Commuter

P8260017
Originally uploaded by Car2nGrl.

By the way, my latest commute soundtrack is a collection of Ooooo's, Aaaah's, and raspberries courtesy of Parker. Lucky for me, he's pretty content in the car -- especially when he has toys, books, and feet to keep him occupied.

Time Flies...

P8210001
Originally uploaded by Car2nGrl.

My-o-my. Time can sure get away from you. As I mentioned earlier, I went back to work last Wednesday, which means Parker started daycare. He loves it. Not sure if he's at the stage of interacting with other babies but he's lovin' all the new toys. (The note I got from the daycare last Friday was what he enjoyed watching the beachball that's attached to an overhead fan.)

Just so you get a hang of our new weekday schedule...I wake up at 5am. After I've gotten ready for work, I wake Parker by 6am to change and feed him. Then we're on the road by 6:30. Daycare by 7:30. And I'm at work by 8am. At the end of the day, I have to leave work by 5:15pm so I can get lil' P by 6pm. (Any later and I incur a $10 late fee every 10 minutes.) Parker and I get home around 6:45p and it's time for us to get the little guy ready for bed.
LATHER. RINSE. REPEAT.

(BTW, as you can see from the picture, Parker likes his peas so now we've moved on to carrots.)

Oh, and one more thing...

Oh, and one more thing...
Originally uploaded by Car2nGrl.

So much for "not much happening lately". I forgot to mention that, while the bottle is not truly a solo endeavor now, Parker's been working on it and yes, he takes it out for a test spin every now and then. He seems to handle the Avent/"on-the-go" bottles best. (The "at-home"/Doc. Brown bottles have too many parts to manage on the road.)

Rachael...Meet Parker

Rachael's in town from the UK so on Wednesday we (Me, Rachael, Parker, and yes...Frankie) had to take advantage of the great weather and headed for the beach. Unfortunately, since I had the stroller, we pretty much kept to the boardwalk. However, as you can see from the picture, we had a great time nonetheless.

(BTW, as you can also see from the pictures, Parker now loves to "kiss" people. I put "kiss" in quotes because for Parker, kissing is, at this time, placing an open mouth against your face.)

Cereal...Take 2

Cereal...Take 2
Originally uploaded by Car2nGrl.

By the way, Parker has added oatmeal to his repertoire. This weekend...we're schedule to give peas a chance. Stand by for photos, ala the Exorcist.

So what have we been doing the last week?

So what have we been doing the last week?
Originally uploaded by Car2nGrl.

Well, not much. Parker's head is still big and Frankie is still fixated on playing fetch. And by the afternoon, we're all ready for a big nap.

Actually, it looks like I will be going back to work next week -- temping back at Consumer Products -- which got me researching daycares. HOLY CRAP! Not only is it expensive but it's REALLY hard to find a place that will watch an infant on a part time basis. Luckily, (keep your fingers crossed) I think I found a place that will take Parker while they're "full-timers" are still on maternity leave.

Now I'm trying to make the most of the time I have left with Parker. Who knows how long this "work thing" will last.

Peas Porridge in the Pot, Five Months Old

Well, my little boy is now 5 months old. Time is sure flying by at supersonic speed. Let's see what we can expect this month...

- "Most 5-month-olds delight in adding new sounds to their repertoire, and blowing a raspberry is a perennial favorite." Yup. There are a lot of sounds coming out of his mouth. However, he has yet to do an actual raspberry. I'll have to have Chris tutor him on that.
- Sitting: I can't for this to happen. It'll make bathtime easier...I think. At least when we go out to a restaurant, we can use one of their high chairs, rather than our laps.
- Ready for Solids: Well, we've got that taken care of. Click here for a little dinner theater.
- More Decerning: This is evident when I'm feeding him. Everything little sight and sound distacts him.
- Cause and Effect: Uh, oh. Looks like more things will be dropping to the floor for meet to pick up. Like I didn't have enough stuff to do. I can see it now. On one side I'll have Parker dropping his rattle for me to fetch. And on the other I'll have Frankie dropping his ball for me to play fetch.

BOOM! BOOM!

Chris and I awoke this morning to the sound (and vibration) of the space shuttle's sonic boom as it reentered the earth's atmosphere. It immediately took me back to my childhood when the shuttle landed in Southern California more often. It's weird; even though you weren't actually there, the shuttle's sonic boom was a sensory event that allowed you to share in the experience.

Welcome back, Discovery!

A Little Pick-Me-Up

Click here for a little something to kick off the weekend.

That Darn Cat

I knew things weren't looking good when the vet asked me to come into the exam room. Silly's lab results didn't improve and it didn't look like they would. Knowing this, I sadly made the decision to put her out of her misery. Before the end, the vet let me spend some time with her. Petting all her favorite spots -- around the eyes, her ears, down her back -- she receptively raised her head and sat up a bit. Seeing this, I guess I was hoping the vet would suddenly exclaim that he couldn't believe it but she's been mirculously healed. However, I wasn't that lucky. Silly left us shortly afterward.

Silly was found when they were building the sets for "V.R. Troopers" in early 1994. Even though I wasn't a "cat person", I adopted her, rather than let her go to the pound. Silly wasn't an overly cuddly cat but everyone loved her. She even won over my mom who, in her signature staccato cadence, lovingly called her "That Darn Cat" (after the Disney movie). By day, she loved lounging in a sunny window. By night, she loved to sleep right between me and Chris in our bed. She was a perfect cat who I'll always miss. I can't imagine ever having another..unless, of course, Parker wants one in the future.


By the way, on a somewhat related note...If you're buying someone chocolates for their birthday, I don't recommend buying them a week in advance. You'll only end up buying more to replace the initial box you ate.