A long well-lit road

Our little family went on a road trip. Destined for New Hampshire, we stopped to see dear friends and family along the way. Never have I had a more lovely, loving trip full of beautiful light and laughter. I didn't begin to take the kind of photographs necessary to capture how lovely each of these stops were.




Our friends Cara and Rob in West Philadelphia were our first stop. Cara has always been funny but the interactions between her and Rob make me smile even now. It is really great to have friends we feel so comfortable with even though we see them in person infrequently. We ate delicious Ethiopian food and went for walks withtheir adopted greyhounds, Daisy and Little. Seeing the transformation in their house from the pepto bismol pink celing to its current elegant state has also been really amazing.




After bing stuck on the George Washington bridge for two hours, we finally made it to our next stop at my aunt's house in Branford, Connecticut. Seeing my cousins, young and in the throes of transition (to college, to work, in relationships, etc.), made me realize how old we're getting (I realize that this is relative). It was fun to spend more time with them, cousins I've always liked, hearing Emily talk about getting a new job, Caroline about graduating and Stuart about his final year of high school. Makili was a little cranky while we were there but everybody got some holding time. I really felt good talking to my aunt. Besides being an outrageously good cook, she is a really nice person and I enjoy spending time with her. See the absolutely gorgeous blanket she gave me in a future post.




Finally we stopped in Rhode Island to see Camille before she moved to France (again). Camille seemed so happy and excited. We went and sat on the beach where spent so much time when we were in college. Catherine, Camille's mom, planned a barbeque for the night and so we ate with the Moores and various other friends who were in town. Dinner was a big mix of languages and laughter which followed a dramatic storm which sent water rushing down the window panes as we watched. We even got in a good game of celebrity, the first in a long time. Also the first dip in the Atlantic in a long time.

Old friends

Glass Houses and Boys Meet

Patrice and her baby John and her husband John went to Phipps with us the other day in 99.9% humidity. Not the best day perhaps since we were sweating our guts out. But the boys got to meet. Unfortunately Makili slept through most of the fabulous glass show but he did like meeting John. Patrice is such a hot momma and has helped make parenthood affordable for Raph and I by giving us hand-me-downs from John. Good times.

Fireworks

I told my dad that his eye lashes looked liked fireworks, lit up by the sun. My mom told me yesterday morning that she is in love with him.

He pretty much slept through the night last night. He went to sleep for good at 10:00pm and slept soundly until 5:30 am this morning, when I picked him up because my boobs were about to fall off my chest they were so full of milk.

Maryland

wet bath, no tears

Bath time wasn't Makili's favorite for a while. Maybe because Raph insisted on using cold water. This bath was one of the first that Makili didn't hate. I LOVE cuddling with him after his bath. I pretty much love having his soft warm skin against mine. Sometimes I feel overly sentinmental about how much I like him and other times guilty for not being sentimental enough and wanting a few minutes to update my blog. Parenting has already been a rollercoaster of emotions, though I have to say mostly positive one thus far. I like him. Raph and I like each other still. Raph is putting him to sleep right now, letting him suck on his finger, something he likes a lot.

Go-go girl's child

My mom says that when I was a baby, my grandfather used to call me a go-go girl because I was always happier and less fussy when they were doing something or going somewhere. Makili definitely is the same way. In the short six weeks since his birth he has flown 5000 miles from Hawaii to Manchester, NH. He attended a wedding in Boston the following day. He went realestate hunting in Southern New Hampshire which included an epic search for an EMS store so Raph could try on shoes. He hiked (okay he was carried) Mount Major which was 3 miles round trip to the top (we changed diapers on a rock half way up!) He flew from Manchester to Pittsburgh. He drove from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg and back the day after that flight so I could appeal the rejection of my teaching lisence. And today he performed admirably on a drive to my brother's house in Maryland. Good thing he can keep up. We can't have kids slowing us down! That kid is ready for anything life throws at him.

Abram and Wanita

Two weddings in one week. This was quite a Matty convention. Abram has been a good friend to us in addition to Raph's cousin so it was fun to see him in love. Not a conventional wedding but, as Abram pointed out many times, they were actually married a year ago in Thailand. So it was fun for us anyway.

prelude to a wedding

Abram and Wanita are planning to wed tomorrow. All the Mattys are in town (except Gabe and Laura). Quite a party. New England summer. Vegetables from the garden. Good vegetarian food, asian style. Beautiful

Liam

A post for every baby. Here is Raph's cousin's kids, Liam. He just turned three and really likes to throw crab apples at the dogs. He generally has a herd of adoring adults following him around because he's so damn cute. Yesterday he grabbed a fiberglass pole and got a handful of fiberglass spinters. There were at least 10-15 people all trying to make him feel better and figure out how to get them out.

News

Raph officilly accepted a job today at Dover High School in Dover, NH. So we have a short term plan. I'm excited but nervous about the winter. It is beautiful up here right now. The last time we lived in NH together, I moved here in November and left in May so I missed the beautiful time of year. Who knew it could be this nice. This time I'll be getting to spend the fall in New England, which is the most beautiful time of the year.

In other news, Makili smiled at me for the first time this week. The first time I knew it wasn't gas. He has also smiled at Ann. I'm ready for more of those. I probably scared him when he smiled at me because I freaked out. I'm ready for more of those.

Violet

On Wednesday we got to spend some time with Regina and her 8.5 month daughter Violet. She has the biggest most beautiful eyes. A competitor for Gabrielle. She squeaks with delight and wants to touch everything. She loved the giant calculator.

like a novel.

My friend Camille came to visit yesterday. We went on a hike. We played cards. We sat around. I miss her. Being French, she brought Makili a speedo. It's awesome. She's off to France to bike people through vineyards and make a future with her South African/French boyfriend, who is an international wine exported. Ann says her life sounds like a novel. I have to agree.

One month of Makili

The First Month


It is actually hard to believe it has already been a month. I got up this morning and picked him up and I swear he got heavier over night. He in fact does have a very big head. At our last appointment he was in the 97th percentile for head circumfrence. (I have my suspicions that this may have contributed to our C-section.) His hands seem big already. And his belly grows at every nursing session. We went for a short walk yesterday with Raph’s aunt Cindy. She asked, “So does it feel like you’ve had him forever already?” And you know it totally does.

Some things I’ve already learned from Makili. I mentioned already that I really didn’t know that babies cried a lot. And just when it seemed that we had figured the kid out and were having really good days with him, he got thrush. The medicine makes him cranky so we’re dealing with the crying all over again. I also wasn’t aware that there was such a thing as projectile pooping. I won’t go into great detail on that one but I will say I was glad we were changing him in the rental car. I’ve learned that I can function on much less sleep than I thought and that I actually don’t even mind. I’ve also come to appreciate so much when he sleeps against my chest. There is possibly no better feeling. I like him a lot. As Anne Lamott said, “I think I’ll keep him.”

Makili came a long way this month. Literally, he came 5000 miles from Hawaii to New Hampshire. He was an angel, sleeping on the planes and in the cars. Sometimes it seems like he understands when we need to get things done. He always is good and happy when we’re moving and traveling. When we are home all day, he tends to be super-cranky. He just likes to be out and about I guess. Thank god, because that trip could have been terrible. Raph and I were barely able to carry all of our carry-on luggage, though it turned out to be a blessing that we brought as much as we did because our checked luggage didn’t show up for 48 hours. We must have been a sight with the baby in the front carrier, a big backpack with the pillow strapped to it, a roller, a diaper bag, a car seat. Good thing that people are fascinated with babies and tend to concentrate on their cuteness instead of the fact that you’re holding them up. At one point we were in a tram changing terminals with all of our crap. Raph had the baby and Makili had started crying because Raph had stopped moving. From the other side of the train I watched every eye on the train focus in on Raph. Women with soft smiles and men with looks of amusement. Looks of kind concern and young girls with looks of desire. And it was the same throughout our travel. People are fascinated by babies.


Makili has also been blessed to receive so much love from friends and family. First in Hawaii with his grandmas and one of his grandpas, an aunt and a cousin. Now in New Hampshire, people stop by every day to meet him, and for the last few days try to comfort his upset belly. He falls asleep on the lucky ones’ laps. He went shopping with Raph’s aunt Gina yesterday who spoiled him by buying him “Raph clothes.” Raph’s other aunts stopped by too (from New York) to meet him and give gifts. What a well-dressed, well-loved boy he is. Thank you.