It’s Almost September
It’s almost September. How did that happen?
I have been so lucky to have the time saved to be able to take almost 6 months off with Oliver. How some women are able to do it at 6 weeks is beyond me! Related to the work front, Jeremy and I may have a caregiver for Oliver. More on that later as I’m happily living in denial about my return to work.
On another note, Oliver and I got to meet the second in the series of HMS staff boys yesterday. Sharon had her annual pool party and we took the long drive up to Topsfield to hang out with the staff I won’t be seeing any time soon (denial – not just a river in Egypt!). Amanda and Maddex braved an even longer drive with a little help from Lisa.
Here are Maddex and Oliver, together for the first time but certainly not the last.
O and Dex – Kicking back in their car seats.
Amanda and Dex also received the Oxford onesie that Ricky bought for Oliver. He will probably only fit in it for the next 5 minutes (if that!), but I’m hoping we can get photos of all four boys in the shirt. Amanda called it, “The Brotherhood of the Traveling Oxford.”
I like it. 
Some More Firsts
I may want to give up “first” as a title as at this stage of the game we have firsts all the time.
That said, here are some skills that Oliver has recently acquired:
The ability to eat his own toes…
The ability to roll from tummy to back and back to tummy…
The ability to sit in a “tripod” position…
Push ups….
Driving?!? Hmm… Someone may be overreaching just a bit!
I’m 18. Yes really, eighteen weeks officer.
Wait, what? 18 YEARS to drive in NY?
First Night – The Results
Oliver slept from a little before 10 pm until 6 in the morning. More than 8 hours! I wish I could say I slept as long and as well. Perhaps I will tonight.
Here’s a view of our big boy…
First Night
We are trying to see if Oliver can sleep in his own room tonight.
I’m guessing he will sleep, but I’m not sure if I will.
It’s in His Blood…
Oliver is definitely his father’s son. If it wasn’t obvious by his appearance (He is often called “little Jeremy” for good reason!), we now have further proof on a much deeper level. Last night there were a few mosquitoes in our room. Jeremy was eaten alive, and poor Oliver has a constellation of 7 bites across the one side of his head that was exposed last night. Mom’s bite count: 2 that I’ve noticed. Sorry Oliver, it’s in your blood.
I’ll try and get a photo to add later.
Fire Island Reading: Operating Instructions
Fire Island is where I read. It is generally where I devour books. Last year was tough as all my body wanted to do was sleep. This year I have other distractions, but book 1 is done. Yesterday I finished Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son’s First Year by Anne Lamott. A writer by trade Lamott was encouraged by friends to journal through the first year of her son Sam’s life. Lamott didn’t have the benefit of raising her son with a partner, the father having renounced any responsibility for his child. Her friends rally and help her through the daily ups and downs of taking care of Sam. I laughed aloud quite frequently and felt immediate recognition of some of her moments of frustration. This book is a quick read and while it is particularly apropos for me, I think I would have found it moving even if I were not 4 months into the same a similar (Jeremy – I couldn’t do this without you!) journey.
Two thumbs up.
Where Does the Time Go?
aka, The Fire Island Post
I have so much to catch up on. Oliver is more than 4 months old already. I had intended to blog on his 4 month “birthday” but somehow it got away from me. Now we are on our annual vacation in Fire Island and I intend to fill a few of the gaps. But before the gap-filling here’s a Fire Island post.
Jeremy and I met 9 years ago and this marks our 10th trip to Fire Island (yes, the math works… we came here after only knowing each other a few months). Years later, this is where Jeremy proposed. Last summer this is where I first started feeling ill with “morning” (read as: all day) sickness.
What a difference a year (or 9) makes!
We are so grateful to have the hospitality of Bette and Med who allow us to share their home every year and now we are so excited to able to share it with our son. It’s the perfect place for a little kid to spend a week in the summer and we look forward to building new memories here with Oliver.
Here are some of the many faces of Oliver, taken in one of our favorite places…
It Always Helps to Have Your Mom…
I called on my mom to come up and visit today in order to help watch Oliver while I went to the dentist. Due to extenuating circumstances she wasn’t able to make it until the end of the appointment. This was not a problem due to a cooperatively sleeping baby. (Perhaps the blessing from the nuns in the waiting room helped!) After a day of walking around and running errands we took Oliver and Calle to the park for a little puppy play time. Oliver was being a little fussy in his wrap so I pulled him out to carry him. I then suggested we walk across the field to encourage Calle to find a tennis ball when – OUCH!! – a bee worked its way into my sandal and stung the bottom of my foot! Thank goodness my mom was there so I could hand off Oliver as I bounced up and down trying to deal with the bee and stinger sticking out of my arch. I’m sure I would have been able to hold onto Oliver had no one been there (I probably wouldn’t have removed him from the carrier to begin with), but I’m so glad I didn’t have to try and remove a bee stinger from my foot whilst holding a baby.
THANKS MOM!
Calle did find a tennis ball, by the way. No surprise there! She got in a few throws before we hobbled back to the condo to deal with my foot.
A Reminder
I’m sure I will need to re-read this many times in the next year.
Live for the moments, forget the phases. That could be a good mantra.
Live for the moments, forget the phases…
Live for the moments, forget the phases…
Live for the moments, forget the phases…
When I’m going crazy, please refer me back to this post.
4th of July
This year we once again went to Lesley & Alicia’s annual cookout and kickball party.
Last year the kickball was cancelled as Lesley was due on the 8th. As luck would have it, her water broke on the morning of the 4th… a few hours before we found out that we were pregnant! It was an awesome 4th (and for Lesley, the beginning of her 3-day “labor day” – Lesley, you are a rock star!), which still included the cookout.
What a difference a year makes! The number of kids at the kickball and cookout must have tripled from 2 years ago. I cannot believe the number of children in our life now. It’s great that we have such a great community around us as we raise Oliver, particularly Lesley and Alicia – thank you two for all your support!!
Here’s a pic of our little guy enjoying the crowd on the front porch with Daddy…
- Silly Face!
Oliver – here’s to a year of you being in our lives (ok, only 4 months externally). I cannot imagine life without you now. Your dad and I are so lucky to have such an amazing little guy. Thank you for being so awesome. I’m looking forward to many more years of cookouts and kickball with you!