Joseph Eats a Watermelon Popsicle

Letters to Joseph-August

Dear Joseph:
Well we started August with our trip to California…it overlapped July and August. When we got home, we just kept on having our summer fun.
One Tuesday afternoon we went to Madrona beach with Aunt Malia and Cousin Henry. There is a water pump there that trickles water down the beach, so you and Henry and the other kids spent the afternoon building dams and playing with shovels and buckets and such. We also have been to the cabin several times this summer…you love playing in the pasture and eating up the thimble berries.
Speaking of berries, you and I have been picking berries and eating like bears. Blackberries and huckleberries…we have a huckleberry bush in front of our house and I’ve made two pies. Then up at the park we pick blackberries and I made a pie of them as well, but mostly you just like them raw.
We went to Bixby’s birthday party and one of our Birth Class Reunions this weekend. You, being the only boy (Torben, the other boy from the group lives in Austria now), and the only walker of the bunch, are ‘one of these kids is doing his own thing’. You had lots of fun with the girls, but you kept wandering off and going over to the dog’s pen. We put all you babies on the trampoline and the parents stood around it and bounced you…you all thought it was the funniest thing ever.
You are doing lots and lots of waving now…you wave at animals, plants, cars, and people. We’ve heard you say, Dad (very clearly), no (na na na na), while shaking your head, duck, drink, hat or hot, not sure which, it was a hot day and we saw someone in a hat, and of course hi. Just a couple of days ago (late August), you started dancing. I put on ‘Hurricane’ by Bob Dylan, fitting, and you started bouncing up and down to the beat. Dad says you also wave your arm in the air when he plays heavy metal music. Just in the last couple of days you’ve been trying to feed me food, today it was an apple. I also noticed you have been handing things to people, yesterday at Bixby’s party, you were sharing toys with other kids so nicely. The cutest thing happened today…I was sweeping the kitchen floor and just getting the dirt and dog hair into a pile…you walked over with the dust pan and set it next to the pile and looked at me as if to say…’here you go’. SO helpful!
I do have an accident to report from this month…you were standing on the landing of the stairs and turned around suddenly. Your feet got twisted and you fell forward, not down the stairs, but still flat on your face because you were twisted and couldn’t put your arms out. I was right there at your side the whole time, but I couldn’t grab you fast enough from falling. At first I thought you were fine, but then your mouth started bleeding a lot…I was so scared because I didn’t know where it was coming from. I took you over to the sink and washed you off…I was shaking myself, but you were already recovering. The bleeding stopped and I could see in your mouth and that it looked like you’d cut above your upper gum. I took you to the doctor’s office (on the way you started sticking your finger in your mouth and giggling), and they said that you’d torn your frenulum…that little piece of skin that connects your gum and your upper lip. They assured me over and over that you didn’t need it and it wouldn’t affect anything at all. As it’s turned out, it has sort of re-attached anyway and you can’t even tell it happened.
Next month is your birthday! I can’t believe it’s been a year already!Love, Mama

Letters to Joseph-Portland

The next day we headed up to Portland, OR for our last night of the trip…and we stumbled on one of the highlights of the trip! Right about Roseburg, we saw signs for a Wildlife Safari. This seemed very strange considering we were in nowhere Oregon, but we decided to check it out. We were so glad we did! There was a little hut where you paid $17.50 per adult (you were free), and you just drove into the wild animal areas. The speed limit was 10 miles per hour, so we were allowed to take you out of your carseat and you rode up front with us. They warned us to watch out for the rhinos, that they might poke the car, so we hurried past them to the lions who were sleeping, but only about five feet from our car. I guess animals can be less afraid of cars than of humans on foot, so they were content with the parade of cars going past them all. It reminded me of Candy Cane Lane here at home, but with wild animals. Something was a little strange and wrong about it, but it was such a novelty and you were loving it so much that I set that aside and we had a blast! We say Zebras, Bears, Hippos, Camels, Ostriches, Emus, Mustangs, Elk, and much more. The highlight of the tour was the Giraffe…we stopped by him while he was eating leaves from the high branches and we reached back and got your stuffed giraffe. You held it and looked up at the real giraffe and we could see the light bulb go off in your brain as you made the connection between the real and the abstract, it was quite a moment!
We stayed in Portland that night and the next day we went to this great wading pool where you played in the water and made more friends. Then we drove home that day and were happy to spend the night in our own bed. Ahh. Pillow top.

Letters to Joseph-Wolf Creek

The second night of our trip back home, we stayed at the Wolf Creek Inn in Oregon. It’s an old hotel where Cary Grant and Jack London used to stay. It was very quaint and they had a very good restaurant, but it was a little hard because you’re in a phase right now where it’s impossible to keep you in your high chair, then there’s the food smearing and dropping that makes it hard to eat our food…but that’s a temporary thing.

Letters to Joseph-Red Bluff

Then we started the trip back home…north. The first night we stayed in Red Bluff, CA. This is a fairly unspectacular city, but we stayed in a Motel with a fun pool. You and I went swimming and Dad watched us. We did our peekabo routine and I entertained you by jumping up with you in my arms over and over again.

Letters to Joseph-San Francisco

We drove into San Francisco and stayed in the Haight at a B&B called the Red Victorian. It was fun, but you were so tired that you fell asleep at 7pm both nights we were there, so we had Thai food in our room one night, and pizza the other. But we had a super fun time in the day. The first day we walked all around Golden Gate Park. We went to the DeYoung Museum after getting hot dogs from an outside vendor, then we visited the AIDS Memorial Grove. The next day we went to Chinatown. We got off the bus and I heard the Lion Dance going on…drums and cymbols! I started swiftly making my way towards them, your Dad in tow, because I loved the Lion Dance so much when I was little (grade school age though) and I wanted you to see it. But right when we got to the lion, they set off a whole bunch of fire crackers and you were SO SCARED! I felt terrible because I should’ve anticipated your reaction. You don’t really like loud noises, and I’d forgotten about the fire crackers. We ducked into an apothecary and got the stink eye from the proprietress, but we comforted you there anyway. You recovered and we went to eat at our family’s favorite restaurant in Chinatown; the Far East Café. They have booths that are partitioned off with dark stained wood and a red velvet curtain. They let us have a booth even though it was just the three of us and we ate Chicken Chow Mein, Pork Fried Rice, Sweet and Sour Prawns, and of course, my very favorite, Pot Stickers. After Chinatown, we took the bus to the Palace of Fine Arts and sat on the grass. You found a Hoola Hoop and played with that for a long time. We also watched the brides and grooms have their photos taken with the scenery. One couple was having an engagement photo session and you kept running over, trying to get in the photos. Then we took the bus back to the Haight and you fell asleep for the night.

Letters to Joseph-Stinson Beach

...That day we drove on and ended up in Stinson Beach where we stayed for 3 nights. We all played on the beach so much and loved every minute of it. You played with dogs, one in particular named Lychee, a little black and white dog who licked and licked you, and another one, a Corgi, named Frodo, who wasn’t quite as thrilled as Lychee. I went swimming in the Ocean and looked up and there were two brown seals swimming not five feet from me. I was startled at first, but then I was thrilled, it was so cool. We went to a restaurant called the Parkside Café, where they had ‘all you can eat’ spaghetti and salad, and the locals played a guitar jam session. There was a fire in the hearth and kids running all around…including you. What a laid back, fun time. We also went to Point Reyes to the Cowgirl Creamery and had lunch and bought flavored sugars and salt. We met the nicest 10 year old boy from Manhattan named Carlo. He was very into playing with you. He was so polite and charming and secure and relaxed and engaged and genuine…if I had to jump ahead ten years and describe you, it would be a lot like Carlo, he was very special and you don’t meet kids like that very often, let alone people like that.

OK, no trip log, just Letters to Joseph-July

I fell down on the trip log, but as I was writing Letters to Joseph-July, I realized that this is also sort of a trip log, so first...the beginning of July and the days I've already covered from the trip, then on to the California trip.

Dear Joseph:
We ended up taking your Dad to Colman Pool, so we swam with him and you had SO much fun. You feel very safe in his strong arms. Since then, we’ve gone back and you are a little less sure when I’m holding you in the water. If I play ‘peekaboo’ with you, by me going under water and then popping back up in front of you in your floaty, you think it’s pretty OK.
For the Fourth of July we all went out to Betty McDonald’s Farm on Vashon Island. We just relaxed and watched the fireworks far away across the water. We went down to the beach and you played with your bucket, shovel, and disco duck. You and I walked down to the water’s edge and you looked back and yelled ‘HI’ and waved at Ama, who was very pleased indeed.
You started walking as your main mode of transport about mid-July. I wish you could see people’s response (well, you can see it now, but you probably won’t remember it) to little you getting up and walking across the room. You are a SOLID walker already and you are learning to navigate steps as well. People are always so surprised because you are so young. But Uncle Asa and I both walked at 9 months, so you come by it honestly.
We’ve spent lots of time in the back yard, playing with your big plastic car that you sit in, with hands on the wheel at 10 and 2 (we found it under the porch when we moved in). Apparently it belonged to the little boys who lived here before, Trevor and River. We also play in your purple plastic wading pool with your purple ball. Have I mentioned you’ve shown a particular affinity for purple? We sit back there under the fig tree and blow bubbles. We also swing in the hammock which hangs in the cherry tree a lot, and nurse there. You love it. You also love our neighbor, Lovelle. She loves you too and always wants to pick you up. She gives you toys that her daughters (long since grown daughters) played with; an orange plastic van and a soft soccer ball. You think they are both great. Whenever she comes out of her house across the street you start getting all excited. You smile and yell and wave your arms up and down.
We frequent the Delridge wading pool and you’ve made lots of friends there…and sometimes we go there with cousin Henry.
At the end of July, we took a trip in the car to California! We loaded up the back seat with lots of toys and books for you and stayed in Eugene, OR the first night. You did amazingly well considering that we drove down the Coast to Stinson Beach and San Francisco. We drove through the Redwood Forest (where I pretended we were a family of fairies in a miniature car, driving through a forest of regular sized trees) and into Crescent City. In Crescent City you saw the Ocean for the first time. We stopped at a black sand beach with rock formations in the water called ‘haystacks’. You were a little unsure about the crashing waves at first, but then you got excited to play in the sand. We sat and watched the surfers and soaked up the sun.
Then we drove on and you got a little cranky. We brought a portable DVD player, so you watched numbers videos, sign language videos, and baby songs videos. A few times Dad and I took turns getting in the back seat with you to read or sing to you. We stayed in Garberville, CA the second night because it was getting too late to make it to Mendocino…but we drove there the next day. It was in Mendocino, CA where Auntie Ali called me and told me she’s pregnant with TWINS! TWO friends for you in NYC!

Day Two-Northern California Trip

This day we drove and drove and drove...the Navigator (me), overshot a little on how far we could make it down Highway 1...a very beautiful and very twisty road over the beach. We drove through Grants Pass and broke away from 1-5...then through the Redwoods. It's so amazing and misty...you drive through that beautiful landscape, and then suddenly break through and you're at the beach. I pretended we were tiny fairies in a tiny fairy car and that the redwoods were actually normal sized trees. When we got to Crescent City, we went to the beach...Joseph saw the Ocean for the first time! It was a black sand beach and SO beautiful. We were supposed to make it to Mendocino that night, but we ended up staying in Garberville at a cheap motel. We drank Bud and watched cable.

Day One-Northern California Trip

I didn't take my computer along on our trip, but I wanted to make a trip log anyway, after the fact, because we had SO much fun!!!

Day One: Destination Euguene, Oregon.

We left Seattle at about 11 am and got to Eugene at about 4pm...some slow going because of needing to stop for nursing, etc. We brought along the car DVD player...Joseph, who never gets to watch TV, was very into 'Baby Songs'...and now we ALL know all the words. We stayed in an amazing place...a little cottage I found on Craigslist. We walked down to the 'Market of Choice' and then made a yummy pasta dinner. We sat out on the little patio and ate...we tried to prop Joseph up in his backpack to eat, but that didn't work...we never really found a good way to feed him all trip long, we're happy to be back to a high chair and Clay's old brown belt to strap him in with.

Our California Trip Itinerary

We're going to California...just want to share our itinerary...for fun so you can see where we are, and so you can find us if need be!

Sunday: Eugene, OR...we're staying in a residential neighborhood in a studio cabin that we found on Craig's List. Then we'll head down the Coast Highway to...

Monday: Jughandle Creek Farm, Caspar, CA...near Mendocino, ool la la, maybe to the local nude beach

http://www.jughandle.creek.org/main_entry.htm

Tuesday-Thursday: Redwoods Haus Bed and Breakfast, Stinson Beach, CA

http://www.stinson-beach.com/

Friday: The Red Victorian in the Haight District, San Francisco, CA

http://www.redvic.com/

Saturday: Heading back up I-5 and probably ending up in exciting Red Bluff, CA

http://www.lamplighterlodge.us/

Sunday: Up to Ashland to check it out...then to the Wolf Creek Inn

http://www.thewolfcreekinn.com/

Monday: Portland! The Mark Spencer Hotel

http://www.markspencer.com/

Beach Sunday...

Joseph and Dad, digging in the sand.

Thimbleberries and Me

Just a shout out from Joseph..."Here I am peeps, up here at the Cabin, eatin' Thimbleberries...my new fav food."

The Egg and I

Oooo, I just finished my delicious book, 'The Egg and I' by Betty MacDonald. I admit, I am on a Betty MacDonald kick and I might continue the streak. I loved this book...most of it anyway. It was very harsh on Native Americans...I suppose it was part of the times, but hard to swallow anyway, but for the most part it was witty, interesting, hilarious in parts, and smartly old-fashioned. The book chronicles Betty MacDonald's life on a chicken ranch on the Olympic Peninsula. She lives the life of a regular farm wife...stoking 'Stove', canning, gardening, sewing, washing, bearin' a babe, and visiting with the colorful neighbors on the Mountain. She has lots and lots of gripes, but I think somewhere deep down inside she loves it...more than someone who was born into that kind of life would...she's from a cultured city family and I think she appreciates the 'hard life' and all of its quaintness, where others wouldn't...despite the fact that she complains the whole time. In fact, the book is really one big long complaint, but for some reason it's brimming with positivity and charm.

and coming in first on my summer reading list...

'The Egg and I' by Betty MacDonald

Starting with the first sentence:

"ALONG with teaching us that lamb must be cooled with garlic and that a lady never scratches her head or spits, my mother taught my sisters and me that it is a wife's bounden duty to see that her husband is happy in his work." ...doesn't it sound downright devine? Especially after finding out the Ma and Pa Kettle where character spin offs...AND that The Egg and I was made into a move starring Claudette Colbert and Fred McMurray!

Lazy summer days...

Is so nice eh? Just enjoying some hot summer days...

what's in a name?

announcing the new name for this blog...vivre d'amour et d'eau fraîche...to live on love alone. Now I realize that it might be a major faux pas to suddenly make a blog title change, and I thought about starting an altogether new blog, but I wanted to find something that would express the intent of what I've already blogged about. Though perhaps a little pretentious given that I don't speak French, vivre d'amour et d'eau fraîche, looks so beautiful to me, and fills me with more love, so I'm doing it, and it beats the snot out of 'Dakota's Blog'. Watch out, because I'm getting a little tired of this template too...I haven't found a new one that I think suits the site yet, but don't think you went to the wrong place if it suddenly changes.

and...on that farm there was a Joseph...ee I ee I Oh.

For the 4th of July we went and stayed at the Betty MacDonald Farm on Vashon Island. What an absolute treasure! Betty MacDonald wrote the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books, The Egg and I, and Onions in the Stew.

http://www.bettymacdonaldfarm.com/

We explored the island for two days and these are two of my favorite things that we found.

Though the Straus Family Creamery is in California, you can buy bottled cream and half n' half and exchange the bottle. It's sweet! You can taste that the cows are grass fed! I love it! It came from the cool coffee shop next door to my second favorite thing on Vashon Island...

The second thing is Chilkat Traders Antiques. They have an amazing collection of art books, quilts, cool old paintings (including two drawings by Andy Warhol @ $12,500 each)...pottery, native american blankets and baskets, and vintage Betty MacDonald books!

Kick up yer heels!

OK...I must admit that this is a little test...me thinks maybe I have alot of 'Lurkers'...is anyone out there? I'm aiming this test at the Shameless Sisters...please please comment! Are we going to the Hen Heather?!! I'm excited to dance with real cowboys.

Splish Splash

Joseph went swimming for the first time today! We went down to Colman Pool, which is salt water piped in from the Sound, and swam all around! Joseph loved it and splashed all around and played with other babies.

mmmm....carrots

Though this is obviously not a photo of him doing so...Joseph took three steps for Clay on Wednesday night and three for Ama today...maybe for Mama too soon?!

Joseph and his Keene side Cousins

Last weekend we went up to Camano Island for cousin Ryan Teather's graduation party! Ryan is going to San Francisco University, so Joseph put on his tie dyes and his Rasta Hat and we celebrated! Joseph had lots of fun with his cousins who treat him like one of the gang! Clockwise from the top: Liam Duncan, Ashlyn & Ryan Teather, Dylan & Luka Bergan, & Joseph

Novelty Hill Winery Opening

WHAT?! She's posting something other than Joseph's latest meals? YES! These photos are from the Novelty Hill Winery http://www.noveltyhillwines.com/ opening party for the designers, sub-consultants, contractors, etc. Great food, fun reconnecting with the team, and so amazing to see something come to life that we all spent so much time working on.

Letters to Joseph-June

Dear Joseph:
June has been a whirlwind! We moved to our new house on June 2nd and it was also Uncle Asa’s 30th birthday! Your Ama Joyce took care of you while we moved all of our furniture…then we went to Asa’s BBQ…then we spent the night in our new house and I’m afraid you fell off the bed in the middle of the night. Luckily, we were just on a mattress on the floor since we’d been unsuccessful in getting our box spring up the stairs of the house…so it was not a tragedy.
You are loving our new house…you have lots more spots for your toys and room to cruise. You are standing for 20-30 seconds at a time and have made moves to take steps. You are starting to eat better too…I just hand you a breadstick ,which you love, and when you open your mouth to nibble it, I shove in some prunes or such. We just went to your 9 month well-child check and you are doing ‘awesome’ according to our beloved Dr. Ben Danielson. You weigh 19 lbs. 11 oz…this drops you down from the 50th percentile to the 35th percentile, but no one is worried because you are eating better and I think it’s because you are burning so many calories with all of your standing and cruising! He says you are incredibly alert, interested, curious, sensitive, and aware…we knew all that already.
During the second weekend in June, our wonderful Auntie Ali made a surprise visit…we had lots and lots of fun visiting with her. We went to a party and stayed late…I kept you on my back while I sang karaoke with Auntie Ali. You were transfixed with the treadle sewing machine in the hall at this party…we think you are fascinated with wheels and moving parts. The next day we went to the Sculpture Garden, up to Cousin Henry’s and to dinner at our haunt, the Kingfish Café. It was here that Auntie Ali discovered your favorite food: Grits with Saffron! Now we know that your Southern roots are showing!
In the middle of the month, you went to two birthday parties on the same day! You went to Indi and Jude Reynolds birthday party…it was a Wizard of Oz theme and you dressed up as the Cowardly Lion. We pinned the heart on the Tin Man. Then we went to Cousin Dylan’s 5th birthday party…you played with all the kids and loved all the attention!
Just last weekend we went to your second cousin Ryan Teather’s graduation. You played with all of your cousins and they treated you like ‘one of the gang’…they pulled you around the lawn on an old blanket and your cousin Ashlyn watched out for you…it was so fun to see because that was how my generation of cousins played…so many good memories.
I’m so excited for the summer…today we went down to Colman Pool for your first real swim. We got all the way down there and it was closed for repairs, so we went up to the wading pool. You sat right down in the water and splashed all around and watched the kids. You love to watch other kids! You babble about when you are having fun…dee dee dee, ot ot….cha, che…sometimes you hiss a little, this also means happiness. You beam your gap toothed grin at all you meet and charm everyone’s pants off. You found a purple ball (you seem to be particularly drawn to purple…beads, balls, shovels) and played with it for a long time. I took you to the ‘deep’ end’ and your stretched yourself out to swim, but decided it was too cold. We’ll try again tomorrow for the big pool.
Love, Mama

Letters to Joseph-May

Dear Joseph:
May was a busy month…suddenly your Dad and I decided that we needed to MOVE! Now let me first say that we LOVE our old house. We worked so hard making that house a home and we envisioned bringing you up until perhaps the age of 5 in that house. But we started feeling the space pinch a bit. So May was filled with visits to open houses, signing of papers, and packing. Through all of this, you haven’t missed a beat.
First of all…you’ve got a total of 6 teeth! They’ve all come in during May for the most part…two front teeth, two just next to the front teeth on either side, and of course your bottom two. I wish I could say that you have stopped biting me, but oooch, I’d be lying. Another absolutely amazing thing happened in the last week of May. We were at the park with Cousin Dylan and Luka and Aunt Andrea…we were sitting on a blanket on the grass, and suddenly, you stood up!!! Pretty much out of no where and from a seated position! Now you stand all the time. No steps yet, but they are coming soon!
Another crazy thing you did this month…we were standing outside and Pepe , the little dog across the street, was barking. You waved and said HI! I am not kidding. Then you did the same thing to your Dad on his birthday…what a kid!
I feel I need to touch on the house thing again…even before we thought of moving, we entered your beautiful room in a nursery contest, prompted by your Auntie Ali.
http://nursery.apartmenttherapy.com/nursery/small-cool-2007-entries/18-josephs-lantern-festival-021451
We didn’t win…but got lots of nice comments such as:
“So good-looking and non commercial, love that. I adore your lanterns, I also used lanterns in my daughter's nursery. I like the look of the cabinetry next to shelves. Are they built-in custom or furniture? Also may I ask a source on the prints above the crib? Congratulations on creating a space where a creative child will grow!”

“So beautiful! I love this space for a wee one, but the best part is that it's a space that will be a nice refuge for an adult too. So many nurseries look like spaces that only a kid would want to hang out in”

“If I truly assess the other nurseries using your exact rules/criteria for submission, my favorite other entry is #18: "Joseph's Lantern Festival". I love everything about it - the beautiful color on the walls, the punchy lanterns, the playful artwork above the crib, and the stately yet folksy rocking chair. It's a fantastic mix of eclectic pieces. Overall, I like the simplicity of the room and the sense of calm it evokes. It's child-like yet sophisticated.”

“'Josephs lantern festival' I liked the lanterns and artwork a lot and the fact that the lanterns were the colorful inspiration for the rest of the room. I also relate to starting with things that are special to you and let the room grow while the child reveals itself to you. I loved how the things from their own childhood, like the nursing chair from the mom's nursery and their own toys were incorporated in the room. To me it has a nice natural balance between style and personality.”

This was such a nice farewell to the house where you were born…I know that though you may not consciously remember that house, that it will remain a foundation in your soul as it does in mine. Of course it was very difficult for us to leave that house…I gave birth to you in that house…but I realize that you are my home, and we will make this new house our home since you are in it. All the same…I love to think of memories there…sitting around the firebowl in the back yard with you all bundled up and asleep on my chest. You crawling around in the grass with Liam. Me lying on the bed during the summer of ’06, very pregnant, lights dim, french doors open and the warm summer night breeze floating the curtains…thinking of what you would be like and how much I would love you. And even before you were born…playing with Seamus in the yard, burying my face in his soft neck fur. Dancing with your Dad in the living room. And so many more…
On to the summer my dear…
Love, Mama

Letters to Joseph-April Part Two

Dear Joseph:
OK, you are TOTALLY crawling now. It’s April 25th and you can scoot! I do notice though, that you really prefer to stand. Today we went over to your cousin Henry’s house and you just watched and watched him walking around. I could tell you were thinking, ‘I could do that’. You then crawled over to me, (I was sitting on the floor), and pushed yourself up on my knee and stood there for a half a second, and then sat right down. So, though you have mastered crawling, it seems to only be a means to get yourself to whatever you can pull yourself up on, so you can practice your real passion, standing. This of course, like most things, may change, but right now I don’t seem to have to be chasing your crawling self all over the house. I wonder though, are you going to be walking soon?!
Then there’s your eating…as I mentioned earlier in the month, I didn’t want to get in a battle with food with you, so we backed off on it. But today Henry was eating some banana bread that Auntie Malia made, so I gave you a little fleck to eat. You opened your mouth for it and seemed to like it, so later on, I decided to give some other food a try. WOO HOO…you opened your mouth over and over for the organic apples and blueberries. I got so excited that you were eating that YOU got excited to eat! I clapped and laughed with each bite and you loved that, so you kept doing it.
OK, on to some mushy stuff. I LOVE you. Every day you bring so much indescribable joy to me and I just hug you tight and give you countless kisses all day long. I hold your little body and rub your little back and think about how lucky I am to have you to be with all the time. Your little soft cheeks and sweet eyes melt me through and through. At night I hold you and snuggle you and give you all the nursing you want. It’s true, you don’t sleep through the night because you know I’m there to give you nourishment anytime you want, but I don’t believe that I’m spoiling you. I believe that I’m giving you sustenance…physically and emotionally. I want you to feel secure in getting all of your needs met…I feel so strongly that with this foundation, it will enable you to be secure and independent always.
So much love peanut,
Mama
P.S. I just have to tell you that pretty much everywhere we go, people comment on how very cute you are. They gush about your cute cheeks, but are also all very taken with your beautiful blue eyes. You’re a charmer!

Success!!!

Today Joseph successfully ingested a half a baby food jar of organic apples and blueberries! He opened his usually closed tight mouth and gobbled up spoonful after spoonful! Hopefully this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship with solid food!

Letters to Joseph-April Part One

Dear Joseph:
April has been so fun so far! We’ve had some sunny days and we’ve been spending time in the yard A LOT! I bring you outside and set you on a piece of Mexican oilcloth and we play with toys. Sometimes you play independently for a while as I garden or drink a beer. Occasionally you grab blades of grass and put them in your mouth, but you don’t get too upset when I fish them out.
You’ve REALLY been into paper lately too. You’d eat the whole Sunday Times if we let you. Pretty much anything you grab goes right into your mouth. Right at the beginning of April we noticed that you were sleeping restlessly and being a little grumpy. As I was putting you into the car on April 2nd…I saw that your first tooth had erupted! Then, later on April 14th, when your Auntie Melissa was visiting us, we spied a little pearl of the next tooth. Both are your two bottom teeth…the first was on your right hand side. I’m afraid you’ve bit me while nursing a few times…I yelp and you look scared and I think you probably won’t do it much more. We’ve given you ice cubes in your netted nibbly and a little Tylenol a few times at night. You’ve been a little irritable at times with the teething, and mostly only want to be held by me when you’re hurting. We had a party for Grandma Joyce’s 60th birthday and you were a little anti-social, crying when anyone else held you. We all started dancing and you fell asleep in the front pack while we rocked out to Proud Mary.
Then there’s eating. We have tried to feed you every kind of appropriate food under the sun, but you are NOT willing to eat. You close your mouth tight and the only time any food gets in your mouth is when you take the spoon yourself and MAYBE a little sneaks its way in. The rest stays on your face. I guess we started trying to feed you back in mid March, and I didn’t write it in the last letter because it hasn’t really worked out yet. We started with rice cereal and have tried avocado, pears, plums, sweet potato, and carrots. Carrots seem to offend you the least and you seem to make a facial mask out of them as well. Me hopes this doesn’t mean that it’ll be a battle to get you to eat as you grow older. We aren’t pushing it, and you will find your way with food in time…you surely aren’t starving as you weigh in at about 18 pounds and nurse like it’s goin’ out of style.
You are so fun and happy…a pleasure to be around. You are getting really good at crawling, usually getting about 3 or 4 feet at a time. Easter was very fun and the Easter Bunny came with a little wooden bunny and a soft bunny rattle.
I bought you your first pair of Salt Water Sandals in anticipation of warmer weather…black, size 5 infant, to give you a little room to grow into them.
More to follow as spring sprungs.
Love you suga bee,
Momma

Letters to Joseph-March

Dear Joseph:
March was an exciting month since we took you on your first airplane ride! You were so great and hardly cried at all…we did have a little leg between Houston and Austin where you cried a lot…we think it was partly because it was super hot on the plane and because it was such a short flight that your ears never got a chance to get used to the altitude. We stripped you down and gave you an ice cube in your netted nibbly. That’s what I call this contraption that is basically a little net bag with a handle…it’s made so that you can suck on fruit and stuff like that without choking. The other day though, Liam stole it from you while there was a teething biscuit in it…he ripped the net open and we had to get another one.
We had a blast in Austin visiting Chris and Camille! Melissa and MacKenzie came down from Dallas to visit too! It was South by Southwest Music Fest and we saw some super great bands...like Bob Schneider and The Polyphonic Spree. We had to seek out all ages, outdoor venues to protect your ears...we put little mini earplugs in your ears and you slept through most everything. Chris and Camille's house is so beautiful and comfortable and we loved it and loved staying there. They were so hospitable and gracious with sharing their busy weekend with us! It was also great for Melissa and Mac to meet you for the first time!
After we came home from Austin, your Dad had to go on a business trip to Portland. Grandma Joyce and I decided to take the train down to meet him there. We had a fun train ride and you played with your sock monkey and wood rattly toys and napped a little.
We walked all around the Pearl District and bought you a summer hat. That night, we cooked crab cakes in the kitchenette. Also that night, March 24th to be exact, you started to crawl. You weren’t totally proficient yet, but you covered ground on your hands and knees. There was also a swivel chair in our hotel room and you liked to be spun around on it.
Another fun thing this month is that you are getting to like being carried on my back. I can put you in the Ergo Carrier and walk all around with you…I can do a little gardening, cleaning, and of course walks with you. As spring is coming along…this is good stuff.
I love you sweet potata,
Momma

Choppin Brocolli at the Mean Eyed Cat

I'm told that the guy behind Joseph and Camille's Aunt Kathy, is Dana Carvey. Adam Sandler was at the bar too. OH, and we saw Steve Earle at the San Jose.

Baby Joseph Meets Three Texas Friends

by Uncle Chris Marsh

Spring had sprung, when Baby Joseph’s little feet finally touched down in Texas. The first critter to greet him in the Lone Star State was a bear and no ordinary bear at that. His name was Inside-Out Bear. They called him this because he wore his fur inside out. Can you imagine that?
Baby Joseph about jumped straight out of his Jimmie Jumper when he saw the bear who’s hair was completely inside out. Inside-Out Bear drooled with joy at the sight of his new friend from the Northwest.
Baby Joseph gummed the odd bear’s mushy nose and held him like he’d never let him go. An instant friendship had been born. That night, in his unfamiliar den, Baby Joseph dozed instantly to sleep with Inside-Out Bear’s bug eyes watching his every move , making sure no other scary creatures entered the room. All this starring at Baby Joseph made Inside-Out Bear very sleepy. One bug eye drooped then the other and his furless arms dropped one by one. Snore, snore, drool, snore!
When all of a sudden Inside-Out Bear awoke and sprung to attention. There, hovering over Baby Joseph’s soft newborn head was a one-eyed monster named Uno Dos Verde. The green alien glop dangled from the ceiling from one skinny leg, ogling at Baby Joseph with his uno giant eye and dos gnarly teeth.
“You leave my friend alone monster,” pleaded Inside-Out Bear with his best grizzly bear roar.
“Chill my inside-out amigo. I just want to be muchachos with Baby Joseph just like you.
” How cool was that? In only a few hours in Austin, Baby Joseph had made two friends with out even trying, or crying for that matter.
Then they all heard a faint “click, clack, click, clack, limp, click, clack, click, clack, limp,” coming towards the three amigos from the other side of the room. The boy, the bear, and the monster froze in fear, when all of a sudden a soothing rusty purrrrrrrrrr inquired,”How ‘bout a boost for an old orange cat with a bad leg?” asked Herbert the Cat.
“Sure thing my dusty and rusty old gato friend, “ said Uno Dos Verde, unraveling his green-bean looking arms in assistance.
“I’ll push from behind,” declared Inside-Out Bear, placing both his clawless paws under the aging kitty’s boney frame.
“Thanks my friends,” said Herbert, curling up slowly on the end of the bed, “And who might we have here?”
“That’s Baby Joseph, from Planet Seattle, chirped Uno Dos Verde, “He’s on his first vacation south of the border.”
“Seattle is not a planet my lanky green friend, it’s a country,” explained Inside-Out Bear with complete certainty.
“Which is it a planet or a country?” implored Herbert, giving Baby Joseph a quick tongue bath on the forehead
“IT’S A CITY, IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON Y’ALL, “ wailed Baby Joseph with a sleepy grin. “Now I’m pooped, let’s all hit the sack, it’s been one, long, incredible day!”
“I’ll second that!” yawned Herbert.
“Buenos noches mi amigos!‘Ole’d Uno Dos Verde.
“Rawrrrrrrrrrrrrr,” dozed Inside-Out Bear.
Seven eyelids gently closed, “ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!”
The End.

Mean Eyed Baby!

Woo hoo! We had a blast in Austin visiting Chris and Camille! Melissa and MacKenzie came down from Dallas to visit too!It was South by Southwest Music Fest and we saw some super great bands...like Bob Schneider
http://www.bobschneidermusic.com/
and The Polyphonic Spree http://www.thepolyphonicspree.com/2.0/.
We had to seek out all ages, outdoor venues to protect Joseph's ears...we put little mini earplugs in his ears and he slept through most everything. Chris and Camille's house is so beautiful and comfortable and we loved it and loved staying there. They were so hospitable and gracious with sharing their busy weekend with us! It was also great for Melissa and Mac to meet McGinney for the first time! The Mean Eyed Cat is absolutely the best bar ever and I can't wait for MY family to see it!

'Hide your Daughters!'

This weekend we had another reunion with all the people from our Penny Simkin Birth Class. One of the fathers, James, took this photo which was so nice. Joseph and Torbin were the only boys out of 9 babies...but Torbin moved away, so Joseph has all the 'daughters' to himself. It was fun talking about all the fun stages that the babies are going through. A few families couldn't make it...one of them emailed that their daughter, who is a few weeks older than Joseph, is crawling! Am I in a hurry for that? hmmm, not yet.

Joseph at the Zoo!

We had lot's of fun! The Jaguar was our favorite.

Joseph's First Flu

Letters to Joseph-February Addendum
Feb 26
Dear Joseph,

First off, I should mention that at the time of your flu that I'm about to tell you about, you couldn't sit up on your own...this photo is just to demonstrate how grumpy you were. Not intolerably grumpy, just expectedly slighltly grumpy. But now, since you are feeling so much better, you are happy go lucky and can sit up for a long time by yourself...you must feel a renewed vigor! So...
In February, you got your first real fever. You had a touch of the flu. It all started when we were at Alex and Brianna’s wedding. We were having all kinds of fun dancing around with you, when we began to realize that you were shaking a little. This FREAKED us out and then we realized that you had the chills and were getting a fever. So I sat down and nursed you…this was a trick because I had a formal dress on, and then you threw up on that dress. Your Dad says I panicked a little at this point, but really I just wanted to take you home right that minute. So we got into the Mercedes (I mention this because it is nice and shakey since it’s old and it puts you right to sleep) and I sat in the back with you and held your hand until we got home.
You had a fever all the next day and I think I took your temperature every 15 minutes…I know I’m a freak. We put a cool cloth on your forehead and your fever was at about 100-101 degrees. It did get up to 101.5 at which point I called the consulting nurse. She said that I shouldn’t give you baby Tylenol until it got to 102, but I ignored her and gave it to you anyway. You felt better and we almost all better by the next day. THEN, your Dad got the flu from you…HE had a 102 temp for 2 days and had it much worse than you. I felt like friggin Florence Nightengale around here for a while there!
Here’s to the Spring and some warmer weather!
Love, Mom

Letters to Joseph-February Part Two

February 25, 2007

Dear Joseph:

This week has been so fun because you have still have been consistently flipping over from your back to your front and then from your back to your front! You play and play in your crib and under your gym. AND, this very week you started sitting on your own. We have to get you started, but you all of a sudden have so much balance. You also are standing in your crib with your hands on the railings. Full disclosure here…you are so mobile that once this week, I left you on the bed, and just as I was coming back, I heard, kerplunk!...not too loud, but I knew you’d fallen off the bed. FORTUNATELY, you fell onto Liam’s bed, so it broke your fall and you only cried for a minute. I hope you don’t read over these letters thinking, sheesh, my mom dropped me a lot!...but I’m putting these things down so that when your baby falls off the bed, and you ask me if that ever happened to you, I can tell you exactly that it did happen and when! And, no, I haven’t dropped you on your head. You also have discovered your ‘bits’ as your Dad calls them…it makes you laugh. You belly laugh a lot and smile freely at everyone you meet. I also discovered that you love ice. It’s a little dangerous to give you an actual piece of ice because you could choke, so I put it in this sort of contraption that’s meant for kids to eat fruit though, it’s kind of a netted pouch with a handle. It must feel good on your gums and that must mean that you’re going to cut teeth soon. Now, this is another thing that will embarrass you when you are older, but you will discover when you become a father, that every little thing that your children do, is of the utmost interest…including poop. And when it comes to poop, you don’t do it much. Ever since you were about 2 months old, you have only pooped about once a week. Now, this makes for easier parenting…but has brought some worry. Your dear Dr. Danielson keeps telling us that it’s normal. OK! Fine. We have started to put you down to sleep as much as we can and I sing and hum to you…sometimes I sing Tu La Loo Ra Loo Ral, and sometimes Stake Awake, from Mary Poppins. Last week, I had a meeting at St. Marks, and your Grandpa Steve took you on a long walk all around Capitol Hill. He took you to the Conservatory, to Broadway, and just around the neighborhoods. It was a beautiful sunny day and he was delighted with how interested in everything you were. He loves you so much. Your Dad wants me to put that you are just such a happy little joyous boy and he loves you more than anything ever! As do I…you bring a new kind of marvelous peace, excitement, and joy to our lives.

Love, Mom

Letters to Joseph-February Part One

Dear Joseph:

February 2007

February 19, 2007
Hi Sweet Baby…today is February 19th and today you started rolling over by yourself consistently. Right now you are under your ‘gym’ and I set you there on your back and you rolled right over and started playing with your train. You used to get a little hung up on your arm, but now you’ve got it figured out! Today, while trying to get you to sit by yourself, because you like to stand better, I set your hands on the side your crib and you stood there holding yourself up!

We just back from our first overnight trip to the Cabin with you. We got there Saturday early afternoon and we put you in the backpack and I walked you down ‘below’…that’s what we call the lower pasture. You were fascinated by all of the trees and leaves and light. Liam rollicked all around us and you just had so much fun!

Grandma Joyce and Grandpa Norm were up at the Cabin too, and they loved watching you love the Cabin!

You are also making so many new sounds…ahhhhh, eeeee, owwwaahhh!

We snuggled you in the rocking chair by the wood stove and I nursed you all wrapped up in my shawl. Before it got rainy and windy, we sat around the campfire outside of the Airstream. The trees were blowing in the wind and the sun was just setting. I knew this was one of the most sweet moments of life right then.

On Sunday, you played on a quilt on the floor while I made egg soufflé on the wood stove. What a relaxing fun weekend.

Letters to Joseph-January

Dear Joseph:

January 2007

One of your favorite things to do now is have your pants and/or diapers taken off and to grab your feet and put them in your mouth! In fact, pretty much anything you can get your hands on goes into your mouth. You grab my hair, my necklace, my fingers…and put them in your mouth! You are also quite the drooler. Grandma Joyce made you 3 bibs to control the drool, but you soak them right through…I guess this means teeth soon! You like to lie under your ‘gym’ and pull on the toys hanging over your head. You also have started to like to have ‘tummy time’ on a blanket on the floor…usually for about 5 minutes. I can even prop you up a little and you sit for a few seconds on your own.

This month I’ve started working on several different projects and it’s been a bit of a trial to get in a groove with that. You’ve come to a lot of meetings with me and you’ve been pretty content, but as you get more and more active, it’s harder to bring you along, besides, no one pays attention to what I’m saying because they are staring at YOU. I work one day on the Homeless Place of Remembrance and four hours for Mithun. Even though it’s not much, it’s hard to squeeze it in. You are beginning to go and stay with Grandma Joyce and Grandpa Norm more often and they love it!

Now, I must tell you about the week we had from heck. It first started with you getting your second round of shots…it went OK, but it was just stressful, so it put me ill at ease…I think that’s why, when visiting Aunt Malia and Cousin Henry for lunch, we tumbled down their porch stairs! We were OK, Cousin Henry was concerned though, because we had taken quite a spill. I skinned my knee and you tumbled into the yard while strapped into your car seat…the handle was up which was good because it functioned like a ‘roll bar’ and you were only startled. Then we both got colds. This was on the heels of you being dropped by your dear friend Indi…I should mention that this was NOT her fault…she was so excited to see you that she wanted to hold you. She took you from your Dad and then tripped over some boxes…you both went down, clunk, but the boxes broke your fall. Again, you weren’t hurt, only startled and we nursed and you were fine.

Later that week, your Grandma Joyce and Grandpa Norm had a bad car accident…they were ALSO ok which was really a miracle, because they were hit by a semi-truck! We rushed up to the emergency room to see them in Everett…you were totally calm. Grandpa Steve happened to be over when we got the call, and he just walked you around the ER. That was your first trip to the hospital…most babies can’t say that. I must admit, my patience with the events of this month has been thin…I can honestly say though, that I haven’t yet lost patience with you…you are really typically content and pleasant in every way. I’m sure it will happen eventually, but you are the calming element to this month! Sometimes when I’m really stressed out, we just take a bath…you love to float in the warm water and we have time to relax. You feel so comfortable in the water, that sometimes when I hold you lightly on your stomach and you float, you dip your face in…which makes you cough and snort. This might make a baby cry, but you don’t and you haven’t stopped doing it yet.

The crazy weather of this winter continued this month…two pretty big snow storms! One blanketed our house and made us miss a pediatrician’s appointment, and with the other one, we were at a meeting and had to hurry home in the snow. You fell asleep for the trip home, but we were going up a hill, and we got stuck with a van with bald tires in front of us. I was not my usual sunny self to him as he almost hit us…I just didn’t want him to bonk us and wake you up!

Looking back over the month, and believe me, this is the version that I’m trying to put a positive spin on…there’s much more grown-up drama that I’m trying to gloss over…it’s been a crazy one. I’m ready for warmer weather and fewer accidents and storms! All the same, cue music, when I look into your eyes or watch you sleep, I feel safe and happy. I breathe in your sweet scent and nuzzle your little ‘sciff’ of hair and all is well.

Letters to Joseph-December

Dear Joseph:

December 2006

Your First Christmas!
We have had so much fun this month doing all sorts of Christmas things. One of the first things we did was to take you up to the Cabin and get our Christmas Tree. This was our first trip with you to the Cabin and we went with Gretchen and Andre Champoux. It was a pretty cold day, so we went right in to Uncle Clyde’s cabin and built a fire in the stove. I sat with you on the rocking chair and nursed you. Then we cooked lunch and you snoozed in the Moby wrap. We finally went to cut down our tree and you slept right through the whole thing.

When we got home and put the tree up though…you LOVED it. You stare at the lights and are transfixed.

This month you are totally grasping toys and starting to grab for our food a little. I want to put off feeding you solid food for as long as possible though…here’s why:
1. This creates more work for me.
2. I like the idea that all of your makeup has come directly from me to this point. As soon as you get food from other sources, you will become directly connected to the food chain. As it is right now, I’m your link to the food chain and I love that intimacy. I am savoring it because I know soon you will become more independent.

You also have started to ‘vocalize’…this means goo goo and gaa gaa. You stick out your little upper lip and make lots of sounds. Your Dad and I repeat them and we all laugh, including you…that’s another thing you are doing a lot of…laughing heartily!

My original plan was that come January, I would go back to work at Mithun almost full time. As that time inches nearer, we have decided that it will be too difficult to have other people take care of you while I pine for you at work. The new plan is that I’ll work from home some fewer hours per week and go back to work when you are one year of age. I am so grateful and blessed to have this time with you and I intend to savor every minute of every day.

This has been a crazy weather winter so far…we had an amazing wind storm that was the strongest in ten years. Now I know you love wind, but easy! Lot of trees fell in our neighborhood and the power went out all over Seattle. We held you tight in bed with us and we stayed warm.

More Christmas stuff…We brought you to see Santa where Grandpa Steve works…Swanson’s Nursery. Santa decided to make an appearance in his sleigh and you sat in his lap and he wondered when you might be wishing for a tennis racket? We told him maybe next year. They also have Santa’s Reindeer at Swanson’s and you stared at them and thought they were pretty cool too.

On Christmas morning, we got up and went out to the Christmas Tree…Santa had come and brought you presents!!! He brought you:
A Sock Monkey
A Wooden Train
Some Animal Figures (Polar Bear, Cow, White Tiger, Elephant)
A Walking Elephant that clicks down a ramp
Some Bath Toys (A Giraffe and Elephant that float with little giraffes and elephants on their backs)
Some Clothes (I KNOW….booorrring), but as a Keene, “it wouldn’t be Christmas without clothes”
Wooden Block Fruit
And a few other things….

After we had our own little Christmas Morning, the rest of the family came over and we opened presents with them. Your Auntie Ali and Uncle Oogie sent you a Polar Bear outfit and you wore that and jumped in your Johnny Jump Up which you still love.

It was magical to have you with us on Christmas Morning, and even though this is all new to you and you don’t quite understand yet…you bring all of the brightness and joy to this holiday now and forever.

New Year's Resolutions

I'm publishing this list in part, because I don't want to forget about it...also, it seems like if I share it with you...I'll be more likely to follow through! This year is all about quality of life, simplicity, and frugality. The latter is the price I'm gladly paying for being able to spend time with Joseph, but sometimes it might mean that I have to decline on fun things that cost alot of dollars. Be assured, this is not a life long goal, I'll never be frugal to the core.

Money/Home

1. Be CHEAP this year.
2. Grow Food/Can Food
3. Go to Farmer’s Markets
4. Buy Organic wherever possible (I know it's not cheap to do so, but this is important because we dont' want nasties going into Scrumptious' body)
5. Eat wisely
6. Cook at Home
7. Sew and Knit for us and gifts wherever possible
8. Use materials you already have or buy used items
9. Get rid of stuff and have yard sale
10. Airstream!

Personal/Professional

1. Publish a Zine 4 times this year (book fodder) I know this is a new idea coming from me...but just wait and see
2. Exercise every day (even a walk with Joseph)
3. Sort through mags and make idea binder (getting rid of mags along way)
4. Use the Library alot
   

Family

1. Be kind and calm
2. Show love with abandon
3. Enjoy every day with Joseph
4. Keep journaling for Joseph
5. Limited Movies/TV…no TV in front of Joseph (and knit or sew or project during a movie)
6. Eat dinner at the table

Knitting-Current Projects

These are my current projects...the two skein photo is a little scarf for Joseph...requested by Clay. It's a wool/bamboo yarn which is super soft and I'm just doing a simple garter stitch. Half will be orange and half will be blue and there will be a little slit in the middle of the blue so the orange half can slip through. The hat project is for my massage therapist's baby Raena. Tami and Paco are the parents and they were in our birth class...this yarn is super soft and it's such a pale pink that I had to make something cute out of it. I'm going to hang a little felted red heart from the tip for valentines day.

My Knitting Projects-First Sweater!

Heather inspired me by posting her knitting projects...so I'm copying her. This is the back and front of the little boy's sweater that I made for little baby Weston Reynolds. It's a boat neck and when I tried it on Joseph, the neck seamed a little flimsy, so I added Sock Monkey print closures and buttons. I must note that I taught myself how to sew the seams with the diagrams on the pattern and they are SO good, pat on the back to me.