All posts by Sarah

New Old Game

Now that I’m working as a mom instead of a teacher, I have taken on more of the household duties. Andrew and I feel a bit like we’ve stepped into a time warp, and it still feels a little weird to both of us. To be fair, we had decided that whichever one of us stayed home with Griffin, that person would end up with more of the household responsibilities, but it still feels strange sometimes to be fitting into these fairly traditional stereotypes.

Laundry has been the duty that has changed the most. Our hamper has never been so empty! I thought washing Griffin’s cloth diapers would make our infrequent laundry leanings even worse, but to the contrary, it has actually facilitated more frequent washings of everything. Naturally, Griffin accompanies me down to the basement and keeps me company as I sort, fold, and put clean laundry away.

Griffin peeks out from under a pile of clean diapers.
Griffin peeks out from under a pile of clean diapers.

Yesterday, I discovered that Griffin loves a game that I used to love when I was little. Anytime my mom would change the sheets on my parents’ bed, I would delight in laying on the fitted sheet while she would float the top sheet over me like a parachute. I always loved the feeling of the crisp, cool sheet coming down on me and wanted her to do it over and over. Laundry is much more fun now that Griffin thinks this new old game is great, too.

Griffin is under there somewhere!
Griffin is under there somewhere!
Griffin waits for the sheet to fall on him.
Griffin waits for the sheet to fall on him.
There he is! So much fun.
There he is! So much fun.

Baby Fish Mouth

As of today, Griffin has six, count ’em SIX, teeth. Understandably, they are very interesting to him. He often is feeling them with his fingers or running objects over them (I try to avoid those objects being my fingers…ouch!). I think the sensation of teeth on his lips is what led to the Mick Jagger look. And oh yes, he has also been grinding them and the sound sends me straight up the wall.

Well, last night the teeth-in-the-mouth-exploration led to him repeatedly opening and closing his mouth like a guppy. It is absolutely hilarious. The line from the Pictionary scene in When Harry Met Sally jumped into my head as I watched him stare off into space and act exactly like a “baby fish mouth! baby fish mouth!” I will try to catch it on video.

Record Breaking Nap

I have to take a moment of what will soon be the end of the longest nap Griffin has ever taken to say how great it is to be able to have two hours in the middle of the day to do things like laundry, dishes, tidying up, and writing blog entries. Let’s hope this turns into a trend!

Day Out With Family

Grummy is in town for a visit, so the whole Stocco-Palmer-Roy family (minus Andrew, who was working hard getting his classroom ready for students on Monday) went out to the Eat Real Festival at Jack London Square on Oakland’s waterfront.

The Joy of No Clothes

20090829_220740_002Our bedtime routine for the past couple of weeks developed from the discovery that Griffin really likes to play on his changing table without anything on. The first night I was ready to put on his diaper after only a couple of minutes but was met with so much protest, it was obvious he didn’t want the fun to stop. We played for longer and after he’d had his fill, he was ready to move on to diaper and pj’s and settle in for the night. He has clearly been delighting in naked time, squealing and laughing as I tickle him, pretend to eat his toes, and kiss him on his neck, tummy, and armpits (his favorite). This has turned into a 30 minute affair that we both really enjoy! It’s so different interacting with him now that he has stronger likes and dislikes.

Today is already turning into a warm one, so I decided to let him have naked time in the middle of the day while I folded diapers. He rolled around his quilt, babbling at me and playing with his toys. It seems inevitable that he will soon be asking me why naked time isn’t all the time!

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Four Month Thoughts

Griffin is four months old, and he is continuing to amaze me. I know as his mother that’s what is supposed to happen, but it’s not just an admiration of him; it’s amazement at human beings in general. All of a sudden, the world seems so much more delicate, people so much more precious. That we all started this way is something of a miracle to me, and I hope to do right by him as his mom. I cannot wait to see what impact the world has on him, and what impact he has on the world. Most of all, I hope to remember to always be amazed by the little things, as awed as I am by the recognition in his eyes and the smile that breaks out on his face when he wakes in the morning to see that we’re all still here and life is wonderful.

Griffin wakes up after his first night camping.
Griffin wakes up after his first night camping.

Birth Story

I am sitting here on the now constantly used couch in beautiful sunshine thinking about how three weeks ago today, at nearly this hour, Griffin came into our world. Three weeks is such a small amount of time, but it feels as though he has been a part of our lives for much longer. He is wrapped to my chest as he sleeps, squeaking and cooing (and sometimes sounding like a dinosaur) and I can think of no better feeling than this.

Andrew has set up a blog for our family and we’ve been wanting to start writing entries for, well, three weeks now. I only recently have felt like I have the energy to sit and type up some of my thoughts about his birth. The actual labor feels like a distant memory already, so I thought I should get it down sooner rather than later.

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