As a child, the only explanation I could offer was that my mother had super powers. I was notorious for losing things, and often found myself frantically searching for a toy, a school book, my glasses, anything small enough to be misplaced. Just when I thought all hope was lost, when I was nearly in tears and my search had turned desparate, I’d ask mom for help.
And within minutes, she’d find it. Sometimes, it almost seemed she’d walk right to it as if drawn by a magnet. I’d feel a mixture of relief, gratitude, and awe. How did she do that?
It was (and is) her super power.
And I’m happy to say, she seems to have passed it to her daughter. Since Lee and I got married, I’ve been able to find many of his lost items. In the last 48 hours, I’ve come to the rescue four times. This infuriates him because he wishes he’d found his missing things. Or not lost them to begin with. But I like feeling needed, and each time, I feel my power growing stronger.
I call it my Super Echo Location Power.
It’s a nice power to have, because I get to swoop in after his search has grown desperate, and offer salvation. There are 2 key components of this super power. 1 – retrace your steps. 2 – this one is the most important, so I don’t want to write it down. A magician never reveals her secret.
Strangely enough, my super power doesn’t seem to work on me. I still lose things, and I still have a hard time finding them. But as long as my powers keep working for Lee (and maybe one day for Camille), then I’m happy.
Camille and I are hanging out on the floor, and she’s been happily banging on a steel pot with a wooden spoon, while I catch up on reading some blogs. Or, trying to. Sweet Camille just crawled over and decided it is fun to bang on my computer with her pudgy baby fingers. So, I will let her!
Here’s what Camille has to say:
SSSSΩQQQQQSASXXXXXX ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
‹XΩÍÍÅΩŒegfffffeeeeeeeeeeeeeeevv nhy6nloklllllllllllll,l,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.
ihkl8u9kl8jkjkk8iuuuu120
14402 41 040000000000000000000000 1 0000000000000000000000000
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Wow! I’ve never even learned to use some of those symbols. She’s talented.
For weeks, Camille has been scooting around, sliding along our hardwood floors, pushing herself up into crawling position, then flopping back down on her belly again. But last Friday, her arms and legs finally got together and agreed it was time to crawl.
I was (and am) so proud of her! We were at Grammy’s house beginning our Easter weekend, and she was on the living room floor playing with some of Aunt Erin’s old toys. She was up on her hands and knees, and of all things, decided to crawl toward the dog. There was much shouting and clapping and general hysteria from us adults, and the living room looked more like a red carpet event as we whipped out the video and still cameras to document the occasion. (Click the play button to see the video)
What a sweetie. I’m proud of her for figuring it out, and proud of her for having the initiative to stick with it. She’s already crawling much better and faster, though you can tell she still has to think about the mechanics of it. But it won’t be long before it’s second nature.
Our weekend was wonderful. Saturday, Miss Camille got to dye her first easter eggs. Mostly, she observed and tried to chew on the crayons, but I think she had fun nonetheless.
Sunday, we went to Grandma Lou’s house for Easter lunch with the extended family and the annual Easter egg hunt. Even Camille carried around her little Easter basket and gathered some eggs (we might have helped a little…).
I think the egg hunt is going to become even more fun for everyone in the coming years. All the other children have gotten older – still young enough to hunt for eggs, but without the joyous abandon of their younger years. But now we have Camille and Ava, who is just 2 months younger than Cami.
Already, Camille and Ava bring so much fun to Grandma Lou’s. They were passed around and loved on all day. But my favorite part was watching the two babies play with each other. They spent a lot of time squealing, holding hands, gouging out each other’s eyeballs, and trying to eat each other. Good times. It’ll be fun to watch them grow and enjoy these traditions. And maybe even make some new ones.
The last several days we have had the pleasure of caring for a happy, smiling, ray of sunshine also known as Camille. She has been nothing but fun, making me laugh over and over at her funny antics. It’s nice to have her back.
Not that she had completely disappeared. But for several weeks, a combination of teething troubles (still no teeth!) and then that nasty, nasty stomach virus turned our happy baby into a bit of a grump and I don’t blame her a bit. She wasn’t grumpy all the time. We still got smiles and laughs, but there was often an undercurrent of … something. It’s hard to describe. She just seemed so serious.
But last weekend, the clouds seemed to lift a bit. We took a trip to Birmingham to see Jeff and Michelle and their new house, and Nana and Granddaddy came too. We had a wonderful time, and her smiles seemed to come more quickly and linger longer.
Side note about Birmingham – this was my first visit, so Jeff took us up to Vulcan park to see the city’s beloved statue. From the front, it looks like a respectable iron statue of the Roman god of fire and forge.
But from behind, it looks like he’s not wearing anything under that tunic.
At first, we thought maybe his pants were really tight and gave him a nude appearance. But upon closer inspection – and we spent a good bit of time inspecting it – I’m pretty sure that’s his bare butt. Mooning you as you walk up to Vulcan park.
Anyway, this week Camille has been in a great mood. Tuesday, feeding her lunch took even longer than usual because she’d start laughing after every bite. As if taking that bite was hilarious. And it was, so I’d start laughing at her. And she’d laugh back at me.
Lee and I took her to the park today and she started laughing as soon as she saw the swing. She swung for a while, giggling and enjoying the park. When the toddler in the swing next to us fell in the dirt, she laughed at that too. And to be honest, it was a little funny.
I’m sure we’ll see some more of Serious Cami again soon. We all have our grumpy days, even grumpy weeks, and I love her dearly even when she’s in a mood. But these happy days sure are fun, and I plan to cherish each one.
Today I played a role in convicting a man. Tonight, he’s sleeping (or not sleeping) in federal prison. Even though I believe he is guilty, that’s still a strange reality.
I got called for jury duty, and had to report to the federal courthouse yesterday. I don’t know why it surprised me, but every juror who was supposed to report was there, on time, and appropriately dressed. I thought it was a nice testament to the respect many of us have for the court. If selected to serve on a jury, 12 of us would have the fate of another person in our collective hands. That’s worth putting on a suit and showing up on time. That’s serious business.
Not far into the jury selection process, the judge informed us that the trial would likely only last a day. With the anticipated short timeline, I have to admit there was a part of me that wanted to be picked. I’d never served on a jury. I wondered what that would be like. But, I’m also one of the most indecisive people on Earth, and can really get myself worked up about important decisions. I was afraid jury duty might make me go crazy. It almost did.
The jury selection process was pretty boring, so I had time to let my mind wander. I kept looking at the back of the defendant’s head, wondering what he was thinking. Guilty or not, I couldn’t imagine. His shirt was pressed. His tie was straight. When he put it on that morning, did his hands shake? I couldn’t help but feel a bit of sympathy. It must be frightening to know your future is no longer in your control.
I was selected. The trial was a short one, but the deliberations were difficult. I’d hoped for a slam dunk case. I’d hoped for one of those “Law and Order” moments. The lawyer might produce some bit of juicy evidence. The crowd might gasp. The guilt or innocence of the defendent would be undeniable.
There was hardly a crowd, and no gasping. There were no fireworks. No tears. We struggled as a jury because I think we all knew how serious our job was. We didn’t want to put an innocent man in prison. We also didn’t want to let a guilty man go free – free to harm more people, directly or indirectly. The weight of that decision was palpable.
I think we came to the right verdict, although only a few people in this world will ever know for sure what happened on that day. I’m glad I was able to serve my country, but I didn’t enjoy it. It was gut-wrenching, and I don’t relish sending someone to prison. I couldn’t watch when the verdict was read. Didn’t want to second guess myself. There are so few things in life that seem black and white to me – much more gray. But gray wasn’t a choice we had.
I wouldn’t have been surprised if, when I opened the front door of our house today, a team from the CDC dressed in white moon suits was busy putting biohazard signs around our front yard.
Last Tuesday, Miss Camille didn’t seem quite herself at daycare, and they were a little concerned. Wednesday morning, she woke up with terrible tummy upset. I called her doctor, who said a stomach bug was going around.
Apparently this is a nasty bug. We watched poor Camille suffer and tried our best to comfort her. By Thursday, Lee was sick. I was glad I could mother them both, and worked hard to try to help them feel better. By the time I went to bed I was feeling run down.
Then, at 4:30 Friday morning, I found myself on the bathroom floor hugging the toilet. That’s when Lee called for backup, and Alva was on her way.
Thank goodness for Alva. Somehow, she managed to take care of all three of us, do all of our laundry, rearrange closets, and the list goes on. I think she may be part octopus, with eight arms to accomplish all those tasks.
Friday was terrible. I haven’t felt that sick in a long time, and the emotional toll was almost as bad as they physical symptoms. It’s a pretty rotten feeling to know your baby isn’t well, to hear her whining and fussing, and yet not be able to respond. I knew she was in good hands, and that Lee and Alva were bowing to her every wish. But when she’d cry, it was hard to stay under the covers and try to ignore it. But to get up would mean to upchuck, and that would do no one any good.
Saturday we were all starting to mend a little. This morning, Lee, Cami and I woke up feeling even better, but were surprised that Alva didn’t join us for coffee and pancakes. When Lee went to check on her, he discovered that the stomach bug had struck another victim. Alva came to our rescue, and this was not a nice way to repay her.
Against our protests, she left this afternoon and headed home. I really wanted to take care of her like she’d done for us, but I knew she needed to be at work this week. It was still sad to see her go.
We needed a break from our quarantine, and wanted to get out of the house for some fresh air. We intended to go to the beach, but several traffic accidents had closed the bridge, so we went to Skidaway State Park instead.
Unfortunately, we weren’t really dressed for walking the trails, and didn’t have a stroller or baby carrier. Cams loves riding on our shoulders, but it’s not the most comfortable for us, and our walk didn’t last long.
So instead, we enjoyed the beautiful weather by lying in the grass together in our front yard. Camille even decided to add a little roughage to her diet. I hope it helps! I snapped this photo before pulling the grass out of her mouth. I was quick.
Fingers crossed that tomorrow she feels even better.
Hello sweet sleeping bear. Where to begin? You are eight months old today (!) and each day you seem to be doing something new. You are such a sweet, loving baby – mostly happy, although I think your teeth gave you more trouble than usual this month. But despite your frustration, you’ve still given us a ton of smiles, laughs, and THE BEST hugs. You love to wrap your arms tightly around my neck while you open and close your little fists in my hair. It is ridiculously cute, and melts me every time. Even the ladies at daycare tell me you are the best hugger and cuddler they’ve ever seen.
You’re not quite crawling yet, but you have become adept at scooting around your room on your belly. Gone are the days when I could lay you on the floor, walk out of the room for a second, and come back to find you in the exact same place. You are so ready to get up and run around, you just haven’t figured out how to get all your limbs to work together to assist you in this effort. Soon though, the chase will begin!
This has been a month of visitors, which you always enjoy. Do you have any idea how many people love you? So many people, Camille. People who will drive long distances just for the pleasure of spending a day or two with you. I understand. You’re that special.
While most of your visitors have been adults, you also got to spend some time with Nia and Nate. I know you play with other babies every day you’re in daycare, but I don’t usually get to see this. I really enjoyed watching you interact with them. You loved watching them play and hearing them talk or laugh. Nia and Nate were very sweet with you, and you repaid them with several of your signature hugs.
This has also been a month of new culinary adventures. You’re beginning to learn to drink water from a sippy cup. But by far, your favorite new things are banana puffs. Girl, you love some banana puffs. They are little star-shaped rice puffs that dissolve in your mouth, and I think if I continually put them on your tongue, you’d keep eating them forever. They come in a plastic container, and all I have to do is shake it and your eyes light up, your hands start beating your highchair, and you gasp in excitement. You’re like Luca when I shake her can of kitty treats.
At first you had a hard time getting the puffs from your hand to your mouth, and most ended up in your lap. But you quickly learned how to manipulate the little stars, and now you’ll shove three in there at once. And when you do, you look quite proud of yourself. I’m proud of you too!
Unfortunately, this has also been a month of teething woes. They really began about the time we all went to Macon for one of my overnight work trips. You’d been a little fussier than usual the few days prior, and were really chomping down on anything you could find. That night, I had no trouble getting you to go to sleep in your pack-n-play, but at about midnight, you woke up. And you were seriously angry.
Usually, if you woke up and refused to go back to sleep on your own, I could feed you and you’d drift right away. If all else failed, our rock solid back up was to put you in bed with us.
Well that night, in the Ramada Plaza, even sharing the bed with us didn’t help. Instead, you snuggled in close to me and proceeded to slap me, yank my hair, and even ram your finger in my nose and scratch your way back out. You were upset, and nothing could fix it.
The next day, your general anger continued, and we left my meeting early to head straight for the doctor’s office. I was afraid you had an ear infection or some other terrible disease I didn’t even know about – but you got a clean bill of health. Teething. That was the only diagnosis they came up with.
We felt so sorry for you (and still do), because it was clear that you were frustrated with your aching gums. For about 2 weeks after the Macon incident, you couldn’t sleep through the night. You’d wake up, and often stay awake and crying from 2 – 4 a.m.
After a few nights, the lack of sleep began taking its toll on us all. However, I didn’t realize how tired we were until last week. Your Daddy and I had been asleep for about an hour when suddenly, the house alarm went off. I sat straight up in bed and my very first thought was, “Do NOT wake the baby!” As the alarm wailed shrilly, I started nudging your Daddy.
“Lee! Lee! Wake up!”
“What is it?” he asked, still half asleep. “Is the baby crying?”
“No! The house alarm is going off!”
We both jumped out of bed and ran downstairs, where the dog was pacing below the alarm pad. I punched in our code, hit cancel, and we all dragged ourselves back into bed and back to sleep.
It wasn’t until the morning that I began to wonder, “What made the alarm go off?”
It never crossed my mind that there might have been an intruder. My sole concern was shutting off the noise so it wouldn’t wake you. What would I have done if I’d raced down the stairs to see a robber in the foyer? I probably would’ve held my index finger to my lips and gave him a loud “SHHHHHHH! The baby is sleeping!”
I still don’t know why the alarm went off, although I think the dog may have set off the motion detector. I usually turn the motion detector off when we’re home, but I was tired and might’ve forgotten. Oh, and we left the front door unlocked. Again, the sleep deprivation made us do crazy things.
You’re sleeping a little better now, but still not as soundly as before. Some nights you’ll make it through the whole night, but you still have some nights where you need mommy or daddy to soothe you in the wee hours. That’s okay. We’ll get through this teething stuff together.
You’ve gotten to really enjoy some of the fun things about your hometown this month. Last weekend we went to Tara Feis, the Irish Festival held downtown every year to kick off the St. Pat’s celebration in Savannah. It’s a more family-friendly event, with cotton candy, several moon bounces, and lots of little Irish dancers doing their jigs on stage.
Nana was in town and went with us, and I got this cute picture of you two checking out some of the newly blooming azaleas. As Nana and I were chatting though, you grabbed some of these blooms and pulled hard enough to yank them free. When we finally looked down at you, white azaleas were sticking out of your mouth. But apparently, they aren’t too bad for you because you seemed to survive just fine.
I even had your face painted at Tara Feis, and you sat nice and still through the whole thing. Camille, it was so great to be there with you. Your Daddy and I have gone to Tara Feis for years, and I’ve always enjoyed watching all the other children and imagining what it would be like to attend with my child. And it was wonderful. I loved being outside with you, holding you, showing you off to all the people in the park, watching you soak up the sounds and the sights.
You also enjoyed the St. Paddys parade, especially snuggling up to your Aunt Erin who kept you warm despite the wind. I love Savannah, and I love seeing it anew through your fresh eyes. I pray for many more happy memories here.
Camille, one of the greatest things about this month has been your laugh. It’s a new thing – we’ve only really begun to hear it blossom in the last few days. You’ve laughed for us before. A little giggle on your changing table or when I nibble your toes. But only recently have we heard you really laugh out loud. And it is the most precious sound in the world!
Yesterday, we were in the car together and I got choked on something I was eating. I had to cough and cough to clear my throat, and suddenly, you started laughing. Each time I coughed, you smiled widely and laughed. Once we caught on, everyone in the car started coughing just to hear that magical sound.
All day we continued our coughing fits, hoping to hear your laughter again. I don’t know why this is so hilarious to you, but I’ll take it. I got this video of you on the couch yesterday while we coughed for your entertainment.
Sweet girl, if laughter is the best medicine, I think your laugh could cure all the world. I look forward to another dose tomorrow. Sleep well angel. Mommy loves you so much.
There must be a four-leafer growing among the clover in our yard. It’s been a great St. Patrick’s Day weekend, and I’m feeling like a lucky girl.
This is the first year I’ve been in Savannah for St. Patrick’s Day and not on the job. I really wanted to go downtown to enjoy the parade, but wasn’t sure about fighting the crowds with Camille, or waiting in super long lines for the pleasure of a porta-potty.
So when a coworker invited us to his house for St. Pat’s, I was ecstatic. He lives on the parade route. Friday night, we loaded up our car with chairs, a cooler, and plenty of food, and dropped it off at his home. Saturday morning, Andy, Erin, Lee, Cami and I rode a city bus to a stop just a few blocks from the house, and we were right there in the middle of all the fun with none of the hassle. Flushing toilets, a place to lay Camille down for a nap, and a front row seat for the parade. Sweet.
It was so nice to be able to sit back and just enjoy the show. I really wasn’t sure what to expect from Camille. I didn’t know if she’d be scared of the crowds and the noise, or if she’d get bored with just sitting there and grow tired of being held. But she was great. She fell asleep at one point, and didn’t appreciate the fire truck blasting its horn and siren, but other than that she seemed content to watch all the people and colors parade by.
I think my favorite part of the parade was the bagpipers. Their music is so interwoven with imagery of St. Pats in my experience. During the St. Patrick’s Day season, it seems like the whole city is in a good mood, and the sound of bagpipers gives my spirit a lift.
When the parade was over, Lee and Andy braved Riverstreet. Erin, Cami and I found a coffee shop and were lucky enough to grab two big, comfy chairs by a window. While we sipped our latte’s, Miss Camille took a nap. It was a big day for such a little girl. And lots of fun.
His voice is a smooth as melted milk chocolate, and has a gentle quality I find instantly soothing. Lee and I have been fans of Garrison Keillor for years, enjoying his “Prairie Home Companion” show on NPR. It has been our entertainment on many a weekend road trip.
So when I read that he was coming to Savannah, I immediately snatched up a pair of tickets. It wasn’t a “Prairie Home Companion” broadcast – instead it was just a live Garrison Keillor show with a backup band. I wasn’t sure what to expect.
The show was fantastic. My favorite parts of “Prarie Home Companion” are his tales from Lake Wobegon, a fictional city in rural Minnesota. The stories are sweet, sad, silly, and mostly funny. Well, the live show was basically an hour-and-a-half tale from Lake Wobegon, with occasional musical numbers to emphasize a point or help with a transition.
Although I saw him in his recent movie, it was still strange to see him on stage. I’m so used to just hearing that voice on the radio. For years I’d sit in my car, listening to NPR, and I’d picture him looking something like Sean Connery. But instead, he has dark hair and glasses, sporting a suit and bright red tennis shoes.
We were definitely some of the younger people in the crowd. I was amused by the demographics of the people assembled at the theater. Not surprised, but amused. They lived up to the NPR stereotype. Very lily white. Driving nice cars. As we pulled onto the street next to the Civic Center to look for a parking space, I saw a line of nice rides rolling into the parking deck. I was honestly a little surprised to see so many luxury cars all in a row – until I realized they were parking to see the show. As we entered the theater, a message on the speaker system announced that an illegaly parked Jaguar was about to be towed. Everyone milled around the concession stand, sipping wine from plastic cups.
I even enjoyed the intermission. Instead of leaving the stage, the house lights came up and Garrison Keillor asked everyone to stand together for a little sing-a-long. This way, people who needed to use the restroom or get a drink could exit their row without climbing over everyone. But for those of us who stayed put, we had fun singing campy songs with the one and only Garrison Keillor. I stepped out for a moment to call the sitter and check on Camille, then came right back to join in the singing.
It was a great date night – listening to my favorite radio host, holding hands with my sweet husband.
The last couple of weeks have been so busy, with plenty to write about. But unfortunately, that also means there was no time to write. I know I won’t remember it all, but in the last 20 days:
Alva, mom, Nikki, Andrew, Nia and Nate, and Professor Kaufman have all come to visit.
We took a trip to Fitzgerald, another to Macon, and Cami, Mom and I went to Fernandina while Lee went to Sarasota.
It has been a great 2 weeks, aside from some sleep deprivation issues I’ll address at a later time. We love company and are always excited to have friends or family under our roof.
I especially wanted to write about Nikki’s visit. It was her first trip back to Savannah after leaving town, and it was so great. We had the whole family over for dinner on a Tuesday night. After we ate our take-out Mexican food, we all crowded into Cami’s room to play. The kids were so cute together.
We read books on the floor, and Cami and Nia really seemed to enjoy it. Nia is one smart cookie. We’d read a book to her twice, then she would “read it” back to us. She had memorized the entire thing, and could recite it with near perfection.
When I was pregnant and we found out Cami was a girl, Nikki and Andrew started joking about her being Nate’s future wife. Well, when we were playing up in Cami’s room, Nate had his Daddy’s cell phone and was pressing buttons to make it play music. He’d dance and dance while we all laughed. I held Cami up near him and helped her dance too. Nate slapped at the phone and the song changed from a rock song to a nice, romantic classical piece. As if he wanted to turn on the charm for the little lady. The timing was perfect.
I took off work Wednesday to spend the day with Nikki and the kids while Andrew worked in his company’s Savannah office. That day was so special to me. We hung out at the house for a bit before heading to Leopold’s for some ice cream. I tried to get a picture of Nia enjoying her treat, but Miss Cami is a bit of a ham. She leaned in front of the camera, and I got this fun picture.
Then we went to Daffin Park. The weather was great, and Cami and I spread out a blanket in the sand and watched the big kids play.
One of the great things about spending time with another mother of young children is that you learn so many things. When we got to the park, Nikki asked if Cami liked the swings. It had honestly never occured to me that she might be big enough for a playground swing. But with Nikki’s assurance that DFACS wouldn’t be called, I was brave enough to let Camille try the baby swings.
It went over very well! She laughed and smiled and enjoyed herself immensely. So did I.
The worst part about the day was that it just made me miss them even more. In my fantasy land, I could be a stay-at-home mom, Nikki would move back to town, and we’d spend every day eating ice cream and playing in the park. I know that’s not reality, but a girl can dream, right?
At least we had that day, and maybe we can do it again before too long.
Lots more to write about. But for now, bedtime. The baby is stirring and we could be in for a long night.
