To Keep You Hooked

I know the real reason that people check this blog is really for the pictures of Gwyneth, not for my ramblings, so I'd better put some up just to keep you hooked. These are from our trip to Morton, IL over Memorial Day weekend so that Gwyneth could meet a few more members of the family.

Gwyneth in her substitute bathtub

Gwyneth with Grandpa Williams

Auntie Charlotte loves Gwynnie
And Uncle Lewis too..

Déjà vu?

I feel like a pretty innocent person. Or maybe I should make that, “I felt like a pretty innocent person.” That was all until I got pulled over by a police office twice within less that 24 hours. As a busy mom (and speaking for my counterpart – dad), who has time to change a burned out headlight on the car? Yes, we intended to get to it, but changing a poopy diapers for some reason always seemed a little bit more important than changing out a headlight…that, and the deer don’t care if you have one headlight or two, they’ll still run into oncoming traffic.

So, it’s been a couple months, or maybe even more like a few months that we’ve had a burned out headlight (okay and one burned out tail light too). So, the inevitable had to happen eventually. I got pulled over at about 9:45 at night, after a church event, with baby asleep in the back seat a couple miles from home. The police offer was young, and plenty friendly and just let me drive away with a verbal warning and a little bit of guilt for not taking care of the light earlier. Well, about 23.75 hours later, repeat. I’m driving home after another church event with baby asleep in the back seat a couple miles from home, and in almost the same location a police car heading the opposite way turns around, puts the lights on and pulls me over. Well, up walks the policeman and lo and behold it’s the same one! Now I like police officers, I believe that for the most part they’re a pretty good crew, and they keep me and my family safe, and they have a lot of patience for people with burned out headlights, but twice in 24 hrs? I have to admit that he looked like he felt as sheepish as I did when he realized that it was me…again. Perhaps it’s a good sign when all the police officers in Two Harbors have to do is pull unlawful people like me over for burnt out headlights, because it would indicate that there isn’t a whole lot of bad stuff going on in the neighborhood. Anyway, if you’re a Two Harbors police officer reading this and you see a beige ’99 Toyota Camry driving down the road with a burnt out headlight, no need to pull me over again, I’m just on my way to getting it fixed.

Post note: Although driving around with a burnt out headlight isn't really something to be encouraged. I’m sure I’ve provided people with endless hours of the game padiddle.

MN Nice

It wasn’t that long ago that I was dining in a Duluth food establishment with a friend and Gwyneth in tow, and the unexpected occurred. Right as our food arrived, a lady at the neighboring table piped up and said that Gwyneth was a beautiful baby and she would be happy to lend a hand by holding her while my friend and I ate. She looked trustworthy, was part of a happy, well-kept family, didn’t appear to be diseased, was within arm’s reach and wasn’t near an exit, so I figured it was fine. It was, and I was easily able to eat my food in peace while Gwyneth reclined in the arms of a stranger with not a care in the world.

Not too long after, I was talking to my sister in New York, and she said that NO ONE in New York would dare offer a hand, nor would a parent hand their child over to a stranger, EVER. (Of course, every situation would need to be carefully evaluated to keep the adorable babies out of the hands of snatchers.) Sure, that maybe would never happen in New York, but this is Minnesota, where the people are nice…well, sometimes.

Shortly after talking to my sister, Wes took me and Gwyneth out for dinner on Mother’s Day. Guess what, there was another nice lady (who I’m sure was not willing to risk being tackled by Wes lest the idea of taking a sweet, innocent, adorable baby every cross her mind) that offered the same services while we ate. How bizarre. Everyone loves Gwyneth, but that’s no surprise.

At Least Some Photos!

I've been thinking for a very long time of how I have so much to put up on the blog, but have just not had enough time. I'm sure you've all heard the cliche along the lines of "the world is spinning so fast and I just want to get off." Well, to a certain extent that is how I feel, except for the getting off part, I'd just like to apply the breaks to the world.

As I'm sure you've all been guessing, Gwyneth continues to grow and a little personality is really beginning to show. I think we've got a strong-willed baby on our hands that desires constant interaction with people and objects. It's fun when she's learning to interact with the world...until it's time for nap or bed and she wails to inform us that she wasn't finished yet.

Gwyneth has discovered fun in the "Johnny Jump-Up" as pictured below. One picture is a bit blurry, but it's hard to get a clear picture, when, well, the kiddo is busy jumping!




Some wonderful folks at the Vineyard had a belated shower for us! They contributed to a jog stroller fund, which was almost instantly used. I bid on one on eBay last night and won the auction this afternoon. Pretty soon a Dreamer Design stroller (upper echelon of the jog stroller world) will be on it's way. The great thing is that the stroller was a floor model, so it's practically unused and was $200 less than what it would have been originally. It's called the Verve. Now there are no excuses for not toning up those legs (mine, not Gwyneth's, although her probably have more heft to them). Anyway, back to the shower, it was a wonderful, relaxed co-ed shower revolving around good food and conversation, which Gwyneth eventually decided she was tired of (see below). At least she got dressed up for the thing; the lady of the hour put on a dress for the very first time.


And for a couple more cute photographs, here are a couple from tonight at bath time. I never noticed how the light over the tub casts such a yellow hue, so don't worry, she's not jaundiced, nor is our bathroom. Some of Gwyneth's happiest moments are in the bath.

I had to post this very last picture, because when I saw it, it instantly reminded me of a photograph that I saw of my mom when she was a little girl, not the composition, but the expression on Gwyneth's face. I think she's following the roots back and the UK influences from both sides of the family are showing through in her appearance.

A First for Everything

In becoming a parent, there are a lot of firsts…the first time you get to meet the baby, the first time you bath the baby, the first time you feed the baby, etc. This weekend was an extra special first. It was my first Mother’s Day.

I never really appreciated Mother’s Day before, because it was for moms and not a holiday for me…AND by default, because it wasn’t a holiday for me, I wasn’t a mom and since I wasn’t a mom, I really had NO idea as to all the love, patience, energy, sacrifice (the list goes on) that goes into being a mom, hence there was no appreciation for the role.

Now I appreciate it because it is a holiday for moms and I now realize how much it took generations of mothers to get to me. It’s been a lot of hard work, no doubt! A lot of that toil I never understood until I had a baby entrusted to my care. So to all of my foremothers, thank you, I think you did a pretty good job.

In a narcissistic sense I do have to admit that I do like that there is another holiday for me. This one is when my skills, care and nurturing that go into my mothering of Gwyneth get noticed by others, and even by some, admired. It’s not just good for that either, it’s apparently also a “ticket” to go out to eat at the restaurant of my choice in my honor. I’ll take it.

Sky in the Eyes

Gwyneth and I just got back from taking the dogs for a walk along the shore. There was a chill in the wind that flushed our cheeks, but just getting out was a refreshing stretch of the legs. When we got back, I couldn't help take some pictures of rosy little Gwyneth, with the reflection of the sky sparkling in her eyes. Enjoy.

Strangely Familiar

It's odd to look in the face and observe the actions of your child and see people you know all "mosaically" combined into one tiny little body. It makes me think of those little capsules I got when I was a child, that were stuffed with dried out sponges in cut into random mystery animal shapes. I would drop them into a warm bathtub anticipating the results, and slowly, the capsules would dissolve and the sponges would absorb water and take the form of a familiar animal, although obviously, since it was a sponge, looking a bit different. Gwyneth is like those "magic" capsules, albeit better - way better. She started out an almost blank slate, and as she grows, she takes on form, partly her own and partly those of others - her papa's smile and auburn hair, her mama's big forehead and funny feet, her granny's and great-grandpa's left-handedness (we're pretty sure about that one), her grandpas' relaxed, easy-going spirits, the determination of her uncle, the sweetness of her aunties...and I'm sure characteristics of generations past that I wouldn't be able to recognize. She's very obviously her own person, but in a sense, it's all strangely familiar.