Happy Independence Day!

My grandson is excellent at celebrating!

(look closer at the sunglasses he borrowed from his uncle.  They're fantastic!)

Introducing....

The newest member of our clan arrived shortly after midnight on Tuesday, April 30th.

At slightly over 7 pounds, she's double the weight of her big sister.  Big sister is quite certain that Baby Sister needs another blanket.  Always.  No matter how many blankets she may have, she needs "this blanket" too.  And Gamma is always allowed to hold her, which is very generous.

Mother and baby are very healthy, and happy to be home.  Of course, daddy and big sister are pretty pleased, too.

Happy Friday, everyone!

Squirrel Jammies!

(Note: not actually for squirrels.)

There's a little upscale thrift shop in our community center, and I like to drop in periodically to just pick up some little thing and leave them a few dollars.  It's not that I particularly want or need anything, although I did find some nice, plain, leather flat sandals there for $6 last summer before we went to the beach.  Anyway, I was in there a couple of weeks ago, and spotted some cotton knit.  It was over 3 yards (115", according to the tag) for $2.50.  It looked like little kid jammies to me, so I handed them my money and went to plan.

 (Of course the pattern won't show upright.  It always goes that way.)

The easy part was the grow bag for baby.  This time, I didn't make a hat; I'm just not that into hats.  And if she needs to wear a sleeping hat, the panda one is super soft.  Anyway, I made a squirrel grow bag.

I thought about putting on a contrasting pink snap, but ultimately went with the nicely matched green.

Then I had to figure out jammies for Nora, without a pattern  I sort of made a mashup of the panda dress pattern, altered to have long sleeves and cuffs, and hopefully be the right length over the tummy.  Then I took a pattern for leggins, widened it up just a touch, shortened it, added cuffs, and,.voila! Jammies!  And, if they don't fit, that's ok.  They can be donated for some smaller kid to wear.

I still have squirrel fabric left, so it might call me to become something else.  But meanwhile, I have some pretty green fabric that's calling my name....

This is the weekend of the baby welcome gathering....not really a shower, just the aunties and grandmas descending upon Shannon's house to celebrate the new little one.  Ice cream will be involved; that's how you'll know it's a party!

Happy Weekending, everyone!

Narwhal Jacket

So, the day before Christmas Eve, we went to a little local aquarium, located in a mall here.  Of course, Nora wore her new Narwhal jacket.

And, also, of course, I only got one picture of her wearing it, while her auntie was holding her, and she was impatient to go see the fishies (as were her 2 cousins).

Happy Saturday, everyone!

A Little Getaway

My daughter was taking her family to Cape May, a lovely beach in New Jersey, for a couple of days, and invited me along.  Well, what else did I have to do for those couple of days?  So I drove to her house, hopped into her car, and adventuring we went.

I had never been to any of the Jersey Shore beaches before.  Honestly, as a teenager in Connecticut, I knew that all metro-New York teens went "down the shore" as they say, and truly wanted no part of it.  But Cape May is just far enough south that only families venture there; the rowdies stay a few miles north, where there is more entertainment.

Without further ado, pictures of my family and me (including 2 of my 3 daughters and my daughter's mother in law) enjoying, or hiding from, the sun:

I'm going to try to return more often; I'm trying to get my life on schedule, but it's really turning out to be very difficult re-centering my life, when I've lost the man who was my sun, moon and stars.  But look how happy that baby was playing in the sand!  Days like that help immensely.

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Voting In Snow

So, this fall has been on the warm side: 50s, even some days in the 60s.  Imagine my surprise when I went to vote yesterday, and this was going on:

Of course, we all went to complete our civic duty, Beloved, Ryan and me.  One old lady there told me she misses when my kids were little and would stop during their walk home every day to play with her dog, Bridget.  I miss when my kids were little, too....but it's a great feeling to know that people in town still think well of them.

And, just in case you need a dose of cuteness, how about Nora last weekend, ramming around in our walker?  She's only 7 months old, and can't balance herself well, but she's sure she can walk.  Someone just has to hold her up.  Isn't that why Grandma has a walker?  No, silly, not that kind....

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Speaking of Halloween...

The last time each of our grandchildren came to visit, their moms brought their Halloween costumes.  I never dressed up my babies, but I guess things are different these days.  Anyway, they're adorable, aren't they?

Nora as a narwhal:

Maddie and little Five as dragons:

Flowers Shannon picked me from my own yard:

OK, so those aren't even children.  But my dearly beloved and Ryan both howled about her "dead sticks!"  I thought it was pretty funny.  Who knew there were still flowers blooming in the chily northeast during the last weekend of October?

And, speaking of October, Mark's 18th birthday was last Sunday.  Can you believe my baby is 18?  Of course, he was at college on his birthday, but we celebrated when he was home for fall break.  You don't think he would be allowed to NOT celebrate, do you?

 He told me he didn't want a cake, so I told him I'd make him a fish instead.  "As long as it's frosted and decorated, Mom, that's fine."

I wonder if having a frosted Birthday Fish is going to become a trend?

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Bibs

Did I tell you about the baby shower my girls and I threw for our friend Greg's daughter in law?  She was expecting their first child, a baby boy, due on my birthday.  We came up with a dinosaur theme, and Shannon's creative brain went to town.  Ever seen a nest of dinosaur eggs?  Me, neither.  But, thanks to Shannon, now we all have seen one.
 

I made the party favors, tiny mason jars filled with blue and yellow jelly beans, with dinosaur fabric and bows on the top, and a banner of flags from the same fabric.  Then there was some left, so I made 4 bibs, using a pattern gifted to me by GMarie.

 I even made the ties from the same fabric.  Pain in the rump, turning those skinny strings.

I only gave 2 to the new arrival; I kept one for Nora, and one for little Mike V.  Isn't he an adorable model?  He was 3 months and 6 days in this picture.

Happy Thursday, everyone!

Introducing...

The newest member of our family, and the reason Maddie came to stay for 2 weeks:

He is (to borrow a phrase from Game of Thrones) The Fifth of His Name: Michael V.  It's a name 174 years in the making.  III studying little V very carefully.

 Three generations with the same name: III, IV, V.  Our son was absurdly pleased to pass on the name (and I was thrilled, too).

 Both children with parents and grandparents.  The baby looks like he's wondering what that big kid there is doing, while Maddie just wants to romp and play.

Michael was under 7-1/2 pounds, which is 2 full pounds smaller than his sister, and that thrilled their mama.

So there you have it: the newest member of our family!

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Homecoming!

So, we went to see Nora in the NICU again Saturday, and this time her granddaddy held her (despite his protests that he's too big and clumsy to hold a 4-1/2 pound infant).  And guess what?  She was medically cleared to go home today!

She had to have a special car seat, of course, rated for infants down to 4 pounds.  It was still too big for her.  But she'll get there.

All is well; all of our family is home, and life is as it should be.

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

More on the April Fools Baby Shower

So, Shannon's baby was due on May 29th.  And her baby shower was on April 1st.  The perfect theme arose: "April Fools Day Shower!" (Photo cards compliments of her doting Aunt Cass.)

Yep, she went into labor on a Monday night, and the doctors couldn't stop the labor, but delayed her long enough to administer steroids for the baby's lungs.  And on Wednesday, in the wee hours of the morning, Nora Brooke arrived.  All 3 pounds, 9.5 ounces of her.

 I went and saw her Saturday morning, before the shower.  She isn't hooked up to tubes or anything, other than the feeding tube so she doesn't "waste calories eating."  She did lose 5 ounces, but she's back up to her birth weight as of yesterday.

Nora is perfect, other than having arms the size of a chicken wing and otherwise being just so frighteningly small.  She was 2 full months early, so this is a miracle!  Preemies usually stay in the hospital until their due date, but her doctor thinks she might be able to go home after only 4 weeks, and at least one nurse was speculating it might be only 3 weeks.  We're not even thinking that such a thing might happen.  (The wires attached to her are all monitors.  Even at 3 days old, she only had a feeding tube.)

But Nora is healthy, and strong, a good wiggler and kicker, and that's huge.  So my family is one tiny person larger as of 8 days ago, and the baby shower was the oddest and happiest ever!

Happy Thorsday, everyone!

Thaksgiving

Picture heavy, few words.  Making a schedule is good for my organization; it looks like I knew what I was doing in these pictures, right?  Especially with my potato peeling crew.

 And my table setup crew, with Bebop supervising.

 And, of course, Jeff had to chuck up a wooden paddle in the drill driver to mash the sweet potatoes.

Everyone has learned that they really have to line up for a picture, or they won't get fed.  Dogs line up in hopes of getting food, too.

 OK, already! We want food!

 Isn't this a wonderful picture of my daughter and her husband?

 The baby is our friend Greg's granddaughter.  Our granddaughter went to see the other family, since her daddy's on sabbatical this year, and they had time to drive.

 Turkey #1, right next to Ryan.

 Turkey #2.  Total weight: 49.23 pounds.

 Our friend and his baby granddaughter, age 4 months.

 And, desserts!  Apple, pumpkin, Lemon chess, lemon meringue and cranberry walnut pies, plus carrot cake and 2-color cake.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!