Transition

Rya is finally sleeping in her crib in her room. It's been three nights now and it better stick because I sold the co-sleeper on Craigslist this morning.

IOP Dinner and Drinks

Another Newburyporter was in the Charleston area this week. My friend, Jenny, was staying at the Wild Dunes resort on the Isle of Palms for a conference and we met up one night for dinner and drinks. Jenny works for the Cape Cod Chip Company so she greeted me with a large box of kettle cooked goodies. We had such a great night out together= beers on the beach, years of catching up, an evening without kids, a delicious mahi-mahi dinner and then more beers. Good times.

The Learys Hit Chucktown

My friend Amy, her husband Terry and their three daughters, Isabelle, Grace and Fiona came and spent a few days with us on their way to a resort on Myrtle Beach. Amy and I became fast friends in the 5th grade, took years of dance lessons together and have remained close all these years. She's funny, smart and kind and does one hell of a Janet Jackson dance impression!

They packed in as many activities as possible during their short stay: a picnic by the pool, the aquarium, a beach day at the Isle of Palms and the Children's museum.

It was a fun filled three days—lots of giggles, gossip, good eating, beer, sun=sunburns and Irish step dancing.

Rya's Do

Looks who's finally sporting a ponytail!

Buon Compleanno Paolo

Paolo, our Sicilian dog, turned 4 years old today. We celebrated with T-bone steaks, lots of belly rubs and a long walk around the neighborhood. Happy birthday Paolo. We love you.

According to Currier

Currier drew this cute little picture of his family at school today. According to him, we go to Mars and don't celebrate anything! I'm just glad he didn't mention all the beer his mommy drinks.

Canine Seizures

Last night Bruco had three violent seizures that the vet diagnosed as seizure clusters. It was horrifying to watch and so sad to learn that epilepsy is not uncommon in Italian Greyhounds. Anyone who has known me for more than five minutes knows my adoration for my dogs. This news makes me so sad.

Splish Splash

Now that Rya is sitting up on her own, we said goodbye to the baby tub and hello to bath time shenanigans with Currier.

Gardening

This week we started a little garden (I know it's a weird time of the year to start). We planted tomatoes, cucumbers, basil and annual flowers. Currier waters the flower boxes every morning and is eagerly awaiting some growth.

Nine Months Old

Dear Rya D.,

You're nine months old today. You're getting to be such a big girl. You're crawling all over the place and have even made it to the top of the stairs. You're standing and taking assisted steps. You have four top teeth coming in. Your first word was "Dada" despite my drilling to say "Mama" first.

I took you to the doctor this morning for your nine month check up. You weigh 20 pounds 8 ounces and you're 29 inches long. That puts you in the 75th percentile for weight and 95th percentile for height. The doctor said that you are healthy and solid—and you have the prettiest eyes he has ever seen.

Now that you're mobile, Currier has taken a bigger interest in you. He likes to hop in your playpen and play with you and he requests that you sit and snuggle him on the couch and watch television. He's not always so sweet to you though—especially if you go anywhere near his train table. You've taken a few good whacks to the head as a result. I keep promising Currier that one day you will pay him back.

Nine months. You've been in the world now for the same amount of time that I carried you in my belly. You are so much easier to care for on the outside than you were on the inside. Get used to it—I will always remind you of the nine months of hell I went through to bring you into this world. Of course it was all worth it. Now hurry up and say, "Mama".

All my love,
Mama

First Day of School!

Currier started a part-time preschool program today at a new school—an excellent school that he's been on a waiting list for months. He'll be going Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 9-12. I'm completely thrilled for the break however my little Mama's Boy—not so much.

A Visit From The Cooks

My Aunt Joanie and Uncle Ricky stopped by for a few days on their way home to Florida from Massachusetts. They had their grandchildren, Chase and Cheyanne, with them and this was our first time meeting them.

It was an absolute joy getting to know them. Currier and Cheyanne got along famously and shared very similar personalities—complete lunatics! Rya and Chase on the other hand, were the reserved, quiet ones.

During their visit, we went on a lovely horse-drawn carriage tour through Charleston's historic downtown district where we saw all the beautiful and charming homes along Rainbow Row and Battery Park.

After the tour we had lunch at the Charleston Crab House, shopped at the open air market and then rewarded (Okay, it was really big time bribery!) the kids for being quiet on the tour with a trip to Charleston's Candy Kitchen.

Blast Off

One of our projects this week was painting a rocket ship birdhouse. We hung it on a tree in our yard and have been anxiously waiting for a bird to move in. Nothing. This morning we decided to stuff it with popcorn. Anyone have any other suggestions?

My Heart is in San Francisco

While Trent is in San Francisco for some training...

His sister, Carrie, came to Charleston for a few days to keep me company and help me with the kids. Together, we got a gazillion things done—from oil change to diaper change. Before she headed back to Tennessee, we threw her a little birthday celebration. What could have been a very stressful week, turned out to be a very productive and fun week. Thanks Aunt Carrie!