One! Two! Three! Days of Christmas!

And the first rush of Christmas maddness is behind us.

Monday, Christmas Day, was the Nielsen entourage -- Mom, Dad, Seth, and Sarah -- with a Hoberman addition for dinner. We had a lovely time, all. The dinner was nice, though the goose wasn't a culinary experiment I'm likely to repeat any time soon. (Afterwards, I recalled an old Medevial saying, "Went through you like goose grease.") Sarah brought a lovely salad and not one but two fabulous desserts. My mother brought cookies and sweet potatoes and a shrimp ring. And many many presents, including a wagon full of blocks and three pair of badly needed shoes and boots.

The Leblancs, along with the dynamic grandmotherly duo of Cathy and Pat, came Tuesday and we had a nice leisurely dinner of lamb stew and couscous. It was much better than the goose. Also, many lovely presents, including the LLBean Walking Wagon which has been a big hit. Cathy also brought a lovely wooden train set and a Murray family cookbook.

Finally, the trifecta was today. Skip and Betty came up and we had a very relaxing day with a simple meal (lasagna and salad) and a nice walk. Skip and Betty also brought up presents naturlaly, icnluding a Shrot Beach-like dock and boat play set.

Now we've got two days of regular life before another mad dash weekend. Saturday morning we'll see Kevin and Jen who couldn't make it to Christmas for the first time in ten years. Then Saturday afternoon, we get to see the NJ folks. Then Sunday, we'll be visiting both Grandma Murray and Grandma Ferry -- would that be Great-Grandmas Murray and Ferry? Then back ot Boston before the drunk drivers come out. And a nice leisurly New Year's Day.

And then four days of usual life (when we'll pull down all Christmassy decor) before the weekend of May's birthday. Her party will be on her birthday proper and everyone who is interested in welcome to be there, it begins at 1 o'clock. But there's no obligation to come. I can't imagine anything more boring for a non parent or grandparent than a first birthday.

There will be cupcakes, though.

May is totally spazzing. Gotta run.

A bad day for May

May had a terrible, horrible, no go, very bad day yesterday.



It began, actually, earlier in the week when she came down with her first diaper rash. Solid food is often a cause of diaper rash and it wasn't bad at all but I'm sure it made her cranky.

But the true badness of yesterday began when I woke up at about 5:45 and realized May was hot to the touch. She had her first fever. Of course, being May, she was a little fussy and a little clingy, but not howling or unreasonably cranky.

Then she went to to doctor's for her one-year check up. The check up went fine -- Dr. Bershel said that she was obviously happy and healthy. She didn't grow much between her last visit and this one. She's 29 inches and 19 lbs., 12 oz.

But then they needed to take blood. They tried to take blood at her 9 mo. check up but she has her mom's veins and after three sticks and not one drop of blood, I said we'd come back later. Becuase of the house nonsense, we didn't get back until this time. Dr. B said we were smart to do that because with the new house, she was required to do a lead test anyway.

So back into the phlebotomist's tiny hot little office and .... she played pinchushion again. Three sticks, one in each little arma nd one in the back of her hand and she screamed and screamed and screamed and -- here's the kicker -- they didn't get a drop of blood!

(This time, after one stick, Dr. B came in to help the phlebotomist. She tried, even using a syringe, which I understand is a last-resort measure. But still no blood.)

May and I came back to the house and she napped a lot, obviously exhausted by her ordeal. After sleeping most of the afternoon, we assumed she wouldnt' sleep easily or early so we went out to a local steakhouse for dinner at 6 o'clock. She enjoyed eating the bread and the sweet potato and even the steamed veggies. But then, arrogant in our assurance that May likes everything, we popped a piece of blue cheese into her mouth.

She made a face. She balled her little tiny fists up and her whole body shuddered and she gagged and tried to spit the cheese out, drooling saliva and slimed cheese all over her bibfronts. Her face crumpled and she started to whimper.

Then, what's worse, she wouldnt' let us give her any other food to get the taste out of her mouth.
Finally, we all went home and she went to bed at 8:30, only half an hour later than usual. Her terible day was over.

The goose is getting....

Well the goose is in the freezer, nicely frozen, so it's not really doing anything, but it's a Christmassy thought.

We've managed, finally, to finish unpacking everything but the pictures to hang on the wall. The library shelves have books on them (and room to spare! When does taht happen? Of course, we still ahve books at Nikki and the the Nielsens' houses.)

The tree is up but undecorated. The cards are written but not addressed. The cookies are made but not baked.

So it's kinda like half a Christmas.

G-ma Ferry is doing better -- she's home and Aunt Diane has coem to visit from Hawaii. G-ma Murray is also doing better -- home and visiting with her middle daughter, Allison, who has come to visit from Nevada.

Pics of May

Thanks to Nikki & Jen

'Zat you, Santa Claus?

May and I are gathering our energies and courage to go to the mall. Since I usually don't do that in December, it's mildly terrifying. But Nikki is kicking in with some emotional support, so it won't be so bad.

I plan to have a photo or two taken with Santa. Since these photo packages are usually ridiculously full of unnecessary photos, I thought I'd let people let me know if they want one of the extra ones. Assuming there are extras. (Grandparents, godparents, aunts, and uncles need not apply. They already get a photo.)

May will be wearing her very cool Christmas dress. ANd possibly her candy cane legwarmers. Cutest baby ever!

Campaign for Zarf!

So, unrelated to anything else, I've learned a new word. Zarf.

It's the actual formal word for those little cardboard sleeves that Starbucks (and other chi-chi coffee spots) give you to protect your hand from the hot drink. According to the always brilliant wiki, it's evolved from an Arabic word for saucer and primarily described those fancy-kadancy silver or pewter holders for glasses that you see at Russian tea rooms.

I am joining one of my favorite barisitas in a campaign to promite the use of the word ZARF! Please, join me!

Also, May has her first sign. She puts her hands over her ears when a siren goes by. We've been using the hands over the ears for "loud noise", usually when one of us sneezes or drops something. So the siren thing is something she's come up with herself. Mad props to Kevin for noticing that she always did it when a siren went by.

Further thoughts on food

So I'm sicking of talking about the new place and you're sick of reading about it so I thought I'd talk a little about May, since that's who you really want to hear about anyway.

For a long time, May resisted food. Cereal would come right back out, applesauce was refused, bananas smeared in her hair. I wasnt' too worried. All my research showed that if you made food a big issue, you'd get into a power struggle with your infant. And who's going to win there, I ask you?

But a lot of people were -- as many people often are -- dubious. Skeptical. Critical. Friggin obnoxious. "She's not eating yet?" "When are you going to start feeding her?" "She's going to starve." "Have you tried feeding her (insert your favorite bland baby food here)?"

I consulted more books. My pediatrician (wonderful woman). And they all agreed with my course of action. But yet more criticism came my way. I felt beseiged. Was I doing something wrong? Was I just feeding her the wrong things? Was I, oh please lord no, going to have a picky eater?

Then, about six weeks ago, when I was too busy with house stuff to note it here, she started eating. EVERYTHING.

Mashed turnips. Redbones's BBQ. Spiced applesauce. Pickles. Split pea soup (ick!). Roasted garlic hummus. Moroccan chicken stew. Mustardy mac n cheese. Garlicy tomato sauce. Chinese broccoli with Thai spices. Pickled ginger. Endame. Currants. Anything and everything.

And, more importantly, what Christopher and I are are eating. No mushy bland baby food for May. She gets a real mix of foods -- fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein. In fact, we give her anything we're eating unless it's on the list of "Likely allergens" -- eggs, seafood, chocolate, peanuts, tree nuts, and possible citrus. (Gotta look that one up once I unpack my books.) And we're avoiding refined sugar altogether as long and as thoroughly as possible. And no honey until she's one -- botulism, dontcha know?

But other than that, we feed it to her. Thanks to Julie Tittler's fab-u shower present, Iv'e got a food mill that goes where I go and anything on my plate can be turned into something okay for her. Though, now that she's got so many teeth, I just ususally cut things up small and let her have at it. (Kevin and Nikki mocked me because soemthimes I don't cut things up, I tear off tiny pieces with my teeth.)

I have been thinking about the whole food thing again, wondering if the obesity epidemic can be seen to have any connection to the prevelance of bland, boring, processed, mushy baby food?I mean, we have this idea that babies need special food and it's been extended into childhood now with special kid foods -- usually heavy on the carbs. Witness, Easy Mac, chicken nuggets, and other microwaveable foods that parents prepare in addition to their regular dinner. Kids never learn to eat "adult food". I know several adults who are not just picky eaters, they are ridiculous eaters. One woman's only acceptable vegetable is green beans. One man only eats well-done hamburgers (nothing on them) and pizza and cereal. That's it. I don't know why he isn't dead from scurvy. Or beri-beri. Or rickets.

Anyway, I'm glad that May is eating and she'll eat anything. IN fact, she prefers non-bland foods best. (The bbq was big hit!)

Though, of coruse, she is still fond of that ultimate infant food -- Cheerieos. To the point that when Dave Costa saw our library, he declared it "the room where May throws her Cheerios on the floor."

But really, I'm v. happy about that. I mean, Cheerios are way easier to carry around than jars of pickles ginger.

V. short update

So short, I can't take the time to spell out "very."

We're 50 percent unpacked. The dining room and Living room left. C & David H. are gone to buy a desk for the living room, to get the damned computer off the floor.

Nikki and Kev coming tomorrow.

May covered in yogurt from head to sock. Has 7 teeth now, and four words.

Grandma Murray in the hospital with angiogram. Hope and prayers are appreciated.