Things That Make You Go "Hmmmm"

Today was one of those crazy days in the Vaicius household. It was the kind of day that reaffirms my belief that if you are going to have a baby you should try to do it in a city where you have a great support system. Christian had volleyball try outs for Cajunland tonight and I had a bar assocition dinner so orchestrating the afternoon and evening for La Luz was one elaborate juggling act. I think that scheduling the life of the Vaicius family could be a full-time job for someone. We were fortunate that mom was willing to take the evening shift which includes feeding and bathing La Luz and, frankly, dealing with the moodiest time in her day. Here's a peek at what happens while La Luz is at mom's house:





I don't really know what to say about these pictures. I could spend hours discussing the implications of my 16 month old baby girl standing on a scale, but I will spare you. Rest assured, it is purely out of curiosity and not, in the least, at all related to her mother's tenuous relationship with food and weight. For now I will say, it looks like fun and we are incredibly blessed with some excellent helping hands. Without the helping hands and the love that goes along with them, I just don't know how we would get by.

All The Things I Forgot Aren't So Easy

Last night at about 3 it started to rain. I knew it would happen before it started, not because I am clairvoyant but because Loki has that dog's sense about bad weather. He knows it is coming when it is just a few miles away. At 2:45 he was pacing and drooling. I figured either Christian forgot to walk him last night or it was about to pour. The rain was pretty intense. Loki hated it. I loved it. There are few things I like as much as the sensation of being all cozy in bed while it sounds like the world is coming apart at the seams outside. The storm even woke La Luz up at some point. I don't remember if she actually cried though, I think it was more of a commentary, or an explanation to the animals of what was going on outside.

The most significant thing about the storm this morning was that it served as a great reminder for how fragile some things still are around here and how accustomed to it I (and I guess everyone else living here) have become. The newspeople were frothing at the mouth, people in certain areas of the city were advised to leave their trailers and head to shelters. I forgot that thousands of people are still living in trailers. On the way to work most of the street lights on St. Charles were out or blinking. Rain is not supposed to knock out street lights, unless you are living in a city whose infrastructure might just be hanging on by a thread. When I got to my building parts of the ceiling in the concourse had caved in and there were puddles of plastery rainwater. I remember climbing stairs instead of using elevators for months after Katrina and I never complained. I also remember that the lights in the building would flicker in and out and I never complained. The lights started flickering again this morning and I just sort of sighed. I don't really care all that much it just reminds me that I have gotten used to things being just a bit challenging. I am okay with it but I wonder how long it is going to go on like this. The worst part is, those are simple, inconsequential things.

The rain moved on and around 3 the sun came out again and the temperature dropped, and dropped. It went from about 76 degrees this morning to something really cold tonight. I think the high tomorrow is 60 degrees, which would make for the coldest day yet this year. I can't wait.

La Luz had a great day. After I picked her up from mom's we went to Gerrish's for a bit to have a drink and meet Eric. La Luz spent the entire time playing with Otto, Gerrish's adorable boxer. He was so sweet with La Luz. He is big and clunky though so it was a bit tricky letting them play together. When it was time to go La Luz threw a fit because she wanted to stay and play with Otto. The entire ride home she kept asking to play with him.

Christian had volleyball tonight so we were on our own. When we got home she putzed around the kitchen while I washed some dishes. She was acting like a busy body, going to and fro with her hands filled with keys, baby, purse, and bottle. The usual nightly routine.

Just Another One of Those Days

I believe I spent a grand total of about an hour and forty-five minutes with La Luz today. It was the best hour and forty-five minutes of my day but that's all I got and it kills me. She wanted to sleep late this morning and I understand that sort of thing because I love sleeping so we had very little time together before work. I didn't get home from work until late and Christian took her to a signing party for the senior volleyball players this evening so the only time we had together tonight was a few minutes playing in the den followed by a quick bath and bed. Lately she has asked to skip the bedtime story and go straight to her bed, a girl after my own heart. Consequently, I didn't even have the pleasure of reading to her and rocking her for five minutes.

Here's a picture I was able to snap during the few minutes of play time we had together this evening.



It was just moments after I had wrestled her to the ground to kiss her, hug her, feed her her bottle, and rock her in my arms reminding her how much I love her. She wasn't having any of that and did all she could to break free as quickly as possible. Sometimes I forget that not everyone likes to be smothered with love. At least that's what I have heard. But I don't know, if you are going to be a part of this family you sort of have to grin and bear it. We are tactile folks, the Vaiciuses. We deal in hugs and kisses. So, beware La Luz, you can run, but we will catch up eventually.

Monday, Monday

I was up at 5:30 this morning in order to get ready and out of the house in time to make it to Lafayette for a hearing. I will be up early again tomorrow for pilates at 6:00 and I am already tired just thinking about it. I haven't been in 2 weeks so I am dreading the stiff limbs and unbending back. Catherine, the instructor/pain inflictor, will probably roll her eyes at me as if I am looking to waste her time and the $30 I pay per session.

Christian handled the morning alone swimmingly. He and La Luz managed to get dressed, fed, and out of the house before the first school bell. I met them for dinner at Theo's after I left work and was shocked to see that La Luz had on an outfit that actually matched. This is a huge accomplishment considering Christian is color blind. I was impressed and so happy to see both of them. The mornings, though always rushed, are my favorite times around here so when I leave before the fun begins it makes my heart ache a bit all day.

I didn't have time for pictures so I will include a few more from the weekend:

Victory for ASH and the Return of Christian

The ASH volleyball season ended, finally, and with a bang. They defeated Morgan City to win the State title. Hooray! Needless to say, there was plenty of volleyball going on this weekend and La Luz and I definitely got our fill.

On Friday night La Luz spent the night at mom-mom and pop's so that Christian and I could go to the 'end of the season' volleyball party and stay out all night. La Luz loved the break from the tedium around here and, from what I understand, she was on her best behavior. I think she slept from 8 until 8. Sadly, Christian and I did not really take advantage of the fact that La Luz was spending the night out. I think we were in bed and asleep by midnight. Lame.



Saturday morning after picking up La Luz we went to the playground, our second home on the weekend. We were hoping that one of the great bonuses about the house is the built in entertainment value having the playground and the children's library within walking distance. I think we have already gotten our money's worth. I am dreading the onset of winter when it gets too cold to play outside. Then again, there are generally only about 3 days like that every year.



Catherine happened to be driving by and noticed us so she decided to procrastinate studying for a few more hours. She played with us at the park and even let La Luz chew on her keys. After hanging out at the playground Catherine came back to the house with us for lunch. It was nice to hear all about what is going on in her life. She is doing a rotation in Pineville so she had some entertaining stories about what small-town living has been like over the past few weeks. I guess times have changed though, apparently they sell pre-made sushi at the grocery store near the hospital, so life is not completely challenging.

The volleyball championship was Saturday night so Pop, La Luz, and I headed out to the game to cheer on the team. La Luz was a great sport for the most part and even allowed me to put the red barette in her hair for about ten seconds.





This morning La Luz, Loki, and I went to Audubon Park for a nice, cold run. It took a long time. I like to blame the speed (or non-speed rather) on Loki having to smell every square inch of the park and the heft of the stroller, but I think those are excuses. Meanwhile, Christian slept late. He surfaced at some point and when La Luz saw him it was like she had discovered some old toy she used to play with every day but then forgot about. The excitement was short lived, however, because Christian had to go to a Cajunland clinic this morning and then had to watch the Saints game with Uncle Rich. In the little time available he somehow managed to take La Luz to the playground for some swinging and sliding which meant that I had thirty minutes to myself. I poured a cup of coffee and stared out of the window - talk about a gross misallocation of time. I seem to have squandered a bunch this weekend.



At the end of the day we had jambalaya and pecan pie at mom's. It was a treat to not have to cook and to have a real meal. Lately I have been living on Gardenburgers and La Luz's leftover Spaghettios. Oh, and wine and Halloween candy. Disgusting.

The week is going to be a real treat starting with a 9 a.m. hearing in Lafayette. It has been a while since Christian has had a solo morning so keep your fingers crossed that they make it out of the house fed and fully clothed.

Two more birthday shout-outs today! Aunt Lucy, La Luz's namesake in Houston - lots of hugs and kisses for you and Uncle David and Happy Birthday. And, to Toita in Argentina - Happy Birthday! I will try to get La Luz to call you and say "hola, Toi", besos!

Ghost Dad

It is a little quiet around the house because it is the middle of the State volleyball tournament. ASH is doing great and all but I just wish it would hurry up and be over already. La Luz has made it clear that I am not, and Christian is, the "fun" one. Similarly, Loki will generally have little to do with me unless it involves the prospect of a walk or a bone. I am, frankly, a little tired of the long faces and the false hope. La Luz and Loki jerk to attention everytime they hear the sound of an old iron gate in need of wd40 (and there are plenty in the neighborhood) only to be disappointed when nobody climbs the stairs. So, if any of you see Christian, please tell him to hurry up already. Last I remember, he looked something like this:



La Luz still managed to find plenty of joy in her day, however. Check out the pictures of La Luz swinging that mom sent to me while I was at work:





I know, I can't believe this is what is going on while I am quibbling about pretrial statements and continuances. The pictures take me back to what it felt like to spend an afternoon swinging, without a care in the world. A sensation I will now only have through memories.

La Luz sends Aunt Margot a big birthday hug! Have a great day Aunt Margot. Happy Birthday! We love you!

A Little Chinese Food for Thought

Tonight La Luz and I dined with mom-mom and pop because Christian was coaching the first of one of the state championship games and then celebrating the victory at Fat Harry's. At my suggestion, we ordered Chinese food and it was delicious. The fortune, however, was somewhat daunting. It read: You will overcome many obstacles before finding peace. It was not exactly the type of fortune that makes a pint of chicken fried rice sit comfortably in an already weak stomach. Nobody else had the kind of fortune one expects either like, 'great things will come to those who are patient', or, 'a wise man will recognize his kingdom', so I am just going to write it off as one of a bad batch of fortune cookies.

The rest of the night involved more of the same old nightly routine of locking and unlocking the doors. I guess I am just in awe...can this game really be all that entertaining? I am not kidding, she could do this for hours on end. I suppose shouldn't complain.



The new McSweeney's (#21) arrived in the mail today all wonderful looking and enticing. I love that the folks at McSweeney's recognize that there is something incredible about the look and feel of a book. It is the reason why I still prefer to shop for books at an actual store as opposed to online. A brief review while La Luz busied herself with the doors confirmed that it will be a great read. There are some wonderful short stories and interesting art, as always. There's even a Roddy Doyle short story called, The Pram. I am particularly excited about that one since (yawn) babies are now one of my favorite topics. The bonus this time is that interspersed throughout the issue are copies of actual letters received at the Ray Charles office at various times. Not that I am a Ray Charles fan in particular, I just like the concept. The oddest one I have read so far is unsolicited advice to Ray Charles about his diet, no kidding. The writer, the Annointed King of Orange, asks Ray to give up meat and to eat, in this order, 10 oranges, 4 haas avacados, 5 bananas, 5 apples, and 30 grapes. Everyone in the Banos family knows what all that fruit will do to you, bad idea.

Plenty of politics to discuss too but I just don't have the heart. For those of my friends and family who live out of town and are perplexed about the fact that Jefferson is in a run-off, I have no explanation for why it happened and I am very discouraged. Once I stop fuming I will write a bit more about my thoughts with respect to the 2nd district race.

Finally, today La Luz sends birthday shout-outs to Sarah and AJ! Lots of love to both of you.

Election Night

Fortunately, I seem to have made an almost complete recovery. I am still allowing myself to drink soft drinks and eat carbs operating under the theory that protein, vegetables, and fruit might not be the best things to put in my unstable stomach. Christian feels lousy and now has some cold/congestion/stuffiness similar to what he had last week. It is also the end of volleyball season which means it is state playoff time which means Christian is never around. I am getting sort of weary of this 'sick dad'/volleyball dad stuff because child rearing is not a one-person job. Plus, occasionally La Luz prefers his company to mine, and, let's face it, who can blame her?

Mid-term election night in the Vaicius household has been like any other busy week night. While La Luz busied herself with the old game of 'lock, announce your arrival, unlock, say goodbye' with the french doors, Christian and I watched some tv. We have been watching the election returns for most of the night and, with the exception of some of the national races, there is no clear winner in any of the races I care about. I mean, it mystifies me that winners of the St. James Parish School Board Presidency and Lutcher Fire Chief are decided before the polls close but I will have to stay up all night or wait until the morning to find out who will be the one lucky enough to be in a run-off with Jefferson (which brings up another thing that mystifies me but I will save it for the run-off).

Instead of staying up all night to, in all likelihood, be disappointed, I think I might as well go to sleep.

Go Vote

I was sick with some weird and awful 24 hour virus from sunday night until last night. Christian came down with the same thing about mid-day yesterday. We were misreable and could barely take care of La Luz. Please keep your fingers crossed that La Luz does not get it. Because of the craziness, I didn't have time to post but wanted to remind everyone to vote today.

Saturday Looks Good to Me

La Luz is lucky enough to have jetsetting grandparents, literally. Since the weather was nicer here than it was in Atlanta, Papa-T decided to fly himself and Nana down for the night and spoil La Luz with a surprise visit. Of course, La Luz was ecstatic to spend some time with Nana and Papa doing silly things:

Like playing with the hats Nana brought her:



swinging with Papa at the park:



and hanging out on the deck all morning entertaining us while we drank our coffee:





It was such a nice treat for all of us even if it was a quick visit.

I spent much of the weekend testing out the black and white function on the camera. The camera is almost a year old and, not that it is particularly complicated, I have learned very little about how to operate it. Most of what I can do with the camera involves automatic settings. Christian always makes me feel quilty about the fact that I can't really do anything with it, like I have no right to possess such a fancy thing if I don't care to master the camera's true potential. Honestly, I am dying to learn how to use it but, let's face it, I have very little time after La Luz and, oh yeah, my job. So, what little time I have left over I generally like to put towards something relaxing and the 200 page, 6 point font, camera manual is not it. But, bit by bit, I am adding to my list of capabilities with respect to the camera.

Here are two of my favorites of La Luz:

The Special Syrup

Here are a few pics of La Luz to make your Friday even better.
She seems to be feeling much better thanks to Sulfameth-Trimeth-Sup, better known in the Vaicius house as that delicious liquid candy that only very special girls, babies, Elmo, and Dora get to try.

Spirits in the Sky

In celebration of All Saints Day today and Dia de los Muertos tomorrow I would like to pay a little tribute to some of the people I love and miss so much. The pictures are in no way representative of special favorites, they just happened to be accessible. I hope that next year the gallery will be all inclusive - that will give me plenty of time to dig through mom and Diane's scrapbooks in search of more pictures. Apologies to those of you who ended up inadvertently in some of these pictures. I hope you will not mind (that means you Molls and Sarah).

In each of these people I see qualities I hope that I have, in some way, acquired and will be able to pass along to La Luz. With the exception of Mema V., I was lucky enough to have known all of these people very well and I have beautiful memories of my time spent with them. I have always tried to share stories about their lives with my younger cousins and I hope that I will remember the stories when La Luz asks me if Dama was the kindest person I have ever known, if Grandad was the perfect example of a gentleman who loved his family above all things in the world, if Mema E. was the one that made us love books and if she really woke Pop up every morning by clanging around pots and pans in the kitchen, and if Nana really did ply us with candy and marry someone who owned an ice-cream factory. I don't know as much about Mema V. but when La Luz asks me to tell her a story about the most courageous woman I have ever met she will hear her story but she will also hear that Mema V. had an excellent sense of humor and was always joking around.









When I think back on all of the people who are no longer here but who are still such an intricate part of my life I feel like I am blessed.

"Let us now sing the praises of famous men, our ancestors in their generations."
Ecclesiates 44:1-2

Happy Halloween

There are many great qualities about Christian and, although he has a great sense of humor, I don't know that I would say he is a funny person. On the other hand, every now and then he really catches me off guard and makes me laugh, alot. When I woke up this morning I found a Halloween Mix CD sitting on the island for me. One would think he has some extra time on his hands and he really doesn't. So, my soundtrack for the day went something like this:

Leslie Anne Levine - The Decembrists
Gost of Tom - Aviso
Scary Mosnsters - Bowie
Wicked Annabella - The Kinks
Caring is Creepy - The Shins
Horrow Show - The Libertines
Ghost - Neutral Milk Hotel
Season of the Witch - Donovan
Wickerman - Pulp
The Rat - The Walkmen
Walking the Ghost - James
Something Wicked - British Sea Power
Laughter - James
International Rock Star (my personal favorite scary song) - The Stars
She's Not There - The Zombies
They're Not Witches - Guided By Voices
Sweet Black Magic - Ryan Adams
Tuff Ghost - The Unicorns
The Butterfly Collector - The Jam
Little Ghost - The White Stripes
Bloody Thirsty Bastards - Dirty Pretty Things
Evil and Heathen - Franz Ferdinand
She Spider - Mew

It was wonderful and silly and a total treat but, more than anything, it was a good reminder that sometimes it is okay to lighten up.

La Luz had a big night and was loaded down with candy and various Halloween treats. The butterfly costume was a huge success. I wish she had a bit more stamina but she was wiped out by 6:30. Sometimes I forget she is only 16 months old.

The Pills That You Take to Stay Happy

I pretty much devour anything that Chris Rose writes. I have enjoyed his column since he first started working for the Times Picayune and covered the celerbity news with a great tounge-in-cheek approach that I apply to my own over-the-top obsession with all things Hollywood. After the hurricane I waited with anticipation for his weekly column. Reading his column was my way of making sure that the way I was feeling was okay, that I was not alone in feeling like the wheels were really coming off the proverbial bus and I had no clue how to get them back on. He always made me feel better. The most recent two articles that chronicle his bout with depression and his ultimate decision to help himself are courageous, heartbreaking, and inspiring. I respect Chris Rose more than ever for sharing something so personal with us.

Like most everyone else who has been through the hurricane, I sank into a deep sadness that I never experienced before and, hopefully, will never experience again in the months following the storm. Unlike some people, I had the benefit of being responsible for a 2 and 1/2 month old baby, my first, when the hurricane hit. Any first time mother will probably say that the distraction of motherhood is unparalleled by anything. I believe that La Luz came into our lives in the summer of 2005 to be our distraction. Watching everything fall apart around us was tempered with the hope, love, and joy pouring out of La Luz. There is nothing in the world that could have eased my state of mind like the presence of my very own baby and, because of that, I know that her debut was not a coincidence. So far La Luz has been my Celexa and the dosing seems to be just right. For now I will keep riding this high, thanks to my very own "mothers little helper".

Here she is in the bear hat that mom's neighbor Sue made for her. It is rad!

The Weekend as a Butterfly

The bulk of the weekend was spent in costume and I am sort of wondering what is going to happen tomorrow morning when La Luz wakes up and she has to put on her civilian clothing again.



On Friday night we took La Luz to Boo at the Zoo and she loved it. I even indulged her a bit and let her eat something that seemed pretty close to candy. Any child of mine should love chewy, fruity things so it was only natural that she ate the entire 4 serving bag without stopping to breathe. Boo at the Zoo is, for the most part, geared towards kids that are a bit older but being that La Luz loves to watch people and could do it all day long the entertainment for her was in the crowd. She also enjoyed the carousel and the fake trick-or-treat neighborhood. On the other hand, she jumped into my arms every time we came close to somone dressed as a monster. Whenever we saw a monster she would say "shoo, monster, go away".



A while back I sort of looked in to the idea of babies and nightmares because La Luz was having trouble sleeping. The pediatrician assured me that it was unlikely that she was having nightmares at her age. I hope she is right because between the monsters at the zoo and the house down the street there is plenty of fuel. The house is ridiculous. I have never seen such an elaborate and altogether bizzare Halloween display. Like La Luz, I am at once drawn to it but also incredibly freaked out:



Saturday started with a long and chilly run to Audubon Park. La Luz and Loki were troopers. Later on Saturday morning La Luz and I spent some time at the park on the corner and she learned yet another thing she can make baby do, go down the slide. It was good entertainment for about an hour. She also discovered that she is pretty good at climbing up the slide and hiding out in this one area of the jungle gym that I am really too big to get into. It sort of annoys me but she thinks it is hilarious.



La Luz's and I met up with Jennifer, Attie, and baby Betsy on her first outing. We couldn't really let La Luz anywhere near Betsy because of all the daycare germs but it was exciting enough that they were within a few feet of one another for the first time. Here's a picture of the most adorable cheetah around:



Before heading to Boo at the Zoo on Saturday evening, La Luz's friend Conor stopped by to show off his new walking skills and his devil costume. They enjoyed sitting on the porch and pulling on each other's costumes. Saturday night Uncle Richmond came over and we watched, It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. La Luz spent the majority of the night dive-bombing Uncle Richmond and climbing on and off his lap while he tried to eat.

Sunday morning was a bit of a dissapointment. All my life I have spent every year looking forward to the weekend when we fall back. In the early part of my life I looked forward to it because it meant we were going to the French Quarter to pick out our pumpkins, the cold weather was (pretty much) here to stay, and the holiday season was starting. As I got older I grew to appreciate it simply because of the extra hour of sleep. Yea, I know, one hour, but one means so much when you are sleep-deprived. So, I was again excited about the extra hour and even daydreamed about it on Saturday thinking maybe I would sleep until 9:30 this morning. So much for daydreams. The plan backfired and somehow La Luz decided to do something totally out of character and wake up at 5:30. Yes, that means I was technically up at 4:30. Disgusting. To add insult to injury, since the sun came up early La Luz was begging to go outside from about 6:15 until we actually did go to the playground around 8:00. It was a painful morning for me and not for Christian who, incidentally, slept late both mornings this weekend. Sitting here now I am glad that I captured that extra hour of time with La Luz instead of sleeping. I always complain about how little time I get to spend with her so I should be thankful. Here's what I got to enjoy:

We're Calling All Rock Stars

Last night Christian and I went to the House of Blues to see the Decembrists who are on tour for their new album The Crane Wife. The band was all set to play at Voodoo Fest last year but that didn't work out so we have been waiting, and waiting, and waiting and it was well worth it. Christian spent three hours with most of the band yesterday providing them with a tour of the hurricane destruction. It was apparent that they were appreciative when I met them before the show last night. Not only did they enjoy getting to know Chrisitian, they were deeply moved by what they witnessed and, like most people who have seen the devastation, they couldn't get over how much of the impact of the storm is lost in the media and how you really do have to see it to believe it. I thought it was sort of touching that they gave up 3 of their 12 or so hours in New Orleans driving through the flooded parts of the city.

Don't think that the somber afternoon affected the show one bit. The band absolutely rocked. Maybe it was just like every other show they have played and will play on the tour but I like to think that they gave us a little something special, figuring we could all use an escape from reality. And what a great escape it was. The hightlight for me was Engine Driver. As with most Decembrists songs, I am intrigued by the lyrics. The highlight for Christian was when they played My Mother was a Chinese Trapeze Artists. Maybe when he heard the first few notes it reminded him of those summer evenings when La Luz was a newborn and the only thing that seemed to agree with her was rocking in Christian's arms and listening to the Decembrists.

After the show we headed to one of the bars down the street and drank a round of Abitas with the band. I think we could have stayed out until the morning visiting with them but, alas, times have changed and we now have a kid and a babysitter who had to be up and ready for school at 8 this morning so we figured 1:30 was already pushing it.

I left work at noon to watch La Luz since mom-mom is in Thibodaux. Hopefully she will take a nap so that I can actually get some work done and prove that working from home might be an option. Here are a few pictures of what I am usually missing on a weekday afternoon. It is great fun.

The Decembrists Are Coming

I tried to post last night but blogger was not working properly. Instead, Christian and I watched a very exciting episode of Lost. I am really enjoying the new season and I think they are doing a great job of keeping the audience guessing.

La Luz enjoyed another lovely day yesterday and an ordinary night. Below is a pic of her ready to eat dinner. These days she lets you know when it is time to feed her. She will walk to her high chair and say "get in", then she will ask for her bib and whatever meal she thinks it is time for. She is usually pretty good with respect to figuring out when certain meals are to be had. However, last night she asked for breaky.



Today and tonight will not be ordinary, however. The Decembrists are playing at the House of Blues and they are, at least for now, Christian's favorite band. In addition to catching the show tonight, Christian enlisted to act as tour guide for the band. This afternoon prior to the soundcheck Christian is going to take the Decembrists on a tour of the areas that were hardest hit during Katrina. I am not so sure that the tour will set the mood for the sort of show that the Decembrists fans are undoubtedly looking forward to but so be it. The best news is that Christian vacuumed my car last night so he could chauffer the band in style. Gone are the cheerios, goldfish, and other odds and ends left behind by La Luz. Christian gets to hang out with his favorite band and I get a clean car. Wow.

La Luz will get to spend the evening hanging out with Kelsea. Let's hope she is on her best behavior.

When Left to Our Own Devices

So, tonight Christian is under the weather. I know he must really feel bad because he went to sleep at 7:30 and he is a night owl. Unfortunately, we are incredibly unprepared for illness in this house. Occasionally you can find some baby tylenol lying around the house but that is about it. No cold medicine, no orange juice. Christian had to make do with a few Advil (probably from the prior owners) and some juice (probably Lucy's). If it's a cold there is not much you can do for it anyway, right?

Since Christian went to sleep Loki, La Luz, and I were by ourselves. I always forget how tricky it is to feed, entertain, and bathe La Luz without the extra set of hands Christian provides until I am alone. It is, for sure, a team effort. The worst part of the night was when La Luz found the cookies and then started freaking out when Loki was chasing her around the house. Here's a small sampling of what happens when we are left alone:



We got through it somehow. I even managed to bake a chicken so that we can have a proper dinner tomorrow night. At least I think I did. It is in the oven right now and I just checked with mom and I seem to be doing it right. I guess we will see.

Oh yeah, and the heat thing...it is on and seems to be working. I suppose feeling bad was just enough incentive for Christian to turn it on. Go figure.

The Return of Old Man Winter

Blogger has been a bit sluggish over the past 24 hours. I tried posting last night to no avail. Just in case I get kicked off before I finish the post, here is a pic of La Luz in the shirt her Aunt Molls sent her recently:



Yesterday I snuck out of work early to enjoy the coldest and most beautiful day we have had in a long time. La Luz and I went for a quick spin around the park (she had already been once with mom-mom and the aunties) and then headed to Whole Foods to pick up some dinner. It is amazing how much I can accomplish in the evenings when I leave work at a decent time.

I had on a t-shirt and shorts on saturday and then, out of nowhere, it suddenly feels like Christmas. Last night we debated turning the heat on and ultimately decided not to. I guess we both sort of realize that turning the heat on probably won't make much difference in our drafty, old house so we are sort of reluctant to bother trying. On the other hand, I worry about La Luz. What if she wakes up in the middle of the night shivering? Does that happen to babies? Will she know to cry? Will I believe her cry is sincere? To alleviate my fear I stuffed her into a 6 - 9 month sleeper with feeties and piled two blankets on top of her. She looked very uncomfortable but I think she was warm. I am sure it will be in the 80's again by the end of the weekend so I guess I don't need to worry much.

The Weekend, Courtesy of Nana & Papa-T

Friday was a gorgeous day and with it came the arrival of Nana & Papa-T and the onset of a weekend of fun for La Luz. We all love when Nana & Papa-T come to town because it means a chance to visit and also get spoiled quite a bit. Unfortunately, Christian was busy with volleyball again (another tournament) so he did not get to see as much of his mom and dad as he would have liked. Here's a picture of La Luz playing with the new stroller that Nana and Papa-T brought her:



On Friday night La Luz and I went with Nana & Papa-T to Ignatius where we met up with mom-mom and ate a nice dinner outside enjoying the cooler weather. On Saturday we woke up early and had breakfast at Bluebird before Christian had to be at Newman for the tournament. While Papa-T did some landscaping work in the front yard (I am still not exactly sure how it ended up that he spent his day off doing maual labor) La Luz, Nana, and I ran some errands. After naptime we all went to Newman to watch Sacred Heart play Assumption for first place in the tournament. On Saturday night Christian and I went to my 15 year high-school reunion. Yea, I know, I am officially old and I think it shows these days. After the reunion Christian and Nana went to Harrah's and Nana won BIG!!!!

This morning La Luz and I were up a few hours before the rest of the gang so we walked around the neighborhood waiting for the sun to come out and stopped off at the Boulangerie for some croissants to entice everyone out of bed. We spent the rest of the morning hanging out with Nana and Papa-T until they had to hit the road around 11:30.



La Luz was not in the greatest mood today because of a new tooth coming in. To add to the bad mood, La Luz sort of moped around for the remainder of the day once Nana and Papa-T left until we went to City Park for the evening concert. Once she saw Emma and Luke she perked up and enjoyed dancing in the muddy grass.





All in all, it was a lovely weekend. It is a shame that it is already over and that I have another busy week staring me in the face. Sometimes I have that same sensation I used to have in high-school and I think that maybe if I just never go to sleep on Sunday night I can put off Monday morning a bit longer. I will let you know if it works.