Awakenings

This morning at 5:30 a.m. I heard whining. I rolled over and put my pillow over my head, hoping the whines would subside. Instead, the whines escalated to cries, the cries then progressed to barks. Our fifteen week old Australian Shepherd, Bella, was awake and in need of attention.

I nudged Matt. He continued snoring and rolled over, pulling off all of my covers as he went. I hastily threw on my slippers and tip-toed downstairs, hoping Caitlin would not wake up. Bella woke the whole family at 5:15 the day before, which as you can imagine, made for a long day.

Once downstairs, I removed the baby gate from the kitchen doorway, gave Bella a good morning scratch, and brought her outside to use the facilities. At 5:30 a.m. the birds are noisy, the streets are quiet. Bella played in the yard, while I yawned and tried not to get my slippers wet on the grass. I watched Bella eat sticks and hoped her barks did not wake the baby.

After about fifteen minutes, I brought Bella inside and fed her breakfast. All remained quiet throughout the house and I foolishly hoped I could lie down to catch a few extra minutes of sleep. While Bella ate, I left the kitchen and lied on the couch. Within two minutes, Bella jumped onto the couch where she proceeded to nip my hands, arms, feet, and ankles. "Down," I said in my assertive, yet calm dog-training voice. Repeat this scene for the next fifteen to twenty minutes. Finally, my limbs and my patience could take no more. By now, it was 6:05 a.m., which I considered a perfectly reasonable time to wake Matt from his slumber.

As Bella nipped my toe for the sixty-seventh time, I lost my temper, called her a not-so-nice name, and tip-toed back upstairs looking for help. As I quietly entered the bedroom, Matt rolled over and without opening his eyes mumbled, "Did you just get up?" From downstairs, Bella began barking and I asked (a.k.a. told) Matt to take her for a morning walk.

Within a few minutes, Matt and Bella left the house and I laid under the covers, again hoping to sleep just a little while longer. Just as I closed my eyes, I heard the baby awake in the next room. And here we go again.

California Dreaming

In early May, we took our first family vacation to Orange County, California for my brother-in-law's wedding. While in The O.C. I not only searched for landmarks from the former Fox series (where was The Bait Shop, anyway?), I actually relaxed-something I have not done completely in approximately nine months. We walked along the beach, ate delicious food, took naps, lounged by the pool, and sipped wine on the lanai while Caitlin napped. Even better, we brought along Grammy and G-Pop, who gladly stayed with Caitlin while Matt and I played. This allowed us to celebrate to the fullest, and celebrate we did. Despite all of the relaxation, I did not get very much sleep. Even though our trip was three weeks ago, I think I am still tired. Caitlin loved the California sunshine and was a wonderful travel companion. Sigh, I want to go back....

Mama and Baby Weekend

Our weekend in Asheville was spent stacking cups, eating, napping, talking, stacking more cups, more talking, looking at mountains, and stacking lots more cups. Caitlin played with her new pals, Finn and Norah, while I spent time catching up with my wonderful college roommates. With two more babies on the way, we need to find some pretty gigantic accommodations for our next Mama and Baby Reunion. If anybody knows of a mansion for rent, preferably on the beach, please let me know. Please enjoy some pictures from our first annual Mama and Baby Weekend.

Caitlin, Finn, and Norah enjoying stacking cups. This scene was often repeated throughout the weekend.

Enjoying the view of downtown Asheville and mountains beyond mountains.


Caitlin and Finn strolling around a park in Asheville.

The Mamas-Mary, Sarah (with Starfish), Caroline (with Dosalita), and yours truly.

I feel so fortunate to have wonderful friends, healthy, happy babies, and more babies on the way.