Christmas Take 1

We decided Christmas at our house would be today since we are leaving for our tour of the I-65 corridor on Monday. Jude attacked his stocking like he had been planning it for days. He found some books and his first Little People. (As in the little toys, not as in "Little People, Big World").

Jude received a wonderful book from one of Jon's co-workers and several gifts from his daycare provider, Mrs. Kim. She said Jude will be starting the preschool curriculum after Christmas break :)

From mom and dad, Jude got new pj's, a Wonder Pets book, and a huge lion that we named Barry. Barry is, of course, named after Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders. Jon is also a Barry Zito fan, and we can never name a kid Barry. I mean Barry Brasfield. No. No offense to any Barries out there. Yep, I changed the "y" to "i" and added "e-s."

Jude also received a neat-o book from Nana Lou. It is "T'was Night Before Christmas" as read by Nana Lou! Each page is a recording of the text on that page by my mom. The reading is activated by turning to that page in the book. It's mega cool, so I'm uploading a video.

Jude plays guitar and sings

Jude loves the ornaments on the Christmas tree, especially the one that looks like a guitar that Jon got from my mom. He also really likes the Coca-Cola Polar Bear in the Coke machine. Enjoy, and happy holidays!



Also, don't forget to protect your smallest guests this holiday season by having hand sanitizer available. Put poisonous plants and choking hazards out of reach, and plug those outlets!
-Amanda

Mr. Potato Head

The Brasfield parents came down for Thanksgiving, and we invited them along on a trip Marbles. This video is Jude's meeting with Mr. Potato Head. He would follow that spud any where.

Thanksgiving was delicious. Jon made the turkey, and together we made French bread suasage stuffing and a Derby Pie, ahem, excuse me, a chocolate chip pecan pie. Please do not sue me. C&A provided the sides, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, mac and cheese, and a pumpkin pie.

Jude had a wonderful day, and he loved the sweet potatoes!

Growing

Jude grew Saturday night. I know this to be true because that's when his diapers stopped fitting him just right. We finally had to admit it to ourselves, and Jon ran out to buy some size 6 diapers tonight.

Here's a pic of Jude last Thanksgiving for your enjoyment. He was 4 months old.

SOLD!

It only took 13 months and tons of cash, but our house is finally sold! The folks who bought it loved the colors inside, and I was so happy to hear it because it's one of the reasons we liked the house too. (Plus, we had done some painting).

Clara is on the mend, we hope. I'm not sure that we blogged about it, but Clara gave us a big scare in October when she suddenly stopped eating. Through many doctor appointments and a liver biopsy, we found out her liver had a "toxic insult" of some type and a good portion of her liver cells are dead. We have no idea what she could have eaten that made her sick. Our house is locked down because of the baby, and she is always on a leash outside and well attended. Lucy did not get sick, which means Clara got a hold of something that Lucy did not. Clara is on 2 antibiotics and 2 herbal supplements for her liver. She is doing well, and she eats Purina HA now for her allergies. We're hoping that she will continue to improve though the necrosis in her liver has probably shortened her lifespan. Clara is a special pup--just ask Jude.

The Brasfield Family Thanksgiving Extravaganza Feast and 5K is this week, and we are very excited. Jude ate his first bowl of rice cereal on Thanksgiving last year, so he is in for a real treat this year. We are also looking forward to Christmas time in Kentucky and Tennessee, and we will do our best to see you!

NOTE: If you have babies coming to your holiday festivities this year, be sure to remind guests to wash their hands and have hand sanitizer available. There are lots of nasties going around, and those should not be shared at any time of the year!

Photo by Robert Ross Photography http://www.ross-photography.com/

Keeping our fingers crossed

About a year ago we were packing our house up for a move a couple of hours east so that Jon could take a new job and I could stay home Jude and start graduate school. Since then, our house has been for sale. We finally have a closing date of next Thursday and the appraisal and inspection are scheduled for this week. We are so very excited, but I am trying not react until those papers are signed!

We will be glad to get rid of those monthly payments, but we are sad about letting go of Winston-Salem. The house was our last claim in the city. We'll go back, I'm sure. I mean, I can't go too terribly long without a Wild Buffalo sandwich from Terry's Deli in Kernersville. We also miss meandering around Old Salem, walking at Salem Lake, the simple lunch from Salem Kitchen, my WMS friends, and Wake football (where we were totally going to buy season tickets when Jude was old enough!)

Not ever going in the house again is sad too. We never really got to enjoy our new HVAC system installed just before we moved. We never opened the fireplace. The saddest thing to me is leaving Jude's room. We picked out the color, a pale yellow called "Summer Wish" for our little July baby. Jon painted the room by himself because I had to stay out of the fumes. My mom came and helped me install the room darkening shades. Jon and I spent a lot of time in there putting together furniture with an Allen wrench. After Jude was born we could get a few moments free of acid reflux screaming if we put him in bed and cranked up the mobile.

We will miss you Winston, and a part of our hearts will always live on Hartley Street.

Oasis

So this video is long, but if you're a fan of Grandma's Genius or Jude, this video has something for you. Jude just can seem to focus with the music pulling on his heartstrings. He has to dance.

Books

Jude is really starting to get into interacting with books rather than just listening. Here he is with "The Wonder Pets Save the Three Little Pigs" and "Eyes & Nose, Fingers & Toes."

Thieves

About a year ago, someone stole our lawn mower out from under our deck. We were awfully mad because it was a really nice, though purchased used, Honda mower. It was paid for, and we suddenly had to pay someone $40 a pop to mow our yard. Because North Carolina stays warm well into October we found ourselves nearly paying for another mower in paying other people to mow the yard because we couldn't dish out the funds all at once to buy another mower and we were just trying to make it until winter so we could save up for a new one next summer.

Well, thieves have struck again, taking with them more than 200 CDs from Jon's car. It was a quick job because they left the stereo and several CDs in the console and Jon's work bag. Why wasn't the car locked? Well, the key to a 1996 Camry doesn't last 13 years, and it is so worn it won't lock the doors or open the trunk. We had been meaning to get a new key made, but life, as they say, was keeping us so busy we didn't make time. We are lucky this time because we ripped a lot of the CDs onto our computer so we didn't have to keep lugging the CDs around. I'm not real sure what this thief plans to do with the entire catalogs of Guster, Barenaked Ladies, and Pearl Jam. Whoever it was must also not realize that the car seat would have gotten some nice cash on eBay.

I guess, in a way, we are naive. We go around trusting others and not stealing, assuming they will do the same. It's harder all the time to face the reality that not everyone has your best interests at heart, and some people don't even act in their own best interest. We'll be locking our car doors from now on, and I guess we'll be burning some CDs in the next few days too. I'm not really clear on how it all works, but I do know that at the end of the movie "Mean Girls," the meanest girl gets hit by a bus, so that guy with our lawn mower better be careful.

Exceeding in all categories

Jude had his one year evaluation a few weeks ago to take a look at his communication skills and fine and gross motor skills. After what Jude went through birth, we were anxious to find out what the experts saw in their evaluations. Jude was seen by a speech language pathologist and an occupational therapist who evaluated Jude using the Mullen Scale of Early Learning. The scale measures gross motor, visual reception, fine motor, expressive language, and receptive language. We were over-joyed to find out he is above his age in every category. His fine motor skills were particularly high, measuring at about the 20-month level. We are so blessed.

It was recommended that we discontinue Jude's developmental therapy and only see our case worker for the early childhood development team every other month. We decided not to exit the early-intervention services completely in case something comes up and we need services. Jude will be eligible to receive services until he is 3 years old because of his time in the NICU.

In other news, Jude is a walking/running machine. He loves trucks and dogs, and he wants to read books all day long! He loves "Llama Llama Red Pajama" (a gift from Nana K and Pappy), "Llama Llama Misses Momma," "In a People House," and the last page especially of "Brown Bear, Brown Bear."As you can see in the pictures he likes to play in the pans, and he likes to carry his toys around in my lunch box.

Own the beach

As a finally to Jude-ly, we took Jude to the beach. From Raleigh, Wrightsville Beach is only about 2 hours away, so that's where we went. We decided to go ahead and get a hotel room so we would have a place for Jude to take his afternoon nap and a place to clean up from the sand and surf.

I know that Jude likes water, but what I didn't know was how much Jude was going to love the tide. At one point, Jude and Jon were playing in the waves, and Jon thought Jude might be getting tired so he brought Jude back to the blanket to sit with me. Jon started making his way back to the ocean, and Jude watched him for a moment then started crawling after him! I took a picture of Jude's trail as he went for the water. Jude enjoyed playing in the sand too, but overall he is a water baby!

We had dinner at the South Beach Grill in Wrightsville. It was wonderful. We started with the crab and seafood nachos for two, which were cheesy and delicious and served on freshly fried flour tortillas. Jon had the sweet potato crusted flounder served with garlic mashed potatoes. He said it was great and far exceeded his expectations. I had the char-grilled Mahi with lime butter. It was so light, and it was perfectly paired with quinoa, which really added a nice flowery flavor and a good texture. Fortunately for our figures we had to skip dessert. An interesting aspect of the grill is that they offer a list of signature alcohol-free cocktails. Things like an "Arnold Pomegranate" with iced tea, lemonade, and pomegranite juice. Very refreshing offerings after a hot day at the beach.

New memories

Things don't always go as you expect them too, and Jude's birth taught us a lot of lessons about that along with lessons about faith, hope, love, and family. On Saturday, we celebrated Jude's birthday, making some great memories to help bring closure to the year that started out in a way no one expected and ended up exceeding our highest hopes.

Thank you to everyone who has watched over our shoulder in Jude's first year. Everyone who has said a prayer, changed a diaper, bought our dinner, babysitted, given hugs and kisses, given advice, offered kind words, and loved us has contributed to the very happy boy we see today.

The Brasfield family will be celebrating the last day of Jude-ly by delivering donations from us and from friends and family members to the Ronald McDonald House in Winston-Salem. We know how lucky we were to leave the NICU with a healthy child after only a week, and we know there are lots of people who are struggling much longer, some who are away from home, to care for their children who are very sick and in the hospital. In raising Jude, I think the memories of his first week of life will fade, but I hope we always hang on to what we learned about the fragility of life and what it feels like when people reach out to help you and to hug you when you need them the most.

A year ago

WARNING: LOTS OF REFLECTION AND COMMAS AHEAD

A year ago today, Amanda had an ultrasound to make sure everything was ok with Jude. He was a little over a week overdue and the doc was prepping us for an induction.

I'm sure everyone reading this knows what happened between then and now - both the bad and the good, and if you don't, it's in the archive.

In a wonderful development, the pain and fear we experienced when Jude was born with such a poor prognosis has subsided more quickly than I could have ever imagined. With every babble, roll, step, crawl, or drum, the spectre of a child who couldn't care for himself, or worse, disappears a little more. I say this now because, as his birthday approaches, I've never been more aware of the meaning of the term bittersweet.

We all know the good. The sweet. Aside from a bout with nasty, nasty acid reflux, we've been blessed with the most happy, content, inquisitive, calm, independent, fun baby i could have ever hoped for. He walks already, he's strong, he's healthy, he signs to us, he understands things we say, he sleeps twelve hours at night, and he charms everyone who meets him. Under any circumstances, we have a great baby. Under the circumstances of his birth, we have an amazing baby. Although those circumstances don't enter my mind as much any more, I know how lucky we were.

Here's the weird thing: Even when I think back on the birth, it's not the prognosis that brings back bad feelings. It's probably because we know the end of the story, but the fear I had for Jude's life doesn't recall pain. It recalls a tough situation that, through the support of family and friends (and even a few internet strangers), we survived, and through the expertise of caring and skilled doctors and nurses, Jude survived.

The worst feelings are when I think about the end of the pregnancy.

Amanda was the most wonderful pregnant woman. Dutiful in her yoga, her vitamin-taking, her water-drinking, her love for me and the dogs and the unborn Jude. The last month or so of the pregnancy was one of the most fun, free, and exciting times of our marriage to date. The closeness we experienced as a result of our anticipation was enriching. We exercised together every day, we planned and hoped - just like many other parents-to-be.

Amanda wanted to have a natural birth - no painkillers, definitely no induction, and simply the support of her breathing, her husband, and the big birthing ball. As readers of the live-blog know, that didn't (and couldn't) happen.

It may sound silly that thinking of the pregnancy hurts, but if I had to narrow down the entire experience of Jude's borth to one worst thing, it would be the pain Amanda had to go through, both physically and emotionally, during the back labor, extraction, episiotomy, and finally, the realization that the baby she worked so hard to get out had something very, very wrong with him.

I can get past what happened to Jude, because he's fine. He's more than fine. He's thriving, and he'll probably never have any lasting effects from his injuries.

I don't think I'm past what could happen if we ever do this again. I don't know that I can get excited again about prenatal yoga, or driving to the hospital, or any of that, because we got so high on it before, and it came so close to bottoming out. I can't bear to think of Amanda being so excited when I know what pain she went through afterward. I also can't bear to think about being pregnant again without being as excited as before.

This will probably fade too. After all, I can tangibly see that Amanda and I are fine just as well as I can see that Jude is fine. In time, maybe we'll be ready to go through it all again. Maybe not.

Right now though, I want to be done with thinking about that. I want to focus on celebrating a dinosaur-themed birthday with friends and family.

So happy birthday, Captain Judeman! It's been a great year. I'm glad you'll never know how bad the first week of it was.

We love you!

You little coquette

On a Mother's Day blog post on Triangle.com someone recommended the brunch at Coquette Brasserie at North Hills. It is also one of the top 3 places for brunch in Raleigh on Opentable.com, so I wanted to take the family there to try it out.

The decor is the restaurant is that of a french cafe. Small, marble tables with cafe chairs. A long wooden bar divides the restaurant a third of the way in, and the flooring is comprised of small black and white tiles. We made reservations, but I don't think they would have been necessary at 11 a.m. When we go to a new place with the baby, however, I like to make a reservation to avoid trying to keep him busy until we are seated.

Our server was attentive but never in the way, and she told us that Jude looked like the E-Trade baby from the commercials. Ha! She started us off with a basket of baquettes and a whole wheat bread with whipped butter. Jon ordered the monte cristo sandwich--ham and Gruyere on French toast covered in syrup. The sweet outside and savory inside were a perfect match. The portion wasn't quite big enough for two, but it was certainly too much to finish. I had the quiche du jour, a buttery, creamy, vegetable quiche with a flaky and thick crust. The crust of a quiche can really make it or break it for me, and Coquette's had a tender but firm crust that made it easy to cut and enjoy with the egg. The quiche was served with a mixed greens salad.

There is only a lunch/dinner menu for kids at Coquette, which I consider to be a big flaw, considering how popular the brunch is. It consists of a hamburger, a chicken dish, and grilled cheese. None of these were appropriate for Jude, so we asked if he could have one pancake with the fruit compote. The restaurant accomidated our request and quite graciously only charged us $2 for it. They also ended up giving us two pancakes and served the fruit on the side.

We both ordered water because anything else may have been too much with such rich food. With that as our beverage choice, we left the restaurant paying only $21 including the tip.

We are excited to go back to Coquette, and we always enjoy spending money at a place that seeks to make all guest comfortable, even those under 32" tall.

Jude is walking!

So Jude started taking steps a while ago, but yesterday he starting taking little walks around the living room!

We bought Jude a new ball

Presented without commentary.

First in flight

We spent a whirlwind 4 days in Louisville this week, and let me apologize to anyone we didn't get to see. I wanted to visit you, but we were primarily visiting close family and trying to keep Jude on his schedule as much as possible. As he gets older, we will have more flexibility, and I promise you'll meet him before he turns 16!

We had a great time, and we were worn out by the time we flew home on Saturday. It was Jude's first flight, and though he is a happy kid when not hungry or tired, I was still concerned. We had to fly from Louisville to Baltimore, change planes, and then from Baltimore to RDU. Mom helped us at the airport in Louisville to get our bags checked and get to the security line. Both flights were on time and the weather was perfect. I want to send a shout out to the Dad and 6-year old we shared a row with on the first flight and the lady who worked for the Humane Society and man who was building a house on the coast on the second flight. All of you were wonderful, helpful, entertaining, and kind.

Jude was fantastic on both flights and even fell asleep during the first. He earned his wings, which, by the way, are now adhesive rather than a pin. I find this an unfortunate cutback because keeping adhesive-backed wings on the shirt of a 10-month old is impossible. The pic above is of Jude at the airport.

On our first flight was some 5-piece band that I did not recognize. Any ideas who they could be? They had many tattoos and were definitely too cool for school! They flew Louisville to Baltimore.

GCHS C/O '99 KIT LYLAS

With the opportunity for a night out, new dress, and a steak dinner I was lured to Paducah for Jon's 10-year high school reunion. No, Jon isn't from Paducah, and no, he didn't go to school there either. Jon spent his high school years living in the tiny hamlet of Fulton, Ky. Wanting to spread his wings, Jon attended high school out of county at the Graves County High School, home of the eagles (get it? "spread his wings"). Needing an appropriate location for more than 100 people to gather, drink, and reminisce, Paducah was chosen as the gathering spot for the reunion.

I had a really nice time and enjoyed meeting Jon's friends who star in so many of his high school stories. It was interesting to watch the evening go from awkward to nostalgic to settling somewhere near comfortable. Once you get married, have kids, get a job, serve the country, get divorced, and pay some bills it's hard not to find something in common with folks you went to high school with even if you never talked back then. Chances are someone in the room has shared the same worries and joys that you have.

One person I talked too seemed a little embarrassed of her current occupation and location, "still" doing this, "still" living there. I hated to hear it, and I just wanted to say, "Haven't you ever seen the Wizard of Oz?!" You may get more than you bargained for!

Some people leave small towns, and some people stay. People have to leave to keep them small, and people have to stay if the town is to survive. I'll never be a supporter of living in your parent's basement until your children start college, but deciding to stay put in a town of 10,000 and contributing to its economy and its well-being and raising your kids where you were raised with the help and support of the people who raised you is sure nothing to be ashamed of.

There's probably more to than this. Folks who feel they never decided anything, or who feel obligated to stay despite their goals being located elsewhere. I just hope the person didn't feel like anyone was disappointed because we were all just happy to see you.

Jude took his first step!!

After I changed Jude's diaper today, I stood him up, and he took a step with his right foot and a step with his left! A complete step! Happiness!

Save the Date

We will be celebrating Jude's 1st birthday on his actual birthday, Saturday, July 25, 2009 in Raleigh! If you need more details now, just email me or leave your request in the comments!

The location is reserved and the theme has been chosen--all we need is you!

All because of black beans

My son wanted my spoon with some black beans in it tonight, so he said, "Mom! Mamamamamama." He said mom for the first time!!! I cried right there at the first table by the door to the patio at Neomonde. A feast of black bean salad, chickpeas, humus, and pita had moved my child to say my name for the first time. It was the sweetest sound.

Wud up?

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Prone to claims

Day 2 in Charleston started out with a call to the grandparents to check the Jude status. He, of course, was having quite the time and wasn't missing us in the slightest.

We headed out to a local bakery and sandwich place for breakfast that was on the way to the Fort Sumter tour we were taking that morning. Finding the local place no longer open for breakfast, we ate at a Starbucks- so much for trying to buy local. Our tour set sail at 9:30 from Liberty Square, beginning with w 35 minute boat ride to the island where Fort Sumter is located. The boat ride has a prerecorded narrator pointing out sights along the way. You are given one hour at the Fort to explore and then another 35 minute boat ride to return.

The fort, originally built to protect the harbor, eventually became the home to the very first shots of the Civil War and its first casualty. The causality came not during the 34 hours of bombardment by angry Charlsetonian seccessors, but rather during a 100 canon salute, which was part of the Union's negotiated surrender. We really enjoyed the trip out to the fort and seeing unexploded canon fire in its walls, but the highlight for me was seeing two dolphins on the boat ride back.

After Fort Sumter we walked from the parking garage by the aquarium into downtown and had lunch at the Blossom Cafe. We started with the special appetizer of the day, a pork spring roll served with a small garnish salad and two dipping sauces. Jon ordered the Blossom Club, a roast beef sandwich with bacon, cheese, and red pepper remoulade. I settled on the lamb sausage pizza with sun dried tomatoes and carolina goat cheese. Jon said the sandwich was, "exactly what he wanted," and he left the restaurant inspired to make sandwiches. Rightly priced, casual, and delicious, the Blossom Cafe hit the spot. It was one of the only meals in Charleston that was not butter based.

We spent the afternoon combing the market and shops in downtown, then headed back to the room for a nap until dinner.

To be fair, Jestine's deserves its own blog post. Named for a woman who worked for one family most of her life and lived to be 112 years old, Jestine's serves up the best low country, authentic, homecookin' that we tasted. Folks start lining up outside before the main dining hour, but service is fast and the line moves quickly considering there are only about 15 tables in the place. Every table starts with pickled cucumber that are perfect palate cleansers. The popular thing to order next is a basket of corn bread, which comes with a sidekick of butter pads soaking in honey. I had he blueplate special, crabcake with macaroni and cheese and the broccoli casserole. Jon had the signature fried chicken that is coated in pecans and served with a horseradish dipping sauce. He chose green beans and red rice on the side. While the red rice wasn't anything special, the rest of the sides were good, yet were very overpowered by how delicious the main dishes were. We took a piece of chocolate cola cake to go. Jestine's was worth waiting in line for.

We took our cola cake to waterfront park to rest up for our Fried Green Ghost Tour of the College of Charleston. April, owner operator of fried green tours was our tour guide. She led us through what is now an Embassy Suites but was formerly the Citadel (a photo is located on this page) and the College of Charleston telling tales of people with half heads and stories to tell. We were "kicking up bones" all around Charleston, which also happens to be the home of one of the first female serial killers and the first woman to be hanged in South Carolina. Lavinia Fisher's story is much like that of Sweeny Todd, in that her husband was in on the murders and the two preyed on those who were innocently looking for a warm meal and place to stay. The tour ended at the King George Inn where we heard our tour guide's only first hand encounter. At the time of the tour, I wasn't scared or even really creeped out, but when you're lying awake in a strange hotel and the room is really quiet and you've just come back after a ghost walk; things are a little more creepy. We loved seeing the C of C campus, and a slight drizzle and Spanish moss hanging from the trees added to the ambiance. The tour we went on is the only haunted walk north of Market Street.

Taco eating

This is my son. He is eating a taco while listening to Pink Floyd and waving. Enjoy.

Fat Liver and Boney Gumbo

Charleston Day 1: After briefing mama and papa B. on all the ends and outs of Jude-care, Jon and I left home on our fifth anniversary Friday for trip to Charleston, SC. It's our first trip without the baby and our first night away from him. I left home relieved of the many responsibilities of caring for a 10-month old yet worried about how much I was going to miss all those little hugs.

We arrived in North Charleston at our hotel in the afternoon and rested a bit before heading down I-26 into town. We started out the evening with a carriage ride from Palmetto Carriage Works, "The Big Red Barn" off Market Street. Let me tell you, folks, if you want to get into vacation-mode, take a carriage ride. We waited in the barn for our tour to start where there were a couple of fancy chickens, a baby donkey and its mama, and draft horses and mules. We set out with Ed as our guide and Traveler and Butterfinger pulling us along the streets of the low country. Something about the clip clop of the horses' hooves and Ed's dry, relaxed storytelling that just created an ambiance of relaxation. To keep carriage rides from becoming tangled on Charleston's crowded streets, the city tells each carriage on which tour route they may go. We went on tour route #2, seeing commercial, residential, historical, and spiritual landmarks.

What remains of this city from prior to the Civil War is nothing short of miraculous. The city has seen bombardment for more than 500 days, 5 major fires, hurricanes (most notably Hugo in '89), and an estimated 7.3 magnitude earthquake.

We had dinner at Hank's seafood. A bit on the more expensive side, Hank's specializes in seafood and low country presentation. We started with She Crab Soup, a cheesy and buttery bowl that seemed to set the tone for all of the meals we would consume over the weekend. We also tried the cold smoked slamon on toast with a cucumber salad appetized. It was light compared to the soup and was a good transition from the hot soup and hot weather into the cool of the resturant. I had the Seafood a la Wando, which was a sampler of seafood in a saffron sauce accompanied by a fried grit cake--again, rich and buttery. Jon had the roasted grouper that came recommended by everyone in the place. The grouper is served over risotto. Jon said it was fantastic, but like we found with everything this weekend, became a bit rich by the end.

How do you follow up a meal that features butter? Easy, a praline from a candy shop on Market Street. Sugar, held together with butter with some pecans thrown in for texture. I nibbled on it after dinner, but didn't finish it until 4 p.m. the next afternoon. It made my teeth hurt. Our real dessert was a piece of pecan (pea-can) pie from The Pie Man, Toby Simmons. He was at the outdoor pops concert cutting still warm pies. OH MY! Delicious! (His site is down or I would link it).

After dinner we headed back to North Charleston and saw the new "Star Trek." We enjoyed the movie, and we enjoyed seeing a movie in a theater for the first time since Jude was born. Speaking of the little man, Jude is having a fantastic time with his grandparents. He ate Jello for the first time today and appeared to have experienced some type of nirvana as a result.

My First Mother's Day

Mother's Day began at 12:09 a.m. when Jon and I finally got in bed after a Grandma's Genius show. Jon had a card for me and a card from Jude. In the morning, Jon handled all the baby and doggie duties and made breakfast for me, huevos rancheros, bacon, and tortillas. Que rico!

We dropped off Jude with Chris and Ashley after his nap and had lunch out, did some shopping, sat in the sun, and had some ice cream. After picking Jude up, we went home for naps and then out to dinner and to buy groceries. It was such a wonderful day with time for myself, time with my son, and time with my husband.

I shed some tears today, remembering everything that happened when Jude was born. And then I shed some more thinking about all that he can do. I know it's cliche, but I feel like the luckiest mom (and wife) in the world.

I have lots of pics and a video to share, so I'll get on with it! This week, Jude, Jon, and I watched a demo at the Farmer's Market by CJ and Carla from "Top Chef." They were kind enough to take a picture with us. The top pic is from today, one of Chris with his ride, and our Rachel Ray dinner from a few nights ago. (Honey-lime salmon and black bean, corn and spinach salad). Click to enlarge.

Greyhounds and Grandma's G IV

Jude is seen here dancing to Grandma's Genius at the Greyhound Friends Cinco de Mayo Open House. In the picture, he is trying to see around the rails of a fence where Jon and Chris were playing. This was the fourth Greyhound Friends Open House for Grandma's Genius, and they promised to have a CD by their fall event.

Update May '09

In this month of our 5th anniversary, I thought I would list a few recent events:
- Jude is starting to stand without holding on to anything for a few seconds at a time.
- Jude has "talked" more in the past two days than ever and shows no signs of stopping.
- Clara has serious allergies, which we only recently discovered and she is much more spry these days. She is on a new diet and steroids.
- Jude feeds Lucy from his highchair.
- Jon and I will be leaving Jude in the care of his grandparents this month--our first night away since Jude was born. Big step for everyone!
- We are STILL trying to sell our house.
- Jude will be moving from the "Bugs" to the "Birds" at the Little Gym.
- Jon is almost finished with the semester, so he won't have to drive to UNC-G twice a week.
- We are marking 10 years since we graduated from high school this year.
- I received my very first Mother's Day card today from Brian and Deborah; I cried. So sweet. I feel so lucky to be celebrating Mother's Day this year.

That's all the news for now. Feliz Cinco de mayo, which is NOT Mexican Independence Day.

Biblical humor for the win

On our way home from Hartley Street Tuesday, we saw a beautiful rainbow. Having lived in Hawaii, Jon saw rainbows everyday, but they are more of a rarity for me. The one pictured here came after leaving our house that has been on the market for months, so I'm hoping that it was a sign that the "flood" is over and our house will sell soon. Jon suggested we send Jude out the window to see what he came back with :)

Over the weekend we took Jude to Kidzu in Chapel Hill, a hands-on museum for little ones. It has everything a kid would want to play with and nothing is off limits. The museum is free on Sunday afternoons, so we had an even better time! Afterwards, we enjoyed some Ben & Jerry's while Jude had a bottle.

Easter

We had a fantastic family day today. C & A made a great lunch with ham, yams, rolls, and salad. Jon and I attempted a Derby Pie for dessert, but it didn't set in the oven. We salvaged it by cutting the part that was done away from the middle, which was a giant puddle of corn syrup, and serving Derby pie bars instead. Ding!

We spent the afternoon in the park and the evening at Tobacco Road. We ate outside on the sidewalk in the comfy patio chairs. The entrees here are big enough to share, and you can see at least two televisions even outside. The atmosphere was relaxed and the evening was breezy.

We capped the day off at Turkish Delights for some baklava (or at least Chris and I did). If you haven't stopped in the purple coffee house on Glenwood, then you are missing out. They have many varieties of baklava, ice cream, coffee, and, like the name says, Turkish Delights.

The best part of the day was being all together and seeing how much Jude enjoyed every moment. He enjoyed it so much that he clapped his hands for the first time today! We were all so thrilled by it that he continued to do it all afternoon for our entertainment, I sure. Jude is also doing the sign for "eat" and the sign for "more." He's super neat-o.

Park and Ride

We live very close to a park, so Jude and I have started to head there on days when the temperature permits. He loves the swings and climbing on the equipment. Here are some shots and a video from today. I need to buy him some baby shoes for climbing. When we got home, his socks were yellow from pollen.

Click on the pic of Jude in the stroller to enlarge it and see all 6 of his teeth!

Scaling the gate

Jude has started to get more into extreme sports. This video is his first attempt at baby gate climbing.

Lock up your daughters!

Jude's top front teeth are coming in, making a grand total of 6 for now. In the bottom pic, he is looking at his new Peek-A-Boo book, which he loves. (Clara likes it too)!

I walk the line

Jon bought me a card yesterday. Jude started turning pages in books a few weeks ago, so I let him open the card.

Quiet Reflection

There hasn't been much text with our blog posts recently. We just can't seem to take too much time to reflect in writing. The pictures of Jude climbing, sipping, dancing, etc. speak for themselves. But I was thinking today that we have got to remember to write things down too, and keep a record of what is such a fantastic time for us as Jude's parents.

Jon said yesterday that if he could describe Jude in just a few words they would be happy, determined, curious, and focused.

I think his personality was summed up today when he was dancing to Public Enemy's "Don't Believe the Hype" while smiling and stuffing Puffs into his mouth and eying the woman at the table next to us in Chipotle. The kid is always doing something and having a great time doing it.

Dancing Machine

Sipping

Jude has started drinking from a sippy cup, which he seems to really enjoy. He is also enjoying four teeth, cruising along the couch, and chasing the dog.

Sounds of the day

Here's Jude with today's sound.

Rise up with fists

No one can keep this kid down, restrained, or contained. On Saturday, just before our babysitter got here, Jude found that if he lifts his leg up onto the barrier, he can scale it. This new found skill allows him to reach his favorite thing--the computer. He is pulling up on anything he can get his hand on. He'll use the coffee table, a pant leg, the dog, anything.

Splish, splash

Laissez le bon bebe rouler

Jude had his first Mardi Gras parade today (in our living room). He caught so many beads for showing his big smile. Jude's first visit to NOLA was inutero, so he's hoping to go visit again soon. As soon as the house sells, I'm ready to make reservations at Chez Sheets!


I would love to have some king cake. I wonder where I can find one? I figure we've already got the baby :)