I have finally decided to emerge from my cave. At least, I felt like I was in a cave the last several months. The lack of technological amenities (internet, TV, phone reception) in our main transition home felt very quaint and humorous at first, but that begins to wear on a girl. Many parts of the slow and simple life were delightful to indulge in - front porch sitting, shooting the breeze, and walks to the river - but the part that was tough was when Adam was gone and I was homebound with my baby at night. That part was a little lonely.
Even with internet at our fingertips again, we weren't able to fully enjoy it, because we had to swing into "get it done!" mode. That became our mantra when the sun went down and the baby went to bed for almost a month. We kicked off our evenings with take out, some vigorous fist pumps (to get amped up), and usually wrapped up in the a.m. hours after someone in our party shed some tears because she couldn't take it anymore and she was convinced we would never move in and we would be unsettled, gypsies forever! (I'm not going to claim it, but I won't deny it)
Being a mom is tough (when you have to get stuff done). Moving is tough (all the time). Moving with a baby is an even more drawn out and painful process than I ever imagined! Tack on a few weeks of pre-move in labor that we were neither prepared for nor quick at and the pump is primed for bad attitudes all around (mainly me). But that is done. We pushed through. Praise the Lord! And I thought for my first time back in the blog saddle, I would flood you with some pictures of all the fun that punctuated our crazy gypsy life over the past couple of months.
Highlight #1: Meeting Hannah Hammond
Our fluke Florida trip was not premeditated. News spread that our new niece was coming to the states, because the grandparents couldn't go see her. We were bummed when we found out because Adam was on a tough rotation with no promise of weekends off, let alone any leave. However, due to some scheduling mishap, he was on for two weeks straight, so he just happened to have 5 days off right around the end of Troy and Kana's trip.
So we made another trip to Florida! Not that we are complaining. This little chunk is 3 months old, but holds her own next to Liam. She knocks him out in the hair department and is on par with him in the tooth department (she has two!). It was so wonderful to get some quality time in with my Japanieces and I loved watching how happy Li was playing with his cousins.
Highlight #2: The World's Fair, aka The Tunbridge Fair, aka your 'run-of-the-mill' county fair
Not that it wasn't fun. It was barrels of fun. I love a fair. We had ourselves a grand old time. Initially, we just weren't sure what to expect. Everyone in the Upper Valley loses their mind over the Tunbridge fair.
Liam got to pet his first cow, Ronnie. A blue ribbon heifer with an "excellent mammary system" (I believe Liam thinks the same of me). He had so much fun seeing all the farm animals. He loves them!
We also had our fill of over-sized vegetables. I did the fair New England style - a funnel cake with maple syrup and powdered sugar on it. My stomach hurt later.
Adam is so mean. He took this picture and didn't even warn me that one of those horses had a crazy look in its eye. He just kept snapping. That punk grabbed a big old mouth full of my hair and gave it a good yank. It scared the daylights out of me!
Highlight #3: Liam's first Octoberfest!!
This was our least planned Octoberfest by far and it still turned out amazing! It fell right in the thick of our apartment crazyness. We stayed at the log cabin up the hill from us. The weather was a little soggy, but we still got out and played in it! Plus, it is not so bad being trapped in a gigantic log cabin with a rockin' fire place, surrounded by tons of good food and good friends.
Highlight # 4: Uncle Troy comes to Vermont
We were so happy to have Troy come visit us in Vermont. So unexpected! So fun! I hope these random Japan encounters keep happening!
Highlight #5: Grandma to the rescue
Just when we started to lose hope, grandma swooped in for a week to hang with the boy. Adam and I were able to knock out some monumental moving tasks. We got over the hump thanks to grandma! The apartment felt like home by the time she left.
Lowlight: Liam's first injury with blood
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| Blood on the shirt, mostly Popsicle on the mouth |
I felt like a horrible mom! I didn't even see what happened. I was unpacking and he was playing in front of his little book cubby hole, with no apparent child death traps around and then I heard a blood curdling scream. I ran over to him and blood just started pouring out of his mouth. I cried! It was heart breaking. He had a beak for the next couple of days. Cute, but sad.
Highlight #6: Liam's first Halloween
I know it's typical, but I am going to use the moving excuse again. It consumed way to much of my life! But my boy was still the cutest pumpkin ever!
Highlight #7: Liam is not allergic to peanut butter
As you can see this series of photos is not followed by a picture of him in the ER, and for that we are grateful. Adam was home and there was gas in the car just in case.
Highlight #8: Kitten Rescue
I have been secretly hoping to find an orange kitten in need of a good home for a while now. Ever since I lost the late, great Dylan. Of course, that comes to fruition, not even two weeks after moving into our one bedroom apartment! I was a little jelly when my neighbors found an orange kitten that had been hit by a car and then nursed back to health. But there was talk at the farm that people thought they had seen one or two more orange kittens in the woods by the farm, with no mama in sight. This was right after our October Nor'easter, during a really cold spell. Adam and I drove out there the next evening. Looking at the vast expansion of wooded area surrounding the farm, the mission did not look promising. I turned the car around to park and before we even got out, five little kitten heads poked out from behind the same tree. It was the cutest thing ever! We ended up keeping two. Moose (the orange one in front) chose us. He played with Liam, slept in Jamie's nook, and won our hearts over quickly. Monty (the hard to see white and orange one, in the middle of the kitten knot up top) is the other boy we kept. He is an emo man and a cuddle bug. He still nurses on his brother and Jamie.
Highlight #9: Liam turns 1!
He was very unsure about what was going on at first, but as soon as that chocolate cupcake hit his tongue, that boy loved everything he knew about birthdays! Good thing we celebrated three times for him! Once in New Hampshire with all his friends at his favorite play group.....
Once in Orange Park, where he performed the Cassidy cement rite of passage.
And once in Sanford with the other birthday boy - Grandpa! Here the birthday boys are taking a moment to stop and smell the roses and reflect on their lives thus far. Yes....OP, Sanford...we were in Florida, yet again. We can't get enough! But we will be in winter wonderland for Christmas this year.
Highlight #10: We ran our first family race
While we were in Florida, we ran the Subaru 1/2 marathon on Thanksgiving Day. It was a perfect race day weatherwise. Liam was amazing. We had our racing pit crew there for support. And I ran way better than expected, considering my sharp decline in training due to the move (ok that is the last time you will hear of this move).
Highlight #11: Liam had his first zoo experience
I didn't think it was going to pan out, but it did. This was a few hours before our flight back to Vermont. We really like to push the limit. That is why I am always late everywhere!
Liam loved it just as I suspected. I don't know if all boys his age love animals, but he is obsessed.
I am not sure what Liam or Kat's favorite part was, but mine was feeding Luna, the giraffe. She was so cute!
Highlight #12: It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
In other news my boy is cute as a button, he calls everything a 'cat', points at everything, cruises and crawls like a maniac, gives kisses, has an obsession with balls (of the bouncy variety), and is a ton of fun hang out with every day! I am so lucky!
But to keep me humble. I will leave you with Liam's best ugly pic. Still cute! But I am his mom.
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