Tackle It

I am stealing Sara's idea here with her "Tackle Tuesdays" posts - I couldn't resist the catchy watermelon hues! Tuesday I stayed up way past bedtime and cleaned the bathroom. I wiped down the toilet and sink, scrubbed the tub, "the whole nine yards," as my Dad would say. A Tuesday night? What other time are you supposed to clean when you work during the week, spend time with your baby when you get home and are busy every weekend? Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. seems like the perfect time to me to spray down the shower and wipe down the mirrors!

An Angel Among Us

Years have passed since my last visit to the cemetery and I felt like it was time to take Jill. It was a nice day so we took a drive down the beautiful Blackstone Blvd. to Swan Point Cemetery. It was sad of course, with the 8 year anniversary around the corner. But I also knew my Dad would be proud of his grandbaby. I know he's watching over her!

The Weekend Edition

Little Artists

Pictures from Tim and Hesper

Busy, Busy Weekends!

Jill is still growing a ton and exploring nonstop. She is "Army" crawling and pulling herself up. On Monday she nearly gave my Mom a heart attack when she pulled herself up in a millisecond in the clothes basket. My Mom poured herself some water, turned around and there was Jill, standing up and smiling at her! haha I wish I had been there to see it!

Jill visited with family and friends this weekend, including special visits with two of her great-grandmothers (she is lucky to have all four great-grandmothers) and buddy Cadence. Cadence turned 1 today - Happy Birthday, sweetie pie!

Speaking of birthdays, we celebrated Tony's 30th birthday this weekend. Not that it matters when you have a child (you are forced to grow up!) but the big 3-0 solidified Tony's old man "with a wife and kid" status. Hot dogs, cheeseburgers, grilled corn and pineapple, vanilla cake with chocolate frosting and lots and lots of beer; it was a fun night with great friends! It was a late night though and going to bed at 2 a.m. does not mean that Jill will sleep in. I was afraid she'd be ready to go before 5 but she gave us a break and slept in until 6. Thank God!

This week I also had the opportunity to visit my friend, Kristen, and her three-week old son, Denny. Alison and I drove to Kristen's during a long lunch break on Thursday. It was so great to see her and of course to meet Denny. What a perfect little baby! He was born at 8 lbs., 8 oz. so he's not little by any means. It seems strange to think that Jill was ever that small, and she was so much smaller!

A very dear friend of mine lost her Dad this weekend. He had been sick and they were preparing themselves for his passing. Even with all the prep in the world, it doesn't prepare you for the overwhelming surge of emotions when it actually happens. She has a little one as well. He has been an angel through her Dad's illness and a wonderful distraction for all. I'm happy her Dad had a chance to spend time with him.

My Dad comes to mind, of course, especially around this time of the summer. I think of him every day and even more so leading up to the 8-year anniversary of his death on August 1. Sometimes I feel like every year gets easier. But then I think about how awesome it would be for him to hang with Jill. He would be so in love with her. He'd take her ice fishing and coach her soccer teams. Like my Aunt Marjorie says, "It's only been a minute." We miss him very much!

On a lighter note, Jill has continued to be very easy to put to bed. I'm going to end up kicking myself for writing this when she turns into a beast at bedtime ... last night she fell asleep as soon as I put her down. I pretended we were still reading and I had time to hide in the bathroom and paint my toenails! ha, shhhh don't tell!

Parenthood Means Plans Can Change

The lesson of today was that plans sometimes don't happen "once Junior comes along," as Tony says. Plan to have your plans smooshed. We figured this out on our wedding anniversary - June 27 - when we didn't go out for lunch because Jill was a cranky pants all day. We'd spent the week researching menus, hours, best seating situations for the baby, you name it. Then when lunchtime rolled around, we took turns shoving sandwiches or cereal down our throats while the other tried to comfort Jill. Not very romantic. While I put Jill to bed later that night, Tony made a delicious dinner and set the table complete with candlelight. Now that was romantic, and very thoughtful. Can't believe it's been 8 years; I'm very lucky to have such a great guy!

So our day was completely rearranged this morning when Jill woke up with conjunctivitis in her right eye. It was very mild but I knew as soon as I saw the redness and watering. We spent the summers as kids at the community pool in Dighton; I know all about pink eye! She itched her eye for part of the day but it didn't seem to dampen her mood. She was a goofball all day! She had a great time at the doctor's office. She weighed 16 lbs., 6 oz. and was very interactive during her visit. The NP commented she was VERY active and would be walking in no time. She prescribed ointment 3 times a day for 7 days.

Since conjunctivitis is very contagious, we decided pass on Cadence's first birthday party. We were really looking forward to it but are planning to see Tim, Hesper and Cadence very soon. Later in the afternoon, we took a walk down the beach and stopped at Jenna's 30th birthday party. We stayed in our own spot in the living room, sort of isolated from others. No need to spread the pink eye around! Jill wouldn't have contact with any babies or kiddos at Jenna's so we thought it would be a safe bet. Jill was standing up on the couch while holding onto Tony, no support needed. She seemed quite pleased with herself!

Sweet potatoes were on yesterday's menu for the first time. She finished a whole jar at day care on Friday and another this afternoon, not included the portion left on her face and outfit! See above...

Lip-Smacking Good Times

Jill's been a funny one this week! She's mastering sitting up, really trying to stand up, moving her mouth around in crazy new ways and getting pretty close to clapping! She seems just thrilled with herself!

She's also been eating a jar of baby food a day at school. This week she brought a new flavor every day: apples, carrots, bananas and sweet potatoes. We tried sweet potatoes this morning for the first time and she seemed to really like them. Michelle, the assistant director at day care, was happy to see Jill first thing this morning. She said Ashleigh, one of the teachers, would be thrilled that Jill was in today. Apparently Ashleigh and Darlene, the center's director, argue over who gets to hang out with Jill. So needless to say, we're not worried about Jill being neglected at school. If anything it's the opposite. Some days it seems like she was held too much at day care and she needs some unwind time in her jumper. Today was one of those days.

This weekend is jammed pack with fun events: Cadence's first birthday party, Jenna's Hawaiian-themed 30th and a visit to Dighton/Taunton. Tony is hopefully finishing up the boat on Sunday and the girls are heading to the Wrentham Outlets. Next weekend is more fun - - Tony is turning 30!

Peas and Carrots and Family Visits

Peas, Carrots & Family Time! (view slideshow)

There have been many chances (but no opportunity to sit down and do so) to blog, post facebook status updates and tweet; many cute things Jill has learned and done that have already made me so proud. I shy away from fb as Tony jokingly calls it "Mombook" and I figure those without kids and/or with no interest would be annoyed by the constant "Junior pulled himself up today. Isn't he wonderful?" And so I write those here.

Jill is 7 months old today. She's trying new baby food flavors, sitting up by herself, babbling nonstop and pulling herself up. This weekend she enjoyed time with her Nana and Popa visiting from Vermont; her Aunt Andrea visiting from Maine; Cousin Patty and her husband Clint visiting from Colorado (Patty is in town for a month for work); and her Granna up for her usual weekly visit. Tony and I had Monday off to observe the 4th of July holiday but my Mom didn't want to go another week without seeing her grandbaby.

Kathleen, one of Jill's teachers at school, said she devoured her peas today. Peas were her favorite until carrots came along. She loved carrots right away. Can't get enough of them! The bright colors make for a mess, but also for great photos! She's also tried and liked pears, bananas and apples in that order. Not the biggest fan of apples with still tolerates them.

Jill is definitely developing more of a personality these days. She's a social butterfly like her Mom. She likes to play, bounce, eat, read then pass out. She's been falling asleep earlier this week. Maybe it's the heat? I'm not complaining - bedtime has been a piece of cake! I'll enjoy it while it lasts!