In Search of the Great Pumpkin

The Fam at the Farm

Last Saturday, before the Halloween festivities, we set off on a drive through the countryside, looking for a pumpkin patch. We instead stumbled upon an organic farm just outside the District in Maryland. Though tours were not running over the weekend, we were able to walk the grounds, both beautiful and serene. A variety of animals were on display in centralized pens and Aria, ever the animal lover, giggled with delight as ducks, geese and chickens clucked and cawed just over the fence.

Duckies & Geese & Chickens, Oh My

Aria & Dad

Aria's First Halloween

This year for Halloween Aria dressed up as a Ladybug (thanks, Grandma!). Yes, the bright, spotted ladybug is truly a male bug, but this just added to the mystery and wonder of her costume. (Actually, it seems that boys don't dress as ladybugs and for once, no one mistook our little lady for a boy.)

We began the season with a Halloween party made up of new parents and their little ones, all decked out in their holiday best. It was Aria's first party EVER and probably the first party her parents' have attended since she was born (it's hard to remember, really). We had a great time! Aria was asleep when we got there, but awoke shortly thereafter and mingled (albeit a bit groggily) with the other babies and parents.

Partying baby style

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On Halloween night, we attended "Hilloween" - an annual Capitol Hill Halloween festival for area kids and featuring such treats as face painting, a moon bounce and free cider. Geared mainly toward the older kids, there were still plenty of young ones milling about, parents in tow. Costumes abounded, with everything from an adorable 2-year-old Princess Leia to bears and Tiggers, oh my.

At "Hilloween" 2007


Little Ladybug & her good friend Tigger
(Tigger is just 4 days older than the Bug)

Catching Up: WV and The Dalai Lama

It's been a busy few weeks and I've been a horrible blogger. To all those who regularly check for updates, I apologize and present the following pix, stories and ramblings as penance.

As I said, it's been busy at the Nelson household. Two weeks ago we made a last minute trip to the West VA cabin to celebrate Aria's cousin's 17th birthday. I was not easily convinced to take another roadtrip after the trauma of the last drive, but finally relented so as not to disappoint the birthday girl or her doting uncle. Plus, opportunities for Aria to see her far-away family are few and far between.

We set out much earlier this time, seeking to avoid the dreaded fussy hours of late afternoon and happily, the drive went much more smoothly. We had a great time hanging out with everyone and especially enjoyed our visit to Seneca Rocks - a beautiful park probably best known for it's rockclimbing, but with great hiking trails as well. (The Bugaboo was amazing on the gravel and dirt hiking trails.)

It was a full-circle kind of trip to the Rocks. We spent last Thanksgiving at the same place. At 4 months pregnant I stood on a little foot bridge in the middle of the woods with golden leaves raining down and a waterfall rushing behind me. This time, a now very present Aria Grace was just about to turn 5 months old. Though the waterfall was only just drizzling down the rocks this year (due to severe drought in the area) the leaves again rained down through rays of sunlight, creating an ethereal atmosphere.




This week Aria and I made another last minute trip (this time local) down to the Capitol lawn to see a public address given by the Dalai Lama. It was a beautiful day on the Capitol lawn. Aria played in the grass for the first time while His Holiness delivered a message of peace and nonviolence, a message so refreshing in a country that often takes a very different approach. I treasure the opportunity to expose Aria to such a message, even at this young age. Teaching values such as these early on will hopefully instill them into her moral fabric, allowing her to appreciate an approach to life that is less confrontational and judgmental than so many in this world utilize.

The Dalai Lama on the JumboTron

Aria on the Capitol lawn

Fake Coughs & Raspberries

This week in Aria sports...

Each day seems to bring something new to Aria's repertoire. This week she's mimicking like crazy and as such, is learning new sounds almost daily. There's the fake cough (I taught her that) and the raspberry (courtesy of Dad). Then there's the raspberry with her tongue sticking out (a Mom-Dad hybrid), currently in development. These are in addition to the babbling sounds ("ya ya ya ya ya ya ya"). She gets "stuck" on a sound for a day or so, fake coughing or raspberry-ing whenever she makes eye contact or to get attention, practicing each sound until it's perfect and she's able to do it with both ease and passion.




In addition to sounds, the lady's getting more mobile. Not quite crawling yet, Aria scoots forward like an inchworm - sticking her butt in the air and pushing with her feet, her head and belly on the ground. A bit slow, but effective none the less, especially when teamed with a couple rolls this way or that to move her to the left or right.

Mom & Baby

First Trip to the ER

Just before midnight in the lobby of Children's Hospital,
awaiting a cab ride home

Let me preface this story by saying Aria 's fine. Really. No lasting issues or damage to our little one; we parents, however, are a different story...

It all began last Wednesday just as we were settling in for the night. Aria had been asleep but awoke shortly after Dad got home and the two were enjoying a bit of father-daughter time before dinner. Aria lay on the bed and began rolling over, a maneuver she's quite adept at these days. This time, however, she got her (left) arm stuck out to her side and couldn't get all the way from her stomach to her back. Keith did the obvious thing and helped her out a bit, lifting her up and placing her safely on her back. It was then, however, that Aria began to wail - cries that got only more intense as time went on. As it was her bedtime, we at first attributed the cries to tiredness, but grew concerned as we realized that the arm that had gotten stuck while she tried to roll over - her dominate arm - now hung limply to her side. Touching or moving it in any way only resulted in more intense cries. So, after a quick consult with the pediatrician on call and a cab ride filled with hand wringing and worry, we found ourselves in the waiting room of Children's Hospital, where, it seemed, every other child had TB. (Not really...I don't think so, anyway.)

We waited, and waited, and waited...Aria slept on Daddy's chest, well comforted though still in pain. Mom & Dad had a lovely dinner of Coke and Snickers from the hospital vending machine. Mom then paced the waiting room, psychically willing the TB to stay away from her daughter.

Eventually we were seen. Aria's arm was inspected and examined and X-rayed (all to her most heartfelt dismay) and diagnosed with a muscle strain. Baby Tylenol and warm compresses as needed, but should clear up in a few days. See ya. We got home at 1am; Aria slept soundly and awoke only a couple brief times to eat.

The next morning she still wasn't using the arm so we made a follow-up appt with the pediatrician and gave her some Tylenol. Then she and I went to the Botanic Gardens while Dad went to work. Slowly she began using her arm more and more, but I couldn't tell if it was actually feeling better or if it was temporarily doing so b/c of the Tylenol. By the time we saw the pediatrician though, the Tylenol had worn off. Aria happily chewed her left fist, waved it at the doctor and tore up the exam table paper with gusto, prompting the Dr. to give Mom a "Why are you here again?" look and Mom to swear up and down that really, she hadn't used it at all last night and only a little this morning.

And so, our first (and only, please) trip to the ER resulted in little more than a long night for all involved. Mom & Dad have been traumatized a bit, but are so relieved that Aria is OK that the rest doesn't even matter (not even the embarrassment felt at the Dr's office for bringing in an apparently healthy child).

First Road Trip: A Lesson in Parenting

Our Family: Tired after the long drive, but

enjoying the peace & quiet and the gorgeous view.

Aria's first Labor Day was marked by her very first road trip - to her aunt & uncle's West Virginia cabin. Once there, we relaxed and took in the beautful scenery, panoramic views and, at night, a sky full of stars. The trip there, however, was a different story...

Aria's "fussy time" starts around 4pm each day and generally lasts until bedtime (around 7/8pm). This "fussy time" is Aria in winding down mode; she's tired from the day's events and wants to eat frequently and be held constantly. Sometimes she'll nap for a bit before going to bed for the night; sometimes she won't. At home this time of day is quite manageable as we've come to accept it as part of our nightly routine and can anticipate and react quickly to any wants/needs, thereby heading off any major meltdowns. Generally if we go out, it's a short walking trip just after a nap, allowing us to make it home quickly when our little lady deams it necessary.

When planning the roadtrip to W. VA we did take "fussy time" into consideration and chose to leave during the afternoon, figuring it could go one of two ways - either she'd sleep through it or she'd have a meltdown; we were obviously hoping for the former. Aria usually likes the short car rides we take around town and though not a huge fan of the carseat, she doesn't hate it when we put her in it for walks or quick trips. And so, pulling away from the apt Saturday afternoon, with naptime looming large, we were sure she'd fall asleep soon, allowing us a blissful drive across country.

What a huge error in judgment. A 3hr drive became a 6hr drive, with frequent stops generated by high-pitched screams, lots of tears and just general hysterics (by all involved). Aria was miserable in her carseat and so wanted to be cuddled; we were miserable about causing her such misery. At 1030pm, still 15 minutes from the cabin, Aria finally crashed, exhausted after just one 20 minute nap during the entire drive.

Her parents vowed never again to drive anywhere. Ever.

The Aftermath: Aria's schedule was a bit off for a few days, but we did have fun hanging out in the cabin. Aria slept very well in her new travel crib (much to her parents relief) and when awake got to spend some long overdue and much enjoyed time with her aunt & uncle. Keith and his brother, meanwhile, got to do the male bonding, physical labor thing, hacking up overgrown brush and whatnot.

The ride back (done much earlier in the day) was not nearly as bad as the ride there. After the 1st hour (lots of crying and two pit stops), Aria slept for 2hrs and awoke happy and amenable to a stop at Target. All in all, not a bad trip, but we'll think twice before traveling very far by car anytime soon.