Visit to Utah

Never take a baby on an airplane. Never. Never. Never.

Balian was pretty good for most of the flights, but he was miserable during the final leg from Atlanta to Wilmington. He was not feeling well and was very tired--so he cried the entire time. I walked him up and down the aisle as much as possible. It got so bad I even sang to him. Yes, you heard me. I SANG to him--in the airplane, in front of everyone. I was desperate.

But we all had a great time in Utah, and Balian had so much fun meeting his many cousins. He was delighted by Austin, Wesley and Kennedy. Austin was not so delighted by him. He said I needed to stay in Utah, but Scott and Balian could go ahead and get on the plane.

My little nephew Cameron is adorable. Look at his big smile:

This is Nana trying to bond with Balian over yummy food. His expression says it all:

So sweet!

Music to my ears

What is the sweetest sound in the world?......

Cemetary in Bloom

(The "Julia Child" rosebush that Jolene and Ray planted.)

Working From Home

This is what is looks like to work from home! I've been working on a freelance assignment, and the only way for me to get anything done is to wait for Balian to fall asleep while I'm holding him on the recliner. Once asleep, I wedge him between my legs and the armrest. Then I put the laptop on the other armrest and get to work (and no, by "work" I don't mean playing on Facebook and blog-stalking my family!)

It's hard to tell, but my legs are under that blanket -- I've taken the photo from above my head. And to complete the scenario, the dog is also under the blanket, right on top of Balian's head.

If I put him in his bed or the bouncer to take a nap, he wakes right up. The little stinker. But if I keep him right next to me, he'll sleep just long enough for me to write a couple of paragraphs. And speaking of that....he's waking up now!

The Beach!

This week we finally had beach weather...so Balian got to take his first trip to the beach! But I had no idea what an ordeal it was going to be to take a baby to the beach. We had to bring so much stuff! Not just towels and flip flops, but a fully packed diaper bag and an umbrella to keep him out of the sun. But it was well worth it.

The water was way too cold to dip his feet in the ocean, but he did get some sand on his toes. Did you notice his hat in the first picture? The eyes on it make the dog crazy and she tries to attack the hat if she can get close enough to Balian's head.

The other news this week is that we got tired of Balian's bald patches and stringy falling-out hair, so we shaved it all off. Well, all except a little mohawk. It looks terrible and we'll probably shave that off too. It's getting so hot here that I think he likes his shaved head.

Oh, I miss his crazy newborn hair! Why did it have to fall out?

P.S. -- Did the beach pictures make you jealous? Well you're all invited to come visit us at any time. You can crash at our place and spend glorious days in the sun! Except for Peri, who is going to Greece. She is uninvited.

Conversations with Heather

Balian has become very vocal lately. One of his favorite things is to "talk" to heather. (Sometimes, when she sings, he will "sing" along....but if I tried to record that...oh the thought just scares the hell out of me.)

Yes, he does talk to me to but not nearly as much as Heather...He's a mommas boy.

Miscellaneous

Not much going on in the NC. Except spring has finally arrived! Our daffodils bloomed at least six weeks later than normal because the winter was so cold and so long. But we can finally take Balian on walks without bundling him in layers of blankets. It rained yesterday, but it was so warm that I sat with Balian on the porch so we could watch the rain.

Kier and Anh-Dao sent Balian a truly Southern outfit:




It's overhauls with a monster truck! Now he truly fits in here!

He is becoming a happier baby and he loves to babble and laugh. He has even started to croon along with me when I sing to him. He has, in my opinion, the most adorable smile ever:

But his hair is crazy! He always has outrageous bedhead (see above) -- but not the cute on-purpose movie-star bedhead. Just plain messy and twisted. It's so fluffy, that his cowlick in the back looks like a hurricane. Hurricane Balian!

And yes, I'm a way too lazy mother to actually "do" his hair. Maybe when he starts preschool. Or kindergarten. Or high school. We'll see.

Be Mine

Valentine’s Day last year was a gray, grim day for me. (For reasons having nothing to do with the actual holiday.) I struggled through the long day, which culminated in me sobbing in the drive-through of a KFC.

Today, on this Valentine’s Day, Balian turns two months old. Today is a day of joy and gratitude for me.

That’s not to say that it’s all hearts and roses. Balian has completely taken over and disrupted our lives. He is needy and demanding, as are all babies, and refuses to let me sleep more than three hours at a time. I eagerly anticipate his naps, so I can hurry and brush my teeth and maybe do some dishes before the little tyrant awakens. (A nap for Mommy? Yeah, right.)

He cries for hours every evening and can only be soothed by dancing with Mommy or Daddy. We’ve spent HOURS dancing with Balian, digging through our CD collections to find music he’ll enjoy. My arms ache from it, and Scott is convinced his knees are going to give out. (And I’ve heard enough Haddaway to last a lifetime.)

Furthermore, we spend every penny we have on him. And it’s not just diapers and formula, but any little gadget we think might make our lives easier. Bouncers, rattles, play mats—you name it, we’ve bought it.

We may find ourselves crying in a drive-through today—all three of us!—but it will be for entirely different reasons. (Scott, on the verge of tears: “I thought a drive in the car would make him stop!” Me, sobbing: “I don’t care anymore. Just buy me a chocolate shake!” Balian: “WHAAAAAA!”)

But I know that I don’t have to tell you that it’s all worth it. Every second of crying, every dirty diaper, every sleepless night, every penny spent.



Happy Valentine's Day my chubby little cupid!

Dreaming of a White Valentine's

Snow! We got snow! As in five inches of the white stuff, which is virtually unprecedented here on the coast. Now, I know these photos are not very impressive to our Utah friends and family. But we've never seen snow here -- and it's been awhile since we've seen it in Utah!

Scott had to drive home at six in the morning after the overnight storm, and he saw cars sliding off the road and a truck jack-knifed behind him. The natives here don't know how to drive on snow or ice, and that makes it scary for the rest of us to be on the road with them.

These are photos of our yard:

Unfortunately, by 10 this morning, our town had the same sad, dreary look as any Utah gray winter day. Mud has replaced pristine snow on the roads and the leaves have dropped their soft tufts of snow. Oh, well. It was beautiful while it lasted!

My Fussy Boy

I took Balian to get some photos taken yesterday. They turned out beautifully, although Balian was NOT cooperative and the poor photographer had to take quick snaps in the moments when he wasn't fussing or crying or scowling.

She is going to send me a CD of images. But in the meantime, she emailed a slideshow, which I wasn't expecting and which caught me off guard, considering the last baby slideshow we had done. Also, there are some black & white photos of his feet that are somewhat disturbing to me...

Regardless, they are beautiful photos of my beautiful baby! Take a look here.

Trying not to turn into Darby (unsuccessfully)

Here are a few more photos of our pride and joy...

Yes, I'm happy...

So is he (not)...


But he loves the dog..and she loves him (we think)

An average day...

Happy Birthday Balian

It's been one month. And man, what a month it has been...336 diapers, 726 wet wipes, 170 ounces of formula, 180 hours of breastfeeding, 120 hours of sleep in 1 1/2 hour increments (240 is normal), $1700 in baby crap, 70 hours of crying,

Priceless...

Heather's sister Jenny said in most of Balian's pictures he looks grumpy....she's right.

A few moments of peace...

Damn, that is one cute kid.

Who are you and what did you do with my Nana?

Balian was less than impressed when we got up this morning and it was only me there to hold and cuddle him. He's been spoiled rotten for the past three days by his Nana, who held and loved him non-stop. Jolene certainly has a way with babies! She kept him happy and sleepy the entire time. This is how they spent their time together:

Balian actually enjoys his baths. Especially peeing in the bathwater.

Scott had abdominal surgery on Monday and wasn't able to hold the baby for several days. Balian definitely missed his daddy.

For now, he's going to have to get used to life without Nana. Pay no attention to my hair -- I haven't actually done anything with it since the day I went to the hospital. Three and a half weeks ago!