two teeth

Oscar finally got those teeth I'd been expecting for two months. The first one came a couple of weeks ago, and then the next one followed. Two tiny little sharp lines in the bottom of his mouth.

The process has been less painful (seemingly for all of us) than it was for Lucy, or else Oscar is just much more stoic.

the lulu revue

six months

Dear McGosker,

Six months! We were at our neighbor's house for their annual fall breakfast followed by a trip to the pumpkin patch when someone asked me how old you were. I said, "Almost six months. No, wait! Six months today!" And that is how it snuck up on me.

You've had a pretty busy month, eating food for the first time, finally cutting your first tooth, finally (for real!) sleeping through the night. You're suddenly more interested in being mobile and considerably fussier as a result: your abilities to move haven't quite caught up to your interest so you just roll over on your belly, raise your arms and legs with vigor, and make a lot of noise.

You rolled over while sleeping for the first time this month and immediately woke up crying, so we stopped swaddling you in your tight newborn swaddle and started putting you into big snuggly things to sleep instead. For the last several nights you've been snug inside a tiny blue sleeping bag contraption with arms and a hood that was like a magic bullet for your sister; it's a good thing we cut out the bottom when she outgrew it because your legs are already way to long to have fit.

You really like to chew on your feet.

I think you might be the best snuggler ever. Especially when you're sleepy and have already gotten your fill of milk, you just curl up on my shoulder, still and content, your head against my heart. Even when you were still waking up several times in the middle of the night, those moments post-feeding were so lovely that I never hurried to put you back in your crib.

I love you!

Love,
Mama

ain't no party like my gramme's tea party

On the plane to Portland Donna sat next to a man whose wife runs a tea house in a guest cottage in Oregon City, and it sounded like just the thing a few little girls and their moms might want to do on an afternoon.

Lucy and Teagan were sooooo excited about the adventure. They chose coordinating tutu dresses and ran around the house excitedly yelling "tea party! tea party!" when it was time to go.

Once we got to the tea party there were hats to put on and tea to drink, so after a quick round of photos we sat down around a well-set table. Lucy looked a little sullen. When I asked her what was wrong, she said:

"This isn't much of a party.

                              Where are all the presents?"

I told her this was a different kind of party, a tea party kind of party. She wasn't convinced.

"All we're doing is sitting here eating. We're supposed to play!"

 

 

Scarlett sipped her vanilla chamomile tea while the grown-ups enjoyed pumpkin chai, and there were sandwiches and scones and concord grapes and lunch meat for Lucy and chocolate and cookies for dessert. (Lucy wasn't wrong when she said we were just sitting there eating.)

After tea the little girls adjourned to a tiny playhouse outside where they could serve their own tea at their leisure and Lucy was officially enthralled.

gramme and grandpa

Last week John and Donna came back to Oregon for another visit. We mostly just hung out around the house, playing and eating. They kept Lucy at Nana and Papa's house for a couple of nights, and we got one night of all-around babysitting while Shaggy and I snuck in another date. (Thanks, guys!)

Oscar and his grandparents had a great time re-discovering each other.. 

During one awesome part of the visit, I came into the living room where Lucy was getting out several small toys and piling them on the couch while Grandpa watched. I asked her what she was doing, and she delightedly explained that Grandpa was going to make a mess. It turned out that Grandpa was actually going to make a mouse, albeit with a very mess-like Richmond accent. Lucy was pretty disappointed when she found out that Grandpa was not actually planning to make a mess with all her toys, but the jumping handkerchief mouse perked her right up.

And, as always, there was dancing. So much lovely dancing that I'm saving a series of pictures for another blog post, because I kind of can't really get enough. And she intentionally chooses dresses that are good for dancing and twirling, which makes them great for photos as well. 

After John and Donna left for their hotel on the last night of their visit, Lucy said: "Now this is a terrible day. I wanted Gramme and Grandpa to sty forEVER."

Can't wait to see you guys again in November!