Llama luau

Makili's first trip to the llama farm coupled with a fabulous trip into the Maine woods with Terry and Philippa. What a lucky kiddo!

Four months

The places we’ve been! It seems hard to imagine that Makili was born four short months ago. It seems like forever! I can’t even remember the person I used to be. I can’t imagine jumping in the car without a second thought to go to the store. Partly because I have a baby, and partly because we’re a one income family and have our first mortgage payment due in a week. We are relearning to live frugally.



Makili hardly resembles the baby that we met four months ago. Sometimes I doubt the baby he is now and the infant he was really housed the same little soul. We have definitely left infancy however, as Makili has learned that crying gets him what he wants (can you believe that they learn that this young!), and the need to explore the world expands every day. I read somewhere that for the first three months, babies only cry because something is wrong and you need to be as responsive as possible in that time.
Because we were surrounded by so many loving people in that first three months I really felt able to respond to Makili whenever he needed something.


Now we’re into month four. Makili cries because he wants the boob – not necessarily because he’s hungry. He cries because he wants out of the car seat. He cries because he doesn’t want to go to sleep even though he’s incredibly tired. He cries when his little hands won’t grab things the way he wants. And incredibly he cries a whole lot less than he used to. Thank god. Slowly I am learning to tell when he needs something verses when he’s bored and has decided another snack at the boob is a good idea. You might think, “what does it matter if he nurses extra?” I have the answer to this question. He doesn’t sleep. Makili’s debut into the world included awesome sleeping – 4-5 hours from the start and a solid 8 hours at about 7-8 weeks. I don’t know what happened but somewhere along the line he decided to give that up. He started waking earlier and earlier. And then more and more frequently. Nursing hourly during the day meant he wanted to nurse hourly at night, which really sucked (excuse the pun), especially when we didn’t have any furniture but a bed and so there was nowhere to escape to so Raph could get some much-needed sleep before work.

Now things seem to be getting better. We’re still not as good as before but waking only twice a night is infinitely better than hourly. And I’m typing this update as Makili goes onto wrap up a 3 hour nap. His naps have been getting progressively longer and less frequent, but this is a new record.


Makili can’t get enough of the world around him. It’s like Christmas every day around here as the catalogues just keep coming and coming. There is nothing he likes more than to crumple paper and rip leaves off of plants. He would rather be outside any day, which works out for me as I like to walk and we’ve been doing some regular exploring of our new neighborhood. We’ll see how that goes as it gets colder! Smiling is a big part of every day. A smile is guaranteed if you stick him in front of the mirror, even if he is in the middle of a meltdown. Sometimes he gets so caught up in smiling that he can’t do other things. Like nurse, for instance. He has to stop every minute or so and look at me and smile. I don’t mind that too much. Sometimes he’ll be lying on the floor playing and I’ll be doing something else and I’ll realize suddenly that he’s just laying there smiling at me. Heart-melting.



We’re getting settled into our tiny new house. We set up the beautiful crib that my uncle made for Makili, though he hasn’t slept in it yet because we haven’t bought a mattress yet. Anyway, he likes to sleep with us in our tiny full-size bed. Soon though he’ll be on his own for at least part of the night. We are pretty excited to be able to afford a house on one income and to be able to spend as much time together as we are. We feel pretty lucky. The beach pictures are from Fort Foster, which is three miles from our house. The three of us had a picnic dinner there at sunset the other day. It was pretty great.
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Best First Yet

I got the first definte laugh Tuesday. Twice actually. I can't wait for more of those!

Another gorgeous wedding.

i'll be honest, I didn't take as many pictures as I normally do. It was a bit tougher with a baby. Dave and Zoey had a traditional quaker wedding which was very interesting, although all that silence can be a bit awkward. I made everybody laugh, though it wasn't intentional, when I stood up to take the fussing Makili outside, everyone turned and look (so I had to say something) and I wished them luck. I guess everyone thought I was being sarcastic, wrestling a crying baby out of a silent room, muttering good luck.

The reception was on a farm and god it was gorgeous. Lots of kids and beautiful people and nice details, like Makili's first nametag! I just can't get over how beautiful all the weddings I've been to in the last year and a half have been!

good visit

Blair and Amanda really need to practice their frisbee golf. We beat them with alarge handicap (straping a baby to your chest makes tossing the frisbee tough!)

Maize maze

Been having a hell of a time getting pictures to load. Doesn't the internet know I have a baby? I can't wait all day!

Big cool maize maze...beautiful day. We found the "you're lost" sign. Hide n seek. Good times.

Visits

Makili is a lot more fun to visit with Makili these days. He's full of smiles and interested by lots of things. Books for example.


Itsy-bitsy spider.

The next door neighbor's baby, Elena, who didn't really like the camera this day.

Sadly TV is also something Makili will watch forever. Good thing we don't have one and he only gets to watch tv at his grandparents' houses.

New

new vistas, new rooms, new rugs, new walks. now i need new internet service so I can post more often...

some cute makili pics

We brought three truckloads worth of stuff from Raph's parents house. I can't really understand what was in those trucks because the house is still pretty much empty, since we don't have a couch or any other living room furniture and no kitchen stuff at all. And I know we have a ton of furniture and other stuff in Pittsburgh which will be coming next week. We went on mini shopping sprees at Target and Walmart for all those house necessities which was fun and yet disturbing since it seems like we've bought some of those items, like trash cans and shower caddies a million times. And now the bank account is empty so we have to wait to buy a couch. I don't really mind.

Things have been moving fast around here - the new house, the move, etc. Haven't caught as many moments on camera because we've been busy and when it's just me, well as you can see from the pumpkin photo there is only so much you can do with two hands. Yesterday and today were really my first two complete days on my own while Raph was at work. I felt pretty damn good. I got laundry done, had dinner ready, went on a walk each day, continued to unpack, drove in the car without crying for the most part. I feel like a champion though Raph doesn't seem to think that I deserve accolades.

Dream interpretation and 2:15 am

Makili established himslef early as a good sleeper. Of late, that has changed, with a culminating performance last night waking up at 2:15 am. I am exhausted tonight and have never been happier to see Raph.

I had some interesting dreams lately and thought someone might be interested in interpreting them for me. In the first dream, Raph's cousin Matty was there and she was crazy, like rabid crazy, but nobody knew about it. She asked to hold the baby and I let her and she tried to throw the baby on the floor. Makili was rescued by my friend Becky and then we all stared at Matty and realized she was mad because her eyes were like glazing over and she looked like a ghost.

In my second dream, I was with my mother in a foreign country and for some reason she kept insisting that in addition to nursing Makili I needed to nurse two other older boy children, who were not my own. Only they were like 10 and I was really uncomfortable with it. I don't remember how that dream ended.

Somewhat disturbing huh? Interpretations, anyone?

We own a house!

As of yesterday at 5:00 we officially own this house. It's in Kittery Point, Maine, where we lived five years ago when we lived in Maine and Raph was finishing school. It's tiny - 741 square feet but really cute with 3 acres of land. We're very excited, especially Raph who is looking forward to a short commute than the 1.5 hours from his parents' house. If we stay there for more than 9 months, Raph says it will be the first time he's lived in the same house for more than 9 months since he was 17. If you want to visit, let us know...

Three Moons

Three months of Makili

Makili is like a real person these days. He’s got lots of personality. Lots of smiles. Quirks. Talents.

He’s talkative, especially while reading him books. It’s like he’s reading along. His noise-making doesn’t sound that much different than his pre-crying, but it is definitely to get attention. We’re sitting at the dinner table right now and Raph has him in his lap and as Raph talks Makili is talking right along with him. Gurgling and ahgees and broooos and what not. So cute. A running dialogue. He also LOVES music and at times that is all that will put him to sleep. He cracks up when you make faces at him and funny noises. He loves that too.

He is spirited. Another word for strong-willed and stubborn. Just like his father. He doesn’t like to be constrained except he’s gotten used to being swaddled for sleep and really can’t seem to stay asleep any other way because as he wakes up his arms and legs flail and he can’t sleep at all when that is happening. He likes things his way. Like the his position when being rocked to sleep is very specific. Slightly wrong angle and watch out. So curious wanting to touch and see everything.

Dramatic and extreme. Boy when that boob gets yanked away a little too early, you’d think I’d yanked his arm off. Immediate and hysterical. He’s got no middle ground a lot of the time. He’s happy and cute or hysterical and a pain in the neck (like this morning when he woke up at 2:30 am and refused to go back to sleep.) He seems to be more mellow lately though, much longer happy periods, longer playing sessions. More and more smiles. He’s a pleaser.


Cuddly. I love to hug him with just a diaper on. That soft warm cuddly body is more than I can handle. And I swear he hugs me back.


Coordinated. He is making some big progress in terms of coordination. His favorite trick is to hold his fist up and stare at it, like he’s showing you. He can use his little hands with intense concentration. He can lay on his belly and hold his head up. I set him in the corner of the couch the other day while I did something and the phone rang so I ran to get it in the other room. I heard him crying and came in to find him face down on the other side of the couch. So yeah can’t leave him sitting on the couch anymore huh? He’s really been working his abdominal muscles and can pull himself forward when sitting up, which accounts for a lot of face plants on the couch since he can’t quite control how far forward he goes. He can stick his tongue out when you stick out yours. He can roll over again after a hiadus from rolling over for a little while. Maybe his head got proportionately big again. It does sort of seem big.


I can imagine spending the rest of my foreseeable life with Makili now. The interactive stage is far more fun for me and I like him more every day. He is so expressive and cute and we communicate so much better. I get him. I tell him all the time, we’re BFFs (Best Friends Forever). Lucky me.

It's coming. Cooler weather.

Making pickles

Good Looks

Logging

We hiked up Knox Mountain yesterday into a vast expanse of undeveloped woods owned by some old guy named Bayard Henry. I didn't bring the camera, to my dismay as these were magical beautiful woods with brooks literally babbling and glistening in shattered bits of sunlight, moss covered rocks, tall pines and beech, maple and oak, birch and ash, a cathedral of trees. The place hold remnants of the past - the road formerly brought the traveler to some unused hunting cabins idyllically set alongside lime-green meadow-lined pond, where I'm sure the moose must congregate. The damn which formed it obviously old and allowing water to rush out, surrounded at the edge by unknown purple flowers. The bridges on the road appeared to be a continuation of the dirt road but here and there you could see wood planks poking through, only to notice the sign posted next to the strategically felled tree: "Bridge unsafe. Enter at your own risk. Bayard Henry, land owner."

Just past the cabins the road converged with another, more travelled road. Sandy with big ruts, this road was different. And soon we were aware we were on a logging road. Our walk ended in the loggers' yarding area where they bring the trees and cut them into logs for sale. It was horrible. A big mess that reminded me of images i've seen of genocide, carcasses piled up. A pile of beech logs scraped on the edges, a bigger pile of majestic oaks and finally a huge pile of "junk wood," huge trees with rotten sections or knots. I know I sound like a hippie but it really made me sad.

3 down 1 to go

This is my Kaffe Fassett inspired quilt, made with the the same striped fabric as the quilt posted a little while ago that i gave to my aunt. This was the first one I tried to make for her, but I didn't think it fit her as well as the one that I ultimately gave her. I like though.

E-bay is for chumps

Alright e-bay isn't for chumps. I like it too, but this weekend I learned what a real aucion is like, and I liked what I saw. We heard from a relative that the Franklin auction was a good place to buy rugs. Since we're buying a new house (more on that later), we thought we should see what we could find. Trouble. That is a good word to describe me and auctions. Too much fun. We did buy some rugs. Makili loved the commotion. Ann said he smelled like french fries when we got home. I will definitely go again. Maybe next time I'll bid on some of the other stuff hey were selling. This time they huge lots of hardwood floors and granite tile. No room in our new house for that stuff.