Year: 2008

What used to be used for this:

Is now being used for this:

I ordered this cradle online, several days before Sophie was born. It was waiting for us on the front porch when we came home from the hospital, three weeks earlier than planned.

Andy ran out to buy some things we needed and didn’t have, things we planned on buying later that week. I remember sitting on our bed, holding Sophie and feeling terrified. And then, I had to pee.

Sophie’s crib wasn’t made, her pack-n-play wasn’t set up and her cradle was in pieces in a big, brown box. In my sleep-deprived, new-motherhood state, I had no idea what to do. Even though she was swaddled and couldn’t roll even if she wanted to, I didn’t dare leave her on the bed—all the books said not to. Putting her on the floor on a blanket also wasn’t an option—not with a jealous cat and 90-pound lab roaming around. So I did what any first-time mother who had to pee and didn’t know what to do with her four-day-old baby would do: I cried. And then I took her into the bathroom with me, gently placed her on the bathroom rug and peed, all the time thinking what a horrible mother I was for placing my four-day-old baby on the bathroom rug AND for peeing in front of her. (Note: I now know that most mothers with young children forget what it’s like to have the luxury of peeing alone.)

Later that evening my parents came over with dinner. Andy came back with lots of (pink!) receiving blankets, preemie clothes and cradle sheets. They calmed me down. My parents made up the crib. Andy put the cradle together. Sophie now had places to be placed when I had to pee.

But now it’s time for the cradle to be broken down and put away. Sophie spent her first two months in that cradle. And I spent her first two months picking her up and putting her down in that cradle, so many times in the middle of the night. I’d rock her in her cradle while half-asleep in bed. When I took showers I would roll her cradle right up to the bathroom door so I could peek from behind the shower curtain to make certain she was alright.

“She’s growing up so much,” I said to Andy last night, while we were putting Sophie to bed. “That’s good,” he said. “You want her to.” And he’s right. But for so long I wanted a baby. And now I have one who is too old for a cradle. It’s hard to believe that someday I’ll have one who is too old for a crib.

“What the mother sings to the cradle goes all the way down to the coffin.” —Francis Bacon

Last week Sophie, my mom, my grandma and I visited Holmes County, known for its Amish communities, rich in food and scenery, and a part of my (and now Sophie’s) heritage. My grandma grew up there, met my grandpa there and the two of them started their lives in the area. I have many fond memories of weekend trips to Millersburg, OH, with my family and extended family.

Sophie and I in a typical Amish buggy.

One of two slices of pecan pie I ate on the trip.

Dad and a not-too-happy Sophie at Boyd & Wurthmann’s. (Dad came up for the day to attend Tom’s grandmother’s funeral.)

This picture was my mom’s idea. 🙂

Sophie and Aunt Katy, who hadn’t seen Sophie since she was a week old!

Katy, Sophie and Tom.

Four generations.

My sister.

Aunt Katy and Sophie, outside of Lehman’s, where I bought clothespins and cookie cutters.

Sophie struggled a bit on the way home. Here she’s taking a break from the car seat at a park with my grandma. I love this picture.

“The Amish had found an answer to the question, ‘How can I live a good life?’ They modeled another way to be. Their view of the world is different than mine, so they reached different conclusions about how to live. Their conclusions are not THE WAY, but one way—a way that works for them. Their life is a celebration of the ordinary.” —Sue Bender, Plain and Simple

Of course, just because Sophie enjoys being outside doesn’t mean we’ve completely banned bright, noise-making plastic that can spin, open, close and otherwise delight. Here’s my most recent Craigslist purchase—for $9 and some change I got a slightly used LeapStart Learning Gym, which is going for $100 on Amazon. Sophie likes it, but I bet she’ll like it more when she can sit up on her own to use it.

“A bargain is something you have to find a use for once you have bought it.” —Benjamin Franklin

When the living room becomes too familiar, and the same toys just won’t do, we take Sophie outside. Maybe it’s the melody of birds, insects, traffic, leaves and playing children that she likes. Maybe it’s the fresh air, sometimes hot and humid, sometimes goosebump cool. Maybe it’s the way the sunlight sometimes makes her scrunch up her face, eyes shut tight, and other times stare, mesmerized as it makes its way through the thousands of leaves in our old, old front-yard trees. Maybe she’ll grow up to be a park ranger or an arborist or someone who likes to sit on her front porch a lot. Regardless, Sophie is most content (aside from nursing) outside, preferably with a view of leaves. No matter how many bright lights and electronic-sounding songs and plastic buttons and pulls LeapStart and Baby Einstein and all the rest can make, these toys just don’t compare. And I’m more than OK with that.

“I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright.” —Henry David Thoreau

Our visit to Boston ended with a cookout to celebrate Marty’s birthday. In addition to the burgers and brats, Jill made homemade pasta salad, homemade coleslaw, baked beans, brownies and sangria (yum). After Sophie woke up from her long nap, she met Sophia, Jill and Marty’s 7-month-old neighbor. The day, banked by rainy days, was perfect.

“The ornaments of your house will be the guests who frequent it.” —author unknown

Early into the trip, Andy decided he wanted to build his dad a cornhole set, a lawn game popular in the Midwest. So he drew up plans, and he, David and Marty headed out to Lowes. After all the cuts were made (with a little help from the guys building the house across the street), the set was ready to be painted.

Unfortunately, the paint they decided to use took about 10 hours to dry. But after using fans, a portable heater and letting it sit overnight, it was ready to be sanded.

Next came the cornhole bags, which Jill and Jan spent about four hours making.

Unfortunately, those bags split. So everyone got involved making a new set of bags just hours before the birthday cookout.

And this is how Andy introduced cornhole to Boston.

Instead of a quote, this time, you get a song. (I bet there’s a way to post YouTube videos onto this blog but I don’t know how. So just click the word “song.”)

Aunt Liz, Mom and I went on a walk.

Jan loved to hold me, giving Mom and Dad lots of breaks.

I had two baths—in the kitchen sink!

I showed off my tummy time skills.

But sometimes I was just too tired and would fall asleep.

I napped while everyone enjoyed homemade lasagna.

Grandma loved to hold me, too.

I saw my first real frog.

And wild turkeys!

I even took a bottle for Grandma.

“If your baby is ‘beautiful and perfect, never cries or fusses, sleeps on schedule and burps on demand, an angel all the time,’ you’re the grandma. —Teresa Bloomingdale

While I was still the size of a kumquat, Mom and Dad saw Grandma and Grandpa’s house while being built. This weekend we all got to see the final thing.

Here’s the dining room.

And the living room. (Mom can’t help but put me in pictures.)

The family room.

The sunroom.

And kitchen.

“A man builds a fine house; and now he has a master, and a task for life: he is to furnish, watch, show it, and keep it in repair, the rest of his days.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

Grandpa knew Mom, Dad and Aunt Liz were coming for his birthday.

But he didn’t know that Dad’s godparents, Jan and David, were coming, too!

After a nice dinner out (again, Mom and Dad thankful because I slept), Grandpa blew out the candles on his ice cream cake and opened presents.

“I’m sixty years of age. That’s 16 Celsius.” —George Carlin

Early, early Wednesday morning Angel drove Mom, Dad and I to the airport for our big trip to Grandma and Grandpa’s house. Apparently, I require a lot of stuff.

The plane didn’t have many people on it so Mom and Dad were able to get a seat for me. I slept the entire time. (For some reason, Mom and Dad were awfully excited about that.)

Because I was sleeping, Mom took lots of pictures for me.

This is what Boston looked like when we landed. Mom took this picture while Dad tried to stuff all my stuff in Grandma’s car. For a second, I thought I heard a rumor that they were going to leave me behind. But in the end, they fit me in.

“You haven’t seen a tree until you’ve seen its shadow from the sky.” —Amelia Earhart