This One (Girl) Goes To Eleven (Months)!

Dear Bean,
Today you are 11 months old in New York City! What's so crazy about you being 11 months today is that in four short weeks you'll be one year old. Wow!

After you got up today your dad fed you breakfast---I'm not sure what, but it was probably tasty. Then you guys went for a walk in Central Park, which is the new morning routine while we're here. I took you yesterday to see the dogs, which you love. It's great seeing you get excited about things, which is mostly dogs and the occasional horse. We played a bit when you came back and then you took a nap and I went shopping with your grandma and when you got up your dad took you for a walk with his friend Ken. I believe there was a sandbox involved in your playground. For lunch your dad gave you 6! organic chicken nuggets. That seemed like a lot to me, but he said you got pretty hungry.

You were not happy when you woke up from your long afternoon nap, but eventually you snapped out of it and were mildly entertained by the two boys who had taken over the apartment. After they got tired of their DVD, we went out to another playground where you crawled around on wet concrete and chewed on a fence. Oh, you also got your first taste of junk food since I gave you some Pirate's Booty and other "healhty" puffy, cheesy things. I'm not surprised that you dug it.

It started raining and the boys got restless so we walked them to Amsterdam with their mom, went back to the apartment where you ate macaroni and cheese, yam, a little bit of Indian food, which you did not like, and some fruit. Then you got loopy tired drunk, which is funny because it's easy to make you laugh. Your grandma made you laugh a lot! Then the boys and their parents came back and you watched them for a bit before your dad gave you a bottle and put you to bed.

I feel a little sorry that I didn't spend so much time with you today, but also happy that you're such an amazing little girl. This has been a great month---you're happy and sleeping and eating up a storm and seem pretty close to walking.You're been a trooper with all the traveling.

I can't wait to see (and kiss and hug and laugh with) you tomorrow.
xo, mama

We'll Be Back

But I don't think I'll be blogging while we're away. You gotta change things up, ya know! Have a great couple of weeks.

A Blog More Sexy Than This One?

I know, it's hard to imagine isn't it? All the references to nap times and The Over Documentation of a baby's meals can really make you wanna....snooze. Wanna wake up? Brooklyn Mama's friend, Mr. Casual, has a rollicking new(ish) blog that Brooklyn Mama can't stop reading. Take a look! I promise the only mention of naps will be in the post-coital context.

Waiting For The Bean To Wake Up

Cuz she'll be doing it pretty soon I imagine since it's 10:30 and she's been napping since 8:45! That's my girl! Remember when she didn't nap and I'd have to do everything in my power to get her to sleep? And then it would be like a 20-30 minute travesty. Now, she's on a napping schedule and generally each one is a bit over an hour. I'm a bit fearful since she took a long morning nap like this on Sunday and then refused to nap in the afternoon, which as you know is when mama naps. But yesterday she took a long morning snoozer and a really long snooze in the afternoon so who knows what's really going on.

Of course we're going to go and wreck havoc with this beautiful napping by going out of town for like 10 days! First stop is Field of Corn, NY on Saturday where we're going to go celebrate our good friend's imminent departure to SCRANTON, PA MED SCHOOL! Yay Alison! And no, I don't think we'll ever stop making Office jokes. On Sunday we'll be going to the Big Apple where we're going to feed The Bean real NY bagels and pizza and go to lots of movies since we'll have lots o' Beansitting available.

We're also (supposedly) going to leave Miss Bean overnight with the grandparents while we go back upstate to watch our friendies get married. Surviving that (me, not Bean she's in good hands) we'll retrieve the Bean, come back to NH for a few days before going over to the other Grandparents in the Adks and leaving her once again to go to another wedding....And she's up! More later.

So now it's eight hours later and The Bean is sleeping (hopefully) for the night because she did not have her afternoon nap. She was so tired on the bottle that she fell asleep without finishing it (it popped right out of her mouth) and she curled up to my...uh...bosom totally asleep. It was really sweet as she has not done that since she was teeny. She remained asleep while I transferred her to the crib and I didn't even have to put the pacifier in her mouth, which is huge. Now I'm off to have me a beer. It's been a day.

Hooray For Baby Daddies!

Since the Internet will be going dark in a little while, The Bean and I would like to give a early shout-out to N and say, very originally, "Happy Father's Day!" Of course you're not surprised that N is one of the best baby daddies around. He has an excellent singing voice and is very through when it comes to cleaning The Bean's bottom. Plus, he plays excellent music for our early morning dance parties, knows how to 2-step, and always tries to find tasty things for Miss Bean to eat for breakfast. Also, The Bean would like it known that now that there's no teaching going on, her dad gets up with her in the early morning and lets mama sleep, which is the best thing (for mom) ever! The Bean's Daddy should get a medal for all the things he had to put together for her this past year: cribs (portable and stationary), car seats, plastic contraptions from China, not to mention figuring out strollers and tattoo guns.

In all seriousness, The Bean and I feel incredibly, amazingly, awesomely, and happily lucky to have N in our lives. We're going to miss him something terrible when he's geeking out in Boston for the first half of next week. Happy Father's Day, N! The Bean says no dance parties till you return!

N.B.

This lady will not be invited to The Bean's first bday.
This is helpful.
Interesting twist.
The revolution will not be televised, but perhaps it will be twittered?
Can you really fall asleep while get a tattoo?

MONDAY MONDAY

Hope y'all had a nice weekend. Ours was okay with long stretches of oh my god it's only 3:00? What are we going do to for the next three hours? Poor Miss Bean was diagnosed with an ear infection on Thursday afternoon but we had to stop the anti-bs after the Saturday night dose because she had a rash all over her chest and belly. Now, she's on a new med that will hopefully do the trick. She was more like herself today than she was all weekend.

Over here we live like we did back in high school with class periods. First period usually starts around 6:00 AM and includes breakfast and some play time and sometimes going outside to pick up the paper or a quick walk to the green and back. Then there's First Nap, which is usually a little before 9:00 AM. After that nap, which ends sometime around 10:00, it's second period. You need to do BIG, exciting things during second period to make Missy Bean happy. Today we went to Mommy and Me Yoga, which was more like Mom Chases The Bean and Tries To Stop Her From Eating the Six Week Old Baby Next to Us. After that we went to the bar with some of the moms for an early lunch. When we got back we had a few more small adventures (watching the cleaning woman vacuum, feeding our neighbor's fish, stealing an apple) and then it was Second Nap time, which Bklyn Mama loves since she got smart and stopped doing anything domestic and naps too. Second Nap Time normally starts between 1-1:30 but started a little early today perhaps due to the resumption of the anti-bs. Second Nap normally ends sometime between 2-2:30 and then we have third period, which is tricky. Today, The Bean woke up in the most fantastic mood she's been in post-nap all week. We had a great time in the house (going up the stairs 3! times, bathroom inspecting, snack time, etc) for about an hour and then she got REALLY REALLY BORED. Nothing was doing the trick---not even the remote control or mom's cell phone. Eventually we made our way outside and thank goodness the dogs next door were out because if they weren't I swear she would've chewed off my hand and poof---no more blogging. The dogs have no interest in the Bean anymore, but luckily she's content to watch them frolic and pee.

Bean's baby daddy came home in the midst of the dog watching and took Bean out for a more exciting second half of third period which included not buying a $40.00 brown shirt, not finding a carabeaner, and a short stop at the playground.

If you can make it through third period you're all good since dinner is about 4:45 and bedtime is around 6:00. And there's sometimes a bath and always a bottle before the hitting of the hay. I know she goes to bed early, but she gets really tired. You'd be tired too climbing the stairs 800 times a day.

Why I Hate Garrison Keeler

Hard to believe now, but you know, there was time, back when I was in my (foolish and boozy) 20's, living in Seattle, when I found "A Prairie Home Companion" comforting. I'd listen while through Seattle's cute rainy neighborhoods, on route to brunch or at home, drinking my coffee or folding my laundry or some other mundane thing. I'd laugh at the ketchup commercials and smile at the English Major riffs. That Guy Noir....he'd just crack me up. When I moved back to Brooklyn I didn't listen to it as much--one, because I didn't drive anymore and probably because I sent my laundry out and also because it just didn't seem to be on when I was drinking coffee, etc. But when I did catch it, I was cool wid it.

One effect of living in NH is that I now HATE APHC. I find Garrison Keeler's voice smarmy and annoying and sometimes N has to physically restrain me from throwing things at the radio. Maybe I dislike the show because I live in the country rather than a metropolitan hot bed like Seattle or New York. Maybe I think Keeler is a bit of an asshole because of this. Maybe a white person living in white people land can only take so much whiteness in a given day. Or maybe I hate APHC because IT'S ALWAYS ON HERE.

We get three NPR stations in this area and on the weekends when we're all chillaxin' and in the mood for some good listening it's APHC on all 3 stations. It kind of makes ya wanna kill yourself. Or maybe just blast some gay rap.

Have yourselves a APHC-free weekend, kiddies. Do it for me, cuz you know I won't.

Back

Well, I'm back online, but my back is still kind of killing me. It was getting better, but I think I did too much on Sunday because Monday morning was just awful. Of course Bean was extra needy too. Luckily, N was able to take over all yesterday afternoon and evening and he's on duty all day today and tomorrow. I can't wait till I'm healed because it really stinks. For the rest of my life I'm going to do back exercises every morning. I think I'm genetically destined for back issues, but I think a lot of it could be prevented.

I really miss being physical with Miss Bean, but feel incredibly lucky that N is home to take over. I'm hoping I'll be back (ha, ha) on track by Thurs/Fri.

Other than the bad back, we had a nice, busy weekend with family. The weather was great too. Now, it's rainy, which we're actually happy about since the landlords put down a ton of weed killer and fertilizer so the lawn has been off limits. I'm getting stir crazy and think I'll leave the house at some point today.

Oh. The Bean is getting her two front teeth, which makes her look even cuter. And, she's starting to stand. On her own.

Maybe You Should Give Me A Call This Weekend

You know cuz I won't be ONLINE AGAIN TILL MONDAY!!!
Did I mentioned my back went out?
Bad back, can't go out and play in the sunshine we're supposed to be having, can't frolick with Beanie, can't go online!
Give a call. You know the number.