Tale of Superbaby

In the spirit of the season, Max decided to visit Sleepy Hollow and Washington Irving's home, Sunnyside, on Sunday. He was ready for a calm day.

He took this photo of his grandmother by a bust of Washington Irving.
They all checked out the house--and were slightly annoyed that they weren't allowed to tour the upstairs because it was a busy weekend. Geez, what a waste of money!
But the land around the home truly was beautiful and exactly how The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is portrayed on tv and imagination.
It was a nice day.

But then he heard the call. Someone was in trouble.

No on uses phone booths anymore, but he managed to change.

Look! Up in the sky!

It's a bird! It's a plane!
It's Superbaby!

While attending a Ragamuffin Parade where kids all wore their Halloween costumes, this woman thanked Superbaby for keeping her from going near that raging river seen in the background. Instead, he made her cuddle him. Thanks, Superbaby!
It's all in a day's work for Superbaby.

Still, he was happy to go home and relax in his chair.

Searching for fall colors

Max likes to travel. He gets excited in his carseat...and then usually falls promptly asleep.
We headed north to see the fall colors. The day predicted rain, so we weren't sure what we would find.

We found Bear Mountain in New York.


And an Oktoberfest celebration.

The blessing

When I was touring Arlington House, the boys waited outside. Even with their forbidden stroller rule, a steady flow of people came in and out. I saw three little nuns walk in speaking Spanish. Once again reunited with the guys, I was told by Garrett that they'd met Max. One of them was especially delighted with him, oohing and ahhing. She touched his cheek and then blessed him.

At least, that's what Garrett thinks. We're not sure because she was speaking Spanish. Anyway, she said something and then made the sign of the cross over him, so we'll hope it was a blessing.

Nice, huh?

Washington DC Day 3

Garrett was so excited to learn that the Air and Space Museum had two buildings. We drove to the second one on the third day in D.C. The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is near the Dulles airport in a hangar. Why a hangar? Because it's filled with airplanes and space shuttles.

Below is Garrett standing in front of the Enola Gay.Here we are in front of the Enterprise --no, not the Star Trek one.

After hitting the gift shop to purchase a couple of books for Max, we ate lunch at McDonald's again--they sure have the market cornered. Then we went to Arlington Cemetery. On the way there, we saw the Iwo Jima Memorial. Once at the cemetery, we walkedwalkedwalkedwalked in the heatheatheatheat. We passed the Kennedy graves and saw the Tomb of the Unknowns.

Arlington is impressive. It's beautiful and sad and patriotic all at the same time. The various tombstones tell so many stories that they speak over themselves in the serene setting until it's overwhelming. Even the origin of Arlington is a meaningful story.

Max and I enjoy the view from Arlington House, Robert E. Lee's home for 30 years.

Washington DC Day 2

We decided to go to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. I knew Garrett would like it, but I hadn't anticipated he'd like it so much. He was my own personal tour guide. I soon stopped looking at my booklet because, after only a glimpse, he'd launch into full explanation of what the thing was and its historical significance.

Even Max was in the mood. Check out his shirt.

One of the most popular museums of the Smithsonian, the Air and Space Museum, has something for kids of all ages. We didn't check out everything because of time limitations. There's plenty to go back and explore.

I spent quite a bit of time in the special room they had set aside for nursing mothers. I never realized what a courtesy it is for places to provide a place to sit in semi-privacy. Max had his lunch while Garrett hit the sights he most wanted to see. Then, we went to lunch in the museum. They offered McDonald's and Boston Market. I hadn't enjoyed a burger from Mickey D's in ages and the fries...well, everyone knows their fries are the best no matter how nutritionally questionable they may be. Here are the boys in the lunch court:

Since I'd been to D.C. before I told Garrett he didn't have to go to the art galleries with me if we could just go to the two other places I really wanted to see: the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and the International Spy Museum. Well, the first is closed for renovations and the second doesn't allow strollers. But here's a picture of me in front of the U.S. Capitol.
Having a stroller was an advantage at the National Archives, though. (For your future planning, an enormous line forms to see all the documents, but if you take the handicap route, which one must do if pushing a stroller, then you get straight to the floor.) The guards oohed and ahhed over Max and then told us to take our time. Neither Garrett nor I could look to our left because hundreds of people were staring at us in the long line. I almost felt guilty, but then I remembered that they could have gone to the International Spy Museum if they really wanted to. So there.

Max slept better in Washington D.C than he does in his own crib. He loves his car seat and stroller. When he got fussy, I just reached over and rocked it a bit and he went right back to sleep. Loved it!

Washington DC on the way

We drove to Washington DC on Friday. We'd heard it takes about 3 1/2 hours.

That's such a lie.

Especially with a baby.

We arrived over 7 hours after our departure.

Garrett had racked up Marriott points over the years and we decided this weekend was a good time to cash them in. Here's Max in his first hotel room. He made himself right at home.

We signed up for the hotel near the Navy Yard. That's the Navy Yard in the background. We took this picture on our walk to dinner that night.

Now, I'd heard that this area was not known for being the safest, so I did my research. I read reviews online. I emailed my cousin Kent, who lives in Alexandria and asked him about it. Like the information I found online, Kent said that the area was experiencing a revival and was supposed to be fairly safe now. It's where the new baseball stadium is. If anyone plans to go to a game, I highly recommend staying at this hotel because you are right by the stadium and just a block away from the Metro. Plus, the people there are all really nice.
When we checked in, we asked about a place to eat dinner--because, yes, it was dinner time, not lunch time, as we had anticipated. The guy at the front desk recommended a place a short walk away. I asked him if the area was safe. He looked at me seriously and said, "No. I was mugged two nights ago." Then he laughed and laughed and laughed. He assured us police patrolled the area and it was well lit.

He was right.

We saw several officers on our way to dinner. One of them had pulled over a convertible driven by a chipper, pony-tailed blond. The two young ladies in the car were chatting him up. I think their crime might have been being too cute.

We also saw military guards. Not only did we pass the Navy Yard, but we also walked by a Marine base. Uniformed marines were on each corner. I felt very safe. Plus, a uniformed military guy usually adds to the scenery, and this was no exception.

At the restaurant, we sat outside right by the sidewalk. The staff kindly and quickly offered us hot water when I stood to locate the bathroom to warm a bottle for Max. The food wasn't bad, either.

The man at the table next to us held court. The staff seemed to know and revere him. Suited men on the sidewalk paused to shake hands with him and offer their services if he ever needed anything. Even when Garrett and I juggled Max and our dinner, he observed it all in stride as he sipped a martini. Later, I caught him making goo-goo eyes at Max. Then, he correctly guessed Max's age and weight. When I mentioned that I hoped we weren't disturbing his dinner because of (a teeny-tiny, short-lived bout of) fussiness, he told me never to apologize for a child because he was perfect. There was something about the way he spoke to us and held himself that made me understand why people reacted to him the way they did. I'd love to know who he is.

I should know better

I'm about as tough as The Jonas Brothers.

Is that why people want to kick my butt?

My friend Ange likes to share a story of us back in school. After a basketball game when the girls had cleaned the floor with the home team, one of the especially violent and outspoken players from McAlister was a tad miffed. (She talked smack to our girls all night, so I suspect she had anger management issues to begin with.) We were waiting around for the boys to finish up in the locker room so that we could get on the bus and go home. For some reason, she picked Ange--the superstar basketball player--and me--a not-very-tough girl in a cheerleader uniform--to voice her rage. When Ange asked if she was talking to her, the girl made it clear she wanted to kick my butt.

?!

I could dance the fight song, throw some high kicks, and wiggle my spirit fingers, but I was no fighter. Since she had no other motivation for singling me out, she must have known this. This bully simply wanted to fight.

So I did the only thing I could do: I smiled and waved.

Although Ange remembers all the details, I just remember being thankful we had a lot of bleachers between us and that we got on the bus without anyone getting hurt.

Geez. Some people are so touchy. All I did was wave.

Years later, my mother and I were finishing up some last minute details for my wedding. We pulled out of a parking lot onto Northwest Expressway in Oklahoma City when a sporty green car turned and almost rammed into us. Mind you, I was totally in my lane. A bleach blonde with the expensive manicure whizzed by us and flipped me off.

So I did the only thing I could do: I smiled and waved.

I guess she saw me. Immediately, she backed up her car, leapt out of it and pounced on mine. Yes, that's right. She was on my car. Her palms whacked the glass so hard I thought she might break it. I was in shock. Who does this sort of thing? Well, she wasn't through with merely attacking my car. She also attacked me by beating the car to the rhythm of her words: "You stupid white trash b****!"

Really. She did.

I laughed in response. The situation was ridiculous. As she repeated this attack like a mantra, I figured she really didn't have a clue as to what she was doing, so I pulled a serious face and pointed my finger at me and mouthed, "Me? I'm the white trash?" then I pointed at her pounding on my car on one of the busiest streets in Oklahoma City and shook my head at her as if I felt sorry for her--which, for the record, I did. This enraged her even though I'm pretty sure she couldn't hear my tsk,tsk, tsk-ing. My mom tried to get her license plate as she drove away, but I hope the crazy girl learned her lesson--because all I really needed to do was tap my brake and she would have eaten pavement in heavy traffic.

Very dangerous.

So I should have known better yesterday. Max was officially four weeks old, and I officially had severe cabin fever. When Garrett got home, I kissed my hubby and baby before hopping in the car. Running errands had never seemed so decadent.

On the way there I put on my turn signal to switch lanes. A white SUV that was a considerable distance away actually sped up instead of slowing down. Then the driver had the audacity to honk at me as she cut me off. And then we were at a stop light. I flung my hands up and yelled at her. (Yes, I admit this was not appropriate road behavior, but I hadn't been out of the house in days and she was ruining my happy vibe by almost killing me.) Anyway, I yelled, "What? Didn't you see my signal? Was it so hard not to run me over?"

Um. Apparently.

She rolled down the window and flung her hands up in mockery. My first thought was Oh no she didn't. My next was Okay. I deserve it because I behaved just as stupidly as she.

So I did the only thing I could do: I smiled and started laughing.

No waving. I'd learned my lesson.

The back window rolled down and a head popped out giving me a glare. I laughed harder because, really, how ridiculous was it for everyone to be so riled up? Another head popped out to scowl at the crazy lady, and the window rolled down more to reveal the SUV was filled with females with attitude. A group of tough looking men wouldn't have made me think about going elsewhere the way this realization did because everyone knows a group of mean girls are the worst things on the planet. The light couldn't change quickly enough. I grinned and shrugged, hoping they wouldn't smell my fear.

Unfortunately, we all had plans to go to Target. When I realized they thought I was following them--the speeding up and then quick braking clued me in--I veered off to another store first.

What would I have done if I'd met them in the aisle at Target somewhere between Halloween candy and cereal?

Yeah, you're right. I probably would have smiled and waved.

Our first outing

Last Saturday, we decided to take our first road trip with Max. My parents were here, so we had back-up. Plus, we'd wanted them to visit Mystic Seaport. Those of you who read the blog regularly may recall that Garrett and I went this winter when it was c-c-c-cold and we still enjoyed it.

So, we braved the road with a one week old, a diaper bag, and a breast pump. The diaper bag held no fewer than 7 diapers, 2 pacifiers, 2 blankets, and 3 outfits. I felt successful that we came back with one fresh article of clothing. Let me point out that every outfit Max wore had a nautical print in honor of his first trip to the ocean. We are nothing if not thematic.

Before we left, I insisted on getting my picture made with Max in his cute--if rather large--outfit because I figured it wouldn't stay clean for long. It didn't. Promptly after this photo was taken, he puked. Good thing it was reversible.

All of the buildings at Mystic Seaport were hauled in from real whaling villages to create an authentic 19th century whaling port. Below, my parents are with Max in front of one of the churches.
You can see one of the ships in the distance behind Garrett, Max and me. For anyone interested in learning how to build your own boat or being a shipmate, they offer camps. I wouldn't want to do it at all. But, hey, whatever floats your boat...

On the left is a cordage, which is a building where they make rope. On the right are a bunch of little dinghies. The lighthouse is pretty, don't you think? My mom spotted it. I didn't even notice it the first time we were there.

Once we finally located batteries, I spent an unspeakable amount of time in the ladies' room trying to master the stupid pump. I've never felt more akin to livestock. All the while people were walking in and out. I was covered with a sweatshirt, so don't think I was like some tribal woman on National Geographic. I wasn't the only freak show in there, either. One woman brought her son in and put him on the changing table. I swear he was four years old and practically crawled up there by himself. And he was sucking on a lollipop.

At least I was standing by a window. Outside I could see Garrett changing Max again:

Right outside the bathroom door was this photo op:
Another good photo op would have been of me when I decided to go back into the bathroom to actually use the facilities. When I entered, I thought it looked different, but since I'm easily geographically confused except in malls I didn't think anything of it. Until I saw the urinals. I knew they weren't water fountains, so I promptly left. Later, a man walked by with a big grin on his face. He and his pals were laughing at me. I can't remember what he said, but I do remember he had totally seen me. He was friendly enough. And, really, when you might have baby poop and spilled milk on you in a public place, who can get embarrassed about a little thing like going in the wrong bathroom?

Not far from Mystic Seaport is Stonington. Garrett loves this little point where you can go out and see the ocean. As you can see, it was a beautiful sunset.
After we were home, we felt like we'd really accomplished something. We managed to eat lunch and dinner at restaurants as well as go sightseeing. Max was a perfect little gentleman.

Point Pleasant Beach, NJ

Garrett drove us to the beach on Sunday. It took at least an hour longer to get there this summer than it did Easter Weekend when we were bundled up like snow skiers. The traffic was horrendous. On the way home, it wasn't quite as bad. But what do I know? I slept most of the ride.

We are definitely amateurs. We took some water, snacks, towels, and a red blanket. I slathered myself with sunscreen that had a 50 rating before we left Park Ridge and once we arrived. (No pregnancy mask for me thankyouverymuch.) We also took a little $5 rain umbrella and a book, but I forgot them in the car. The beach was filled with regulars. They had beach umbrellas, ice chests, beach chairs, and even tents. We, obviously, were not part of their crowd. We did, however, know better than many new parents who tried to force those huge baby strollers across sand.

Spreading our blanket at the first available spot meant that we were nowhere near the actual water. That far out, sun worshipers surrounded us in their tiny bikinis and golden skin. I kept looking for harpooners or Green Peace to spot me.

Not to worry.

When we walked toward the ocean--ah, the sand felt so good on my feet!--we saw the other beach goers. The water was filled with individuals, couples, and families. They were all laughing and having fun. Frolicking is the appropriate word. My first observation was that no woman of a certain age in the midwest or southwest would even consider wearing the swimsuits these women wore. Bikinis abounded.

Well, flesh abounded. Sometimes, the bikinis were rather hard to see. I felt a little more confident in my maternity swimsuit. So did the one woman I saw who covered her bikini with a t-shirt that announced: I'm fat because I'm pregnant. What's your excuse?

The women were typical New Jersey. They wore jewelry at the beach. They carried designer handbags. They wore stylish and expensive swimsuits. You might think they were all pretension. But when a wave knocked one down as she attempted to catwalk with a certain haughtiness because she knew people might be watching, the true Jersey girl came out in her. Her facade broke as she regained her balance and wiped her wet hair out of her face. She guffawed and turned to all those nearby. "So much for trying to be cool."

Because the waves were so strong, I simply stood with my feet in the water and let the waves ebb and flow around me. I was afraid that if I went too deep, Poseidon might knock me down and then I'd go into labor and ruin our day. Garrett, of course, ventured in. He waded out about waist high, turned around, crossed his arms to shiver and mouthed, "It's cold." The lady beside me turned to me and laughed. I guess she thought he was funny, too.

Then again, she may have been laughing at me since I'd placed his hat on top of mine. Attractive, I'm sure.

Westwood, NJ

Since I'm growing less and less mobile these days, Garrett and I decided to explore a town nearby. It's 2-3 train stops away from Park Ridge depending on the schedule. Of course, we drove because we didn't really know where we were going. Next time, we'll take the train.

Why we'll return...

Bookstores! We visited an independent book store called Shaw's Book Shop. For such a small store they had a huge selection. Not only did they have many classics, but they also had lots of bestsellers. I was impressed with their expansive selection of YA books. We purchased a book about the Revolutionary War in Bergen County. Since we live here, we should know its history, right? There's also another shop I want to go to that's called Peace, Love & Serenity Book Shop. As the name indicates, it's a bit more earthy and touchy-feely. I'm guessing Garrett probably won't be interested.

Movie theater! The Pascack Theater shows new movies and it's much closer than any of the other theaters we know. Usually, we drive to the Palisades Mall in NY. It's nice to know we can catch a flick close to home.

Tea house! Harmony Tea Room is not just a regular ol' tea house. It's a Victorian style tea house. They must be on vacation because they're closed temporarily until July 9. My mom visits in July, so I'm hoping to go there with her. Garrett certainly isn't thrilled with the prospect of having to attend with me.

Ice cream! I can't remember the names of them all, but there were several places. Not only did they have chains like Cold Stone Creamery, but they also had cute little boutique shops. Oh, yeah. I scream for ice cream.

Shopping! Specialty shops and chains were all around the few streets of this small town. Someone else wrote about the cute shops and things to do in Westwood, so here you go.

Memorial Day, May 26--Valley Forge

We started the day with a great breakfast from Morning Glory Diner. It was worth the wait.

We went to Valley Forge on our way home. We had just missed a parade, so we saw the boys coming home on horseback in their wool uniforms. We also saw other boys out and about in various uniforms. Some of them were so young. The movie Taps was filmed here. Remember the scene where the wall gets blown out? You can see where they bricked it back up. Ah, movie magic.

On the way home, Garrett and I also got to visit our first Whole Foods. Such an abundance of healthy food was exciting. Later, we went to Trader Joe's, which is similar. It's not far from our house, so we're thrilled. Plus, that non-alcoholic wine we've been searching for was there. We've not tried it yet...but we will.

Sunday, May 25--University of Pennsylvania

We started our day by walking to the University of Pennsylvania. It's never too early to begin college visits, is it?

Here we are at The Green with Ben Franklin.Ellery was such a good baby--even though she was teething! When she was giggly and playing, Max was fine, but as soon as she made any little noise indicating discomfort, Max started flipping around in there! I think he's in love.We walked to the university, but it's difficult to carry around all this extra weight! So, we took the subway back. Here I am beside subway art. By the way, we got to ride for free because whoever sold tickets left a sign saying to just go through the gate. Very cool.Next, we went to the Reading Terminal Market. It was filled with all sorts of things to eat. They also had flowers and other things for sale. I purchased some natural beeswax candles.

We grabbed salads and sandwiches and had a picnic in Rittenhouse Square. The park was filled with people. The weather was absolutely perfect. It was a great day to wander in and out of shops. We bought Max a couple of books.

Easter Weekend

This Saturday we drove to the Jersey Shore. Point Pleasant Beach was calming, beautiful...and cold. As if going snow skiing, we bundled up with layers of clothes and our warmest coats. But it was so worth it. Minus the warm sun, watching the ocean was everything I love about being on a boat in an Oklahoma lake. The waves came and went, lulling me into peace and relaxation.

When we first arrived, we drove up and down the street nearest the beach. It was fun to see all the old beach houses. Some of them were so enormous, they must have housed 20 bedrooms. I loved the wrap-around porches. It was easy to imagine bathing beauties of the Victorian era with all their pals heading to the beach to cool off.

Many of the shops were closed for the season, but a good portion of them were open. We stopped at this one and enjoyed a seafood feast while looking out at the docks, the seagulls, the ducks, and the working fishing boats. I think Garrett was trying to retrieve this anchor from the ground out front--but you'll have to ask him to be sure.
We didn't actually make it to the boardwalk, but plan to return. I'm drawn to the carnival atmosphere. All sorts of rides entice me, but I'll have to wait until Baby arrives before I try 'em out. Hopefully, they have corndogs. A corndog would make me happy. Going back will be easy. It's about an hour and a half drive (if that) and we noticed the train station stops just a short walk from the beach. Train tickets would definitely be cheaper than parking.

For the weather being so frigid, people were plentiful on the sand enjoying the bright day. We even saw toddlers with their Easter baskets collecting seashells. Adorable.

Garrett is on the pier holding our little sack of collected seashells.

On Sunday, we went to West Point to share Easter dinner with our friends Alison and Paul and their baby girl Ellery. It was nice to have a holiday with loved ones when family is so far away.

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter!

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

We said goodbye to our home in Edmond and went to get my blood drawn to see if we were pregnant. Dr. Haas was sentimental and hugged us both goodbye and said he hoped to see me in a couple of weeks—for the heartbeat ultrasound. At Ruby Tuesdays in Springfield, Missouri, we got word that the numbers had not doubled as expected and that we needed to find a lab when we arrived.

Sure. No big deal.

Then Garrett drove. And drove. And drove some more.

Garrett had wanted to see the St. Louis Arch. I thought he might want to go in it. I remember that when I was a kid I thought the elevator was tiny and wondered what he’d think. As we continued to drive, I learned that when Garrett said he wanted to “see” it, that’s all he wanted to do.

I wasn’t done sightseeing. I wanted to go to the Jesse James Wax Museum. Garrett claims that we didn’t go because it was closed. He only noticed that after he didn’t take the exit.

Somehow we escaped the dangers of the open road. Warning: a silly blond girl in a red Volkswagen bug reads as she drives. She swerved all over the road and appeared startled and genuinely surprised to see us when we honked at her before she almost hit us. We got a good look at her face because she had the car light on. I guess she thought it was a reading lamp. That girl was crazy.

We spent the night in Indianapolis. The city is building an enormous new stadium for the Colts. It was huge as we drove past it. We stayed downtown, and it looked a lot like Bricktown—except with huge smokestacks billowing purple smoke. Eerie.