Quick updates and hike/sprayground

Gavin now regularly says Mia the same way he always has but we weren't certain he was using it to refer to her and it wasn't that often.  He says "nee-ya" (with the accent on the ya as if he is saying n'ya).  He walked backwards for the first time at Grandma's house in Lubec, ME though he hasn't done it much since then.  He now says "no" (eye roll) and has exponentially increased the use of this word recently.  Finally, we are (finally) sleep training Gavin.  With him only waking once in the night and with Mia in the room it was easier to just go in nurse him and have it done with but not only is he starting to nurse longer and longer during his nightly wake ups but I'm just tired (literally) of it and know it is only because we run in too fast (to prevent Mia wake ups).  So our plan was to have Mia stay in our room until he is done sleep training because we don't want letting him cry wake her up.  Then we planned that if the crying was loud enough and for long enough Dave would go in with water to calm him (he often gets thirsty when he gets worked up).  The first night he cried for an hour on/off  starting at 4:30am, he finally went back to sleep at 5:30-6:30am.  The next night he slept from 7pm to 5:30am, a time at which though early to rise is too late to try to get him back to bed (besides, he woke up babbling not crying so he was probably rested, though his parents were not). Here is Gavin eating his breakfast, using his spoon, this morning before our hike and sprayground adventures.

Mia is into overusing phrases right now:  Two weeks ago her phrase de jour was "wait a minute", last week it was "either way" (with a non-chalant shoulder shrug to boot!).  We seem to be taking a break on the phrase thing this week.  Mia also recently got a professional haircut, her 2nd one ever.  First one was at 18 months old, so 18 months ago.  Mommy typically keeps it trimmed but we thought we could use some professional help now and again.

Hartshorn Hiking

 

Hiking got hot for a new walker walking so much and with a cloth diaper and all this insulation (love the tan lines in his baby fat folds!) so we stripped Gavin, gave him some water and walked back to the parking lot to head for our first trip to the. . . 

SPRAYGROUND

Although they started off together, Mia and Gavin soon went their own ways.

Mia was very hard to catch on camera!

. . .but I finally caught her just before she almost caught me with some water!

At one point Mia ran up to Gavin, gave him a quick hug and then ran off on her own again.

Gavin just loves playing with the water stream as the tub fills up so he was absolutely in heaven at this place.  We've got to come back before the season ends!

Here we are all dried off and hungry (fingers prune-y) before a little rain started to come down just in time for us to get to the car and leave. 

Dave and I are really enjoying each and every weekend of family time since we were forced to work on our weekends and split time with the kids when we were in Philly.  Even in Binghamton there was always dissertation/teaching work to be done.  So to have guilt-free family time is just such a pleasure.

a quick visit from Laura L.

A last minute visit was arranged and piggy-backed to a work-related trip Laura had in our neck-of-the-woods.  She came around 7:45pm and we chatted, had beer (including some of her own homebrews. . . thanks!), walked to the community garden, the veterans park and Sandy Hook in the light of the moon).  She came bearing pounds of M&Ms, which I thank and curse her for.  We ended the night how Dave and I do nowadays (we're addicts!):  watching an episode of Breaking Bad.  

Thanks for the visit Laura, it was fun.  Sorry for the crying around 4:30am.  I should have been nice and postponed our sleep training Gavin until the next day but I was determined to start and am glad we did.  Despite that hour of on/off crying, the next day he slept till 5:30am--still early but measurably better than 4:30am.  Consider that our free birth control method for you!  ;)

Our first trip to Lubec, ME (Grandma)

I took Friday and Monday off of work and we left Thursday August 16th after dinner at 7pm to embark on an 11 hr road trip to "where the sun rises first" also known as Lubec, ME, Mary's new place of residence.  

Dave started the drive and finished around 2:30am (I slept from 9:30pm-2am on and off).  Then I had the pleasure of having to keep vigilant for moose as I was on ME back roads for my whole 4 hour drive as Dave caught some zzzzzs.  The sun started rising at an astonishingly early hour, around 4am!

Here we are upon arrival.  Gavin had recently woken up on his own in the car and Mia was woken up by us when we got there.  Mary generously bought some toys for our visit (ball, blocks, puzzles, baby pool, crayons/paper) that the kids readily made use of.

FRIDAY

playing in the yard at 6am!

You can see the sleepiness in Dave's eye here.  Fortunately, when Gavin went down for his morning nap (still takes two with us, only one at daycare) Mary played with Mia and Dave and I got a rejuvenating rest. 

After lunch and more play, we packed snacks for a trip on the Lubec-->Eastport ferry to catch a whale-watching sailboat tour around the islands between US and Canada.

Here we are on the ferry:

Here we are on the whale-watching sailboat:

Gavin was so tired but the exciting environment (and a long morning nap) kept him from falling asleep.

Mary and Mia (the latter trying with all her might to stay awake)

until finally the rocking of the boat and her Grandma's comforting arms won out.  Mia remained asleep for the entire 3 hour boat ride.  She is a fantastic napper still, if only you could convince her to shut her eyes.  

Daddy takes a (successful) pass at helping Gavin fall asleep.

We saw not only whales but also bald eagles, porpoises, and. . .

seals.  Lots and lots of seals (can you see that one all the way on the right on his/her back?) 

 SATURDAY 

Mary had to work from 7am-2pm so Dave and I took the kids on a walk.  Though initially trying to find a beach Mary told us about (and later found out it wasn't walkable) we ended up just meandering about town:  walking out on a jetty to look at some harbor seals:

Getting some coffee (us) and some pastries (plus some unanticipated cookies in order to reach the $10 minimum for credit cards). Here we are on the deck of the cafe/bakery:

 after this we went to the Lubec library before going home to hang out with Mary who graciously put the kids to bed so Dave and I could have a date night.  Thank you Mary!

SUNDAY

Sunday morning we were determined to find that beach Mary had told us about, while it was still low tide.  We put the kids in bathing suits just in case because we knew it would be wet but we warned them that the water is 55 degrees, which is very cold. Mia, coming from the Jersey shore, refused to believe there could be water but no swimming.

ME has rocks, not sand, so we brought our buckets to collect some.  I marked the biggest one with "Lubec, ME 2012" and thought it would be nice to always keep a rock from each of our visits to Mary.  

Gavin, who loves to pick of rocks, was beside himself here and sat and amused himself by throwing handfuls of rocks.

Here I am (feet numb) in awe of how these kids can be immune to the cold temperature of the water.  I wouldn't even be in except that bold Gavin just kept walking out and the tide kept coming in and when he fell once it but his face too close to the water for my comfort.  Mia even laid down in the water on her belly at one point. . . insane! 

swimming in grandma's baby pool

reading books with dada

having a proper tea/coffee time with Great Grandma G's little girl china tea set (that are for Mia once she is a bit older).  Gavin even has some peach tea/milk in his sippy cup.  Our "crumpets" were white chocolate chip cookies (Gavin's first cookie, I believe).  Mmmmm.

We had a great time visiting Lubec, ME.  It is always so relaxing to visit Mary who insists on a disconnected life.  With no TV and no internet (and even no cell phone service out here) we were forced (though not unwillingly) to take pleasures in the little things like the sound of her windchimes and the church bells, the smell of her white roses and the sea water, the beauty in a red-sky lit by the earliest sunrise in the states and the feel of the gravel road underfoot on a walk with Gavin who was too insistent to wait for shoes.  We hope to make yearly visits to Mary in Lubec, ME in July when hopefully the water will be a touch warmer.  

Sarah x 2 visit

In graduate school I had (among others) a labmate named Sarah and a labmate named Kelly.  In Monell (where I did my postdoc) I had an officemate named Sarah and now at IFF I have an officemate named Kelly.  Funny how life does that to you sometimes.  Well for an added dose of coincidence, the Sarah's met!  They both came to Highlands to visit and overlapped for a couple of hours.  Sarah Sanders came Friday night and left Saturday just after lunch while Sarah Lipchock (with Simon and James) came Saturday around lunchtime and left Sunday afternoon.   

When the Lipchocks arrived the kids got straight to work.  There were puzzles to be put together. . . 

. . . and balls that needed whacking.

Here is Sarah Sanders with the crew just before leaving (her for the road and us for the beach).  Unfortunately, I didn't take many pictures that morning but you can see that the Sarah's overlapped (see Simon in the back of the double stroller?)

Gavin and mommy in the bay (a girl's gotta give her wrist a break now and again).

Here Simon just broke free of our burying his legs, Mia went next.  Simon, thanks for teaching Mia how to float and "swim" more independently in the water.

That night we had veggie pizza courtesy of Dave.  I think he made this face hoping this ensured I didn't put the picture on the blog.  This is his "I'm making dough" face.  ;)

The next morning the kids played some more.  How many things can you fit into a baby pool, I always wondered.  Now I know.

Then we went for a 0.6 mile hike, followed by a tour of one of the twin lighthouses and, of course (though not pictured) another dip in the bay.  

I love this one!

Watermelon break after the hike.  They each complained about walking at some point and got hungry despite eating before we left.  I think we have a ways to go before fulfilling my dream to hike the Appalachian trail beginning to end.   

Climbing up the spiral staircase to the top of the lighthouse.

The view of Brooklyn (background) and Sandy Hook (foreground) from the lighthouse.  You can typically make out a bridge further to the left called the Verrazano-Narrows bridge (it would be so much easier if I could just say it is the Brooklyn bridge we can see).  

Here are the gals hanging out after a shower and before the Lipchocks got back on the road.

Thanks for the visit guys!  We're hoping to come again for a little weekend trip (if you'll have us) maybe in October.