Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Daily Jamie

The End Of The Beginning

We have been having some of the most beautiful winter days lately.  The temperature is holding so that the snow doesn't melt but it's still very comfortable out and the sun is shining, making the ground sparkle.  I actually kind of don't hate winter right now.  Jamie's stroller is plowing through the snow like it ain't no thang, the sun is out later and later, and you don't even need a hat.  And even though I know there are a couple of months left, I could totally handle them if they continued like this.


Sunday, January 29, 2012

Daily Jamie

January 27th
January 28th
January 29th

She Found Him

No, it's not every day that I clear a shelf in the fridge to chill a bottle of bubbly and it definitely isn't every Sunday, but it also isn't every day that a best friend gets a marriage proposal, is it?  You guys, Selah got engaged this weekend!!!  I am so excited and so happy for her that I can't help but feel a lot like celebrating.  When I think about this time last year, when Selah had no idea that the man of her dreams (and, indeed, the man I would have totally chosen for her myself) was about to come in and sweep her off her feet, I get all warm and fuzzy inside.  Fantastic women deserve fantastic men and I'm extra tickled that Selah got hers.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Daily Jamie

Recovering

Guys, I'm sorry I've been such an absentee blogger lately.  I finally went to the doctor yesterday and was diagnosed with a sinus infection, a pretty bad one, actually, and got a round of penicillin.  I wish I hadn't waited so long, but I'm glad that I've got medicine and should start feeling better soon.  Thanks for your patience with me and the fact that Daily Damara has been almost strictly Daily Jamie lately.  There's only so much cuteness a person can stand, I know, so I hope to be back with the regular programming soon.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Daily Jamie

Here is a six-month-old baby who loves his cereal.  And bananas.  And corn puffs.  And milk.  He comes by his enthusiasm for food honestly, and I couldn't be more proud.  He loves to sleep next to his parents, on his side with his face smooshed into his pillow.  Life is getting more interesting, though, and it's a real struggle to get him to fall asleep.  He's too much of a big boy to even relax and doze off in his mommy's arms anymore.  The pacifier helps; he loves that too.  The kid spends literally hours every day examining the thing, putting it into his mouth at different angles.  Indeed everything within reach goes into his mouth.  It's like a third hand or something, the way he uses it to experience the world.  He loves his papa.  The Swede is the funniest person on the planet and they already have inside jokes.  And his laugh is the best thing I've ever heard.  This baby loves to run his fingers through his papa's hair gently.  Mine is longer and even more fun.  He's always twisting it up into his fists and yanking.  He has a perfect place to do this on my left shoulder, his favorite spot.  I wish I could hold him every minute, but he's a heavy one and needs his exercise, so he spends a lot of time rolling around on his playmat.  He wants to crawl, but his arms just aren't in it yet and I'm fine with that.  Lord knows as soon as he's done being a baby he'll be done being a baby forever.  And these six months have already gone by way too fast.   

A Half-Birthday Party

Jamie's farmor and farfar surprised him today with a little half birthday party.  They came by right after work with some new Mini bibs, a motocycle that he can spend the next year and a half looking forward to riding and ice cream for the grown-ups.  It was great way to kick off the week and the next half-year.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Daily Jamie

When I started learning Swedish with Rosetta Stone before I moved here, the very first sentence I learned was Pojken ligger under bordet - "The boy is lying under the table."  I honestly never thought I'd have the opportunity to use that exact combination of words, but life is full of surprises, right?

Hospital Food

I've been sick for a week and the only region of my body not to fall apart yet is my stomach, which I am thrilled about, as I'm sure you can imagine.  I don't have any appetite, though.  I mean, I struggled through a taco yesterday.  That's unheard of and, frankly, depressing.  When The Swede gets sick he heads straight to the store and picks up an array of exotic berry soups and creams and slurps them with milk until he gets better.  I don't really have anything like that, though.  With the exception of ginger ale, I just go with what sounds good during a moment when I feel like I could manage a few bites of something.  And today that was cinnamon toast, a treat I haven't had since I was a kid.  It was delightful and I wanted to share my enjoyment with my husband who is taking such good care of me, but he was disgusted by the very sight of it.  Just now he looked over my shoulder and told me not to blog about it so as to avoid embarassing myself.  Whatever.  If it wasn't awesome I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have made it into a cereal.  

Friday, January 20, 2012

Daily Jamie

They Know What I Did Last Summer

They are back.  They know that Jamie is within days of his sixth month birthday and they've sent a book about starting your sixth-month-old on solid food along with a bunch of coupons.  I'm so overwhelmed by the idea of getting Jamie going on real food that I'm going to skip over being creeped out and just be appreciative for the help.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Daily Jamie

It's Not Just The Black And White Setting On My Camera

I'm pretty sure this is the exact opposite of those beautiful, sunny pushing-the-stroller-along-the-boardwalk pictures from our vacation.  And that right there?  That's my disapproval face.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Daily Jamie

Get Out The Violins

Whoa boy, am I sick.  I think I brought back the bird flu from the Canary Islands.  Heh, get it?  The Swede stayed home from work today to take care of me and the baby and it looks like he's going to have to do it again tomorrow.  Anyway, I'll be back with the usual when every inch of me stops hurting.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Daily Jamie


January 8th
January 9th
January 10th
January 11th
January 12th
January 13th

January 14th
January 15th
January 16th

Our Week In Tenerife

Um, BEST WEEK EVER.  Dudes, get yourselves to Tenerife ASAP.  Go ahead and stay at the Sunwing Resort and Spa Fanabe with all the other Scandanavians because it is awesome.  Make that awesome PLUS.  We hung by the pool and on the nearby beach, splashed around in the water, got totally covered in sand, went parascending, ate amazing food and went for long walks along the coast.  The sun shone, the sangria flowed and an exhausted baby slept like never before.  From the minute we got off the plane, the stress of everyday life just melted away and we enjoyed every moment in that paradise.  I could have stayed forever.  Or at least another week.  
Playa de las Americas









That's me up there!




ABBA show at the hotel.  See?  Paradise.


Saturday, January 7, 2012

Daily Jamie - World's Most Tolerant Baby


Monopoly

With half of my suitcase dedicated to diapers, swim pants, toys and cereal, it's a good thing warm weather clothes don't take up much space. 

And with that, we're off!  I'll miss you, but I'll be back soon enough. 

Friday, January 6, 2012

Daily Jamie

Going Into Travel Mode

The Swede gets weird a few days before we travel anywhere.  It's hard to explain how, just that he's not quite himself.  I guess I'm a little more laid back, but an upcoming flight usually doesn't stress me the way it does him.  I will say, however, that my feelings about our upcoming vacation have manifested themselves in some way.  Here I am, about to go away for a week and leave my blog totally unattended for the first (planned) time in over two years and I cannot for the life of me come up with anything to write about in the last days before we travel.  And it's not like I'm averse to wasting your time with total garbage now and again.  Often, even.  Dudes, I'm so keyed-up I can't even think straight!  Please forgive me.  Perhaps I'll have something to say tomorrow - a quick "catch you on the flip side" if nothing else - but today I've got nothin'.