Bathtime

A Squirrel Story

Casey and I had the pleasure of watching this story unfold. Of course, our vegetable garden is short an ear of corn. I imagine its only a matter of time before the word is out and we come home one evening to NO corn! At least we get some free entertainment.

He was trying to run away with his loot but it was too big so he finally gave up and decided he needed to eat his corn right then.


It was only a matter of time before he started to draw the attention of his neighbor.

Unsuspecting, in the bliss of eating fresh corn, right off the stalk.

"Uh Oh, I've been spotted!"

"You can't have my corn."

You gotta give the other squirrel some credit. At least he went for it, but in the end he just wasn't quick enough.

Safe in the dog run.

But now the cameraman has been spotted.
"Must eat faster!"

The squirrel makes another quick get-a-way up a tree.

"Now I can finally enjoy my corn in peace!"

Geese!

One thing I miss about Lubbock, TX, believe it or not, are the geese. This morning was like a little bit of Lubbock came to visit me all the way in TN. This is what I saw in the parking lot when I arrived at work this morning.




Also, as you can probably tell, I have been having a lot of fun with my new photo editing software. I have a camera that can do a lot of cool stuff, but I have been too lazy to actually sit down and read the entire manual. It's as big as the bible. My new photo editing software is great for a lazy amateur like myself, though I do plan on eventually maximizing my cameras capabilities.

Mr. Personality

Hoots and Hellmouth

I bet you are wondering what the heck this blog is going to be about. This past Friday I went to the WDVX Blue Plate Special for lunch. I was eagerly anticipating seeing and hearing Amanda Shires play. I had a "Doh!" moment when I realized I got my dates mixed up. She plays this coming Friday.

At first I was kind of bummed but in her stead, my ears were blessed with not one but two awesome new acts. One local and one from Philly. The local band was a mix of musicians from other local bands, which I have heard. The second band, Hoots and Hellmouth, were an extra special treat. They are in fact the most creative and talented live band I have heard in quite a while. Needless to say I don't get out and hear live music as much as I used to, sadly. But responsibility calls more often now too.



The percussion "section" was freakin' brilliant. BRILLIANT! Instead of some dude playing the drums or shaking a tambourine, three of the four band members stood on raised wooden platforms with tambourines zip tied to the surface. They stomped in rhythm to the music and the result was booty shakin' and hip swayin' awesome. They describe themselves as "modern music for old souls." Really good band. And no, the word Hellmouth is not indicative of heavy metal, like one might think. I am assuming the "Hellmouth" reference in the title must be an allusion to some of the more social revolution-esque song titles; for example, "Root of the Industry" and "What Good Are Plowshares If We Use Them As Swords." My favorite songs were "Roll, Brandywine, Roll", "Family Band" and "Watch Your Mouth."

Check them out....

PS...they recorded their last album on VINYL. What a treat! I was excited to add it to our collection. Here's a little bit of trivia for ya, according to the DJ and host of Blue Plate Special (he has a degree in anthropology and history and is also a well-known local musician): vinyl record sales rose this year for the first time since they started declining, several decades ago. I guess high quality sounding music is back en vogue and people are being inspired to go back to the basics. Life is good. Live music is even better.

Bonjour les amis, accueillir à Tennessee

Our guests have come and gone. We had a wonderful time hosting Gabriela and Miguel. Below are some pictures from our time with them.

The first night they were with us we grilled shishkabobs and hung out on our deck.




The second day I took them to Foothills Pkwy and Cades Cove for some sightseeing and quality time catching up. Cades Cove is nestled inside the Smokey Mountains. It is the site of East Tennessee's early pioneer settlements. We visited a few primitive homes, churches and graveyards. We even saw a mama bear and her cub as they frolicked from an open meadow into a grove of trees. Unfortunately we did not get any pictures of the bears. Later that night we ate at our local organic food restaurant and checked out one of our small town bars.











On Saturday we traveled about an hour south, through the countryside to my in laws house, where we swam, ate fajitas, drank wine and celebrated Casey's birthday.





The rest of our time together we just relaxed, did some shopping and enjoyed our time together. Casey and I are looking forward to visiting them in their "hometown."

Gavin turns 3 months

Well, we have one week of the new routine under our belts. So far so good. I started running again on Tuesday. I ran/walked a slow 2 miles or so and by Friday I was up to 4 miles.

Gavin got his first cold, just a little congestion, no fever. Guess we gotta break in his immune system at some point. I stayed up with him the first night, even though he slept, I wanted to make sure his nose didn't close up completely and suffocate him! So I stayed awake, armed with a bulb syringe. Sign of a new mom I guess.

Summer is definitely settling in. The sun is out, the air is moist and the mosquitoes rule. No fun. We have pest control come by once a month, this month I'll ask him to tackle the mosquitoes. Last month it was the ants. We had so much rain last month that the ants needed high ground to build their nests. I guess they figured our walls and our mailbox would do just fine.

I know we have only been in TN almost three years (goodness where does the time go?) BUT I am already looking forward to moving again. Chalk it up to the curse of the nomad. This time hopefully we'll go West instead of East. Maybe Colorado?? It's not completely out of the question, so that's good. Casey has plenty of family out there. Realistically we'll probably be here another 3-5 years. I think it would be nice to move in 5 years, as Gavin is starting school and then perhaps consider a sibling. I guess only time will tell what the future has in store.

Gavin had his 3-month check up. He got two more vaccinations. This time I suggested Casey take him. I was there with him in the NICU when he got his first few shots. It's no fun watching him get stuck. Aside from the mild congestion Gavin is doing well. He now weighs 11 pounds and 3 ounces. Exactly 7 pounds more than when he was born. It only took him 3 months to get there.

First day back and other developments

Well, I can honestly say the first day back to work wasn't stressful or anxiety ridden whatsoever. I think the key is being 100% comfortable where and with whom your baby is, and we are. I don't feel like I am missing out on anything or that the time we have with our son is any less "quality" than if one of us were staying home. What a relief.

I think I was allowing myself to get caught up in the anxiety of other people and it was causing me to second guess my instincts.

Going back to school is just around the corner and I am looking forward to my course and riding my bike to and from class. I feel like I am improving myself and my prospects in a way that benefits my family and sets a good example for following through and accomplishing goals, even if a few detours along the way slow the process down. I guess what they say is true...a happy mama equals a happy baby. More and more I believe that children absorb the energy and attitude of their parents. SO if I spend all my time constantly worrying and second guessing myself, chances are I'll raise a sheltered, anxious, child who is lacking in the self-confidence department.

As far as Gavin's development, he is making progress. His milestone timeline is a little bit different than that of full-term babies. He will be 12 weeks this Friday. He is smiling, especially when I brush his hair, which he has a lot of. He is just now starting to show interest in small toys that make noise, like rattles and crinkle paper. We are laying him down on the activity mat that Aunt Courtney got him and he just stares contently at all the colorful gadgets hanging down in front of him.

He scoots, kind of. He pushes a lot on his feet. So often that at times I will lay him down in his crib only to find him on the other side of the crib thirty minutes later. When he is really upset he kicks his legs as if riding a bicycle or hopping like a frog. He lifts his head and can hold it up for a while until he gets tired and turns into a bobble head baby.

He can flip himself over from his side to his back. Casey claims he saw him flip from his stomach to his back but there were no other witnesses. I am skeptical.

Gavin had his first pool day this past Sunday. The water was still a little too cold so we only dipped his feet in to see how he would react, a calm shock is how I would describe it. He did enjoy laying out on one of the floaties. I think the rocking from the water was relaxing.

Grateful

Wow, I certainly did not expect the amount of encouragement and support I received for the PPD blog. Between the comments and the emails I felt so much better. So thank you dear friends. I found that blogging about it was therapeutic. Something about "saying it out loud" starts the process of moving forward. I go back to work on Monday. It's a bittersweet occasion. On one hand I am sad this time with my new baby is over, but on the other I am excited to join the outside world again. We are very comfortable and happy about our childcare arrangements. The private in-home care four days a week is with a lovely retired couple who are also caring for a little girl, three months older than Gavin, and her big brother, a two or three year old. On Fridays, Gavin will get to spend the day with his TN grandmother. Meanwhile mom gets time in the mornings to herself to get ready, sans baby. Having a baby has certainly made me appreciate the little things, like an hour to myself, that I may have taken for granted before.

On the fitness front, me and my brother-in-law have started a contest. Who can lose the most weight between now and July 1. My goal is to lose 15-20 pounds by this fall.

As far as my PPD goes, I think I am going to focus on diet, exercise and journaling before I consider medication. If I feel myself getting worse or not improving then I will certainly discuss my options with my OB/GYN. Getting out of the house this past weekend and having a mini-vacation certainly helped.

In other news, some strange things have been happening. When Casey and I met we discovered some pretty strange coincidences between the two of us. For one, our moms have the same the name. Also, his high school sweetheart was a girl named Tiffany and she had a sister, Courtney. How weird is that?!? Then, when we were in college we were both dating people who lived in Boulder, Co., a block away from each other. Essentially, for a year or two we were both traveling to Boulder, Co. on the weekends and most likely passing each other on the streets. Our paths finally crossed at work in 2006, one week after I had stood right next to him at a bar and decided that even though I recognized him as someone I worked with I wasn't going to introduce myself because I was so over meeting boys at bars, it would inevitably end in disappointment. Funny, huh?

Well, coincidence struck again this week. One week ago, Casey's mom lost her brother and yesterday, my mom, lost hers. Two uncles in one week. Both the uncles were the middle child out of three children. Please keep both our extended families in your thoughts as they mourn and adjust to the loss of a loved one. Unfortunately Casey and I were unable to travel to either state for the funerals.

Renaissance Fesitval, Georgia

This past weekend we ventured down to Atlanta for a couples' wedding shower and the Georgia Renaissance Festival. Unfortunately I do not have any photos from the shower but we did document our time at the festival. I have great memories of going to the San Antonio Renaissance Festival with my mom when I was younger. I am looking forward to taking Gavin, again, when he is older. Maybe we'll dress him up as a pirate...

I call this next photo, three men and a baby.

There were lots of interesting costumes. Some cute and some a little more dark. I did get some great ideas for future Halloween costumes.



We saw several performance groups, including karate, acrobats and tight rope walking.

Gavin did really well at the festival. We took a time out to get him fed and changed, but mostly he just slept in his stroller while we meandered through the grounds.


Shannon and Kelly actually live very close to the festival grounds. We could have walked but the threatening rain clouds convinced us to drive. Shannon and Kelly are getting married in October, we are all very happy for the happy couple.


Gavin's Uncle Tyler

No festival experience is complete without funnel cake and roasted corn. Shannon and Kelly shared a turkey leg. I figured I let them eat in peace without me snapping a photo for the blog.

There was a booth where you could elf ears and horns. Everyone was wearing them. I of course was extremely envious. Responsibly, Casey and I only brought enough cash for food and drink...and some face painting. Next time I'll bring enough cash for some elf ear, fairy wings and mask...and maybe some pirate socks :)


There were several booths like the one below where you could throw vegetables at some one or dunk them in a pool of water. It was $5 for 5 tomatoes. Needless to say we past on the opportunity but enjoyed watching other people.


Cousin Kelly

We watched the jousting tournament, which was pretty cool. I wonder how much a full knight's costume goes for these days?

Uncle Tyler

Cousin Kelly is a landscaper and helped build this garden pond. The picture doesn't do it justice.

On the drive home from Georgia we ran into a little rain and caught ourselves a rainbow.