Recovery Room

Monito naps to the heartbeat sounds playing on his bouncy chair (as opposed to the swingy chair - see how can this be comfortable below). Today was a TOUGH day - it was our 4 month dr. visit and second set of shots per the standard schedule - that's three shots - a combo - Pediarix in his left thigh followed by HiB and PcV shots in the right thigh. Owwy owwy ow!!!!

He took it well - but has been sleepy and fussy since - he cries really hard and gets hot tricking me into thinking that he's feverish but I can't bring myself to sticking a thermometer up his bum after an already invasive day.

To make me feel better he is now showing off by grabbing his fabric book and actually getting it into his mouth ... I can't believe he's learning to use his hands to move stuff... SO COOL. We miss everyone really bad, especially the folks who would be helping me by holding him & walking the halls as he cries his sad cry today. 

Reading

---- Note that in the top right he is ACTUALLY holding the book up himself !!!!!
Do I love this boy or WHAT

Bath Time

 

Sunday Morning Happy Man....

Here is monito enjoying some time on that red & black playmat that every baby has at some point - I'm not sure if he's happy with the hanging toys or just with the fact that he is getting some nearly naked time with me oohing and ahhing over him. Today we may try going to a local toy store for some sing-a-long action... its threatening rain but hey I am feeling invigorated by the suddenly "cold" Boston weather that feels like a nice hot day in San Fran.

Emily and I bought a couch yesterday... I discovered a new trick - to do big stuff with her on post call days - she is so TIRED that she is completly compliant - We bought the sofa that the nice older sales woman told us we would like... we sat on it - Emily said she could fall asleep & we paid for it... Delivery sometime next month!!!!

Next big deal... a TV woo hoo

Missing everyone in SF - & happy birthday wishes to Roseanna, Virginia and Dennis D. 

Reading for the Record (The Mayor of Boston @ the Children's Museum

On Friday Monito and I had a BIG day - where we explored a lot of Boston in an effort to be part of making a world record. On the am TV shows we discovered that today was a nationwide effort to have the same story read to tons of kids around the Nation & that many cities were sponsering events. So we hopped onto the world wide web of internet and discovered 3 Boston/Cambridge events. A 10:30 reading at Fanuiel Hall, Events at the Children's Museum between 2-4pm and a 4pm reading at a Harvard area large chain coffee shop. I asked Monito his thoughts and he said yeah mom - Lets do it... So we dressed up in our current favorite outfit (overalls) - hopped in the bjorn, grabbed the stroller and began our BIG DAY.

We missed the reading at Faneuil Hall- Quincy Market. This had to do with me being Mr. Nice Guy and a forgotten sandwich left by Dr. Mommy on the kitchen counter. At first I was thinking that said sandwich would be my fortification for the day BUT THEN due to pangs of Nice Guy-ness and the timely appearance of a Cross-Town bus ... monito & I made an unplanned detour to the hospital to deliver Dr. Mom her lunch (including a bonus apple). The funny peice of this story is that Em was told that her husband & son had come by -prompting her to think that I had given the baby to her brother Dan & hoped a flight for San Francisco.... why she thought that.....

On with our day... Monito & I bused to the subway to the heart of the Boston Harbor area and then wandered faneuil hall very much like Fishermans Wharf in SF but with a Boston theme (a Cheers restaraunt, Red Sox stuff, and lots of "chowda"). We had a nice lunch sitting outside at Kingfish Hall - suggested by the vindigo - although I wouldn't suggest the Bento Box - despite it being suggested by the waiter... why would I order the single Japanese item at a seafood rest. in Boston when I hail from SF ... I don't know... From there we walked along the HarborView walkway to the kids museum.

The boston children's museum is MADNESS - especially when you can get in for FREE - (thanks Jumpstart) - Monito isn't big enough yet to participate with most of the exhibits so he promptly dropped off to sleep. I of course made the rounds and picked up a Starb#%*$'s sponsered gift bag - which included a $5 gift card meaning I made money on the day !!!! Monito woke up in time to hear Boston's Mayor read from The Little Engine that Could - earning a very cool "I set a world record" sticker that he wore proudly for the rest of the day - (note to self: stickers stick to babies... like duct tape almost, do not let stickers attach themselves to baby hands & feet in future!!!)

After the reading we hopped, skipped & jumped our way back to Cambridge where we spent that $5 gift card on a $4.70 green iced drink at the Harvard local Star#%&*'s and waited while NO ONE came to hear the very nice Barista Boy read the story... sad... Thus ended our world record setting adventure.

Em's dessert tonight

Peach and Raspberry Cobbler


Dessert doesn't get any better than a favorite fruit combo transformed into an easy, warm-from-the-oven cobbler!
2 1/2 cups sliced fresh peaches
2 cups fresh raspberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups Original Bisquick® mix
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1 . Heat oven to 375º. Lightly butter bottom and side of deep-dish pie plate, 9x1 1/2 inches.
2 . Mix peaches, raspberries, granulated sugar, cornstarch and nutmeg in large bowl. Let stand 10 minutes. Spoon into pie plate.
3 . Stir together remaining ingredients in same bowl until dough forms. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto fruit mixture. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until fruit is bubbly and topping is deep golden brown and thoroughly baked.

More Adventures in the life of Riley...

We went to a Moms Group... (finally) -

So since before we even moved out here to the other coast I had a list of new mom groups & I had this idea that from the first day on I would be going to these groups and meeting all kinds of folks & baby folks and everything would be peachy-keen. So that was before I realized that I really have to hustle to get us out of the house anytime before noon - and 10 am mama groups fell right into Monito's nap time (well one of his nap times - there's the 7 am, the 10:30 am, the 1:30 pm, the 3 pm the 6pm etc etc).

But today WE DID IT - yep we got up, showered, fed, caffinated, burped, changed, pucked on & changed again, dog walked & out of the house to get to the 10:30 am Cambridge Moms Monday Group --- and guess where it is...

Cambridge:
Mondays, 10:30 am to noon Congregation Eitz Chayim 134-136 Magazine Street

Yep Dan & Gina's synagogue - in the room where shabbat services are. How funny is that.

New Adventures

Well life this week has been chock full of new adventures. First- I rode a bus... yes this is not the first time in my life I've ridden a bus BUT it was the first time I rode one in Cambridge/Boston AND it was also the first time I have navigated public transit with a wee one and a stroller - Not an easy feat - especially when another mama tried to get on the same bus and our two strollers couldn't pass each other in the Aisle.

So I felt guilty taking the space of three handicapped seats.

Our bus journey commenced from Mass Ave where I had just had another First... breakfast out at Mass Ave cafe - a total dive that may have good mexican food - I just had a gringo breakfast - blueberry pancakes quite tasty. And I had had a quick hang in the Hamilton St park with Monito when we hopped the Number One bus to Newburry street where we lounged at another cafe --- then we took a window shopping walk down Newburry where I felt like I had been transported to a weird cross-breeding of Chestnut St in SF and Christopher St in NY.

Then we took our second bus ride home... Whew... big day for baby & daddie

Dreaming dreams of titty

'Nuff said 

How can this be comfortable ???

When he is actually sleeping I so don't want to move him, cause I know that that'll be it and he'll wake up and need to be in my arms ... and then no more internet for me. And since these days - my online friends are my only friends (I really do need to get a cell phone that works in my house) I don't want to have to leave the computer.

So instead I leave the baby on the edge of his swingy chair & wonder if I am a Really bad mother or just a sort of bad mom. 

Moving Pictures !!!!!!

Well if this works right its Riley's first speaking role...
his happy wooooo sound... 

The Eyes....

 

Baby Toes....

Ahh the magic of baby toes... what I didn't expect though was how much stuff can get caught in between said toes... and also that baby feet in MA heat would get rather "ripe" - despite these discoveries I still consider baby feet some sort of miracle cure all of the psyche. 

Waiting for Farah at the Zoo

Farah's favorite wild animal at the zoo is apparently the wild coke machine. She spent a good while staring at it and dancing infront of it while Daddy Dan and Aunt Emmy gaze on in wonder. 

Slightly stunned

Monito is still not totally recuperated from Vacation - he misses the mountain air and all the time he got to spend with mama Emily. I was hoping for a shot that showed how cool his grey-blue eyes were looking today.. but if I got too close the flash just went into his eyes. It took me about half an hour but I finally figured out how to turn it off (I think).

Note the rolls of baby fat... one thing we are doing well for sure is the eating!!!!

3 Months Old

How I grow

• I don’t bob my head as much.
• I keep my hands loosely open most of the time.
• I will hold objects, but I will not reach for them.
• I move my arms and legs a lot.
• When held in a standing position, I can bear some weight on my legs.
• When I’m on my tummy, I can hold my head up for 10 seconds or longer.
• I touch my face with my hands.

How I talk

• I gurgle, whimper and chuckle.
• I don’t cry as much as I used to.
• I squeal and make other sounds when you talk to me.

How I eat and sleep

• I may have one feeding at night.
• I may sleep through the night.
• I may need a morning nap and an afternoon nap.
  

How I respond

• When I see you, I turn my whole body to face you.
• I turn my head toward the sounds of singing or talking.
• I may stop or start crying depending on who is holding me.
  

How I understand

• I’m beginning to remember things.
• I’m beginning to recognize different people in my family.

from
Healthy Start, Grow Smart

My day so far

So this morning someone shit all over their pajamas and the comforter cover... it wasn't Emily, it wasn't Mabel and it wasn't me.... hmm that only leaves one other member of our household. I guess its really my fault for not knowing how to get the back of a diaper onto a baby up to his NECK (!!!!) --- anyway laundry is now on the days agenda along with banking and a walk to the Central Sq farmers market for bread and veggies. I am posting this totally cutie picture of Monito in the Shire as an antidote to the poop explosion.... Happy Monday to me....