Aeli + Strawberry

Nicole and Dana are here and they are STAYING!  Watch out, New Orleans will grab you with sticky fingers.  And you will like it.

Speaking of sticky fingers: above is a photo taken by Nicole.  Some of Aeli's favorite thing in the world are strawberries and satsumas.  He sees orange and red foods and points and does the sign for "more." 

He also uses his pointer fingers to conduct as he sings, "Toot toot, doot doot, toot doot doot!"

So. Good.

Sick Baby

Being a mother is the most amazing job ever.  Even though sometimes it is exhausting.  And sometimes it is gross.

Aeli wasn't really eating on Friday or Saturday, which is quite unusual for him to say the least.  Then Saturday night we had to change the sheets twice when he exorcist-style threw up all over.
Took him to the doc yesterday, who did a swab test and concluded that he has strep and a tummy virus.

I've been staying home with him yesterday and today.  Kind of a bummer to have to skip out on work, but it's no question that my Mom job is my most important responsibility.  Aeli's been keepin' it real by chicken-winging whenever any music comes on, and clapping in the pause in between Pandora songs.  Also: helping in the garden (a.k.a. attacking the leaves of our garbanzo beans).  Since starting to feel ill on Friday, he's been a little more sensitive, a little more serious, but he's still Aeli.  He surprised me earlier by grabbing my hand with the spoon in it as we were eating and shoving the chicken noodle soup into my face.  When started to laugh in surprise, he cracked up and went for it again.

You know, explosive poops and vomiting are just part of the package.

Gardening with the Bims

One thing that never ceases to amaze us about New Orleans is the amazing (non)winter weather.  Although it gets into the 40s at night, many of the days (like today!) are marvelous- high sixties, low seventies.  We spent a good chunk of the afternoon gardening. 
///Blog post interrupted by baby trying to eat pieces of a styrofoam cup///
Aeli is especially entranced by the hose.

The best/worst moment outside today was when I looked up from my transplanting to notice the tell-tale pucker of a baby who has put something in his mouth that he shouldn't have. 
"What do you have, Aeli?  Spit it out," I say (a phrase that is routine at this point) as I approach him with my hand out.
I swoop in and retrieve a small, peach jabenero pepper.  !
I don't know if you know anything about peppers, but one jabenero will put too much spice for my taste in an entire pot of soup.
For some reason, though, I thought, "Well, he doesn't look upset, so maybe this isn't a jabenero; it must be a sweet pepper."  And then I took a little bite myself, and offered it back to Aeli.
His lips just began to touch it as mine began to burn.  I realized what I had done.  Oh. No.
As I pulled away, Aeli began to cry just as Stefin and two friends got home.  My lips were on fire.  I couldn't believe I just tried to feed my baby a jabenero.  What a terrible mother.
"You're just in time.  Aeli just got a jabernero."
"You're kidding," said Stefin.  His jaw dropped.  "You're not kidding?"
I hurried inside and much milk drinking ensued. 
We were fine, of course, and Aeli actually recovered much more quickly than I did.  Resiliency, huh?  And I think he didn't really get a skin-puncturing bite like I did.

Oy vey.

Now we're relaxing, cooking cornbread-crust pizza and preserving a bag's worth of lemons we picked from the backyard. 

Life (and especially vacation) = amazing.

Circles

 What magic to be here in December, 2011.  Aeli turns ONE on Sunday.  All I can do is shake my head and sort of sigh and laugh.  And marvel.

Note the bags beneath his eyes.  You can't possibly nap while STOCKINGS are hanging up! No!  It's far too exciting!

 We went to visit a fellow '08 TFA-er who recently had a 5-pound baby boy.  Aeli saw him, got quiet and big-eyed, pointed and said "Gee-ga!"  (His word for "kitty cat.")
Yesterday I asked him what a dog says.  He made his mouth into a pouty "o" and said in his gruffest voice, "Oooo oooo!"
F-in crazy, man.

Last year Aeli fit in my stocking.  Now he walks and has a few meaningful syllables in his lexicon and usually comes when you call him.  What a difference a year makes.

We're leaving for Washington state tomorrow.  (SOOOO excited- although anxious about the two plane rides).  I anticipate the visit bringing me some clarity.  In all the should-we-stay-or-should-we-go conversations we've been having this year, I most often just feel tired.  And we're always interrupted by the babe getting into something or harassing the cat or using the abridged works of Edgar Allen Poe as a brace as he works out a serious diaper situation.  TMI, sorry.  But I'm about being real.)  It will be so nice to have family and friends around to help watch and entertain Aeli while we actually can take a few deep breaths and think and talk and bounce ideas around.

 Our friend/neighbor/former roommate Keith will move back to the NE while we are gone.  It feels significant.

The times they are a-changin.

Howdy!