Californiversary

It's our year anniversary in California! Just over a year ago, we packed all our belongings into the pod and began the Texas Exodus.

ooo, look, a waistline! I remember that!

Kelly is demonstrating just how much (how little) space there was in the moving pod. Also, weren't our windows gorgeous in that apartment? They were HUGE.

With sisters/travel buddies in CA ... this is just to show how tiny & bald Scott was a year ago.

It's been a lovely year. We have acquired a lot of furniture, begun new jobs, made friends & neighbors, and started production of Baby Boy 2. We celebrated the anniversary with Thai food by candlelight.

AND TONIGHT, Scott and I depart on the red-eye to Georgia to get my sister hitched!

Fiance Daniel called the north Georgia courthouse to check on marriage license requirements a few days ago, and this is what they told him (in thick accent): "Now, cousins is legal now, butcha both gotta be aigh-teen." Lots of underage Romeos & Juliets inquiring about marriage in the mountains these days, you know. Luckily for Karen & Daniel, they're not at all related and are of sufficient age to marry in any place on earth.

1 week!

My sister and Daniel are getting married in ONE WEEK! YAY!

Scott story

At bedtime Scott drinks from his sippy cup and we read him books. Last night he was feeding all the animals in the book juice from his cup and making sippy sounds for them, then saying "Night night". When he got to the elephant, he was very confused whether the cup went at the mouth or at the end of the trunk. He kept going back and forth. Funny boy.

This weekend

It is Saturday, and we are in SF at Yerba Buena Gardens listening to Balinese music and watching dancers. (It's one of the 100 free shows put on here in the warmer half of the year.) Luke has gotten Scott to sleep and we transferred him to his stroller, where he's napping under a big piece of cloth that I bought when I was 19 and visited NYC for the first time. We're standing next to the stroller, drinking in an Earl Grey Lavender latte and the sunshine that has burned off the fog. In front of us a guy with a funky ponytail is doing yoga moves to the music.

Scott wakes up and wants out of the stroller, but I sit down and he happily falls asleep on my chest (which rarely happens anymore). Luke moves over so that his shadow is shading Scott's face. I am loving this: my "baby" relaxed in my arms, my man taking care of us, interesting music and perfect weather. Baby-to-be starts to kick against Scott, who is putting a little weight on my belly, so I adjust and Luke leans down and whispers "Want to lean against my legs?". And I do, and everything is perfect. Heavenly.

The song ends and people clap and Scott wakes up, startled but happy, and starts clapping, too. A cute girl with very short hair and very big Doc Marten's runs up and hugs Yoga Man. Wonderful life.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Not every moment is this perfect. There is a diaper blowout that requires some creative changing, and I have a selfish thought about wishing just Luke and I could be exploring the city together, and an even more selfish one when I hear two dance students talking about school and wish I could dance again. But I don't want to celebrate my selfishness and I DO want to celebrate the utter JOY I have in life. So that's why, here, I write about the joyful things. Those are the moments I want to crystallize in words.

Week 23

Baby boy is 11 inches long, just over a pound, and the doctors say he's measuring a little bigger than average for his dates. It's great fun to feel his flip-flopping while I sit at my desk. I had forgotten what fun company babies are in the womb!

Recent photos

SO, I spent 5 days, 4 nights in scenic CABO SAN LUCAS with 4 very photogenic girls and I have ONE SINGLE PHOTO to show for it! (My battery died on day 2, and day 1 was too much fun for cameras.) I'll post some of the other girls' photography soon, but here is the beautiful bride to be:


The next weekend I recharged the camera and we went to the 2nd-most-famous Pebble Beach on the California coast.




The beach is cold and windy, dotted with tidal pools and covered with these interesting rock formations called tafoni. My geologist dad would love it.


For a stretch of about 30 yards, there is no sand or rock, but little pebbles. The pebbles were deposited by Arroyo De Los Frijoles, the Bean Creek, as it flows into the Pacific. Fun! Pretty! Thousands and thousands and thousands of smooth little gems!

Good trip. (Neighbors, it's 2 miles south of Pescadero on Hwy 1 and you must visit.)

The next week, Scott gave himself a lipgloss facial and smelled of mango and passion fruit for hours after:


I love that little mess! I love motherhood. And I love my mother. Happy Mothers' Day to all you women out there who have or love children. And thank you aunts, teachers, babysitters, for all your surrogate mothering.

Second season in Northern California

It is officially second season here in Northern California! (Isn't if funny how all states say "Northern/Southern/Eastern/Western" except for Texas? In Texas, it's "North/South/East/West".)

First season: rainy and cool. You don't necessarily have to wear socks, but it's a little too cool for sandals. You might need a light windbreaker. The grass is green. At night, you probably don't have to turn on the heater, but you may want a down comforter.

Second season: dry and sunny. Perfect naked-baby weather! Warm enough during the day for open windows, so the fried-chicken scented air from the neighbors' yard blows my white curtains charmingly as I type this. (It also carries sounds of apartment living -- babies crying, people being called inside, occasional fights -- which made me feel like I was intrusive for a few months, but now feels normal and communal and less sealed-off than the air conditioned apartment buildings I lived in before.) The plants are starting to dry out and the roses in full sun are down right giving up. Grass is turning brown.

I think the rest of the world might call these seasons Spring and Fall? They were mostly missing in South Texas, so I'm not sure :)

Latest craving

Smoothies!

You need:

1) Something frozen: frozen fruit is great, like mango, blueberries, or strawberries, but if I'm using fresh fruit (honeydew is great), I'll add ice
2) Something creamy: banana, or yogurt, or ice cream
3) Something liquid: coconut milk, or fruit juice, or soy milk

4) a good blender ... we were given a Cuisinart for our wedding and it has been wonderful, blending margaritas and baby food and everything in between

5)and maybe add flax seed for a little extra fiber & health benefit.

Enjoy!

Lime Tart, YUM

I JUST MADE THE MOST DELICIOUS THING! It is a lime tart from Not So Humble's food blog, and it is the best food to ever come out of my kitchen. It is sort of like a key lime pie, but slightly less tart. It is intimidating, as it takes several pans and planning ahead to give first the curd and later the entire tart time to cool, but IT IS WORTH IT! I'm dreaming of other things to put in that browned butter crust ...

Are you in close vicinity to my sister-in-law, Bridget, who has just completed her first year of medical school? Yes? Perhaps you will make her one for her birthday! It is TODAY!