11.28.2009

Full Circle

Back in New York, and here to stay. It's been a wild ride, America, but I daresay barring any major shifts in the sands of life (which I never, never count out, especially these days) I am home now. And I must say, once all the stress and pressure and madness ebbs, I think I'm going to be pretty damn happy to put down some roots here- or just graft onto my old ones... That's all- just wanted to post on the actual day Gwendy and I landed (Fitzhusband to follow via great exodus with dogs cross country this week. Thank God for his dad, who's coming with). Now, to tend to my jet-lagged baby!

11.21.2009

The Perfect Baby

Strange but true, my baby is utterly perfect. Yes, she wakes me up at ungodly hours every night, and she has incredibly stinky gas, but every time I look at her, my heart does cartwheels. My capacity to love her seems bottomless and helps me to understand all sorts of things I never got before about parents and children.
And every day she learns more and more. This week it's been all about the dogs- she sees them and gets this delighted expression on her face and chortles like a happy little squirrel. If one of them licks her fingers she cracks up to beat the band. It makes me happy to see my human-child and fur children so copacetic.
In other news, we are moving back to New York in only a few short days (!). Most everyone who reads this blog knows all about it, but suffice it to say it feels like an important time to be there as my family deals with Dad's passing. There are other reasons to go, of course, but that is the one most prominant in our minds at the moment.
It is breaking our hearts to leave our California family though. I layed awake for hours last night, struggling with the whole conundrum- one that's plagued us ever since we started dating. If only we could be in two places at once. Or, if only our families would decided to move to one central location- say, Hawaii?? :) A pretty lucky problem to have, though- having two such amazing families that you want to be with both...
Here's some fancy-dancer camera shots. I am getting slowly used to it and it's many ridiculous features. I think I have named her Charlotte, since she is black like a spider and friendly like the one from the book.









11.18.2009

Self-medicating

I went and got myself a present. This:


I'd been wanting a fancy-dancer camera for a year now and I just broke down and got myself one. I have barely begun to learn it, but man-oh-man, this thing takes a purty picture:


Fun! Also, in other news, Gwen has this new thing where she pulls her paci out of her own mouth and then complains loudly until I replace it. Over and over and over again. At THREE IN THE MORNING. This has inspired many comedic interludes between Gavin and I, as we fumble in the dark hissing at each other to please our little task master and get her back to bed. Most recently, this little vingnette, in reference to finding the Twilight Turtle Light, so I could see to find her lost paci:
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Me: "Where is the f#*&ing turtle??"

Gavin: "I don't know where the damn turtle is. NO!! Don't put the crib light on!! IT's TOO BRIGHT!" (fumbles with button on side of crib. Light remains on while music begins to play, loudly)

Me: "Well that's just perfect. Well done."
(Scene)
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Seriously, it's like the Diary of Anne Frank in our room- all scrambling silently over ourselves and flinching when we make the slightest noise. You have no idea how loud your sheets rustle when you roll over, really. Whee!!!!

11.14.2009

Shiver Me Timbers

This song by Tom Waits has played incessantly in my head for the past two months. It hurts, but in a good way:

I'm leavin' my fam'ly
Leavin' my friends
My body's at home
But my heart's in the wind
Where the clouds are like headlines
On a new front page sky
My tears are salt water
And the moon's full and high

And I know Martin Eden's
Gonna be proud of me
And many before me
Who've been called by the sea
To be up in the crow's nest
Singin' my say
Shiver me Timbers
'Cause I'm a-sailin' away

And the fog's liftin'
And the sand's shiftin'
I'm driftin' on out
Ol' Captain Ahab
He ain't got nothin' on me, now.
So swallow me, don't follow me
I'm trav'lin' alone
Blue water's my daughter
'n I'm gonna skip like a stone

So please call my missus
Gotta tell her not to cry
'Cause my goodbye is written
By the moon in the sky
Hey and nobody knows me
I can't fathom my stayin'
Shiver me timbers
'Cause I'm a-sailin' away

And the fog's liftin'
And the sand's shiftin'
I'm driftin' on out
Ol' Captain Ahab
He ain't got nothin' on me
So come and swallow me, follow me
I'm trav'lin' alone
Blue water's my daughter
'n I'm gonna skip like a stone

And I'm leavin' my family
Leavin' all my friends
My body's at home
But my heart's in the wind
Where the clouds are like headlines
Upon a new front page sky
And shiver me timbers
'Cause I'm a-sailin' away

11.08.2009

Fall

For those of you who don't know, my Dad passed on October 20th, the day after I last posted. Thank you again to all of my loved ones for your prayers and kind words- they go further than you will ever know.

I tried to write about this fall a few times, but I can't yet.

So instead here are more pictures of my Fall of 2009, which I spent in New York, enjoying my Dad and the rest of my family.
Gwendy meets cousin Sean on our first day out East:

And Uncle Joe:

Gwendy and Grumpa:

Gwen and Kyle's First Date:


One of our many walks:

Gwendy and her "G G":

Obligatory Nekked Baby pic:

Gwendy and Kyle's Second Date:


Aunt Kathy, Baby Whisperer:

At "Hank's Pumpkin Town" in her Halloween costume:



"I Hate Pumpkin Town."- G. Fitz