Lone Star Kate

2012: The Year of New Drywall

2012-01-20T13:12:00.006-06:00

Alex on Christmas morning

The last few months have been so frenetic that it feels like 2011 knocked me down and ran me over as it rushed out, and 2012 did the same thing as it rushed in.

We had a wonderful Christmas in Driftwood, complete with Greenburg turkey, cookies for Santa, and weather cold enough to justify a fire. I missed my New England family, but I didn't miss traveling!

Alex was a little overwhelmed at first on Christmas morning, but he quickly figured out that all those packages contained fun toys for him. By the afternoon, he was banging on a xylophone and singing "Yay, Christmas!"

Now it's January, which has been a mixed bag. A seemingly simple plumbing problem last week turned into a broken pipe that gushed water all over the house. Greg tried to turn the water main off, only to find that the valve was broken, which meant full-force flooding for over 20 minutes. By the time the water was off, carpets, drywall and furniture were soaked.

We moved into a hotel for three nights while Servpro set up industrial fans and dehumidifiers all over the house (and yes, insurance is covering this disaster, thank goodness!). We're back in the house now, but are just starting the process of moving furniture from room to room in order to replace carpets, drywall and base boards.

In the middle of the house flooding and subsequent drying, we decided to stay the course on our planned trip to California, where our friends Heather, Mike and their almost 2-year old Zachary live. I'm so glad we did, even though broken bonding on my tooth hours before our flight almost derailed the trip. Packing meant wading through piles of stuff and jumping over fans, but I did put clothes into a suitcase, which felt like a victory.

Heather and Mike welcomed us into their home in Berkeley, where we stayed for one night before heading to Lake Tahoe. There, we rented a cabin together and played with the boys for a few days. There was no snow, a real anomaly for Tahoe in the winter, but there were places making enough snow to sled on, and we got a dusting the last night we were there.

Snow!

Mostly we just enjoyed the company of good friends, sat in a hot tub (after toddler bedtimes) and had a blast watching the boys play together. It was a much-needed vacation, and it made me feel so thankful for the friends in our lives.

Alex and Zachary enjoying bath time in Tahoe

Poor Alex had developed a double ear infection by the time we returned this Tuesday, and he and I are now sharing a bad cold. I've been living on DayQuil and tea for the last few days, but am hoping to return to feeling human soon.

Alex is now one month out from his 2 year birthday! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the house will be back to normal by that time.

Meet Lovey Bunny

2011-12-07T11:41:00.002-06:00

This is Lovey Bunny. Don't tell Alex, but it's actually one of two Lovey Bunnies. The night he caught a stomach bug several months ago and I had to wrench Lovey, covered in vomit, away from a screaming baby, was the night I promptly went online to order a backup.

Since he was a wee little guy, Alex has had a number of loveys and small blankets surrounding him at naptime and bedtime. I'm not sure why the bunny became the MUST HAVE lovey, but now that he's attached to it, it's a really big deal. In recent weeks, he's gone from wanting Lovey in some kind of proximity while sleeping, to demanding Lovey accompany him everywhere. He'll carry Lovey Bunny with him while he plays, get interested in something else and drop the bunny, then a few minutes later realize he doesn't have it and start saying "uvvy bunny? uvvy bunny?!?" We've been encouraging him to go look for the bunny instead of finding it ourselves and handing it to him, and that seems to help stem some of the panic.

I also put my foot down on places L.B. cannot go with Alex - to daycare, in the bath and into the Children's Museum (which I love, but also know to be full of germs. I shudder to think of L.B. dragging on the floor there or hanging out on the much-handled train table).

Needless to say, Lovey Bunny's upgrade in status has meant a lot more time in the washing machine. If either L.B. makes it out of this phase in one piece, I'll save it (or them) for a grown-up Alex.

Thanksgiving in Canada

2011-12-01T14:13:00.005-06:00

I'd like to give thanks to all the rabbits and ducks that provided some delectable meals during our Thanksgiving trip to Quebec City. I don't often eat rabbits or duck, but they seemed to be on every menu we encountered, and you know what they say: when in Quebec, order Duck Poutine.

Nothing beats Quebec City for winter wonderland charm. The first full day we were there, we woke to snow falling all over the city. It didn't accumulate to more than half and inch, but it looked beautiful against all the twinkling lights and Christmas decorations around the Old City. Alex loved touching it and making snowballs, too.

While we were there, we mostly walked around the Old City, although we did take an excursion to the Quebec Aquarium, where Alex enjoyed looking at jellyfish and touching starfish and sea cucumbers.

Traveling with a toddler isn't easy, and Alex wasn't always prepared to sit still for restaurant meals. He did a great job overall though in some places that weren't very toddler-oriented. Table-side service didn't hurt - at Le Continental, he loved watching the Duck a l'Orange being flambeed.

Staying at Le Château Frontenac was a wonderful part of the trip.

The hotel was resplendent with Christmas decorations, and the canine ambassador, Santol, delighted Alex. He also got very fond of elevator rides.

It was sad to say au revoir to Quebec, but it was good to get home. Poor Alex had been battling a cough the whole trip, and I took him to the doctor the morning after we returned. She thought he had a sinus infection, and gave him an antibiotic. I'm still not sure if that tackled the problem, as he's had a very fussy few nights. Fingers crossed for the remainder of the holiday season to be healthy!

Lions and Tigers and peacocks, oh my!

2011-11-21T09:05:00.003-06:00

I am lucky that since I essentially work as a freelancer, I can make my own schedule. Right now that means I work full days on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and have Alex at home with me on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tuesdays usually get eaten up by household errands, but Thursday is our free day. I love my Thursdays with Alex, and I love that Austin has so much to offer. We can make it up as we go and we don't have anything scheduled that we need to rush, rush, rush off to. I'm enjoying it while it lasts!

Last Thursday was a beautiful fall day, so Alex and I drove to Southwest Austin to check out the Austin Zoo. As anyone from Texas knows, driving a seemingly simple route from one end of a city to the other can be a daunting trek. Luckily we missed most of the worst traffic.

The zoo was lots of fun. It's not a sleek, big zoo like the one in Houston. It is, however, a rescue zoo and sanctuary for the animals there, which is a nice twist on the typical zoo experience. There are some free-roaming peacocks and chickens, and lots of winding paths leading to animal enclosures. Alex and I saw pigs, goats, lots of different primates, lions, tigers and parrots. Alex was really taken with the tigers, and it was not easy to pry him away from their enclosure.

In the afternoon we did something related to Alex's other current obsession, trains - we went to Zilker Park to ride the Zilker Zephyr. We also spent a lot of time running around the awesome playground there, and I think we made a slide breakthough.

Alex has always been a little hesitant around slides. Actually, he flat-out hasn't liked going down them, unless it's on my lap. At Zilker we went down some long slides together, and I saw some big smiles on his face. And wouldn't you know it, two days later at our neighborhood park while I was chatting with a friend, I saw Alex climb up onto the playscape, charge over to the slide and push himself down, all without any adult prompting. Then he did it again, and again, and I swear the look on his face was an "I did it!" expression!

Trucks!

2011-11-14T08:12:00.002-06:00

This weekend we went to an event called Touch-a-Truck, the proceeds from which went to the Austin Children's Shelter. Besides supporting a worthy organization, the event was a dream come true for toddlers. There were vehicles from bulldozers to school buses (and of course Alex's current favorite, the fire truck) on display and open for kids to climb on. There were also helpful firefighters, EMT's and other truck experts to keep some semblance of order while dozens of rowdy toddlers handled thousands of dollars worth of equipment. We had a blast, and Alex wore himself out.

Alex also had his first encounter with an escalator this weekend in a Barnes & Noble bookstore, and it was love at first sight. Greg and I traded off riding up and down with him for about 20 minutes, until the thrill wore off - for us, not for Alex - and it was time to go home for lunch.

Alex continues to get more and more adept with words and sentences. At the end of the day, he'll now spend about 20 minutes in his crib telling Lovey Bunny about his day before drifting off to sleep. We are also having more back and forth conversations. A typical one might go like this:

Mama: "Let's ride the train downtown and go to the Children's Museum today."
Alex: "Ride train downtown. Choo choo!"
Mama: "We'll see the dinosaurs at the museum."
Alex: "Dinosaurs, rawr!"

As you can see, trains, trucks and dinosaurs are currently the big thing in our household.

Let the Holidays Begin

2011-11-11T11:44:00.001-06:00

P.K. came to visit over the Halloween weekend, and we had a great time with her! Because the weather was so mild, we spent a lot of the weekend outdoors. There was no shortage of Halloween-themed activities around town, and on Sunday we ended up at the natural history museum on UT's campus. They invited people to dress up, and had scientist handling and answering questions about all sorts of creepy crawly animals. I especially appreciated the staff who took the time to don cockroach costumes. Alex seemed to especially enjoy the giant virus model on the third floor, the fossils in the basement and the rattlesnake on the first floor (the poor snake's rattler was set permanently to "on" - yours would be too if you were held captive in a clear plastic box with dozens of children pressing their faces up next to you.)Alex and Greg were brave enough to try chocolate-covered beetle larvae. I was not. Here's a photo of Alex pre-beetle treat: you want me to eat what?

Alex was dressed up as a prince/knight - it's open to some interpretation. He loved his felt crown, and I like that this can double as a dress-up prop. The downside to the costume was that it slipped around a lot when he moves, so I unfortunately didn't get any good shots of him during his daycare's Halloween parade. Now that Halloween is over, retailers have wasted no time making every last inch of their stores red and green. Alex spent part of last weekend with his Nana and B in Driftwood, while Greg and I stayed a night in San Antonio to celebrate his birthday. It was a great trip, and Alex had a blast with his Texas grandparents. They took him to the local Ace Hardware to check out the Christmas decorations and toys, and got this picture of Alex embracing Elmo (this should NOT be interpreted as a hint about Christmas gifts - please no life-size Elmo toys!!!)

El Dia de los Muertos

2011-10-24T14:30:00.000-05:00

File this under the "good problems to have" category: there was so much going on in Austin this weekend that we didn't get to attend everything we wanted to. I had high hopes to make it to the Texas Book Festival, but that's not the kind of thing you can cram into a spare 45 minutes. Alex and I did, however, get to the Dia de los Muertos festival in downtown Austin, which is put on by the Mexic-Arte Museum. The day-long festival includes vendors, live performances and a parade. It's a great way to learn about and celebrate the Mexican and Central American Day of the Dead holiday, when ancestors are honored. Alex and I have also been reading a book about the Day of the Dead that has beautiful pictures and text in both Spanish and English. I wince inwardly each time I read the Spanish, because I know I'm butchering the pronunciation. At the festival we got a sugar skull and some pan de muerto, or sweet bread, and watched some dancers. We also enjoyed the colorful decorations that lined the streets. When Alex is older I'd love to participate in the parade, which happens past his current bedtime. We also spent some time with the Beets in Driftwood, and enjoyed a gorgeous fall night that gave us this sunset:

All on his own, Alex has started to walk along edges, railings and borders, making them into impromptu balance beams. He couldn't get enough of walking around and around Nana and B's back patio railing (with Daddy's help!) Maybe gymnastics lessons are in his future?

And finally, we wrapped up the weekend by taking in a play put on by a small community theater group at one of our local parks: Little Red Rocking Hood. It's a punk rock rendition of Little Red Riding Hood, and it was fun to see lots of friends at the park. Alex had a great time giggling at the big bad wolf and running around with other kiddos.

Pumpkins and Dentists

2011-10-21T11:36:00.002-05:00

It's that time of year when pumpkin patches spring up all over town. I've been feeling a pull to do something autumn-y and enjoy this season and the cooler weather, almost as a reminder that the summer heat is over - at least for a little while. This week in school Alex's class has been talking about pumpkins and doing lots of pumpkin activities (I now have more pumpkin art than refrigerator space at home). So I thought it would be fun to take him to a pumpkin patch to run around. Plus, what a great photo opportunity, right? The running around happened, but the photos were not to be. Here's Alex running away from mommy in the pumpkin patch:

And running back toward mommy (but away from the camera):

More running away:

And finally tuckered out, he sat down to rest on a pumpkin.

Alex also had his first dentist visit this week. We went to a pediatric dentist who was very good at getting some giggles out of Alex and putting him at ease. He reported that Alex's teeth are in great shape, and that we only have four more teeth to go (although they're going to be molars) until we're done with teething! The latest round, all four canines, has been really rough on all of us.

Plants and Playgrounds

2011-10-16T18:40:00.001-05:00

It was a pretty quiet, but fun, weekend here in Austin. Alex and I were glad to have Greg back from his business trip in Dallas, and the weather continues to be beautiful (during the week I took Alex in the jog stroller twice to the hike and bike trail around Lady Bird Lake downtown, went for a run, then took him to a park where he could run.) This weekend we tried out a new park in the Mueller development, a master-planned community where Austin's old airport was. It turns out to be a fantastic playground near a nice pond with lots of ducks and swans eager to chase down visitors for bread crumbs. We also made it to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center for their semi-annual plant sale. I'd never been before, but I'll definitely be going back. It's a beautiful place with lots of resources and information on native Texas plants (and how to grow things that won't die in the heat). Alex had fun running around and splashing with some other toddlers there.Alex is starting to use more and more sentences now like "help Mama", "sit down", "more crackers please" and even "I love you." He's also mastered counting from 1 to 10, and can sometimes go to 14. We had fun counting butterflies this weekend - the Monarchs are migrating to Mexcio now, and we have been able to sit in our yard and watch dozens at a time float by. They're beautiful!

Finally, Fall

2011-10-10T09:46:00.001-05:00

It looks like fall has finally come to Central Texas, and it brought rain! Our state is well and truly parched, so this is a big deal. We got about two inches of rain over the weekend, and already the trees and plants look perked up. Unfortunately I can't say the same for our lawn, which if anything looks browner and deader; but that's what grass seed and fertilizer are for. Alex is getting very good at doing things all by himself: he's using a fork and spoon with more dexterity, knows how to blow his nose, can drink out of an open-topped cup, and can put on shirts and pants (with some help). I've also started doing some kitchen stuff with him - I hesitate to call it cooking, but it's at least an introduction to making things to eat and drink. In the picture above, he was helping me make homemade lemonade. Alex rolled the lemons, and then decided to go ahead and sample them once I'd squeezed the juice out. The first time he did this he got a surprised expression on his face from the sour flavor, but then he helped himself to several more lemon halves. I think the lesson here is that when life gives you lemons, eat them. This weekend, we spent the night at Nana and B's Driftwood house for the first time, and had a lot of fun. Alex got to see the deer that like to come out of the woods and poke around the back patio at dawn and dusk, and we also went on a nature walk where we talked about dragonflies, pine trees and cacti. Greg and B also found a very large, very scary centipede. Everything really is bigger in Texas, which in my opinion is an unfortunate thing when it comes to the insect kingdom.

Dinosaur Day

2011-10-06T21:11:00.005-05:00

Apologies for such a long blog hiatus. After returning from a wonderful trip to New England in August, September turned out to be a very busy month, and October is shaping up that way as well.

Alex has now moved from T I to T II, and has adjusted well to the new classroom. Last week they talked about trees, and did lots of activities related to trees. It's finally cool enough to go outside without gasping in horror, so we've been able to visit parks, where Alex shows off his tree knowledge by naming "bark", "leaf" and "big tree!"

Today we had a dinosaur day. I wish I could say I planned this, but it kind of fell together. In the morning we took the commuter rail to downtown, where we visited the Austin Children's Museum. That museum currently has a dinosaur exhibit where kids can touch model dinosaurs, crawl in caves, wear dino costumes, and hold dino "eggs".

In the afternoon, we went to the Austin Nature and Science Center in Zilker Park, which was great! We'll definitely be going back often. We walked on some trails and saw lots of trees, flowers and birds; we saw some animals that can't go back to living in the wild and are kept in nice habitats there, including a red fox, a bobcat, a skunk, a raven and a coyote. Alex was unimpressed with all of those, and really honed in on the noisy grackles, chiming in with his own "Tweet, tweet! Birds! Tweet!" The nature center also has a "dino pit" which has pits of sand full of shovels and brushes, as well as half-buried fossils (not real), so that kids can excavate. The photo above is Alex at the entrance to the dino pit, impressed with the bones. Below, Alex is uncovering some mammoth bones.

Dancing Away the Heat Advisory Blues

2011-08-01T11:50:00.004-05:00

Well, my East Coast friends and family, it seems you got a taste of what summer in Texas has been like this year. The difference between us is that our heat wave has not moved on. If anything, it's obstinately sitting right on top of our state and bringing more heat!

There's nothing to do but wallow in swimming holes and dance in one's diaper. Which is exactly what Alex likes to do nowadays as a post-dinner workout. In the above video, taken last week, we were preparing for bath time when Wayne Cochran's "Boom Boom" came on the ipod. As you can see, it was a hit!

In other news, we've had an exciting development: Greg's parents, otherwise known as Nana and B, bought a house in Driftwood. For those not familiar with Texas geography, Driftwood is a tiny town nestled in the beautiful hill country southwest of Austin. Best of all, their house is 36 miles door-to-door from ours - much closer than Houston. While they're going to make a slow transition from Houston to Driftwood, they've been able to come out here on the weekends, so we've had some great visits.

The new house is beautiful, as is the land around it. Especially exciting to Alex is the child-size room under the stairs that the house's previous owners made into a cozy room for their children. Here's Alex checking it out.

And here he is playing inside with some toys Nana put out.

We're looking forward to spending lots of time with Nana and B at their new home!

It's Still Summer?!?

2011-07-18T13:05:00.003-05:00

Well, it's still hot. It's been hot since April, and the weather shows no signs of letting up. It's a little discouraging to think that it's still only JULY and we likely have another two months of extreme heat. The only thing to do is swim as much as possible and seek out air-conditioned venues.

That hasn't stopped us from doing some fun activities. At the end of June, Alex's Grammy and Aunt Eloise came for a visit. Alex is pictured above during a visit we took to the Umlauf Sculpture Garden. He was very taken with this sculpture of a baby.

I've also introduced him to ice cube painting, an idea I can't claim as original - it came from a much craftier mom who has a great blog called Chasing Cheerios. I put food coloring (too much, it turns out; we both spent a few days with green hands) in an ice cube tray to make different colored ice cubes. Then we set up some painting paper outside and tried out the different colors. It was a big hit with Alex, and a nice hot weather activity.

More news to come soon on this blog - but for now, the heat has fried my brain. Stay cool out there!

Father's Day 2011

2011-06-22T12:17:00.002-05:00

As all four of my blog readers now know, I don't post timely updates. With that disclaimer, happy Father's Day to all the great dads and granddads out there, including mine and Greg's!

Before I delve into the details of our latest adventures, let me first say that I think Greg is an amazing, loving, creative and diligent Daddy. (Or "Dada" as Alex calls him). Alex is a lucky little boy! Many are the days when Alex will be in full-fledged toddler food flinging mode at dinner, only to hear Greg's key turn in the front door and magically transform into a smiling and laughing child. A few weeks ago Alex and I were at Gymboree, and another little boy who was there with his Dad happened to say "Daddy" within Alex's earshot. Alex took that to mean that *his* Daddy was there, and he spent the next few minutes walking around the room and peering under toys, saying "Dada? Dada?" The boy loves his Daddy!

Anyway, back to our week. Here at Casa Beets, there have been some exciting developments. Today we got the carpets cleaned and stretched (actually, despite my sarcasm, this is exciting. They look like brand-new carpets.) It rained about an inch - and that really is a big deal for poor, burnt-up Austin. We had a really fun weekend visit with Nana and Granddad B, and are looking forward to a visit from Grammy and Aunt Eloise this coming weekend! Eloise will do another UT volleyball camp while they're here.

Unfortunately, because of the extreme drought Central Texas is experiencing, we're looking forward to a very lackluster Fourth of July. The City of Austin has canceled its fireworks display, wisely deducing that acres of tinder-dry grass plus 20 minutes worth of pyrotechnics may not end well. That cancellation prompted the Austin Symphony Orchestra to also cancel its musical performance, which is doubly sad. Nonetheless, we're going to try to rustle up something fun to commemorate the holiday weekend. Perhaps a rain dance.

Splish Splash

2011-06-13T10:37:00.003-05:00

We had a great weekend - at least from my end, it was great. Greg may have a different take on it, since he spent much of Sunday trying to bring our lawn mower back to life, without success. Aside from that incident, the weekend was filled with friends, lots of water play, and tomatoes. My tomato plants are going crazy, and I'm trying to come up with inventive way to use 1 zillion tomatoes.

Greg and I took Alex to a splash pad we hadn't tried out before, near the UT campus. This one has the added benefit of partial shade, and is my new favorite. Right after arriving at the park, Alex decided he'd rather explore the wooded area (which in Austin during the summer really means lots of dead grass) than the cooling water. I went along with that until he started picking up burrs on his clothing. Luckily he decided the splash pad was an acceptable second choice, and he got some good water play in.

On Sunday we went to Deep Eddy, where you can currently see the ongoing installation of a mosaic mural that looks like it will be stunning when it's completed. Alex practiced some kicking in the water and had fun waving at all the other kids.

It looks like this week will push the forecast past that high 90's mark and into the 100's, so no doubt there will be more water time in our near future.

Summertime Blues

2011-06-06T12:03:00.003-05:00

The artist proudly displays his work

I predict that before this summer is over I will have ranted on this blog no fewer than 50 times about how much I hate Texas heat and drought. Here's the first rant: there are very few hours during the day when I feel it's safe to let my child play outside, either because of the intensity of the sun or the intensity of the heat. We try to come up with creative, air-conditioned alternatives, and I think we're doing a pretty good job. The Gymboree membership my Dad and Mary got us for Christmas is a life saver!

I've also tried to stock up on activities and ideas for playing in the house. I recently came across indoor window markers, and broke them out this weekend.

Unfortunately, it didn't dawn on me that encouraging a 15-month old to draw on glass doors may also lead him to believe the entire house is a canvas. This product is great for a kid his age, as long as it comes with constant and hovering supervision. Even that, as the photo shows, didn't stop him from also scribbling on his face and taking a taste test of the markers (which are non-toxic).

Memorial Day/Birthday Weekend

2011-06-01T10:19:00.004-05:00

The great thing about having a birthday on a national holiday is that I almost always get a long weekend to celebrate with friends and family.

If I had it my way, Austin would have been about 10 degrees cooler, but as it was the heat made the ice cream cake Greg got that much more enjoyable. On Saturday night we got a sitter and met up with friends at a new downtown gastropub called Haddington's. It was everything a birthday gathering should be - good conversation with good friends, yummy food and fascinating cocktails. On Sunday Nana and Granddad B came into town from Houston and we had fun with them at Mayfield Park (where the above picture was taken). It took some work keeping Alex from going after the peacocks, but he had a great time practicing his walking and looking at the turtles in the ponds.

Nana and B graciously offered to babysit Sunday night, so Greg and I went out by ourselves for a bite to eat at Simplicity Wine Bar.

And on Monday, we played around the house, went for a nice walk, got donuts for breakfast, and had my favorite BBQ - Ruby's - for lunch! You're starting to get the idea, right? Long weekend + birthday = hedonistic levels of food consumption.

Alex is now enamored with walking. If he's not sleeping or eating, he has to be moving. Sometimes he'll just do laps around the living room, or practice going up and down the little step between the kitchen and den. Thankfully, I've discovered the concept of "splash pads." I'm not sure if folks in the Northeast use these or not. This is one of those things you wouldn't really seek out unless you have a young child, so I wasn't really looking for them when I lived there. They are probably going to be the key to surviving the summer here in Austin, since they're essentially playgrounds with lots of water fountains that are chlorinated and designed for playing in. Alex can run around to his heart's content, play in the water, and keep (relatively) cool in the process.

Cowboy Alex

2011-05-22T21:51:00.002-05:00

When Alex turned 1, he got a "Rody" horse for his birthday from his Gram. It's really only been recently that he's gotten tall enough and bold enough to ride it, though.

Today Rody got a good workout, and the fact that the horse would practically buck him off when Alex got going only seemed to make it more appealing to him. I can't emphasize enough how cute it was to see him woozily walk up to Rody after getting bounced off and try to swing his chubby little leg over its yellow rubber back.

I know it may look bad that this video ends with me laughing as my child is launched over the horse's head, but I promise he was completely unharmed and laughing just as hard as I was. Yee haw!

Food, Glorious Food

2011-05-18T20:52:00.003-05:00

It goes without saying that when a child is learning to feed him or herself, there are lots of messes involved. Which is why it may have been a beyond stupid idea for me to have my hands on a camera button while trying to document Alex eating yogurt on his own. But he's just so darn cute, and I was so proud of him, I had to try. And it paid off!

Also, "mess" is a relative term right now in our house, since we have a gaping hole in out living room floor, which, even when covered at night, emits a faint gray water odor. Can't wait to have this plumbing work done. More on that later.

The spoon makes it into the yogurt...

At this point I was chanting through clenched teeth "please don't throw the yogurt, please don't throw the yogurt."

Success!

Waiting Room Adventures

2011-05-12T13:00:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been a week of waiting. First, waiting in the airport for a new flight, after the flight I'd been scheduled on was canceled. Then, waiting in the hospital for my Dad's surgery.

He was scheduled for surgery at 2:30 pm on Tuesday, but hospitals and airports are remarkably similar in some ways: sometimes things happen, and it's nobody's fault, and you just have to resign yourself to waiting with little information. That's very hard for members of the Harrington family to do, so there was a considerable amount of cursing and pacing going on pre-operation. And then, the surgeon, who radiated calm and competency, came, marked up my Dad's ear; the anesthesiologist came and put in and IV; the anesthesia started to take hold; and off he went to surgery. Mary and I were suddenly left with the most difficult wait of the day in front of us, so we went to get some tea and cookies and decompress.

Luckily, all went well. The surgeon (who allowed us to hug him) said he was very happy with what he'd seen. Two days later, my Dad is still making a good recovery, but the hospital team is keeping a close eye on him. At this point, there's still a chance fluid could build up again, and they also want to be sure his seizures are under control. So we're breathing some sighs of relief, but are also still watching and waiting.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday it was time for me to fly back home. A huge line of thunderstorms moved through the Dallas area, shutting down the airport and throwing flights into chaos. So I bounced around from gate to gate trying to find a new Austin flight that actually had a chance of leaving the airport. Along the way I'd catch snippets of disconcerting conversations like "all the hotel rooms in the DFW area are full" and "there are no more flights going to that city tonight." Even if it's not your city, those are words that will put a chill in the spine!

I did finally make it on a flight. That airplane, unfortunately, was under the supervision of a less-than-stellar ground crew, and it backed into a catering truck on its way out of the gate. (Do airplanes even have food on them anymore? What was a catering truck doing there?) So there was a mad reshuffling, another plane found, then an attempt to reboard. Somehow I went from a ticketed passenger to a non ticketed passenger, but someone took pity on me and I was waved on board the new flight. Finally, after waiting for new dispatch numbers, luggage load counts and a refueling, the plane took off.

Needless to say, I was very glad to touch down in Austin! And even more glad to see Greg and Alex this morning. Greg, because he's a saint, stayed home and let me sleep in. And has taken the lead on all our plumbing issues, which seem like they may be resolved soon. And, it rained in Austin! So things are looking up.

Happy Easter!

2011-05-05T13:05:00.003-05:00

We had a really fun Easter with my Dad and Mary (also known as Granddad H and Mimi). They cooked us a delicious Easter dinner that included lamb, scalloped potatoes, asparagus, broiled tomatoes...it was amazing! Alex loved it too, and ate a hearty helping.

We did a little Easter egg hunt in our backyard, Texas-style. I used cascarones, which are colorfully dyed eggs filled with confetti. Alex had a blast cracking them open!

He is getting better and better at walking, although a bad tumble last week resulted in a fat lip and some hesitation on his part. When he does get going, he'll cheer himself on by saying "go! go!" as he walks.

Fiesta in San Antonio, and a new haircut!

2011-04-19T10:48:00.002-05:00

Alex has had a few action-packed weeks lately, some of it good, some of it not so fun. Here's a rundown of the good: he got his first haircut at a little Austin place called The Hair's Lair. The woman who runs it specializes in hair cuts for little, little ones, and did an excellent job. We were in and out in less than 10 minutes, and Alex was occupied the whole time with some clever toys. And, his haircut looks great! She also saved some clippings for me and gave Alex a certificate to commemorate his first haircut.

We also went to San Antonio this past weekend with the Beets to celebrate Nana's 65th birthday! It happened to be during Fiesta weekend, so there were lots of colorful parades, costumes and decorations around town. It was also perfect spring weather for walking around, and of course it was so much fun to spend some time with family.

Unfortunately that spring weather has disappeared and we've evidently launched right into summer. Alex has been enjoying his little pool in the backyard lately.

The poor guy also got a little stomach bug, and spent one night last week throwing up a lot. Luckily, it seemed to pass quickly, but now we've moved on to a new round of teething. He's got some big bumps under his gums that seem to be molars getting ready to break through. Unfortunately they're taking their time, and he's in a lot of pain. Is there a patron saint of teeth I can make an offering to?!?

Walk This Way

2011-04-09T23:02:00.002-05:00

Although it would be a stretch to say Alex has started walking all on his own, he has taken his first few wobbly steps all by himself, and is getting bolder every day. Most of his walking still happens while grabbing onto an adult's fingers, although it's more of a symbolic grip these days than a true helping hand.

By the way, here is probably a good place to point out that once again, the picture above has nothing to do with the subject matter of this blog post. I haven't been able to capture Alex walking yet on film, so I chose a recent photo of him playing with some water-filled containers in our back yard. If it's alarming to you that in late March, when this photo was taken, it's already warm enough to be splashing around with water in the yard, you're not alone. I'm dreading what this summer will be like if we're already hitting 90's in April.

But I digress - in addition to getting steady on his feet, Alex is also becoming much more verbal. He's very good at saying words back to Greg and I now, and we've heard everything from the "la la la" chorus in songs to "bath", "kitty", "pop" (as in popping bubbles) and of course "uh-oh." He uses "uh-oh" both as a precursor and a follow-up to dropping something, which is helpful to me if I need to catch whatever he's planning to drop.

March Madness

2011-03-15T16:51:00.003-05:00

I think it's fair to say that this March has been the busiest month I've ever lived through. SXSW has rolled into town, and while that used to mean a handful of hispters and music industry folks, it's now grown into a gargantuan event. The Interactive portion of SXSW consumed both Greg and me - Greg was a panelist representing the State for a social media and preventative healthcare event, and I helped launch a social media campaign surrounding retail, specifically the popup Apple store that appeared on Congress Ave. last Friday. After all the time I've spent on Twitter, my thought patterns now occur in 140 characters or less.

Throw magazine deadlines, taxes and a toddler on top of that, and it's one crazy month!

But it's hard to complain when the weather is this nice. Flowers are popping up all over Austin, birds are chirping, and the daytime highs are in the mid-70's. On days when I'm not working downtown, Alex and I have been enjoying time in some of our neighborhood parks. We even braved downtown Austin today to trek into the Children's Museum.

I've been terrible at taking photos in the last few weeks, but I promise to get back on track soon. Alex is getting taller by the minute, and he seems to be on the verge of walking. He now stands on his own for long periods of time, and will walk when holding on to a grownup's hands. He's also mastered pointing, and will point at things out the car window and say "I see." All signs point to a talkative child!

1st Birthday

2011-02-19T19:40:00.004-06:00

Whew! What a day. I'm sure I sound like all parents when I say "how has a year already gone by?!?" And yet in some ways it feels like so much longer than one year ago that we were bringing home a tiny, brand new baby who we were just starting to get to know.

Poor Alex started out his birthday with a nasty-sounding cough, so I took him to the doctor, where we sat with dozens of other kids who had the same cough. The doc said he's got a mild sinus infection and bronchitis, which might have morphed into something really unpleasant. So I'm glad we went and got Alex some antibiotics.

Despite the diagnosis, Alex (and his parents) had a really fun day with family and friends! Alex really loved playing in the backyard with his friend Cyrus. Greg took them both for wheelbarrow rides, and they both played with a football and large bouncy ball, Alex gleefully crawling after Cyrus. You've got to love that in Austin, it's possible to play outside in February.

I made some low-sugar cupcakes that seemed to be a hit, and we spent the afternoon munching, playing, and opening gifts. Alex loved all his gifts, and I can't wait to read his new books with him, listen to our new music, and explore some of the fun toys he got. Of course the biggest gift was being able to spend time with family!

Snow Day!

2011-02-05T15:45:00.003-06:00

How much snow does it take to shut down Austin? 3/4 of an inch. That's how much snow fell late Thursday night into the wee hours of Friday morning, causing the city of Austin, state of Texas, school districts and universities to cancel their days. To be fair, there was a layer of sleet underneath that snow, which made things very slick. I watched at least one car swerve its way down our street, but most people stayed off the roads.

This wasn't Alex's first snow, since he experienced a blizzard in Massachusetts during Christmastime (which was many, many blizzards ago for that region.) Unlike that snow storm, this one quickly gave way to sunny skies, which allowed us to romp around a little before it all melted.

I think he was a little confused about all the cold, wet stuff - the look on his face says it all. Since Austin doesn't get very many snow days, I figure the next time we get a day off like this he may be old enough to try a few more snowy activities like sledding and snow angels.

The cold snap we experienced before the snow hit also froze one of our pipes, which we learned when I tried to do a load of wash. After many frustrated attempts to reset the washing machine, Greg figured out that it wasn't the machine, but the pipe, and he thawed it with a hair dryer before any damage was done. Greg also fixed the hot water faucet in our bathtub, which had become stripped and wasn't turning the water on or off. So props to him for a successful plumbing weekend!

New Camera

2011-02-03T21:39:00.002-06:00

After a year or so of grousing about our old camera, I finally got a new one. I didn't want a top-of-the line camera, since I am and will likely remain an amateur photographer. I just wanted something with a good zoom that had a decent shutter speed (I think our old camera had a shutter speed of about 30 minutes, necessitating perfect light and absolute stillness for a decent shot.)

I ended up getting a Nikon Coolpix L110, which has so far been a great camera for great value. It's been fun to experiment with photos of Alex. I call the above photo "Stendig Baby."

Transitioning to Toddlerhood

2011-01-28T20:19:00.003-06:00

Because I'm in denial that I need them, and because I'm too lazy to get up and grab them, I'm typing this without my glasses. So please excuse any typos.

Today when I picked Alex up from daycare, I had a letter waiting for me that said he's beginning his transition from the infant room, where I'd been dropping him off since he was four months old, to the Toddler 1 room. Since Alex's first birthday is around the corner, I'm of course aware of the fact that my baby is growing out of babyhood. But there's nothing like seeing it in print to really drive the point home!

In the Toddler 1 classroom, Alex will be reunited with his buddy Lila, who made the move a few weeks ago. He'll also start playing outside on the playground and in the gym and taking naps during an appointed nap time on a mat.

It's hard to believe that this time last year I was getting ready to eat the famous labor-inducing cream cheese from Worcester (it worked) and now I'm getting ready to watch my baby toddle into the next stage of his development.

What's even more amazing is the incredible spectrum of baby growth and development we've been part of in the past year. It's almost impossible to recall what it felt like to hold Alex as a tiny baby, even though I remember how fragile and small he was when we first brought him home. It's also mind boggling to think that even as recently as a few months ago we were still getting up multiple times in the middle of the night with him, and now he practically hops into his crib and sleeps tight for 12 hours. The sleeplessness is one stage I'm happy to say goodbye to!

A Long Week

2011-01-21T19:45:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow I'm headed to Massachusetts for a very quick trip in order to attend my Grandma's memorial service. Although she lived to be 89 years old, it will be hard to say goodbye. Some of my best memories from childhood and beyond are of the times I spent with my grandparents, particularly evenings and afternoons spent in their Paxton home listening to their childhood stories from an era that's now hard to imagine - the Depression, and into World War II. Sitting on the rugs that my grandma braided herself, often in front of a warm fire on cold winter nights, I learned about my ancestors on my Grandma and Grandpa's side of the family, from the great grandparents who traveled west in a covered wagon to the cousins who shared in mischief-making.

Although he won't remember it, it makes me feel better that Alex did get to meet his great Grandma, sit on her lap, and get kisses from her. Someday he'll hear stories from me and my parents about her and my Grandpa, and I hope he'll remember them and pass them on.

It will be hard to leave my little guy for three days, although I'm leaving him in more than capable hands.

It's also been difficult to deal with some of the gnawing worries that have begun to loom large since the Texas Legislature convened. Lawmakers are now studying ways to deal with a $27 billion (yes, with a "b") budget gap. Although Greg and I don't think his job will be cut, the drastic cuts to our state's education and health care systems and the guaranteed state employee pay cuts are hard to fathom. All in the name of not raising *any* new taxes. It's depressing and not a little scary. And it makes me wonder what kind of education Alex will get.

Countdown to Alex's 1st Birthday...and a Product Review

2011-01-20T14:59:00.003-06:00

Alex and I went into a local shop today to browse through the book selection, and I came across this hat. As the picture shows, it came home with us, just in time for Alex's 1st birthday - now less than a month away!

Since he won't remember this birthday, we're not having a party, but we will have some grandparents visiting, so it will be a special day. And there will be cake. It may not be homemade.

Now for the product review. I'm not a real "mommy blogger," so this comes without glossy photos, but the picture below is a good action shot.

We ended up buying two books in the "Indestructible Books" series, by Kaaren Pixton (yes, she does spell her name with two "A's.") As soon as we got home, Alex put the two books we got through their paces - we chose "Flutter! Fly!" and "Jungle Rumble." It's as if he knew they were marketed as durable and was trying to find the books' Achilles heals. So far they are, as advertised, indestructible.

These books have no words, but are illustrated beautifully. We had a lot of fun naming the animals on the pages, making the noises associated with each animal, and making up little stories to go with the drawings. I highly, highly recommend these books for anyone with a baby or toddler, or looking for a present for the under-3 set.

Back to Work

2011-01-12T19:53:00.002-06:00

Now that the holidays are over, it's back to the grind. Which in our case is actually a good thing (don't be fooled by Alex's demeanor in this photo - I caught him when he'd just woken up).

I'm working again with the Downtown Austin Alliance, filling in as their interim communications director until they hire someone full time. And what a great start I'm off to - today I managed to erase an entire database off the website! Luckily, all that data is backed up, and it was easily retrieved. I'm enjoying the work, and glad to work alongside the good folks of the DAA again.

Greg's busier than ever with his job, and more importantly, *has* a job that looks to be pretty secure. Which for State of Texas employees is significant these days, now that our budget gap is the size of the Grand Canyon.

And Alex is working hard at standing and taking some steps, with the help of furniture. He's also a very, very fast crawler now. Now that he can give the cats full chase around the house, we're working on the concept of "gentle." He gets it - but he still likes to give the cats kisses, which aren't always well received.

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T19:15:00.007-06:00

We're back home in Austin after a great trip to New England. While we were there Alex and Greg experienced their first blizzard, and we had a fantastic time celebrating Alex's first Christmas. Alex loved watching the snow fall - I think it reminded him of the snow globes we sometimes play with (gently) at home.

Alex did a great job of flying - he slept through the whole plane ride to Boston, and we managed to keep him amused for most of the plane ride back. It helped that there was another baby and a nice mom sitting right behind us.

While in New England, we spent a few nights in Rhode Island with my Dad and Mary, and enjoyed some fabulous cooking and the new fireplaces they've put in their barn. We also got a chance to get together with friends in Worcester, go into Cambridge to see a Christmas show that's a family tradition with Phyllis and Eloise, visit my Aunt Charlotte in Wellesley and decorate a Christmas tree with my mom and Michael.

We also had to take Alex to a doctor, since the cold he'd had in Austin seemed to only get worse in New England. After a long wait and then more poking and prodding than Alex would have liked, he was given a prescription for Amoxicillin, and I was relieved I'd followed my parental instincts in bringing him in.

When it snowed about 12 inches right after Christmas, we rigged a makeshift sled and took Alex for a little ride in the snow. I think it took close to 10 minutes to get him properly bundled against the cold and wind, and about 5 minutes outside before it was clear he wasn't a fan of snow blowing into his face.

As nice as it was to have my winter fix and get a good dose of snow and Christmas-y cold, I have to admit it was pretty great to step off the plane in Austin into temperatures in the 60's.

And it was so much fun to go out with friends and see some Austin bands play at the Continental Club on New Year's Eve. Best of all, Alex slept in on Jan. 1 until 7 am - a far cry from the 5 am wakeups he'd gotten in the habit of.

Christmas, Here We Come

2010-12-13T08:47:00.003-06:00

I know, yet another picture of Alex in a Santa hat. But this kid knows how to rock the Santa hats, doesn't he? The teachers at his daycare took a series of Christmas photos and gave them to us in a nice card. I'm just glad to see Alex smiling; the last time there was a school photo, he screamed his head off.

We're hoping Alex will get to see a white Christmas this year (although maybe not to the extent that Minneapolis has!) We're heading out to New England this week. I'm so excited to be going back home - it's been more than a year - but a little anxious about how Alex's first plane ride will go. We'll be flying at his bedtime, so he could crash or he could yell in frustration for a few hours.

I'm also hoping I can shake whatever illness has been dogging me for the past month. I'm on yet another round of antibiotics, since I seem to keep getting throat and sinus infections. Now, off to pack...

You're My Hero, Dr. Ferber

2010-12-04T19:59:00.005-06:00

Anyone who's been in touch with me in person, via phone, Facebook, or this blog (you name it, I've found a medium) has probably heard my bewildered rants about Alex not sleeping. The thing that's made it so frustrating is that at one time he was a good sleeper. He started sleeping through the night all on his own...and then at around 8 months old he just started waking up more and more, and Greg and I found ourselves rocking him at increasingly longer intervals each night in a desperate attempt to get him back to the sleep state we knew he could be in.

Fatigue started taking its toll. Example: one afternoon this fall, Greg and I took Alex out somewhere. I think it was the Farmer's Market. We had a lovely time, and congratulated ourselves on making it out of the house and participating in one of the many, many activities that Austin has to offer. That self-satisfaction wore right off when we returned home to find that we'd left the door open. By "open" I don't mean unlocked - I mean we'd left the front door wide open. Luckily, everything in our house was intact and where we'd left it. But wow, did we feel stupid.

The words "sleep training" started to sound less odious to me, and at the beginning of this week when Greg and I lay awake at 4:00 am after a 90-minute long marathon of rocking and shushing, I agreed it was time to Ferberize.

For those not familiar with Dr. Ferber, he's a pediatric sleep specialist based in Boston. His sleep training suggestions have been associated with "crying it out," which I discovered is an unfair misnomer after I read his book. In a nutshell, he describes how a baby who falls asleep in a parent's arms, and then wakes up alone in a crib, will of course cry out and only fall asleep again when the original situation is recreated. The solution is to get the child used to putting himself to sleep in his crib, or bed. This is done by putting the kiddo in bed when he's still awake, leaving the room for 3 minutes, then popping back in to check on him and offer kisses and reassuring words - but no more. Then you wait 5 minutes and do the same thing, and next wait 10 minutes and repeat as necessary.

When I first read this I thought "there's no way this will work for Alex, the iron-lunged child." But it did. On the first night it took less than 20 minutes for my fussy child to fall into a deep peaceful slumber. And if my readers are wondering why I've practically written a novel about this experience, please understand that to go from hours of back-aching walking in the middle of the night to a solid night's sleep is a truly blissful experience. I actually cried - tears of joy - that first night. Now on night three, all is still going well. I'm sure we'll have to go through the process again when travel disrupts his rhythm, but now we know we can do it. And sleep will no longer be an elusive prospect that might happen when Alex turns two...or three.

Thanksgiving

2010-12-02T14:11:00.003-06:00

I know we're fully into the throes of the Christmas season by now, but I'm still going to post something about our wonderful Thanksgiving. Greg, Alex and I drove to Houston on Wednesday, and stayed with Granddad and Nana Beets through the weekend. It was wonderful to have so much time together! Alex did much better on the trip to and from Houston than he has on car rides past, so I hope we'll be able to make it there more often.

While we were there we met up with friends Heather and Mike, and their 9-month old son Zachary. We also had a chance to visit with Harrington cousins - Alex could not get enough of Charlotte, Emily and Lizzie! - and with lots of Beets cousins. I was happy to finally meet Ryan, one of Greg's first cousins.

The only down side to our holiday season has been Alex's sleep. It seemed like he'd mastered sleeping through the night, but with teething waking him up frequently in the past few months we've taken some big steps backwards, and now he has several wake ups per night that require rocking and walking to put him back down. So, we're biting the bullet and starting sleep training tonight. We're going to try a method developed by Dr. Ferber, a sleep specialist in Boston, that's worked for our friends, and should get Alex to a point where he can put himself to sleep without help from us. Wish us luck! Greg and I are both desperate for a decent night's sleep.

Grandparents!

2010-11-14T13:54:00.002-06:00

Alex is getting oodles of love from his grandparents. Last weekend his Nana and Granddad Beets came for a visit (and we celebrated Greg's birthday), and this weekend Granddad H. and Mary are here. Needless to say, Alex has been a very happy boy.

Before we know it, we'll be visiting Houston for Thanksgiving, where we're also looking forward to seeing some Harrington cousins. And then it will be almost time for Christmas!

I've already gotten a lot of questions about potential gifts for Alex. He has SO many toys that he really doesn't need much in the way of gifts. However, we have created a wishlist for him on Amazon.com (which you can click here to view) in case anyone wants ideas.

In other news, I have been waiting for a plot at the community garden near our house, and one recently opened up. So I'll be hard at work in the next few days clearing the plot and making a raised bed. I'm looking forward to growing some veggies there, and someday bringing Alex along to help dig in the dirt.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T14:20:00.003-05:00

It's hard to get pictures of a wiggly infant in a Halloween costume designed for colder climates! All the same, I really like this picture of my Mom and Alex, who wore his costume for all of 5 minutes today.

We had a great time visiting with my Mom this weekend, and Alex had a blast playing with his Gram. He couldn't keep the grins off his face whenever she was in the room, and he showed off all his news skills for her - clapping, playing peek-a-boo, splashing in the tub, and even some crawling.

She graciously babysat during Saturday afternoon, and Greg and I got to watch The Social Network at the Alamo Drafthouse (while eating fried pickles, pizza and a milkshake!) It was great to see a movie, and I thought this one was very well done. I highly recommend it. It's funny to think that Mark Zuckerberg was walking around Harvard and hadn't even come up with Facebook during the same time I lived in Boston and spent a lot of time around Harvard Square and Cambridge.

We also had a chance to join our friends David and Rachel on "Team Miles for Miles" for the JDRF walk on Sunday. It was a beautiful day, and it was fun to see friends and lend support.

Peek-a-boo!

2010-10-24T22:41:00.003-05:00

I know I'm going a little crazy with the videos, but with everything Alex is doing nowadays, they seem to be the best way to show him off.

Lately he's taken to more interactive playing, and this bout of peek-a-boo is a good example of how much fun he has getting a reaction out of mom and dad.

As with all videos I shoot of him, he was doing the thing I meant to capture much better before I turned the camera on. Still, I think this one shows off his peek-a-boo skills pretty well.

Mobility!

2010-10-20T20:58:00.004-05:00

Alex has started getting up on his hands and knees and rocking back and forth; when he combines that with the belly scootch and rolling, he can actually transport himself around pretty well. He's only managed to propel himself backwards so far, but I have a feeling forward-crawling is close behind. (I feel a little silly posting a video where I can hear myself saying I *wouldn't* post it online...)

The other big development for Alex is more teeth. He sprouted two more teeth on his lower jaw without much trouble, but his top front teeth, which are about to come through very soon, are giving him a lot of pain. Unfortunately that's meant going from sleeping through the night to lots of waking up again.

Feeling Fall in the Air

2010-10-03T21:46:00.003-05:00

This weekend made me feel human again. It's amazing what a little nice weather can do. Since it was so nice out, we took advantage of the cool temperatures and took Alex to the Farmer's Market downtown and went on a few outings to the park near our house.

Alex got to try the swing set out for the first time, and as the video shows, was pretty happy with the experience!

Sleeping Through the Night

2010-09-23T13:54:00.003-05:00

We had a lot of fun when my Aunt PK came for a quick visit last weekend. We had just enough time to do a few key Austin things, like lurk around Book People and visit the downtown Whole Foods Market.

Greg and I also took Alex for a walk around one of the trails in Emma Long Park on Sunday, and enjoyed the sensation of walking through creeks that actually had water, and the feel of a cool(er) fall breeze!

The most exciting development in our household is that Alex has started sleeping through the night. He doesn't do it every night, but even on nights when he does wake up, it's usually only one quick wakeup. I know we may take some steps backwards with sleep as teething progresses, but it still feels great to have made it to this milestone!

Down to San Antone

2010-09-15T20:43:00.005-05:00

Alex had his first hotel stay this past weekend when we went to San Antonio with Greg's parents to celebrate their wedding anniversary with our annual trip to the elegant Menger Hotel.

I thought Alex was over his hatred of car seats, since he now regularly falls asleep when we're driving around Austin. But his baby radar picked up on the fact that this was going to be a longer-than-ordinary car trip about 10 minutes in, and he spent both the trip down and back screaming. Fortunately once we got there he was all smiles, and couldn't get enough of his grandparents!

We ate lunch at Schilo's, where we discovered that plain paper napkins are just about the most exciting thing Alex has ever seen. Later in the afternoon we splashed around in the Menger pool (much warmer than Deep Eddy!), and had dinner in the Colonial Room. Alex seemed to be having the time of his life, and we got lots of laughs from him.

It's hard to believe that exactly a year ago we were sitting in the Menger looking at sonogram photos, and still wondering if we would have a boy or girl.

Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-05T20:11:00.003-05:00

All three of us have been enjoying the fact that we have a long weekend, although Alex is in the midst of his first stomach bug, which has meant much nervous speculation on our part about how much more vomit and diarrhea is to come before he's over it. We've also been washing our hands so much that the skin is beginning to peel off, in an effort to stop the virus in its tracks. Emails from other Austin moms confirming they and their families are also experiencing this bug are making us more nervous. I remember all too vividly the rotovirus experience of January 2009, when Greg and I were painfully bed- (and toilet-) ridden for days.

It seemed that as of this afternoon Alex had started to turn a corner, so we're keeping our fingers crossed that we've seen the last of this bug.

Especially since tomorrow, September 6, is our second wedding anniversary. Greg and I have hired a sitter, and it will be the first time that we've gone out together since Alex was born. We're really looking forward to our date, and I'm looking forward to getting over the hump of leaving Alex with a sitter for the first time. I think once we've done it once, the whole thing will make me less nervous. And hopefully that will lead to more date nights.

Six Months Old

2010-08-21T09:57:00.004-05:00

Alex has hit the six month mark, and there have been a lot of new milestones. He is an avid fan of rolling over in both directions - so much so that he wakes up from naps and nighttime sleep on a VERY frequent basis because he's doing barrel rolls in his crib. Fun times for mommy. He's also eating cereal and some mushed up veggies now, sitting up, and expanding his "vocabulary". With two teeth in, it seems like the next few are close behind, because everything goes in the mouth. We've also been enjoying trips to Deep Eddy, one of Austin's spring-fed pools, to go swimming on the weekends with friends. The above picture is from last weekend's swim.

And, he's growing by leaps and bounds. He's now in the 95th percentile for height, and 90th percentile for weight. I think he outgrew about half his wardrobe in the space of one week, and is now in size 12-18 months! That also means it's time for us to get a new car seat. I'll have to dedicate a separate blog entry to my opinions on how the car seat industry is one big racket.

Greg and I are both having a lot of fun with him, but I sure do wish he would start sleeping again. And now, a word from Alex: hm ,,,,,,mmmmbbbbbbb

Alex Eats!

2010-08-14T12:15:00.003-05:00

Alex had his first bites of brown rice cereal this morning - it was also his first time to sit in his high chair. We had both the video camera and digital camera ready to capture the moment in case he made any faces or expressed disgust. But, it turns out, he was a pretty enthusiastic eater. I think he was more interested in grabbing the colorful bowl his meal was in, but he swallowed plenty of cereal without me even having to pretend the spoon was an airplane. Although I'm sure we'll have to resort to that at some point.

I Will NOT be the Next Michael Phelps!

2010-08-05T18:18:00.002-05:00

This photo pretty much sums up the last few days in our household. Although we had a wonderful time when Michael visited - and Alex loved playing with his Papou - the rest of the week has been a bit rough.

I came down with some mystery ailment that the doctor first diagnosed as strep throat, not a difficult conclusion, since my throat looked like a petri dish. It resisted the first antibiotic, and when I went back, I was told it was either mono or a stubborn strain of strep, and given different antibiotics and two tests. Both those tests came out negative...so I don't know what is plaguing my tonsils and throat. But the latest antibiotics seem to be working, thankfully.

Alex's first two teeth have poked through his gums, but are still causing him some discomfort. And, it's hot outside! Which is why I thought the baby pool would be such a great idea. I put a few inches of water in and put Alex in his swim diaper, and headed outside with the camera and some bath toys. About 30 seconds later we were done with the swim - he hated it. I had to snap the above picture before I took him out, to document his first "swim," though! Unfortunately, we have a play date scheduled Sunday for Deep Eddy Pool...hopefully he'll feel differently about that water.

Guitars and Teeth

2010-07-26T19:49:00.004-05:00

It was the best of times and the worst of times this weekend. The best because my Dad and Mary were visiting, and we had a fantastic time with them. The worst because Alex's bottom two teeth have finally started to poke through his gums, and he's been one uncomfortable and sleepless little guy.

My Dad and Mary spent three nights here, during two of which they came to our house and cooked us some amazing meals. It was a lot of fun to kick back on the patio and eat shrimp creole! They got lots of play time in with Alex and he was over the moon. We saw lots of giggles and smiles from him this weekend when he got cuddle time in with Granddad and Mimi.

My Dad also helped me on my path toward (I hope) a musical future. Some of my best childhood memories revolve around him playing the guitar and singing songs with me, and I'd like to share that with Alex. So off we went on Saturday to look at some guitars, and found a simple but beautiful Yamaha. My Dad made me some chord charts and helped me figure out where to put my fingers, and now I'm practicing as much as my fingers can stand it.

He also spent some time playing the new guitar for Alex, and letting him strum, and I think it's safe to say that Alex was very taken with the whole concept!

Five months old!

2010-07-20T12:37:00.006-05:00

We've had a busy few weeks; Greg traveled to Dallas for a meeting, and I've started a new part time job with the Downtown Austin Alliance that will last for a few months. I'm taking over some of the day-to-day duties of the DAA's communications director, who is about to have a baby. We'd planned to work together so I could have some training, but babies don't run on schedules, and it looks like this one will have to come early. So, it's baptism by fire!

Alex is growing seemingly before our eyes, and doing all sorts of exciting things. The most exciting of which, I think, is napping on his own in his crib and sleeping very well at night!

He's also perfected rolling over, and has now figured out that if he doesn't want to spend time on his tummy, he can just flip. And he's now a champ at grabbing and holding on to things. Most of them go straight into his mouth.

Summer Musings

2010-07-07T14:02:00.003-05:00

There's not much to report from our household this week; I'm basically just posting a blog entry as a shameless vehicle for Alex pictures.

We're looking forward to my Dad and Mary's visit in a few weeks, and then Michael's visit after that. So far this summer is flying by, and even though we're not escaping for summer vacation this year it's been a fun and (sometimes) relaxed summer. I can't help but think back to this time last year, when I'd only recently learned I was pregnant and spent every day feeling miserably sick. Last summer's record heat didn't help either, so the fact that it's green and miraculously cooler than New England (for the moment) feels like a real blessing!

Alex has moved out of the bassinet in our room and is now sleeping nights in his crib, a transition which has gone pretty smoothly. Because he's getting too heavy to carry in a sling all the time, I'm also trying to encourage him to take naps in his crib, with mixed results. My arms feel like they're going to fall off from all the rocking I've had to do to ease him into the crib each naptime.

Volleyball, Barbecue and Rollergirls

2010-06-30T09:03:00.004-05:00

We had a great time this past week when Phyllis and Eloise came to Austin. Eloise went to a volleyball camp at UT for two days, and we also got a chance to take in some classic Austin events. Alex's frequent naptimes still make it hard to do much out and about, but I was able to go to the Roller Derby with Phyllis and Eloise, and Eloise and I also got a chance to go to Barton Springs for a little while.

They stayed in South Austin at the Hotel St. Cecilia, which is pretty darn luxurious in a South Austin kind of way.

They also took a road trip to Eloise, Texas, an unincorporated town about 85 miles northwest of Austin. From what I gather, it's a pretty boring drive - that part of the state is nothing but flat - but they did get some of the best barbecue in Texas at Louie Mueller on the way back, and even brought us a rack of ribs to enjoy.

Father's Day

2010-06-22T13:07:00.004-05:00

We had a great Father's Day weekend, especially since we were all healthy, a marked departure from last weekend when I thought I was going to cough up a lung.

Greg's parents came to visit, and we had a chance to go out to eat with them and show off Alex's growing play skills. He's now laughing and smiling regularly, and has some favorite songs and toys that he reacts to. It's amazing that a little baby can get four adults to huddle around his play mat and watch every move just by exercising his vocal cords!

If I'd been in New England I would have gone to see the Red Sox play the Dodgers at Fenway with my stepdad and stepbrothers. I had to settle for watching the game on TV, where I could actually see them a few rows above home plate (unless they all have doppelgangers who happened to be at the game.) I also got a chance to talk to my dad, who is coming to visit in July. It will be the first time he's seen Alex since February, and I'm sure he'll also be enchanted with Alex's cuteness factor.

Injections!

2010-06-18T20:59:00.002-05:00

Alex is four months old! And that means he had his four month checkup today; all is well. As of this morning he weighs 17 pounds, 9 ounces, and is 26 inches long. That puts him in the 90th percentile for both weight and height.

But of course Alex doesn't care about any of that. All he cares about is the fact that he got two shots at the end of his appointment, and wow did they make him cranky. The nurse always warns that babies will be tired and out of sorts after getting vaccines, so I was armed with baby tylenol. He took a couple of marathon naps, and is now out for the night, so hopefully he'll hit the reset button in his sleep.

The appointment also gave me a chance to hear, for the millionth time, someone tell me my baby looks nothing like me. The doctor made a comment I'm now used to hearing, even from perfect strangers who have never met Greg: "He must look like his dad." Well yes, he does. And I think he actually looks a little like my dad too. But so far it appears Alex is favoring his Beets lineage more than the Harrington side.

Birthday Weekend

2010-06-06T11:22:00.003-05:00

Having a birthday with an infant means just getting out of the house, even with the baby in tow, is in and of itself a big birthday treat. Greg and Alex were good sports and came with me to get breakfast tacos at Juan in a Million, then on to Barton Springs.

Going to both venues made me realize how much Austin's population has grown. Luckily we got to Juan in a Million relatively early, so we only waited about 10 minutes for a table. Even that was enough time for me to make lots of uncharitable observations to myself about the hipster doofuses also waiting for tables and talking loudly about trendy new footwear while they lounged outside, wearing ridiculous hats and smoking cigarettes with the filters ripped off. We also beat the crowds into Barton Springs, but not out. Trying to leave the crowded, hot parking lot was nothing short of terrifying. But the time at the pool was wonderful, and I even got a chance to dip Alex's legs in the water - he didn't scream, but the look on his face suggested he wasn't thrilled with the Spring's perpetual 68 degree water temperature.

The one gift I didn't get for my birthday was sleep. Alex had been sleeping like a champ, but around the end of May started waking up more and more often at night. After about a week of this, we finally put two and two together and realized that he's probably starting to have some teething pain. A wonderfully calm and understanding pediatric nurse told me as I was near tears on the phone that even though it still might be a few months before we actually see a tooth, babies' gums can get sore before teeth emerge. Alex's penchant for chewing on fingers and toys, as well as his constant drooling and the fact that a dose of infant tylenol (but not tylenol brand) helped him again sleep a 7-hour stretch last night suggest those teeth may be on the way.

Visit from Gram

2010-05-26T09:56:00.004-05:00

Alex had a chance to show off his growing vocal skills to a whole new audience this past weekend during my mom's visit. He had a lot to say to her! He also tolerated a shopping trip to Anthropologie (thanks Mom!), and demonstrated his skill at falling asleep anywhere - anywhere!- but the car seat.

I had a great time seeing my mom, and am extremely grateful for all the food shopping she took on while she was here, as well as lending her green thumb to our yard!

First Day of Daycare

2010-05-17T17:39:00.004-05:00

This photo has absolutely nothing to do with the subject, but it's pretty darn cute - this is Alex talking up a storm and holding his lovey, a gift from our Houston cousins.

Alex is three months old now, and as of today, has started part time daycare. I was nervous about dropping him off on his first morning; luckily, he's still too young to know when mom is handing him off to relative strangers, so there was no fussing on his end.

The daycare he's attending is run by a Lutheran church in our neighborhood, and has teachers who have been working there for decades, one of the factors we liked about it. I dropped in at lunch to nurse Alex, and there were two other moms also there nursing and playing with their babies. I got a chance to talk to the teachers and watch them with the kiddos, and left feeling like he's in great hands. And, I have plenty of writing work to fill up the days he'll be in daycare - now I just have to stay awake long enough to do it.

An Open Letter to My Son's Pituitary Gland

2010-05-11T17:11:00.004-05:00

Yes, I am copying McSweeneys.

Dear Pituitary Gland,

We really haven't been properly introduced since my son's birth, although of course I'm familiar with your work. Thanks in part to you (although I'd like to also give my breast milk proper credit), our little boy is growing leaps and bounds.

However, there are times when I wonder if we could slow down to a gallop. Alex has now outgrown his Miracle Blanket, a fact I've been made abruptly aware of the past few nights as I've been repeatedly awakened almost hourly by his cries, and I see limbs flying out from the supposedly-escape proof swaddling blanket. C'mon, pituitary gland, I spent a lot of money on that blanket. Actually, thanks to a generous gift card, I didn't really spend any of my own money - however, I still feel indignant when a $30 blanket that's supposed to last for several more weeks is rendered useless so quickly.

Desperate and in tears this morning from lack of sleep, I turned to the internet and the advice of other mothers, and learned of other swaddling blankets - one of which I promptly ordered in "big baby" size. I paid for this one out of my own pocket, and even paid extra for expedited shipping, so let's make it last until we need to move up to "mega baby" size, shall we?

1st Mother's Day

2010-05-10T13:21:00.003-05:00

We celebrated our first Mother's Day this weekend, and had a great time. My family and friends were so loving and I appreciated all the wonderful Mother's Day gifts! Greg made me breakfast (but not in bed, I'm not that daring) and got me a massage gift certificate and West Side Story, one of my favorite movies, on DVD. I think my favorite thing about the day was just getting a chance to lounge around with Greg and Alex at home and downtown.

We headed to the Capitol, grabbed some lunch, and walked around the grounds. This picture is Alex peeking out from under his nursing hat after chowing down on the Capitol's front lawn. We also headed to South Congress, where Greg and I got ice cream floats at Big Top Candy Shop, before driving back home.

And Alex, who is one week away from turning three months old, showed Greg his newest accomplishment, rolling over. He's been trying for a long time to roll from his tummy to his back, and in the last few days has finally been able to make the flip. It won't be long until he's moving even more!

Weekend Visit

2010-05-05T16:55:00.004-05:00

We had a fantastic time with my Aunt PK this past weekend! Since Alex is still so little and so ornery when it comes to the car seat, we didn't venture too far from the house. But, we did make it to Barton Springs, which was amazing as always, and to Uncle Billy's BBQ on Barton Springs Rd.

With the beautiful Austin spring weather continuing, we also had a chance to eat out on our patio and enjoy the fireflies. Mostly I just loved sitting around talking and playing with Alex together. I hope PK makes it back to Austin soon!

Baby Day

2010-05-01T13:21:00.003-05:00

Austin's Alamo Drafthouse movie theaters have invented a wonderful thing for parents called "Baby Day." A few select afternoon showings a week at some of their theaters are labeled as baby day movies, and it's understood that there may be screaming children in the audience.

Alex and I took advantage of one of these screenings on Friday with the movie "Date Night." Alex slept through the whole thing, and I thoroughly enjoyed the sensation of watching a movie again in a theater. And because Alamo also serves food, I was able to also enjoy the sensation of eating out instead of hurriedly rumaging through the fridge to scrounge up a lunch that I may or may not have time to eat!

Growing Leaps and Bounds

2010-04-26T10:16:00.002-05:00

Now that we know Alex is built like a three-month old, it seems his rapid growth is becoming more apparent almost every day. Here he is wearing a new outfit from his Houston grandparents that we thought might be too large - but fits him perfectly (for now!) I took about 10 photos of him in this outfit, and like almost all my photos of him nowadays, they each turned out blurry. He's discovered how fun it is to wave his arms and legs around, and takes every opportunity to do so.

Life with Alex continues to be great, especially with such perfect springtime weather. This weekend was a bonus long weekend, since Greg took the day off Friday. We spent some time in South Austin sampling the cuisine, including donuts from Gourdoughs and pizza from Home Slice. Alex and I took in a postnatal yoga class on Sunday. Aside from the fact that the AC went out in the room we were practicing in (regrettably, just as another mom changed a stinky diaper) it was a great experience. It's fun seeing the other babies in their various forms of development, and a relief to talk with other moms.

We also fired up the grill for the first time this weekend and introduced Alex to the joys of outdoor dining. Being outdoors didn't change his insistence one bit that he be on my shoulder as I eat. It's tricky juggling an ear of corn and a baby at the same time.

Alex Beets, man about town

2010-04-19T14:03:00.003-05:00

I think this photo accurately sums up Alex's feelings about car seats, stroller seats, and seats in general that require strapping-in. We went to Houston, his first trip outside Austin, two weekends ago, and he screamed for several hours during both car rides. Otherwise, the trip was a lot of fun, and he was all smiles during the non-car portions. He loved staying with his grandparents and meeting his Houston cousins for the first time. Having three little girls dote on him seemed to suit Alex just fine!

His Houston grandparents got to see him again this past weekend, when we celebrated his Nana's birthday, and they remarked at how fast he's grown. Turns out he has indeed grown quite a bit in the last few weeks. At his two-month checkup this morning, he weighed in at 14 pounds and 24 inches long! That puts him in the 95th percentile for weight and the 75th percentile for length. The nurse asked if I am still breastfeeding exclusively, and when I told her I am, she said "you should sell that stuff!"

Alex got a clean bill of health, and also got a round of vaccine shots. That was less than thrilling for him, but now he's zonked out and sleeping it off.

Rockin the Faux-hawk

2010-04-09T17:51:00.005-05:00

Last night my child slept for five hours, ate briefly, then slept another four hours. That's an unprecedented stretch of sleep. He also napped peacefully this morning after I put him down - usually he screams if I dare to not hold him. So, I got a lot done today and had plenty of free time on my hands to style his hair and photograph the results.

Spring has Sprung

2010-04-01T11:05:00.002-05:00

It's that time of year in Austin that lulls you into thinking a little heat isn't so bad, and "it couldn't possibly get too hot this summer, right?"

After last summer's inferno, I know better, so Alex and I are getting outside while we can still do so without being burned to a crisp. Some of our favorite outings have been around Lady Bird Lake (well, my favorites - he snoozes through most of our walks).

It's nice to see boats, dogs and people as we walk, and to dip my feet in Barton Springs and fantasize about someday wearing a bathing suit again.

Grandparents Weekend, Part 2

2010-03-22T20:18:00.004-05:00

It was great to see Nana and Grandad Beets again this past weekend, and this time we got photos with them! Alex also graced them with a smile, which he's now starting to practice on a daily basis. They're still fleeting, though, and we haven't been able to capture one on film yet.

We had a busy weekend - Alex also made it to his first SXSW show, the Cynics' acoustic outdoors show on North Loop. We stayed far, far away from the downtown scene, although I think with his hair, Alex would have fit right in with the hipsters.

Getting Ready for the Sox

2010-03-20T15:26:00.002-05:00

I ordered Alex his first Red Sox hat in size "infant," which, as demonstrated here, must be a very loose interpretation of the term.

Nonetheless, he's now prepared for the Sox's opening day, which is mere days away! I hope when he gets older he gets the chance to take in many Red Sox games - preferably not at the Cask 'N Flagon, though.

One Month

2010-03-19T14:40:00.002-05:00

Alex turned one month old today. Here he's pictured with a birthday cupcake that Greg brought home during lunch time today - he's going to have to settle for getting the cupcake via breastmilk.

It's hard to believe one month has already gone by. Then again, he's changing every day and growing before our eyes. One thing is for sure: every day we fall in love with him a little more!

Grandparents Weekend

2010-03-14T17:35:00.006-05:00

This weekend Alex's grandparents from the Beets side came to visit and shower us with lots of love, gifts and frozen food! We had a great time, but unfortunately didn't take any pictures of Alex with his grandparents. Since they're coming back to the area next weekend, we'll have to try again then.

I just threw in this picture because it shows off his terrific head of hair from a whole new angle.

Although SXSW and the Kite Festival were going on this weekend amid the most beautiful Austin weather imaginable, Alex's youth and our disdain for traffic jams kept us far from those events. We instead had a great time hanging out on our patio, eating take out chicken and walking around the Triangle.

Park Life

2010-03-10T20:18:00.003-06:00

We took advantage of the beautiful spring weather today to have our first public outing, a trip to the farmer's market at the Triangle. Alex thoroughly enjoyed it - I can tell because he snoozed through the whole thing.

I'd never been to this farmer's market before, so it was a nice surprise to see lots of parents with babies, toddlers and young kids playing in the park there and listening to the banjo players who had set up on the outdoor stage.

Best of all, it's near Greg's office, so he was able to walk over and join us, and we also managed to get some ingredients for dinner.

It was great to think about meeting up with other moms there in the future and having a place where Alex can run around with other kids. And for me seeing this world of parents was like getting a glimpse into this new life we're slowly becoming part of.

L.L. Cool A

2010-03-06T11:07:00.005-06:00

This is going to be a short entry, since I'm typing one-handed...

Yesterday marked Alex's two-week birthday, and to commemorate that occasion, the poor kid got stuck with a needle. It's standard to do a second round of blood tests at the two-week pediatrician visit, and even though the doctor was efficient, Alex had lots to say about his feelings over the procedure.

On the bright side, it seems my son is quite the lady killer. As news of his unusual head of long blond hair spread through to doctor's office, lab technicians and nurses came in to check him out and give lots of compliments. By the time we left, Alex had entertained about a dozen medical professionals.

Rub a Dub Dub

2010-03-01T18:06:00.003-06:00

This is Alex getting his second bath. Needless to say, he's not a fan of bathtime so far. But when your full day of diapering includes peeing on your own face during a diaper change, I think it's fair for mom to give you a washdown.

52 Hours

2010-02-25T13:22:00.003-06:00

That's how long my labor lasted total, from the start of the early contractions to the placenta delivery. I had absolutely no idea it was that long until we met with our doula yesterday to go over the birth, and she gave me the timeline of how things happened when I was zoned out in labor land.

Considering I only had an epidural for the last hour and half of that time, I'm pretty damn impressed if I do say so myself. Most of the labor was manageable in terms of pain. The classes we'd taken and the amazing support I had from Greg and the doula helped me ride out the contractions, until we got stuck at the end. But it was tiring! I remember my legs shaking toward the end from pure exhaustion.

But it was worth it to meet this little guy at the end!

This photo is a little blurry, and I think he's already grown in the five days since it was taken, but it's one of my favorite early photos.

Alex

2010-02-24T11:52:00.004-06:00

Funny how it's hard to update a blog with a newborn...here's the abbreviated birth story. I'll try to keep the gory details to a minimum.

After about 20 hours of early labor and 17 hours of hard labor, Alexander Harrington Beets was born at North Austin Medical Center at 11:34 pm, Feb. 19. I had been laboring since 5 am that morning, and was determined that he come out on the 19th after all that time!

The whole process went well until the end, when we got a little stuck. He was very low, but I was only dilated to 7 centimeters, and not progressing. That meant I had to resist pushing with contractions or else risk hurting my cervix. When that proved impossible, I chose to get an epidural to help me through the end. By the time I got it, I was all the way dilated, but I'm still glad I did get one since it allowed me to rest a little before pushing. That phase went smoothly and quickly, and before I knew it, he was on my tummy crying, and I was finally looking at him.

The nurses, our doula and Greg were all amazing and wonderful support. If anyone reading this is contemplating a hospital to give birth at or an OB group to pick, I'd recommend Dr. Sebestyen's OB practice. Even with an epidural they supported me in giving birth in whatever position I chose, which I think made it easier in the end to push.

I also enjoyed endless rainbow popsicles, great lactation advice and good company from the nurses at North Austin Medical Center. Everyone loved Alex's shock of thick blond hair, and remarked on it throughout our stay there. As we were leaving the labor room and I was being wheeled to the recovery room where he and Greg would stay with me, the nurse pushed me past the nursery, where Alex was getting his checkup and a bath. The nurse cleaning him off held him up to the window as we passed and gently ran her fingers through his hair, giving him a faux-hawk that had him screaming, but made me laugh.

Alexander is a joy, and we've loved every minute of getting to know him. We're completely in love with him, poopy diapers and all!

Getting Closer

2010-02-18T20:27:00.003-06:00

It's hard to believe after what feels like such a long wait, but the end of pregnancy may be close. Starting last night and going strong all day today, I've been having regular contractions. When I described them to our doula, she said it sounds like early labor.

This stage can apparently go on for some time until the body decides it's time to switch gears into active labor, but it does seem to mean we're moving along. Hopefully it means we'll be holding our baby by the end of this week.

Cream Cheese, Part Two

2010-02-18T11:10:00.003-06:00

It came a day later than it was supposed to, but since the famed Eric's "labor inducing cream cheese" was still cold when I opened it, I smeared it on a bagel and am now awaiting the results. I was expecting a flavor of some sort, but while it's very tasty, its mystery ingredient doesn't make it taste any differently than plain cream cheese.

Eric is confident enough in his product to have thrown in a baby bib that has a picture of the cream cheese and says "It really works! I'm proof."

I can report that I've been having more frequent contractions, but since they started last night, I'm not sure if I can chalk those up to the cream cheese. But, I'll take any help I can get at this point. Hopefully these will turn into actual labor and my next post will involve a baby outside the womb.

Cream Cheese, Please

2010-02-16T20:21:00.003-06:00

Apparently, there is a cafe in Worcester that has spawned something of an urban myth among pregnant women.

Eric's LaPatisserie, which I actually used to visit when I was an intern at the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, sells what owner Eric claims is labor-inducing cream cheese. After reading about it here my stepmom Phyllis bought some and has FedExed it overnight to me.

Since I will be officially over my due date tomorrow morning by one day, I can't wait to rip into it. I even bought a bagel for the occasion.

If Eric's cream cheese works the magic he claims, then he will have my hearty congratulations. In the meantime, I have one tip for him after reading his quote in the column that says: “Some women have actually come in and lied to us about their due date,” he said. “They’re freaking out and they’re fat and they’re gross and they want the baby to come out. If they come in too early, it won’t work.”

Don't tell a pregnant woman she's "fat and gross," Eric. Just don't do it. It's completely valid to say that they may feel fat and gross, but given the amount of hormones coursing through a pregnant lady's system, it's really just stupid to remark at all on how her body looks. If she asks, I recommend changing the subject to the weather.

9 Months of Belly

2010-02-15T15:06:00.005-06:00

This was my first "belly shot," taken when I was about 10 or 12 weeks pregnant.

And this is what I suspect may be the last belly shot, taken at 39 weeks and 6 days. Tomorrow, Feb. 16, is my estimated due date. But apparently only about 5 percent to 10 percent of children actually arrive on their due dates, so we may be waiting a few more days.

As of this morning's doctor's appointment, he was doing great and has grown enough so that my belly had gained a centimeter in the past week. I can't imagine he has much more room in there, so I'm hoping he comes out soon. As much as I'm enjoying my afternoon naps, I'm ready to get my ribcage back.

Worcester Proud

2010-02-13T14:37:00.003-06:00

This child will be born in Austin, but I'll be darned if he doesn't grow up appreciating his Yankee roots as well as his Texas heritage. To help me indoctrinate our little guy in the ways of New Englanders from an early age, my stepfather Michael sent some clothing from two of Worcester's minor league teams, the Sharks (hockey) and the Tornadoes (baseball). Here you can see the Sharks t-shirt on my protruding belly.

I've heard the Sharks actually play the local minor league hockey team here in the Austin area, the Texas Stars. If they do come here to play, it's nice to know we'll be prepared to go see them and radiate Worcester pride.

There's not much to report in other baby news. We're just waiting now, although pretty soon I'm going to be eating hot chiles like they're going out of style because I'm ready to get things moving. A good number of friends and family members have said they expect him to come this weekend, which would be nice.

Still Waiting....

2010-02-10T09:07:00.002-06:00

We've officially hit Week 39 as of 2/9, but there's not much to report. The weekly doctor's appointment revealed that the baby is still very healthy and happy in there - he's got a strong heartbeat, and my belly measured a little smaller this week because he has dropped down very far and is now considered "fully engaged." Unfortunately, while he is head-down, he's also flipped to be completely posterior, which is the opposite of where he would ideally be for labor and birth. There's a chance when labor starts he will flip to the correct position, but in the meantime the doctor suggested lots of hands-and-knees yoga poses to encourage that movement.

As for me - when the nurse ushered me into the exam room yesterday she turned with a smile and asked "any complaints?" The only real complaint I have is that it feels like someone has taken a jackhammer to my pelvis. This is apparently known as pubic symphesis pain. I sat for about 25 weeks through pre-natal yoga classes listening to myriad women describe it and thinking "wow, I'm so lucky to be missing out on that!" I guess I spoke too soon...luckily my gym has a heated, indoor swimming pool that offers relief in 30-minute bouts, and makes me forget I weigh 25 pounds more than usual.

Waiting...

2010-02-03T09:34:00.003-06:00

We're now less than two weeks from the due date! This belly shot was taken at exactly 38 weeks. The last stretch is bringing some big changes, most notably large growth spurts from the baby and some interesting aches and pains for me.

It's also been a frenzy of setting things up, assembling and packing. Kudos to my amazing husband for putting together a mind-boggling array of baby equipment!

Hello again

2010-01-25T16:28:00.003-06:00

Now that I've not blogged for almost a whole year (I blame Facebook), I figured it was time to dust off this here site and break the news to my loyal reader, or if I'm lucky, readers, that there is life to be found at this url.

The reason behind the resurrection is that parenthood looms large - potentially only three weeks away - and it seems like it will make sense to use the blog as a way to post pregnancy updates and then photos, anecdotes and updates for our little guy through babyhood, toddlerhood and beyond. I figure I'll stop when adolescence comes so I don't mortify him. I'm also starting to realize that telling four or five sets of people the same news over and over, such as it is right now, is getting mighty repetitive.

So here's today's update: my belly is huge. My bladder is literally being head-butted. The baby has dropped, so at least one of us is ready for birth. According to the doctor, he likely weighs about 6 pounds right now.

Four down, 46 to go

2009-04-07T18:18:00.003-05:00

Vermont has become the fourth state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage - and the second state within the last few weeks to do so.

As I was listening to NPR on my drive home to work and smiling about that news (right after I called in to make my pledge to KUT...I know, I'm a walking liberal stereotype) I began wondering if our collective social and political pendulum is beginning to swing slightly away from the right.

It wasn't just Vermont's action that makes me think our nation is warming to the left. I spoke with a real estate professional today who in the course of an interview managed to insinuate that graphic designers aren't real men and assure me that he's a capitalist through and through. But he also gave vocal support to the Obama administration's push for greater energy efficiency and green technology. I have a feeling that's a sentiment I wouldn't have heard two years ago.

Of course there's always a chance the Texas Legislature could go and approve something like chastity belts tomorrow and prove me completely wrong.

That's My @#$% President!

2009-02-10T21:25:00.002-06:00

WARNING: AUDIO CLIPS NSFW

The Boston Phoenix ran a witty blog entry recently combining excerpts from the audiobook version of Barack Obama's autobiography "Dreams From My Father" with a hypothetical showdown between the new president and Republicans opposing his stimulus bill.

You can read the blog here.

In the book, Obama "introduces us to his high school friend, 'Ray,' who, like him, is bi-racial. Who, also like him, is casting about to find his place in the world. But, who, unlike him, has a potty mouth that would make a sailor blush," says the Phoenix blog.

The blog then isolated some of the book's filthier audio clips, which I now bring to you here, here and my personal favorite here.

I defy you, readers, to listen to that last one and not almost pee in your pants laughing. I think the thing that makes that last clip so funny is that Obama isn't reading it in his "acting" voice, he's reading it in his "frank talk with the American people" voice.

8th Grade Forum

2009-02-08T21:28:00.005-06:00

My sister Eloise has an 8th grade project coming up called "forum." When I was in the 8th grade, we had something similar, but since it was before the advent of Powerpoint, it was simply called the "8th grade speech."

The concept sounds similar though, and equally terrifying for someone who has a shy streak: develop a presentation around a topic of your choice and present it to the entire middle school at an assembly.

Eloise chose Austin as her forum topic, so Greg and I set off this afternoon with our friend Jen to take as many photos of Austin-centric buildings, locations and culture as we could.

Along the way we bumped into UT journalism professor Gene Byrd, who is notorious for walking and not driving through and around Austin. It's not uncommon to see him around downtown Austin as he makes his way to and from UT. Professor Byrd happened into us in front of the Scottish Rite theater, which he told us is one of Austin's oldest buildings.

We made sure to take photos of some of Austin's iconic historic buildings as well as new construction, walking from the capitol to the southern end of the UT campus and back down to 6th Street. We also grabbed some Barton Springs, South Congress and a moonlight tower. And of course, we posed with proper gravitas at Austin's most important buildings.

Tough to Stomach

2009-01-27T17:22:00.003-06:00

I have a newfound respect for parenthood.

About a week ago my friend Jen mentioned that her 1-year old son Cyrus had a bad stomach bug. "Poor kid," I thought, but then didn't think much more about it until the wee hours of Monday morning, when it hit our household.

I'm not sure where we got it - I don't care where we got it, as long as it goes away - I just know that I have never, at least in my adult memory, been this sick. Greg and I got hit with symptoms within hours of each other, and spent much of Monday shuffling between bathrooms, giving each other knowing nods as we passed in the hallway. I think we're staring to pull out of it now, although I still can't face the prospect of eating.

I was in so much pain that I couldn't even read Harry Potter, my go-to sick day reading or watch "The Sound of Music," my go-to sick day movie. Parenting a sick child through this must have been a special version of hell.

The Winter of My Discontent

2009-01-21T20:20:00.003-06:00

I was so excited about a new president taking office this week that I hardly slept the night before Tuesday's swearing-in, and I even had dreams about arugula salad being served at an inaugural ball (although I suspect that was because I'd actually had an arugula salad Monday night, thanks to friends Joon Yee and Kate.)

It was momentous to watch the inauguration; the fact that I watched it on a tiny wall-mounted TV under fluorescent lights in an office didn't lessen the occasion. I know I wasn't the only one in my newsroom with teary eyes.

But by the end of the day it was obvious there was something else causing me to tear up. For maybe the first time since I've moved to Texas almost seven years ago, I finally got a taste of what Austinites call "cedar fever."

I don't think I even experienced the tip of the iceberg compared to what other people I know go through every winter, but my sore throat and scratchy eyes, ears and nose were enough to make me wonder: considering Texas was settled before the advent of air conditioning and allergy medications, how is it that the state got established at all?

Christmas 2008

2009-01-07T20:22:00.005-06:00

Here are some photos I found on our computer from this Christmas:

The top photo is Greg, me and his parents on Christmas Eve. Greg's aunt, uncle and cousins came over, and I enjoyed hearing time-honored Beets family stories.

This last photo is me at Greg's parents' house on Christmas morning wearing my Red Sox santa hat and these amazing glasses (best stocking gift EVER!) that make the lights on the Christmas tree into starburst shapes. Greg got a similar pair that make all the lights into snowman shapes.

I had a fantastic time in Houston over Christmas; we got lots of hanging out time in with family at a relaxed pace, ate delicious food and got to see many friends. And seriously, those glasses really blew my mind.

Kate is:

2009-01-07T20:01:00.002-06:00

Hi, I'm Kate and I'm a Facebook addict.

I realized this today on my drive home from work when I caught myself thinking in Facebook-phrased quips.

E.G.:
"Kate is glad the day is over."

"Kate hopes she doesn't get the flu that seems to be going around."

"Kate is enjoying the contrast of the bare winter branches against the beautiful sunset."

If any of my blog readers care to comment further on this observation, write on my Wall. I'll be there.

Fiesta What?

2009-01-06T20:26:00.003-06:00

OK I admit it. I'm one of probably three people in the greater Austin area who went to bed last night before the end of the Fiesta Bowl and missed the Longhorns' comeback win.

I crashed due to a combination of gray weather-induced sleepiness, gloominess over an insurmountable workload and the knowledge that I had to be at an economic housing forecast event at an ungodly hour the next morning. That alone is enough to put anyone asleep.

The news from the forecast wasn't pretty - surprise, surprise, Austin housing starts will be down in 2009. For more on that read the Austin Business Journal website. But all that was mitigated by a healthy dose of post-game commentary and Aggie jokes.

The longer I live here, the more I become attuned to Texas ways; I now love Tex-Mex and I sometimes sprinkle a "fixin' to" in my sentences. But I'm still not sure I totally grasp the Texas fixation with college football rivalries. I was a little surprised that every single speaker at the forecast event felt the need to give an analysis of the game and use it as an analogy for our ailing economy and the rebound we will hopefully make.

Judging from the eye rolling coming from the Statesman reporter sitting next to me, I wasn't the only one.

Vampiremania

2008-11-19T21:31:00.004-06:00

I did something this week I'm a little embarrassed to admit to: I badgered my husband into buying movie tickets in advance for the movie Twilight.

I'd like to say the only reason I'm interested in going is because my 13-year old sister Eloise is completely and totally immersed in the books and I want to see what she's interested in. But it's not - I admit I've read all four books and my curiosity is piqued.

However curious I may be about the movie, though, it can't match the wave of teen hysteria surrounding the film. This story from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer sums it up nicely (oddly enough, the byline is from a San Antonio reporter.)

Eloise isn't a silly girl, and I'm proud of my little sister for having a good head on her shoulders. When I flipped on the radio this afternoon a DJ was interviewing a tween who had seen the movie the day before and declared she was "still trembling." She also said she'd asked the actor who plays Edward, who she saw at a mall appearance, to bite her on the neck.

But Eloise isn't totally immune. By the third day of the new school year this fall Eloise informed me that she had decorated her locker in a Twilight theme, complete with "I love Edward" stickers.

Not that I have a right to snicker at her interest - when I was 14 or so I fell hard for Chris O'Donnell and made sure every available piece of wall in my bedroom was covered with his image.

So, feeling very old and not in the least enamored with Robert Pattison, I will go sit in a movie theater this weekend with a husband who's a very good sport and many, many shrieking girls. I only hope our eardrums survive.

Brave New World

2008-11-04T22:14:00.002-06:00

This pretty much sums up the mood in our household tonight.

I haven't lived long enough to vote in many presidential elections; during the last two I cast my vote with a feeling of futility. This year, for the first time in my voting career, and I suspect for the first time for many other voters, I was truly excited about a candidate's potential when I entered the voting booth.

Here's hoping the next four years will see our newly elected leaders - and people from all over the country - working toward what we cast our votes for tonight.

Halloween Outlet

2008-10-31T20:40:00.002-05:00

In honor of Halloween, I'm giving a shout out to one of my favorite Worcester businesses, the Halloween Outlet.

I remember the Halloween Outlet from my youth, mostly for its array of scary masks - but from the looks of this video, the store has added a lot more inventory since I visited it as a youngster.

I didn't realize, for instance, that the retail location and its online store had been recognized by the Wall Street Journal - that's high praise for us East Coasters.

This episode is a little long at six minutes, but it's totally worth watching; although those with an aversion to vomit should shield their eyes around the 2:15 mark.

Pedernales Falls

2008-10-19T21:43:00.011-05:00

Fall has finally arrived in Central Texas and the weather has been beautiful. Greg and I took advantage of it this weekend with a day trip to Pedernales Falls State Park.

We started our trip at Riley's Bar-B-Que where we got brisket, sausage, beans and cole slaw.

When we got to the park, we got an up-close view of the fall foliage.

And then we hiked down to the river.

We didn't have swimsuits, but we waded in and enjoyed the water from the knees down.

Before we went back home we left a reminder of our visit.

Texas/OU weekend

2008-10-12T11:20:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was a busy day in the Harrington-Beets household between the UT/OU game and Game 2 of the ALCS between the Red Sox and Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Greg has taught me some of the finer points of football, and now that I know some of the technicalities I like watching games.

But I don't actually have to be in the same room as the television to know exactly what's going on. Whereas I watch the Sox in mute tension while chewing my fingernails, my husband evidently believes he has an open line of communication with Colt McCoy, the OU offense and all officials on the field.

It took me a while to learn that when he launches into a running narrative about the last play, he's not actually waiting for a response from me. So while I worked in the kitchen I learned that a) an early fumbled touchdown was alarmingly close to a forward lateral b) Colt McCoy had a good game and didn't throw any interceptions c) the officials made several bad calls which in the end worked to the advantage of both sides and d) Greg wants a corny dog.

Sick Day

2008-10-10T15:45:00.004-05:00

Something terrible has taken over my body and rendered it useless; I'm calling it Austin Snot Disease for lack of scientific consensus.

After calling in sick for a second day in a row, I went to the doctor where I got powerful antihistamines and an antibiotic; if these things are having an effect on me, it's hard to tell.

But the doctor said I'm not contagious, and with deadlines looming I went into work. Not only was I roundly laughed at for my voice - I was hoping all the phlegm made me sexy and sultry, but I'm told I sound like a demented version of Snufaluffagus - I was ordered back out the door.

Not that I mind; I think I have some popsicles and episodes of the Golden Girls calling my name.

Married Blogging

2008-09-23T21:40:00.005-05:00

Greg and I got back from our wedding and honeymoon trip last week. While it's great to be back in Austin and settling in to married life, I will miss New England. In the week before the wedding we took in a Red Sox game at Fenway, hung out with friends in Worcester and visited the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

During our honeymoon in Vermont and Quebec City, we hiked (nearly) to the summit of Mt. Mansfield along the Long Trail, sampled a lot of local cuisine and tried to speak passable French.

Our wedding was bookended by two hurricanes - Hannah, which ended the streak of perfect fall days we'd had the week before our wedding, and Ike, which brought almost all of our Houston relatives to Austin soon after we returned.

But even with a downpour on the night of the wedding, we had a great time. Sharing the day with family and friends was the best experience of my life.

I'd write more here, but our friend Brett Buchanan's photos from the wedding describe the day well.

Marriage, Here I Come!

2008-08-28T16:17:00.004-05:00

This will probably be my last post for a few weeks. I have a lot to say, but unfortunately, little time to say it in. Getting ready for a wedding will do that to you. So here’s a brief recap – in new media, bullet-style with little substance as a nod to my dying industry - of some events I’d like to more fully blog about if I had the time:

-bachelorette party: I had one three weeks ago in conjunction with a lingerie shower. It was great! My best friends from Austin and New England gathered here in Texas and we celebrated with copious amounts of alcohol, shameful behavior and embarrassing bachelorette accessories. Afterwards we recovered by floating in the Hotel San Jose’s pool and punctuating our pool time with trips to nearby restaurants for brunch and dinner.

It was fun showing off Austin to my high school friends, one of whom had already seen some of the city when she came to run the 2007 AT&T half marathon with me. But I will never drink another Jack & Coke.

-journalism: more and more layoffs at papers across the country. While my paper is fortunately not looking at layoffs, we, like almost all reporters, find ourselves doing more work with fewer resources.

-wedding dress: I had my final fitting last weekend in Dallas, and the patient women at the store assured me it will be mailed in time to Boston. Since I’ve sworn off alcohol (per above comments), I’m confident it will still fit well in a week and a half.

Cox saying So Long to Lone Star State

2008-08-14T11:09:00.005-05:00

Cox Enterprises Inc. is selling my newspaper’s rival and the only daily newspaper in Austin, the American-Statesman.

When the news broke yesterday, the Statesman posted a photo of its newsroom employees’ faces as the publisher broke the news. You can see it and read the story here.

Anyone who has worked in print news media would recognize the blank, nihilistic look that graced the reporters’ mugs. In this day and age, we’re all resigned to the fact that we’re underpaid, underappreciated, overworked and probably about to get cut anyway.

While the Statesman isn’t saying anything about potential cuts, and may not know if cuts will happen until the first quarter of 2009, any savvy news employee knows an acquisition usually means a thinning of the herd. Cox is also selling its other dailies and weeklies in Texas, Colorado and North Carolina.

I’m not always a fan of the Statesman’s coverage, but I know that a strong daily paper is a vital part of any community, and I wish my fellow reporters the best of luck.

The Elevator Pitch

2008-08-01T14:27:00.001-05:00

I recently got a promotion of sorts at work – I got my parking space transferred from the public, city-run garage to the private garage that’s attached to my building by a tunnel that runs under Brazos St.

It’s not technically a promotion, since all I had to do to get the space was wait until one opened up and I was at a senior enough staff position to take it. Still, it feels like a privilege to be able to enter and exit the garage without waiting for the seemingly-interminable light change at Brazos and to no longer have to hold my nose in the cricket-infested city garage elevators.

But with the new parking venue, I’m also one of a swarm of people moving in garage-to-office migratory patterns. It’s a corporate herd that seems to follow some interesting sociological norms.

The best time to watch this is during the walk from the building elevators toward the tunnel that leads to the parking elevators. Here’s an example: I rode down yesterday with an impatient, time-pressed man who seemed to want to convey his stature through his level of exasperation. I was also in a hurry, so I looked at my watch on the ride down. He saw that gesture and raised it with an impatient sigh. When we exited, he moved quickly toward the tunnel. I, in heels, out-strode him. So he walked faster, pausing to hold the door in just the right manner. It said “I am pausing to be polite, but will not linger long enough to evoke a leisurely attitude.”

On the second set of elevators we raced to see who could punch their floor first. I won, so he conceded by finally cracking a smile and saying “I’m running late today, again.”

Of course, there’s the possibility that I’m making all this up just to amuse myself. But isn’t that better than just staring at the carpet in between commuting and working?

Worcester Love

2008-07-22T19:06:00.003-05:00

Greg and I headed to Houston this past weekend, where his mother's good friends Patty and Karen threw me a fantastic wedding shower. Some of my family members were able to fly in from Massachusetts, and I think everyone had a good time getting to know each other and sampling the sangria. I also partook of a heart-shaped avocado mousse, a delicacy hitherto unknown to me.

But seeing all my Massachusetts-based family and preparing to go to New England for two weeks has made me a little homesick, and I've spent a fair amount of time on YouTube trolling for videos with footage of my beloved Central Massachusetts hometown. Which is funny, because when I was 18, I swore I would never find anything appealing about Worcester. Now the Rotman's furniture ad (FANtastic) can bring on a wave of nostalgia.

In the course of my internet search, I found a hilarious and well-made video guide to Worcester County, Worcester Love. It highlights some of my favorite places and activities of the area.

The episode centered around Ed Hyder's Mediterranean market made me especially nostalgic. My stepfather Michael has been shopping for dolmas and feta cheese at Ed Hyder's since I was a kid. Strolling down the aisles via video was an odd sensation - I half expected to be able to walk out the door onto Pleasant Street.

Wedding dress alterations be damned - I've vowed that when I fly home to Worcester in a few weeks, I'm going to partake of some Worcester cuisine.

You Might be a Texan if...

2008-07-04T11:49:00.002-05:00

You get really, really excited about a brief rain shower. When, earlier this week, I turned around to see a downpour outside my office windows, my first reaction was elation. That was quickly followed by an inner dialogue that went like this: "when did I become the kind of person who actually contemplates calling her fiancé at his office across town to tell him it's raining outside?"

Granted, we are in the middle of a severe drought in Central Texas. But just to put this in context, that same afternoon my office building's management was giving away free ice cream in the lobby of the building as a 4th of July treat. Normally that kind of event - especially involving free food - would be the highlight of any journalist's day.