3 Months of Cute

Welcome to a clean, new week folks. Its Monday. We have both feet on the ground. I am finally caught up on dishes, everyone's had baths but the baby and there's a pork roast waiting to go in the oven because it got all autumnal and cool overnight. So beautiful! We broke out the hoodies (Pom has the cutest one imaginable) and bought a turkey for practice feasting.

Pom is the sweetest baby ever...ever, ever in the history of babies. Nib was pretty easy going but I think Pom has even topped him. This is no brilliant success of me as genius mommy. I had one colicky screamer, and one overly attention hungry baby and then two easy ones in a row. Luck happens in every house. But this one, he's so sweet and social and sunny. He's very undemanding for the most part, he only really screams hard when he's hurting. He self soothes, he grins at strangers and will go to sleep anywhere.

He's just started giggling and he has the best, watery chuckle on the planet. So wet and ripply and addictive. I find myself alone with him on our bed at the end of pretty much every day trying to make him laugh, over and over...no matter how tired I am because it makes me so happy.

He rolled  front to back one time two nights ago and was very startled and put out to find himself face down in the blanket. He's always trying to do it again now, waving a chubby thigh in the direction which he intends. He has the chubbiest thighs. Incredibly cute.

He has also just started wrapping a tiny arm around my neck when I put him up to my shoulder to carry around while I set the table or lay out clothes for the day. So sweet to feel his little fist grasping, grasping, grasping at the curls on the nape of my neck.

My sister Doubleddog with Pom

Pom still smells of milk and sleeps half the day away and has no real hair. Am loving him and so pleased to have had him in my arms for three whole months. Am so incredibly smitten by this wee blue eyed person. Glad he chose me for his mommy.

Caution: Spring Explosion Impending!

 Just yesterday morning the forsythia branches that I had in a vase on the sideboard looked like this. They were mostly still dormant and covered with tightly closed buds but the first blossom sprang open at the tip of a branch and that lovely lemon yellow made its first appearance.

This morning the bouquet looks like this. There is hardly a closed bud left in the bunch. I know it will be just as dramatic when the same performance happens outside, a bunch of sticks and then suddenly, BOOM, a flash of yellow and we'll be on to the garden season.

I am madly digging and dividing and picture snapping and sketching and thinking to myself that I really need to get a garden journal to write all of it down in. The weather yesterday and today was so lovely, a little fore-taste of what is ahead. I know that rain will come and we'll still have a few chill days before it is really full on but this lovely golden stuff is what we're headed into...and in not very long, I can hold on through the maple blossoms and the re-emergence of the grass and the first crocuses. Really, how much willpower does that take?

I have five little yellow crocuses blooming along one wall of the house and this morning I discovered a whole line of little hyacinth clusters, all down the back of our property line: little gifts from previous residents. I wonder how long ago they were planted and what the gardens looked like then. Nothing  like it does today I expect but I do wish I could see old blueprints for all the derivations of the lives our landscaping has had. You never know what lovely ideas were there that would be excavate-able. Ah for a time machine! Until then, I guess I'll settle for a pen and my trowel.

Related articles

• First crocuses of the year (wcs4.blogspot.com)
• The First Blooms of Spring (jeffreyerb.wordpress.com)
• Think Spring! (sweethomescarolina.com)
• Spring Sprang and then went back to sleep! (mickiesbloominggarden.wordpress.com)
• Flowering Branches (graceandivy.wordpress.com)
• March in the garden: Ephemerals have it made in shade, but not for long (commercialappeal.com)
• How To Force Branches to Flower (apartmenttherapy.com)

The Handsome 8th Month

Nib, our little big-man is 8 months old! 

 He continues to be sunny and easy-going although he's starting to "mature" into a more opinionated fellow: he'll go to most anyone's arms for a grinning visit but he requires a strong right shoulder pin these days to keep him on the changing table while you reach for a wipe.

  We are starting to think about how we'll celebrate his birthday (Oh wow does it sound good to have May be looming!!!!) and are happy to see him blooming and opening and becoming his own, shining, little person.

He says "Dada!" clearly and proudly, cruising on furniture incessantly, eats most anything besides cow's milk, honey and citrus and is the triumphant owner of seven teeth. He dances, he sword-fights (thank you older brothers) and his favorite food is ice-cream. Ladies, he'll be available in about 18 years for bids...until then, swoon chicas, swoon. This one's a winner.

Three Months and Counting!!

Our little Nib is three whole months old now. He's working hard at rolling over anytime he finds himself on a flat surface, grabbing my skirt if I sweep past within fingertip range, and putting everything (including his whole fist) in his mouth non-stop. He's a super social little guy, loves people and smiles easily. We've finally started getting those first few giggles from him which are unspeakably delightful although I  feel like I'm still waiting for a full out belly laugh chortle session. He's still extremely mellow...in bed at night and around the house during the day he's as non-invasive as I can imagine a baby being. I'm still not sure exactly where he came from.

In addition to Nib's third monthiversary, we also had one last trip to the farm today with our visiting cousins. Penny and the girls have been really, really fun to have as house guests and I have to say that even though there are a million things I wish we could have had time for, having Penny here when I moved was an amazing sanity saver. I owe her about a million times over now for the late night parenting talks, photo sessions, babysitting swaps, endless box unpacking, manic meal making and a host of other memorable lifesavers. I have no idea how I would have pulled off the move without her. I feel like a total wimp for being that weak on my own but, as I mentioned recently....it takes a village, right?

Is there anything cuter than very small people in the lush grass next a New England stone wall? 

I'm not sure. 

He's Two Months Old!

I do this all the time with a receiving blanket....wrap it around like a scarf to hold the pacifier in. A laughs and says that when he's older Nib will manifest a curious affection for neckerchiefs and not know why.

Still a little froggy, and getting pretty chubby.

He has a little, flat, pink strawberry birthmark on his back. Kind of looks like someone kissed him with lipstick on. Sidenote: WHILE I was taking this picture...he rolled over for the first time.

He has a freckle on the bottom of his left pinkie toe! So cute! I just noticed yesterday.

Newborn Portraits

And on down the line! In keeping with yesterday and the day before...here's a little focus on Nib day. (Yes, I've decided on an online nickname for the little one.) He is already a month old and I'm working on his one month shots but, before I get those all ready to share and do so....I have to make sure to give the brand new stage its due.

And for the record, I still cannot believe, even sort of that this baby is ours. I say that at least once a day out loud. A may think I'm nuts. He's the sweetest, most happy, and easy-going baby. I still wonder if maybe the stork somehow switched packages on us. I'm sure not taking him back to correct the error!

Anywho....here you go. Our latest addition, in all his sweet, sweet glory!

Happy Weekend All! 

We're off to blueberry pick, bright and early tomorrow morning with friends!