Payback

Back when I was the breadwinner, sometimes I would bring home a saran-wrapped caramel popcorn ball from cooking class that day, or a sugar cookie leftover from parent/teacher conferences to Jason. Now he brings me ice cream-filled cupcakes and entire pies of cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory leftover from work celebrations. Hello, these things are $46.95 a pie! I think he's found the perfect job :)

Really, Boston?

• Streets without street names—seriously, only half of them have a sign to them.
• No rules on the road. Not your right-of-way? Not a problem. If there’s space, pull on in, if there’s time, go on through. And if you don’t, you’re going to get honked at. I could make a list of all the illegal traffic maneuvers I’ve seen just this weekend.
• Our church building has gated underground parking.
• Every Sunday, atleast a dozen of the sisters are wearing slacks to church. Apparently, this is the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints of New England".
• Everyone wears these long super puffy coats in ugly colors. It’s a fashion trend I’m having a really hard time accepting.
• It’s getting better each day, but when we first moved in, it was starting to get dark at 4pm, and completely dark by 4:30pm.
• Having a compact car is definitely the way to go. Every time we have to parallel park, which is everywhere except church, I’m glad I was inspired to buy my stubby Hyundai years ago. (PS—our town of Somerville is the most densely populated city in New England, with more than 11,600 registered vehicles per square mile!)
• Dunkin Donuts are EVERYWHERE
• Whatever time Mapquest quotes, it will take you almost exactly 3x as long to get to your destination
• Babies are so novel around here! Everywhere we go, its like people have never seen an infant in this town.
• No one uses their blinkers. I feel like an out-of-towner every time I do.
• They're 'rotaries', not roundabouts, and 'carriages' not shopping carts
  

  (On our weekly shopping trip to the local "Market Basket", where shopping on an evening or Saturday will make you want to shoot yourself)

Solids

We had a trial run with some rice last night!

I never really had a doubt that our beefy boy wouldn't be all about cereal. He gobbled up the whole serving in 2 minutes or less!

Yummy.

Bumbo

We realized that we, the parents, haven't boughten a single thing for our boy! We've been so blessed with hand-me-downs from aunts, sisters, mothers, and friends that we've been so taken care of! Now with a few paychecks in the bank, we bought our first baby purchase: a little baby chair for Lincoln! Its a knock-off brand of Bumbo, but this Lionheart model has bigger leg holes, so this baby's thighs will fit in it a few more months. Best. Purchase. Ever. Its so fun to have him sit with us at the dinner table! And it'll be a great high chair while we're a little cramped for space in this apartment. Lately, it works great to have him sit in it on my sewing desk eye-level with me and we can chat away while I sew stuff. These 7 bridesmaids dresses are almost done, halleluah!

Daddy's Boy

That's for sure. The two of them get along so great :) They hang out a lot on Saturdays to make up for the rest of the week. And I guess Link is already a MarioKart fan. 4 month appt. results:

Height: 26.5", 87.5%ile

Weight: 17 lb 2 oz, 80.5%ile

but that was after he peed all over me, the room, and the nurse

Grown Ups

Its fun being a grown-up! For the first time, we got a babysitter last week so we could go to the temple. (It was so weird PAYING the babysitter and not BEING the babysitter.) For the first time, I took a meal to a family in the ward today. For the first time, we're having the missionaries over for dinner on Sunday.

I'm so thankful for great parents who taught me so much about what is expected as a member of our Church through their consistent example. Thank you, Mom and Dad! Its fun trying to be like you :)

Be My Valentine

(To make the hearts, melt down chocolate wafers then spead into heart shapes with a spoon on plastic wrap, then set in the fridge!) And then Monday night, a surprise babysitter showed up at our door and Jason took me out to dinner! Thanks lovie!

Four

Happy 4 months old, you big baby!

Warm Thoughts

Here's our Adele Enersen re-makes :)

Groundhog

I love any chance to play up holidays :) I was kind of freaked out with how many recipes showed up online that involved cooking real groundhog. Gross.

Let me explain: the potato in the middle is the groundhog popping out of the ground, not a volcano. Don't be jealous of my 2nd grade skills.

Enough with all this free time--I just got a sewing job that involves 6 bridesmaids dresses for a March 4th wedding in North Carolina, so that's where all my baby-nap-time will be dedicated starting tomorrow!

A Hair Story

Remember when this little man was born with all that pretty dark hair?

And then when he went bald...

And now its coming in all over blond!