Friday, May 29, 2009

Octobaby

Will is eight months old!
(As of the 28th, I know, but I couldn't upload the pictures in time.)

Here he is "enjoying" his first bite of Cheerios
(actually, Joe's O's from Trader Joe's, if you're looking to split hairs):

Pointing to his favorite page in one of his many pop-up books:


Will has developed a habit of standing up on the book crates in the living room and pulling out the ones he wants read to him. It's all well and good until he spies his forever favorite, The Three Bears. If it appears in his line of sight, Will starts grunting and grabbing for it...and when you're done reading to him, you MUST hide it immediately, on penalty of having to read it nineteen more times.

Posing with Barbara the Bear, gifted to him by Grandmom and Grandpop and named by Dave:

Lurching for the camera:

The one-tooth wonder:

I could eat those green eyes for dinner. With a side of bald head, and some cheek chub for dessert.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Boo Hoo

Dave is going back to work tomorrow after a five-day weekend. Let the real world begin again, I guess.

P.S. Social Butterflies: I missed you today. I missed you while I was running errands in complete solitude, though, so I knew you'd understand.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

No Wonder It's a 2.99 Rental

Why did I think I could handle watching Marley & Me? Everyone told me they'd cried watching it. How did I think I of all people would survive it? Maybe I thought I'd cry those bittersweet tears, the this-is-sad-but-he-had-a-good-life cry? And Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, they're funny people. They'd never break my heart. Right?

Soooooo wrong.

Dave is finishing the movie right now. I left when Marley's stomach twisted for the second time, and I am now sitting in our freshly painted office, peering at the computer screen through swollen eyelids. I feel ridiculous...but not ridiculous enough to go into the living room for the final scenes.

Wait, I think I hear the credits. (And maybe the sound of my husband blowing his nose, but I'm not sure he'll ever confess to it.)

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Hockey Mouth

After a rumble on the rink, Will was left with one tiny bottom tooth:



"But you should see the other guy, Ma!"


Monday, May 18, 2009

What's the Difference Between Lawyers and Infants?

LAWYERS REALLY KNOW HOW TO PAH-TY!

(Get it? Like, potty? I know, it's too good. My comic genius overwhelms you. Control yourself.)

Another difference is that lawyers have to spend three years working incredibly hard and learning all about trusts, torts, criminal and constitutional laws...while infants, in my limited experience, prefer climbing on my leg, chewing my jeans, and losing their minds at the injustice of being placed in a stroller for nine to ten seconds.
So I got to spend the weekend not being climbed and chewed on (thanks, Dave!) and instead enjoying my sister's graduation fesitivities, including a Barrister's Ball and a party downtown and of course the graduation itself followed by a family lunch. I had the most fun at the ball because I got to hang out with my sister's friends of the legal persuasion (Hi, Jessie!) and play who-looks-like-they're-dressed-for-senior-prom (with Jessie) and also talk about my weak-kneed appreciation for the South African accent (with Jessie's boyfriend).*

Above: my sister and the rest of her class just before receiving their J.D. degrees!

...and that's Rachel processing in before the ceremony.

We bought those Suffolk Law shirts to surprise my sister with a grand visual. Unfortunately, they had about four shirts left in random sizes, so we bought what we could. Oh, and then they came in very handy during the very chilly ceremony (in an outdoor pavilion).

See above for our feeble attempt to get Mamp and the three grandkids in a picture together. They don't call me a mediocre photographer for nothing, my friends.

Will was fascinated by his big cousins, as usual. He loves to watch Joe do pretty much anything, and he thinks it's hilarious when Bella plays with his hands and cheeks.

We got to spend time with Mimi, Maddie, Nonna and Poppa as well (that's a lot of extended grandparents for Will, lucky us!), and my sister's wonderful au pair Marina was there to cuddle with Will before she says goodbye and moves to the Midwest this month. (That part's unlucky for all of us.)

In summary: CONGRATULATIONS, RACHE!

*Yes, you're exactly right, most of the paragraph was just an elongated shout-out to Jessie, who loves Smartfood and history and is not, contrary to common belief, a ninety-year-old woman. She just likes the quiet life is all!

Friday, May 15, 2009

Who's Up For Croquet?

As my mom friends already know--because I might have announced it nineteen times at this week's playgroup--there are few things I love more than an ironic popped collar on an infant boy.

And truly, nothing says "Summer!!!!!" quite like this:

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Boys These Days

When Will wakes up from a nap, he looks like this:

When he's overtired, he looks like this:

Just before a diaper change (when he's not flipping over and crawling away, hence the placement of the changing pad on the FLOOR), he does this:

And then there's the crawling-away I just mentioned:

When he's trying to talk and making raspberries, or saying "Bleh bleh bleh" over and over:


See? I told you someday "soon" I'd post more pictures! I finally uploaded all the April shots, and I think they'll provide fodder here for a good week. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go chase down a wannabe walker. The zero balance is cramping his style...

Monday, May 4, 2009

Wedding in the Bend

I cried three times during Erin and Matt's wedding ceremony. 

The first was when we lined the altar and watched Erin process in with her father. She looked stunning even through the tears. Maybe even because of the tears? Anyway, those tears were contagious.

The second was when we stood up beside them as they said their vows. Yeah, yeah, Erin was crying again, and I was gracelessly craning my neck around the other bridesmaids to watch the ring exchange, so I may have brought that one on myself. 

The third was when I walked up to receive communion from Erin, who was acting as a eucharistic minister. (Directly after my tearful, "Amen," I ran to the conveniently located bathroom and scurried back just in time to watch Dave bringing Will up to the altar, Erin smiling and tickling Will's toes, and Will promptly bursting into his own first tears of the ceremony. C'est la vie.)

(Even still, extra thanks to Erin and Matt for letting kids of the wedding party attend the festivities. I love that Will can always say his first wedding was Auntie Erin's.)

Without further blah blah blah, here are some of Kim's photos of the weekend:

The couple on their last night of prewedded bliss, following the rehearsal.
If I remember correctly, as this picture was snapped, Matt was giving us a lesson on the nearby statue of a Notre Dame alum whose nickname was "Faircatch." Matt's love for his alma mater is palpable.


Erin and her bridal party.
We all laughed when Kim handed off her point-and-click to the professional photographer's assistant and asked her to take some pictures. "Classic Kim," we chuckled. But guess what? That assistant was good for ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! She made the bridesmaids move furniture around for the photos while she just stood there...and one of us (poor Tina) had to hold that aluminum light reflector thingy up for about an hour. So in retrospect, Kim had the right idea.


Posing with the bride at Corby's after the ceremony.
This was Matt's favorite college bar...and he's a bit of a celebrity there, to be honest. The limo stopped there in between the ceremony and the cocktail hour so the happy couple and wedding party could relax before the reception. (Greatest. Idea. In Wedding History.) 
By the way, prior to the rehearsal, Erin had gifted her 'maids with the pearl earrings and necklace you see here. Not only did the jewelry go perfectly with our gowns, but it made me feel a little like Jackie O.


The handsome and beautiful Mr. and Mrs. Hendrick.
The End.