The one with the Fall Things

Sadly, I know my maternity leave is nearing an end. This one has been very different from Eleanor's maternity leave because I've struggled with my health different than with her. She was a good baby but required more attention OR I was a mother who had had no clue what to expect and the transition wasn't as easy as I would have liked to admit. With him I've had more visits to the clinic for checks on myself... and stuff that I wouldn't have expected, like the outer and inner ear infection. Either way, I'm not sure about returning to work because now my attention will be further divided but it is nice to feel some self purpose at work. Grady will come to work with me, at least til the end of the year but I have a feeling my boss will not let me sleep when baby sleep or be too inclined to play "where's your smile" like I've been doing at my leisure.

This week, we tried to soak up the fall days. We went out with Eleanor and she experienced her first leave raking. She wasn't too sure about it! Her dad thought she was too dressed up for leaving with her fancy peacoat and her fancy boots but I had to do it! She helped push the collector, she swept them off the deck with me, and we did a final collection and snacking of all the garden items.

I also was honored this week by the Center for Nursing as a Champion of Nurses. They had their annual conference and gala, where they give out their awards. This was the first time they gave out this category. Myself and Sen. Mathern won the award and it was an honor to be considered even, especially when I found out I was nominated by the Center's assistant director.

The weekend was a bit more fall activities... Matt and Eleanor carved her first Halloween pumpkin. Grady and I watched and took pics and enjoyed the show. She loved it. I thought for sure she'd watch for 2 minutes and be done... she was involved for the whole process. She knew we were keeping the seeds and like to dig out the gunk and even her and Dad snacked on some of the pumpkin flesh. The only thing she didn't like was when the pumpkin goo got on her chair and she ended up stepping on it!

EER has random babbling
ALR: What did you hear.
MJR: I'm outta here.
ALR: That's what I heard.
MJR: That's the fun part of right now is guessing what she is saying. It's like a game "Guess What Eleanor Says"
EER: whatev
  
MJR swears about something.
ALR hears him as she walks into kitchen
ALR: You really need to watch yourself as someone is picking up on things.
MJR: I know, I know. 
Conversation continues on things
30 seconds laters
EER walks into kitchen
EER: $h!t butt
MJR looks at ALR: I really need to start watching it.

The one with the Petroffs

After a busy week, heck a busy month, things may finally be beginning to settle. The summer sun is fading and the fall leaves are filling the yard. Eleanor and I took probably one of our last strolls through the garden and she picked a few tomatoes and popped them right into her mouth. It's getting harder and harder to find the red ones for her. We've taken almost all the garden out, just a few tomato bushes left that we are hoping turn before the chill drops even more.

Grady and I went to Well Baby check this week, he's up another 1/2 a pound and almost another inch. We'll see what they say at his 2 month appointment but he's growing for sure. He's also ornerier than he's been, howling or sleeping seems to be his two favorite activities. Eleanor has taken a special interest in him lately and wants to give him her pretend bottle and insists on putting a blanket on him whenever he doesn't have one. We are still working on what gentle means... we may have a long road on that one.

The weekend was busy. Starting with Friday night, the Erickson's stopped by to visit. We were able to pick up right where we've left off with them. Good friends are a wonderful thing. On Saturday, Matt ended up working a morning shift at the airport. When he got home, we packed up and drove out to Dickinson for Alice's first birthday. It's been ages since we've seen her and it was fun to celebrate the little button. She's got a great disposition and the cutest butt scoot! Was fun to see her interact and her and Eleanor even got to play a bit. She was pretty dainty with her cake, which made me chuckle. On Sunday, Matt went out to help with fall calves, leaving me solo again. Mornings are tough with my brood... everyone wants something at the same time. I was finally able to catch my breath in the afternoon, in time for Petroffs to stop over after visiting the pumpkin patch. Seeing the girls play together was sweet. Eleanor is struggling a bit with sharing and frustration and what not but when they started playing peek a boo and even hugged goodbye, it warmed my heart!

Best meal: tuna steaks with a four cheese rice and steamed green beans.

MJR comes home from picking up EER from daycare
MJR: We raise a strong female with leadership skills and they make it sound like it's a bad thing.
ALR: What do you mean?
MJR: Well, daycare says she's the alpha in the room and she gets the kids to do what she wants them to do.
ALR: Alpha?
MJR: See, that's a leader... it's just different terminology
ALR: What if they don't do what she wants them to do
MJR: Well they also mentioned something about hitting, possibly biting, pushing, and throwing toys 
ALR: Gee, if only she had some spirit.

The one with the Pumpkin Patch

My baby is growing... officially on the scale and as a matter of fact. He's a month old now. I'm not sure where that time went. He's weighing 9lb 10 oz and is coming in at 22 inches. He's finally grown out of newborn clothes - and to think I kept thinking I was just shrinking them. He's a completely different baby than Eleanor, a bit more laid back. He takes his time with his bottles and doesn't stretch like she did... plus he does this little giggle sound that makes me chuckle. With the conference over and just going through some debriefings, I'm able to finally settle into my maternity leave.

We celebrated my birthday this week. Grady and I were up with Matt and Eleanor the morning of so they were able to give me my gift and a beautiful set of colored daisies. My second gift came that night, Mom dropped off a peach cobbler for me! It was still warm even! Talk about being special! Matt had asked where I wanted to eat the night of my birthday and instead of going out, I asked that we go as a family to Papa's Pumpkin Patch! Matt had never been and I haven't been for years. It was a great time. The best part was the city hosted us as a perk for their employees and Mom gave us a GRE coupon too. Eleanor played on the wooden train, went down the slide, played in the corn crib, wandered around the pumpkins, and explored. We tried to get her to ride the little train but she was not having it, maybe next year.

Everyone got to pick out a pumpkin...size appropriate that is. Mine could have been a little bigger, but Eleanor couldn't decide which one she wanted so we made it easier for her! I also picked out some squash that I'm going to try to cook up later. It was a fun night out and couldn't believe how late it had gotten when we left.

Other big happenings this week has been the end of the garden. The weather has turned a bit and we are in full swing fall. That means the plants are about done and the pots need to go away and the harvest happens a little bit more. This always makes me a little sad but this year was different for me because of the little red head that helped with the harvest. There she was, carrying the ice cream bucket for me and pulling on red, and sometimes green tomatoes, and dropping them in the bucket. She'd then pick up the bucket and move to the next plant with me. I will also miss her going after the cherry tomatoes on their plants so she could pop them in her mouth and end up with seeds all over her face and shirt. I'm pretty sure she ate 90% of our garden peas with 5% going to Matt and I and the remaining percentage dropping onto the ground out of her fingers. I'm already looking forward to having a garden with her next year. She was pretty excited to do a harvest at Grandma's house too... Grandma even gave her cucumbers to add to her bucket. While we played in the garden, Matt hauled silage with Dad.

Best meal: Matt made tuna steaks, I made butter noodles, we added green beans and glasses of wine... it's like we are adults again. The angry redhead had mashed up broccoli and chicken strips.

MJR in nice tone: Eleanor, come out of there.
10 minutes later, MJR tone becoming sterner: Hey, come out of there.
10 minutes later, MJR enter dadtone mode: No!
5 mmutes later, MJR: I said no! Ahhh, you stink. Your brother stinks.
ALR to herself: This is what our lives have become.

The one with the Older Lady

I'm 34. Thirty-four and tired. Thirty-four and established. Thirty-four and loved. It's amazing how the slow ticking of time leads you to your path. The culmination of seconds that independently don't mean anything but together have created you, your situation, and are guiding you to your future.

The past year for me has been a blur. Yes, we've added Grady to our picture but I've also seen how quick Eleanor has grown in one year. Last year, she was just learning how to roll over and the passing of time gripped my mother's heart and now I watch her run, climb, soak the world in, and I'm amazed at what she's done with the past year. Grady's past month even has me in awe as I'm not sure where the time has gone. Maybe they are making better use of their time than me.

I've been thinking a lot about time lately... It's been 10 years since I've been out of college, 15 since high school. I've been at my job and in our current house for 4 years. We celebrated our 4th anniversary this year. These are all official passings of time. I look at my mother caring for her mother but also playing with her grandchildren and see that unofficial passing of time. I look at Eleanor's hands in mine and suddenly by comparison, I see the age in mine. Time and aging happens so gradually that it almost feels like it doesn't until you see the big changes when you step backwards to look at the picture. I feel older some days... I know I can't handle hangovers like I used to (if I was drinking), I used to party til 4 or 5 in the am and still try to make it to class, now I need my sleep and long for naps just to make it through the nights with a newborn. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't go back in time and be in my teens or twenties for anything. I look at some of the teens around me and I don't envy their world and naivety. I'll admit now what I couldn't admit then, I know nothing and have a lot to learn. Oh, and I flounder and flail on a regular basis - I wouldn't have admitted that in my younger days.

So I'm officially in my mid-thirties...I'm a daughter, sister, mother, and wife. I'm happy with where I'm at in life and content with eating ham and cheese sandwiches and taking a walk around the block with my family while I point out puppies to wave at. To think, not long ago on my birthday I was partying in Canada....how this world changes.

ALR: Take a good look 
MJR: Because tomorrow you are an old lady?
ALR: yep, old and haggardly
MJR: I don't think you'll change too much.
ALR: Yes, I will. I'm not as young as I once was.
MJR: It's ok... I'm a summer chicken.
ALR: A summer chicken?
MJR: Not a spring chicken, a summer chicken.
ALR: What makes you a summer chicken?
MJR: Spring chickens are learning and experiencing things, summer chickens are steady and settled. You are a summer chicken too.