A New Paradise

Amos, June Apple and I went on our first family vacation together to Long Boat Key, Florida a few weeks ago. I was really looking forward to it, so I could get a little r and r before my maternity leave ended. I had visions of all three of us, days spent lying lazily on the beach, sleeping under umbrellas for hours at a time, frolicking in the gentle waves. Nights would be spent with Juju blissfully asleep, while Amos and I dined on local seafood and drank frozen daiquiris under the stars. I brought two thick novels and a binder of work I needed to catch up on.

Within a day I understood why people bring nannies (or grandparents) on vacation.

So, it was sunny. really sunny. And hot. Hello! Its Florida! What was I expecting? Regardless of my expectations, it was so hot and sunny that I was wary of having June Apple outside for too long during the day, for fear of burning and over-heating. You can't put sunscreen on a 3 month old (you have to wait until 6 months). We spent a little bit of time under the umbrellas, but I didn't want to overheat her.

So while Amos enjoyed the above mentioned relaxing activities on the beach, we stayed inside and watched Oprah. We had a nice view though. June didn't want to nap for longer than 30 minutes in unfamiliar surroundings, which meant those novels that I dreamt of getting to sat, uncracked.

And the binder of work? Hah! At one point a few days in, I was feeling really disappointed about my unmet expectations in the face of my new reality. To that, I now say- boo hoo, welcome to parenthood. So I got over it. Because, in truth, I like the new reality- a true FAMILY vacation. Maybe not as relaxing, but fun none-the-less.


And, one of the best things about the condo was that there was a bath tub! We only have a shower at home, and I knew June Apple would love a bath- which she did, every night! She was quite the little water bug, the ocean, the pool, the bath. I can't wait to get her into swim lessons!


I hope that these beach vacations turn into a family tradition. Amos and I both grew up going to the beach (either at a lake or ocean) with our families and I hope we can help create those some cherished memories with our kids. This year was the first of many!

4 months

Whew! Is my baby girl 4 months already?! I cannot believe the time has flown and she has grown, grown, grown, into a long string bean. Our squirrel girl. Now she thinks everything is hilarious (because life IS absurd), sleeps through the night (mostly) and is just starting to roll over.

See hows she's grown?


Here are the stats from her 4 month check-up:
Weight: 10 pounds, 4 ounces
Height: 23 inches
Head Circumference: 15.5 inches

Oh, and if you ever needed proof that life (and breast milk) is a miracle, look at the difference between June Apple at 3 weeks and 3 1/2 months, nearly double the weight:


Oh, and did I mention that she is THE CUTEST BABY I have ever seen? I've seen a lot, so that makes me an expert on the subject. I feel sorry for all my friends and family who have had babies. They must look at June Apple and think, "Huh. I'm kinda disappointed my kid wasn't that cute." Its hard to face the truth, I know. But there it is. The truth. Do you not agree?! Case in point:
she is cute when she sleeps..
cute when she wakes up,
cute when she dances,
cute in Chinese restaurants,
and very cute when she is annoyed with Papa at the grocery store...

I would have written more in the past 4 months, but I was on maternity leave...from the world. Yes, I still had to take two classes, but I was BLESSED with the opportunity to spend most of the past 4 months at home with June Apple and Amos. Since Amos works mostly at night, we got to spend so much of these precious first months all together, and we are so lucky! In the early weeks we watched all 6 seasons of The Sopranos and I started to channel Carmela Soprano, which was not so good. And we ate lots of yummy food brought to us by loving family and friends. There was a lot of dog licks and cat purrs. And we smiled at each other, because this. is. the. LIFE.