full moon shines right through my bedroom window when I go to sleep.
• I am happy. And I'm happy with the direction my life is going.
  

Even though I am naturally resistant to change, it's nice to be able to look back and see how everything has fallen so neatly into place. And even if it feels like parts of me have been lost as I've grown, that is no reason to think that I'm in a lesser place now. Life will keep moving forward, circumstances will continue to evolve, but the things which have defined me in the past and those which define me in the present will never truly disappear. They are all, and always will be, what define me.

mostly

Garrett is mostly potty trained. I no longer have to worry about his staying dry during the day, whether at home or on an outing, and he's getting better at staying dry during naps and at night. He's even stopped pooping in his pants.




Caleb mostly prefers walking to crawling and mostly walks without holding onto anything for support.






Mostly might not be always, but it's close. And we like that.

guest post

I contributed a post over at my friend's gospel blog, and that's where you can find me today. Thanks, Lori, for the opportunity!

the boys this week

The boys both caught colds this week and have consequently had a lot of snotty, miserable moments. Here, though, are some of the happier ones.

We baked cookies on a day that wasn't so horridly hot and humid (Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip, in case you were wondering -- yes, they are good). Apparently having the oven on has become somewhat of a novelty in this summer heat because both boys were fascinated by what was going on inside.

When the water turns on for baths, both boys run to the tub like magnets. Caleb even tries to climb in.

Our potty training efforts this week called for an emergency trip to the laundromat. I usually do the laundry alone while Blake stays with the boys, and I guess it had been a while since they'd been in. Watching the washing machine go was as fascinating as watching the cookies bake.

Playing "Ring Around the Stroller" at the park. Rules of the game: Walk around the perimeter of the stroller as many times as you can. Easy enough.

Elizabeth joined us on our trip to the park. Pushing all three of them in the swings was definitely the easiest part of this playground visit. Also, there is apparently something super interesting to their right. I wish I knew what it was.

She ate lunch with us afterward, and for mealtime entertainment, she and Garrett thought it would be fun to show each other the food in their mouths. They thought it amusing. I thought it was gross.