The recent-past and proximate future
I have been remiss in posting lately. Life has been busy.
Here’s a quick recap on recent and upcoming events:
Last weekend we went to my cousin Laura’s wedding shower. She and her fiance Joe are getting married in St. Louis in a couple of weeks, which will be our first significant trip with the kiddo. We’re excited about it, especially since their reception is at the St. Louis Zoo. I’ve never been there, but I’ve always wanted to, ever since my dad told me stories of Phil the Gorilla when I was a kid. Phil was a stuffed gorilla housed somewhere on the zoo property; I don’t even know if he’s still there, but I’m glad to have my childhood dreams fulfilled and see my beautiful cousin get married at the same time. Birds, stones, etc. Edited to add: Phil apparently only exists in bronze form nowadays. Nonetheless, I hope to get a picture with him.
At the shower, Miles (and Denny and I) got to meet cousin Anna, my cousin Betsy’s little girl. Betsy and I are close in age and always had lots of fun together growing up, so I think it’s really cool that our kids are close together too. Anna was supposed to be older, but due to Miles’s surprise appearance and her reluctance to emerge, Miles ended up coming first. It was really fun to have two babies to play with.
My first Mothers Day was great, even though I was really tired because Miles pulled one of his bad nights that night. He only does it about once a week now; most nights he’s only up once, but that particular evening he woke me up four times. Happy Mothers Day indeed. However, it was nice to spend it with my family, including my own mother and one of my grandmothers. Denny got me some really thoughtful gifts, including a lovely bottle of wine and dinner at our favorite restaurant.
We went early, thinking that would be the best time in case Miles got squawky, and the staff there actually carried him around and played with him while Denny and I ate our food. Now that’s some serious service. On a related note, we were watching Little People, Big World the other night (a non-sleazy reality show about a family that includes some dwarfs), and part of it took place in Mount Vernon, where Amy had a speaking engagement. We asked the staff if she ate at the Lincoln Cafe, and apparently she did. Excellent choice, Mrs. Roloff.
Things aren’t going to slow down any time soon; this weekend we have a graduation reception for Denny’s cousin, then a reunion of our childbirth class (babies on the outside this time). After that is Laura’s wedding, then we’re going to Portland where Denny has a conference to attend and Miles and I will see the sights. June is full of more weddings, and at some point I hope to get together with my best girlfriends in Ames.
Perhaps when this is all over, I’ll report back with fascinating anecdotes. The prospect of flying on a plane with a four-month-old is a recipe for content, no?
Careful touching Phil when you get you picture taken with him. If I remember correctly, his back gets pretty hot in the sun.
Wow, you do have some business ahead. I’d say don’t be afraid of the flight with Miles. I don’t know how calm of a baby he is, but Alexander was and he did terrific flying. He fell asleep in my arms. I think the fact that he is young might be in your favor. (And then there is always Benedryl, if you aren’t opposed to that. I was opposed, but did it anyway and it saved us with Zeke on our 4+ hour flight to Anchorage)
Hi April: A couple of things — when I saw the words “favorite restaurant” and “St. Louis” in the same post, I had to give you this tip. When in St. Louis, you must go to Delmar Restaurant and Lounge (Delmar Ave in the Loop). I had one of the most fantastic meals of my life there while on a business trip in St. Louis. Cherry wood smoked scallops on saffron risotto with caramelized onions. It was so great, I had to call a friend and just to tell someone about it as I left. If your schedule allows, I’d suggest a visit.
On another food-and-post note, Big People, Small World. Louise has a nephew in Portland who graduated from the culinary school there and now manages the school’s restaurant. For the “Big People’s” anniversary, the producers called the culinary school looking for a chef to make them a meal in their home. Long story short, Jackson was on the show as their chef for their anniversary dinner. He said that they were very nice people, but their kitchen was hard to work in.
Also, I have to put a plug in for Benadryl. Our pediatrician suggested a dose before we flew. The kids always slept through the flight. Let modern medicine work for you.