Spicy Magnolia

The Joke’s On Me

Last week held a lot of this:

 

It was pitiful.  Too bad no one was here to take a picture of me in tears.  Oh wait, that wouldn’t be as cute.  Last week was a week I do not care to repeat.  Teething (at least that’s what I think was causing such misery) was getting the best of both of us, and he has yet to cut a tooth.  That, and the fact that after two and a half weeks of travel with constant attention from grandparents, an uncle, two aunts, and his Daddy, he was simply bored by his Momma.  I couldn’t put him down for a second without a flood of tears ensuing.  Add to the mix a Momma who 1) was reeling in all sorts of emotion with hard news coming from one direction after another, and 2) trying so hard to respond with compassion, yet failing time and time again, to a baby who obviously was not feeling well and crying all day long for days, made for a not-so-pretty picture.  I was quite fearful that my laid-back baby full of smiles had been mysteriously abducted and never to return to my arms again!

But then, there were two who came to the rescue.

First:

Brennan has a small foam ball that he loves to play with and chew on because it’s so soft.  Apparently, Molly thinks it’s her ball too, and enjoys gnawing on it as well.  I’m trying not to think too hard about the same ball being mauled on by both my baby and my dog.  Anyhow, when I was playing ball with Brennan one afternoon, Molly proceeded to join in the fun, so we started playing fetch with her in the house.  Her antics with the ball, along with my cheering and clapping led Brennan to burst out into a giggle frenzy!  He got such a kick out of watching Molly play with his ball.  We have the best time hiding it from her now, too, and watching her try to find it.  After a day of sobs, Molly must’ve known we needed some rescuing!  She now expects to play ball every afternoon.

Second:

Daddy, oh, Daddy.  Every night, I was in tears after our long, hard days last week.  It didn’t help matters that when Matt walked in the door, Brennan lit up.  So it will be from this time forth and forevermore, of that I’m sure.  I just need to grin and bear it.  Other moms I talk to attest that their household runs the same way.  Matt had a launch late Thursday night and he was up from 10 p.m.-4:30 a.m. at work, but was kindly willing to get up with me Friday morning to help with Brennan knowing I had a lot to get done, and I was really struggling with depression after my hard week with Brennan.  Well, whomever abducted my son decided that the perfect time to return him would be when Daddy was home!  Matt worked from home the rest of the day, and Brennan was back to his old self the whole stinkin’ day!  Joke’s on me.

Brennan did great even eating out at Chuy’s!  We had a fabulous weekend hanging out and playing in the yard with Molly and the hose (Molly got him to giggle some more)!  Oh, what a blast!  So between Molly and Daddy’s successful rescue operations, we had one fun dude…

 

And one happy, albeit, punk’d, Mommy!

Father’s Day Weekend

I have to post something new because every time I bring up Spicy Magnolia, I see that picture of the unknown “Brennan double” and it throws me for a loop; I have to keep reminding myself that that is not Brennan.  If you’re like me, I want new images please!

Therefore, let me post some photos from Father’s Day weekend!  Me, Brennan, and Molly ventured to San Antonio last Thursday afternoon to spend the weekend with Pops and Meems.  Hubby joined in the fun on Friday after work.  My parents’ home is a wonderful getaway for me and Brennan during the week; it’s really fun to be with my Momma right now because she is off work for the summer!  So we’re making every moment count while we have her.  On Friday, we ran a couple of errands which included a stop at Babies R’ Us to look for a walker for Brennan.  But they don’t make walkers like they used to, I guess.  The one me and my brother used was a big, colorful ring that bounced off walls.  The only ones we saw were made of such hard material I’m afraid they’d make a big dent in the wall!  Neither did Brennan enjoy them much when we tested them out, so we opted to wait.  Instead, we enjoyed rocking in the comfy rocking chairs while I gave Brennan his bottle.  Then we headed to the mall to do some Father’s Day shopping and grabbed a bite to eat at Chick-Fil-A.  The mall was so loud and crazy it left Brennan a little over-stimulated.  Poor guy was shaking with all the ‘excitement’.  Meems finally got him to sleep in her arms.

Brennan has his own petting zoo at Pops and Meems’ place.  Four puppies!  FOUR!  If dog slobber was clean, we’d have the most spic n’ span baby on the planet!  It’s amazing Momma still has pretty things around her house with balls flying everywhere.  Hopefully Brennan will keep the track record going to her advantage.

 

Matt and I usually enjoy a more leisurely morning at Pops and Meems while they take Brennan.  I still have to get up for a bit to get a bottle ready, but after that I’m free to hop back in bed.  Before Brennan, I would wake up and pile in bed with my folks while they read the morning paper and Matt slept in.  I loved those times, and it’s hard for me to pass them up now even though I could use the extra sleep.  So I opted to drag myself out of bed and enjoy the mornings with three of my most favorite people.  How could I pass up moments like this:

The only thing we got out to do on Saturday was grab some burgers at good ol’ Longhorn Cafe!  We didn’t need to eat anything the rest of the day.  Upon walking into the restaurant, I told Brennan, “Welcome to one of the best greasy joints on earth!”  We were originally going to spend the weekend in Austin, but Pops and Meems had a special date night already planned:  they went to the Il Divo concert!  Look how pretty and handsome they look! 

I wanted to include a picture of just my Momma and Daddy because this little clown couldn’t keep still.

 

Happy Father’s Day!  Hubby got to sleep in <grin> and we saved up room for our lunch.  We grilled out fajitas, picked ourselves up some fixin’s from Chuy’s and made homemade guacamole and salsa.  To top it off, we ate nearly the whole pineapple upside down cake Momma made!  It was DELICIOUS!  For part of Matt’s and my Daddy’s Father’s Day gift, I traced mine and Brennan’s hands and made lots of cut outs of them to write messages of appreciation and love.  The big hands were notes from me and the little ones from Brennan.  My Daddy got the blue and pink ones and Matt got the orange and green ones, and I hung them around the table and the chandelier.  We love our guys!

 

I’ve worked on this post for three days now (certainly wouldn’t think it would take me that long, but it did), and I have yet to come up with a grand ending except to say that it was one great Father’s Day weekend!  And now, I’m just ready to hit “publish” and be done with it.  <grin>

Brennan’s Twin

Somewhere out there, there is this little boy whose image is floating around BabyCenter.com:

Brennan’s twin!  It’s freakishly weird, isn’t it?  If Brennan is ever a famous actor or the President of The United States, this little dude could be Brennan’s double. 

Oh, and look who is officially sitting up:

 

The real, one-of-a-kind, Brennan!

Five Months and Counting

My darling little boy is five months old today.  FIVE whole months.  

In the last five months, I have become remarkably more gray; put on weight instead of lost it; have darker circles under my eyes; become more used to waking up at 5:30 a.m.; and even though you still sleep through the night well, I can’t seem to shake brain-fog.  You, on the other hand, just keep getting cuter and cuter; have added more baby chub just like you’re supposed to; and are more often than not, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!

There are some other things to note as of late, dear boy:

• Your Mommy finally put up the pack n’play in her room that you slept in for the first two months of your life.  For sentimental reasons, I never took it down, but now it’ll go upstairs and await the day you can use it as a play-pen.
• You have mastered rolling over from your tummy to your back; you are most happy that you discovered a way to get out of tummy time.  You’re getting closer to rolling from your back to your tummy, but you’re taking your time making your mind up about that maneuver.  You certainly will avoid being on your tummy at all cost.
• You are a squirmy wormy, wanting to practice your jumping, pulling up, standing, and walking.  It makes for an interesting meal when, on a rare occasion, we’re dining out.  Your Mommy has started praying a lot to adapt gracefully to an energetic baby boy.
• You also love to grab everything.  My grocery list this week was all torn up and soggy from slobber, and I am now a momma who pushes away plates and utensils on the table so you don’t push them off the table or hurt yourself.
• You love watching other babies and kids.  While in Barnes & Nobles today, you stalked the bigger kids, watching their every move.
• You are still quite inquisitive, taking in all of your surroundings very intensely.  I can just see the wheels turning in your brain as you study your environment.
• Your eyes are fixated on Molly whenever she’s in the room, and you are quick to reach for her.  I am already having to teach you how to be gentle with her as you love to firmly grip our puppy’s fur, ears, and jowls.  Bless your heart, Molly! 
• Splashing in the tub is your new favorite game during bath time.
• You can go a few seconds of sitting up on your own before Mommy gets a kick at watching you tumble over to the side in slow motion.
• Babble, babble, babble.  I love your babble!
• You are a serious fan of your Daddy!  He can get you to laugh, squeal and smile like no one else.  Sometimes I’m a wee jealous.
• You still sleep well during the night; naps are a give and take though.  Since you’re up at 5:30 a.m. (which we’re trying so hard to get you to wait until at least 6 a.m.), you tucker out fairly early in the morning.  So you’re taking 3 naps still.  Some are good.  Some are bad and make Mommy so sad.  You go down well, but you wake up out of the blue crying.  Sometimes I let you cry to fall back asleep on your own.  Sometimes you end up in my arms.  We both love the times you end up in my arms.
• Are you teething??  Sometimes I wonder, but I’m not sure.  I wish I could be sure.  I wish I could be sure on so many things!
• I think you’re getting quite familiar with your name by how you respond and turn your head when I say it.
• You’re trying all sorts of things with your voice this days:  squeals and squeaks, raspberry noises, and you’ve started doing this funny cough-like, deep guttural sound.  I’d give anything to know what you’re trying to say!  Oh, and there is lots of tongue playing!
• You’re getting used to sitting in your high chair, in which you’ll have your first cereal in 2 weeks, 2 weeks before your 6 month check up.
• You’re super close at nailing down your thumb to suck on instead of your whole fist. 
• I’d like to also mark (for sentimental reasons) that I’ve finished off the lovely bottle of lotion Meems gave me in the hospital, and we’re just about finished with the first big jar of “Butt Paste”.  You love your hiney rubbed!

I love you, Brennan.  You are the biggest miracle of my life God has allowed me the privilege of being a part of.

   

 

Passing Down the Travel Bug

The travel bug on my side of the family is at least three generations deep.  It’s now being passed down to the fourth generation.  At least that’s what I like to think is happening since my little Chunky Monkey enjoyed his first out-of-State vacation so much.  A week ago last Friday, me, Brennan, and hubby ventured up to Washington D.C. for a weekend with my brother and sister-in-law and a five day visit with Matt’s family in Charlottesville, VA.  Although we had an hour delay sitting on the tarmac in Dallas, Brennan traveled very well.  Much more so than his parents, who 1) started getting really anxious and frustrated with the delay (that was just me); 2) had a misunderstanding on where we were to meet after going in different directions at the Dulles Airport, which resulted in Matt carrying all most of our bags PLUS Brennan in the stroller onto a shuttle to the rental car place all on his own; 3) realized that hubby had not retrieved all of the bags, but only most of them…he’d forgotten the checked bag with the car seat in it; 4) after two additional and unintentional hours spent at the airport getting situated, we went ten minutes in the wrong direction trying to get to our hotel.  Ten minutes ain’t so bad, but when you topple it upon numbers 1, 2, & 3, it didn’t make for a pretty picture.  While I complained and was more like a wife who was rottenness to my hubby’s bones (seriously! Proverbs 12:4) , little Brennan just went with the flow with much patience (like his Daddy).  Oh, precious boy, I learn so much from you!

Brennan traipsed across D.C. the whole weekend; that little one barely got any naps!  After getting settled into the hotel on Friday night, we went over to Mac and Julie’s place in Arlington.  Julie made a fabulous dinner of cashew chicken, salad, and an incredible brownie-like dessert that once I get my hands on the recipe, it’s all over for me.  I’ve never known a more pleasurable way to put on ten extra pounds.  We also were able to enjoy watching the movie Bride Wars; it was quite funny! 

I played my first role of Momma Bear on Friday night.  Well, make that early Saturday morning at 4 a.m.  Apparently there was a room of young teen girls in the room next to us who decided to squeal and talk at 4 a.m., waking both me and Matt up.  Fortunately, Brennan was still knocked out despite being right next to the wall with their shrieks.  All of our small attempts to get them to be quiet failed.  I’d had enough, nor was I willing to risk my baby’s night of sleep.  Especially after a group of guys joined the party next door, that did it for me.  I walked next door in my PJs, knocked on their door and told them, as kindly but as seriously as I could, to please be quiet or move the party to another room.  They politely obliged and were fairly quiet the rest of the morning.  <Big momma bear growl>

So onward we went with our day, commencing with a walk around Mac and Julie’s neighborhood in the hip/fun Clarendon area.  It was a gorgeous and delightful day to meander about.  Our tummies started rumbling, so we ventured downtown, a mere five minute drive from their place, and went to a well-known hole-in-the-wall, famous for their chili:

BEN’S CHILI BOWL

 

An empty basket of chili cheese fries.  I had to share the basket with Matt.  I could’ve eaten it all by myself.

I don’t remember exactly what we were talking about over lunch, but it obviously provoked something in Mac.

Whatever it was, Brennan must’ve thought Uncle Mac and Aunt Julie were pretty funny. 

Without a doubt, I left Austin with a fairly quiet, still baby only to return with an active, babbling 5 month old who wiggles, squirms, squeals, and will hardly sit still anymore!  His most favorite past time:  jumping on anything and everyone; he loves to practice standing and jumping up and down.  It was the activity that guaranteed us a happy baby.  

One chili cheese burger, three chili smokes, and two baskets of chili cheese fries later, we wobbled down the street…

 

to change Brennan’s dirty diaper in the car.  This was the first of a few public diaper changes, the worst one being a nasty explosion on Sunday, in which the poor baby obviously paid a price from my intake of chili. 

Our aim was to make it to the Museum of Natural History to see Brennan’s eyes pop wide open at the sight of the dinosaurs, but the little guy desperately needed a nap.  So while he snoozed in the Bjorn while scoping out the sculpture gardens, the four of us found a nice bench by the fountain and enjoyed chatting.

Hanging Brennan upside down is Matt’s new kick.  Brennan loves it!  In fact, he loves all things “Daddy”!  It’s incredible to see that little boy get such delight at a big, goofy man.  Of course, being the serious one that I am, I asked Matt to please look up on the Internet to make sure it wasn’t too early to start hanging Brennan upside down before doing it.  <grin>  Obviously, he got the green light.

Everywhere the baby went, the lamb was sure to go.

In the afternoon, we went back to Mac and Julie’s for some down-time.  Mac played NCAA Football on the Xbox while me and Brennan snoozed a bit and Matt and Julie went for a bike ride.  For dinner, we headed to the National Harbor and had a great meal at Rosa Mexicano.  We stuffed ourselves silly with the delicious guacamole made right in front of us.

 

On Sunday, we went to Mac and Julie’s church, The Falls Church, and enjoyed a wonderful service!  Then we headed back into the city for lunch at Founding Farmers, a tasty restaurant owned by a collective of family farmers where only the freshest food is served in one of the most environmentally friendly settings I’ve seen.  For example, they serve only twice distilled water.  I chowed down on my Southern Fried Chicken Salad. 

We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon back at Mac and Julie’s relaxing and playing “Clue” out in the courtyard surrounded by gorgeous blue hydrangeas.  It is always so sad to depart our loved ones.  What a gift it was to see Mac and Julie in their welcoming abode and to now be able to picture where they live as we think of them daily.

Sunday evening, we were picked up by Matt’s parents and headed to Charlottesville!  Brennan has changed a lot since they last saw him at 4 weeks old, and it was fun for them to get to see Brennan at this new, active stage.  We were able to introduce Brennan to his other great-grandfather.  A priceless moment was when Grandpa prayed a blessing over our baby boy…a blessing that Brennan would grow to be big and strong, and a good athlete.  <grin>

Much of Matt’s extended family lives in Charlottesville as well, and they were able to come over for a brief get-together Monday night.  Here is Matt’s cousin Alex, with her precious baby boy, Malachi.  It was fun introducing the two babies to each other.

We were able to celebrate Aunt Melissa’s birthday with her on Tuesday!  Brennan picked some flowers for her on our morning walk and presented them to her like a gentleman.  It was so fun to watch Aunt Melissa play with Brennan; I learned some play tips from her, and Brennan delighted in his good buddy!  We had the pleasure of seeing her new place, too and having a lovely birthday luncheon there.  I would be remiss if I didn’t mention all of the yumminess Ruth made us all last week; I pigged out!  I’ve got some fun, new recipes to try out, that’s for sure.  A highlight for me was getting a pedicure with Melissa; we had the chance to soak our feet and sip on a glass of wine for 30 minutes before they got started on us!  It was delightful girl time!

 

Once Brennan went down for bed, nearly every night, the five of us stayed up and played “Clue”.  I’d forgotten how awesome a game it is!  Matt kicked booty!

I was somewhat skeptic about our vacation actually feeling like a vacation traveling with a baby.  I was pleasantly surprised.  Brennan traveled well; he slept through the nights even though he was a consistent early bird; and I was able to enjoy some down time since so many people were around that wanted to play and help.  One of the exceptions was Wednesday when the poor fella was either teething or going through one tough growth spurt.  The unknowns of what makes him restless, unable to nap, and terribly fussy undo me the most.  Fortunately, he perked up for his Papa, Nana, and Melissa because they graciously babysat him for us Wednesday night while me and hubby enjoyed a tasty meal at Timberwood Grill and the fabulous movie, Up.  We were like giddy high school sweethearts.  <grin>

Thursday we got to have lunch with Matt’s cousin Jason, who happened to be in town at the same time.  It was a highlight to catch up with him.  We went to another VA hotspot:  Five Guys Burgers and Fries to enjoy yet another greasy fare.  One of the other highlights was seeing Brennan master rolling over from his tummy to his back!  Thursday night, Ed and Ruth prepared a special early Father’s Day celebration and we grilled steaks out.  We were blessed with fabulous weather, even though it was June.  However, upon returning to Austin, we’ve been blasted with heat indexes of 105 degrees.  For.  Cryin’.  Out.  Loud.

Despite my personal aversion to the Yankees, I was a good wife and dressed Brennan in his New York Yankees onesie that Matt bought him last year as part of my Father’s Day gift to Matt.  <grin> 

Friday we shared a relaxing day together.  Matt enjoyed a special breakfast date with his momma and all of us hung out at the pool for a bit, too.  Brennan got to show off his swimming skills to Papa, Nana, and Melissa.  That evening, we had a lovely dinner out at Mono Loco near the downtown mall. 

 

We arrived home on Saturday evening, and while we miss all of our family and it was hard to say “goodbye”, it is wonderful to be home.  We were greeted by sweet Molly, who spent the week with Pops and Meems.  My Momma was so generous to not only drive Molly up and drop her off so we didn’t have to worry about picking her up, she also had a meal prepared for us!  So upon getting home, we dropped our bags in the entryway to unpack later and were able to sit down together as a family to some homemade Mexican food that we’d been craving.  I’m trying to gear myself up for the week, getting Brennan back on his routine (putting him to bed the last two nights have been rough), and helping him adjust to not having constant attention by so many different people.  <gulp>  How can it be that sometimes I’m afraid of a baby???

It was such a nice vacation and a special time visiting family!  A great many thanks to all of our family for graciously hosting us, for spoiling us with love and fabulous meals, for loving our little boy soooo much, and for giving us precious memories.  We miss you all a lot and can’t wait until the next time we get to be in your presence again!  

As for Brennan, he’s finally all snuggled into his crib for the night, probably dreaming of this so called “travel bug” that his Momma keeps talking about, wondering how a creepy, crawly bug can help him see the world. 

My Eyes Have Seen

About six weeks ago, we had a doozy of a hail storm work its way through Austin.  It caused quite a lot of damage throughout the city.  Whether or not the shingles found in our front and back yards were from our house, or blown across the neighborhood during the storm from another poor chap’s home, was a mystery.  Since I am only allowed to ask Matt to face his fear of heights by getting on the extension ladder twice a year, which I reserve for Christmas and when there starts to be a collection of cob webs, dirt, and/or other unwelcomed matter high upon our foyer window that starts driving me mad, we opted to not get on the roof ourselves to check out the potential damage.  And like we would know what to look for anyway, right?  Instead, we called our trusty home insurance carrier who has proven themselves worthy to receive a small fortune of our monthly budget. 

The adjusters came out last week.  Thankfully, we did not have to shell out another 2% of the value of our home for the second time in 5 months.  There was no damage to our roof at all.  Instead, we heard the words, “You have a roof that can withstand 10 minutes of pounding from quarter-sized hail.  Your roof will last you 30 years.”  Thirty years.  Folks, that’s a long time.  I know nothing about roofing.  But thirty years…that’s a sturdy, solid, high quality roof to me!

And yet, my eyes have seen:

 

  

   

Tin.  Plastic.  Cardboard.  Straw.  Cement.  Roofs made out of such elements that don’t stand a chance at lasting through the monsoon season that displaces thousands upon thousands, or worse yet, kills them.  Roofs that don’t offer protection from the scorching and depleting sun with a heat index of 130 degrees.  And still, there are those with no roof at all.  Sometimes I forget, or choose to simply let the fact that most of the world lives under such unsound and hazardous structures slide by.  Most of the world.  Even growing up in El Paso, we’d drive by cardboard homes set up by the Rio Grande River in neighboring Mexico nearly every single day.  But as for me, I am living day in, day out, under a roof that will supposedly last 30 years.  A roof that keeps in the cool air from our air conditioning, no less.  And, we would have the ability to quickly get a new roof, if need be. 

I can’t forget.  I can’t let this simply slide by.  My eyes have seen.  My feet have stepped into homes with such roofs, and I’ve been graciously served meals that probably were a month’s worth of food to my generous hosts.  My ears have heard their voices with tons of questions of what life is like in America, while others have a shy quietness about them.  My eyes have gazed into the eyes of my hosts, precious faces that they are. 

I am going to sleep tonight, deeply thankful, under a strong, sturdy roof…a stark contrast to what most of the world will sleep under.  My eyes may have seen, but may my arms be open to the poor with hands extended to the needy (Proverbs 31:20).

The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and exalts.  He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor.  For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s; upon them he has set the world. 

1 Samuel 2:7-8