The Big "D"
My afore-mentioned infant son D is now 6 months old! He is currently wearing 12 month clothing. His legs are longer than most toddlers. Not exaggerating. D is the most amazing little person. It's true what they say, every day brings something new with a baby. We've progressed from coos and giggles to glass shattering shrieks and pterodactyl noises, to babbling dadadas and lalalalas (but with some pterodactyl still thrown in for variety). Being a stay-at-home mommy is the best job in the world. His coy smile, innocent curiosity, and amazement at the world around him make even the difficult days so rewarding. Take today: we're coming off of a four day vacation. His schedule got completely thrown off, especially with daylight savings time on Sunday. D woke up this morning in full-on dictator mode. He is quite frankly a tyrant. I can't put him down or leave him alone without tears. He refuses to nap. My hair is full of cereal he rubbed on my head in an angry rage, and my sweats are caked with spitup, drool, and god knows what else. But when I pick him up and feel his chubby arms wrap around me,those bright baby blues fixed on me, and a mischevious grin creeping onto his lips, I am filled with joy and love.
Family Invasion
We had visits from both sides of our family in the month of December. First, my family rolled in. My big brother came in from the east coast, my little sister from Canada, and my parents from Minnesota. This marked the first time when all three siblings had been in the same location since July of 2009. Back then, my brother still had a full head of hair! Just kidding...we'd have to go way further back than that.
T's parents arrived on Christmas, followed by his aunt, uncle, and cousins a few days later.
We loved having a full house around the holidays. Our families enjoyed the best the high desert has to offer - not much, but lots of hiking, games, and time spent bonding with D, who soaked up all the attention lavished on him. On New Year's Day T got to go to the Rose Bowl Game. Wisconsin was playing, which is where he was born, so it was an awesome opportunity to see a hometown team play in a big game at a storied venue. Granted, they got beaten. Badly.
O-H-I-O
God, I hate the Buckeyes. Nevertheless, the Buckeye State keeps calling us home. We found out a few months back that we are being stationed at a base in Ohio (again) starting this summer. It is a great opportunity for T to earn another advanced degree (I am married to such an egghead :)). Ohio is also a great location to raise a little man - lots of parks, museums, and activities catered to children. We're looking at buying our first house. It is very exciting, but is also very stress-inducing! It feels very adult. Too adult. When did we get so old? We have had a surprisingly great run out here on "the island," and will be sad to leave our friends behind (although pretty much everyone we know is leaving this summer!!). Our good friends are also headed to Ohio with us, which is awesome. July marks our official departure from the desert. We will be staying a few weeks in Minnesota with family before moving onto (hopefully) our new house in Ohio. Stay posted - our Midwest or Bust adventure has just begun.
Cali Travels
After our trip, T's relatives came back to the desert with us for a short visit. The four of us spent a good 12 hours working on a jigsaw puzzle. D was our cheerleader. Such is entertainment here.
Last week we went to San Francisco and Monterey. Touring Alcatraz was a highlight, as T and I are both history buffs. Luckily everyone has headphones in for the audio tour, because D joyously shrieked through the whole thing. The sun made a rare appearance when we went hiking at the Presidio near the Golden Gate Bridge.
My personal highlight in Monterey was the 19 Mile scenic drive. D got to put his toes in the sands of the Pacific Ocean, and we saw harbor seals bopping in the water.
The weather was mixed, cold wet winds and chilly temps, but being native Minnesotans we managed with only minimal bitching. That was probably our last Cali roadtrip. We may squeeze in a few day trips yet, we're going to an LA Kings hockey game in April, and maybe a Dodgers game in May, but that's it. Time is flying by.
Miscellaneous Notes
-We got rid of DirecTV and moved to streaming only. Money-saving, and has opened my eyes to a whole new world of TV. My favorite? Scandal. Love Olivia Pope. I am tempted every morning to chant "I am a gladiator" to myself in the mirror.
-Really sick of everything about the sequester, gun control, health insurance, etc...especially political posts for either side on facebook and social media. Thinking maybe my sister has the right idea with moving to Canada.
-Did yard work last night and spent the remainder of the evening wheezing and chasing Benedryl. Whoever said there were no allergens in the desert was a liar.
-Migraines have been straight up nasty lately. See above post about allergens. Damn desert.
-I joined the real world with my first smartphone - a Samsung Galaxy S3. I like being able to access the internet, but it turns out smartphones don't fix the fact that we live in the middle of nowhere - still drops just as many calls as my old hunk of junk phone.
-Buster and Tess are in love with D - they are best friends. Buster sleeps every night in the nursery. May have to set up some rules of engagement though. Recently found Buster trying to snuggle with D's bare baby butt during naked playtime. And caught Tess licking oatmeal off of D's bib.
Whew. I think that's everything! I will be sure to update the blog more often going forward. I am hoping for once a week, but at least twice a month. There are busy months ahead with lots of life-changing events - stay tuned!
