Washington D.C.

This last week we spent in Washington D.C. with Collin's sister, Janeil. We had a great time, even though the weather was hot and humid and we walked our legs off. Davy was a true sport, being mostly cheerful about everything we put him through. He especially loved meeting the Obamas!


Hanging with Dad in the hotel room, watching Wimbledon.


We spent a lot of time waiting for the subways, but were really impressed with how clean and generally efficient the system was.


We celebrated Collin's birthday in old town Alexandria at a Moroccan restaurant called Casablanca. The food was actually terrible, but the atmosphere was festive and the overall experience was fun. We got Ben & Jerry's ice cream to make up for the sub par dinner, and that was the best part of the night. The old town was really neat, with little boutique shops and cool old brick sidewalks and buildings. It reminded us a lot of Boston, which made us feel at home.


Collin abusing his authority.


We had the little baby completely tuckered out by the end of the night. Here is his little make-shift bed on the floor of the hotel room. He relaxed with a little snacking on the pillow corner.


We visited Ford's Theater and the house across the street where President Lincoln died. Davy's not dead, but just really really deeply asleep.


"I'm just a Bill, yes, I'm only a Bill, and I'm sitting here on Capitol Hill . . ." The School House Rock song was in our head the whole day! You may not be able to see it in the picture, but Collin's holding a sign that says "BILL". The building was super cool, with beautiful artwork and statues and architecture.


We got to see Kermit, Dorothy's Ruby Red Slippers, Oscar the Grouch, Jerry Seinfeld's ruffly pirate shirt and tons of other cool stuff at the Smithsonian museums. We even saw "Night at the Museum II" at the IMax one afternoon when it was too hot and we were too tired to do any more site-seeing.


Davy got endless entertainment from the hats. He wasn't as impressed by the White House as we were, I guess.


Goofing around with the Washington Monument. We did have some sobering moments with the memorials, as well, but all work and no play . . .


Our little Massachusetts baby.


We had such a great time together in D.C. and have plenty of reasons to go back again someday!

Father's Day

Collin has--like everything he does--taken quite naturally to being a dad. It's so wonderful to see someone you love take on a new role with such devotion and energy. I love him for it.



We didn't really go all out this year. Davy didn't get up early and make Dad an omelet and waffles, for example. Maybe next year. The gift we did find Collin is practical and will be a regular reminder of dad during the day. And Collin experienced a "proud pop" moment Sunday morning. He was getting dressed while Davy sat on the bed. Collin had his back turned when he suddenly saw something out of the corner of his eye. He turned and saw that the pacifier had been launched across the room by our little pitcher. So the kid has an arm on him . . . go Sox.

On another note, I had a great moment today. Davy and I were walking down the street (on the sidewalk, of course) trying to find the Watertown library, which I hear is fantastic since their remodel--with a cafe and everything! Anyway, as we were walking along a car pulled over and a lady called out for some directions. I was about to say, "oh, I'm new here, and I don't actually live in this town, so I am probably not the person to ask" but I saw the address. And I happened to know where it was and how to get there! It was two towns over, but I knew all the names of the roads and where to turn. I was rather gratified to know that all those times getting lost (and the fact that we've lived here almost a year) have actually paid off. I know where I am--most of the time--and could actually help someone else find their way! Wahoo!

Life is Good--Especially with Chocolate!

Collin got to come home early from work on Friday and we loved the extra time to hang out and play with daddy!


Today we enjoyed a "Life is Good" festival on Boston Common with our friends the Bullocks and Wanamakers. There were tons of old-time games, like bean toss, bocce bowling (lawn bowling), frisbee toss, seed spitting, sack race, and lots of others for both the kids and the adults to play. We had a blast trying out our skills and watching all the kids having a great time. Davy was, of course, too young to really care. But he liked relaxing in the stroller and being carried in the sling, getting attention from the volunteers, his first experience with a pinwheel, and playing with his bare feet.



Then, for an early celebration of Collin's birthday, we went to the posh Langham Hotel in Boston for the famous Chocolate Buffet. There were over 100 different chocolate treats--from whoopie pies, to design-your-own chocolate crepes, to dark chocolate truffles and white chocolate tapioca pudding. It was amazing! There were at least seven tables spread with all sorts of rich and beautiful desserts. One of our favorites was a lavender dark chocolate truffle cake that was a multi-sensory experience. As you were eating the decadent, thick, rich layered chocolate cake, the smell of lavender wafted up into your nose from inside your mouth. I guess it sounds kind of weird when it's written out, but trust us--the experience was truly delightful! The milk chocolate creme brulee was pretty incredible, too. Between the two of us we filled seven or eight plates on multiple visits to the buffet and tasted only about half the options. By the end we were completely chocolated out! It was a pretty cool birthday surprise, if I do say so myself!

Six Months Old and Before and After

Davy is six months old. Can you believe it?! He is a sweet baby and we love his company. Every day he is getting stronger and more coordinated. It's so fun to watch his growth and see the light in his eyes and watch his soft hands reach for new exciting things. He has started to show the first signs of affection for us, with little snuggling hugs (where he loves to grab hair or skin with this tight fists. Ouch.) and kisses (wide open mouth slobbers). He loves playing in the water from the faucet in the kitchen sink. He loves a big flower toy that we have. He loves eating and drinking from a sippy cup. He loves grabbing his toes and plastic pants (ew) during diaper changes. He loves cuddling with Mom during nursing and holding her hand. He loves sucking his fingers and pacifier. He loves stroller rides. He's ticklish under his arms and on the back of his neck. He loves watching other kids and smiling at himself in the mirror. He knows his name and will turn and smile when we call him. He loves music and banging on the piano keys.



The other news is that we finished painting our bathroom. It looks much better! Here are some before, during, and after pictures:

More Good Eats

Well, it's been a while since the last post, but the only really interesting things going on right now are that Davy is loving eating and is still practicing sitting up. He gets one, sometimes two, solid food meals a day, after nursing. He has tried and enjoyed oatmeal, rice, prune juice, sweet potatoes, and applesauce. Peas are not his favorite, but he will eat them. Carrots are a no. He gets jazzed when we put him in his highchair at the table, put on the bib, and put a bowl in front of him. He knows the drill, now, and starts to make "feed me" noises, wave his arms around excitedly, and open his mouth like a little bird. He does this throughout the entire feeding and we can't shovel it in fast enough.



The boppy pillow is indeed covered with pink butterflies. I've been intending to make a different, more manly cover, but really it works just the same either way . . .




The only other fun thing is that we got permission to paint the bathroom and the kitchen cupboards in our apartment. The bathroom walls were a weird gray/cream color that only made the yellow tile and porcelain worse (if that is possible). So we're doing everything paint-able a bright white. And then we'll do the insides of all the kitchen cupboards a pretty light blue. Right now they are not painted anything, but are just raw wood with some splotches of the paint used for the outside. So even though we'll be the only ones seeing the improvement, it will be worth it for us.




I'm working on other random scrapbooking, sewing, and cross stitch projects. Collin is playing basketball twice a week and trying to get a volleyball night set up. Davy and I go on a walk at least once a day, usually to the library and back, which is a good mile and a half or two. We're planning a trip to Washington D.C. in a week and getting ready to have Collin's sister, Janeil, visit us in Boston for a week.

First Bite

Davy is now 5 1/2 months old and has been taking an interest in our dinner time rituals and utensils. He seemed ready to join us in playing with food. Here's a video of his first bite:




He wasn't too sure at first about the whole cereal thing, but soon he got the idea and began gulping it down!




Here's a clip after he had eaten way more than we thought he would. He was definitely excited about this new experience!