"This is Halloween..."

Michael and I have been humming and singing the theme song to Tim Burton's Nightmare before Christmas movie all week. "Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! In this town we call home." You've got to have seen the movie to appreciate it.

This was a wonderful Halloween. Very convenient that it fell on a Saturday. Gabriel spent the morning with me in Concord while I got my hair cut at Mane Element and then we went food shopping at the Concord Cooperative Market and Hannafords. Gabriel wore his skeleton play suit and skull and cross bones socks as we paraded around the city.

When we got home, Gabriel took a power nap with Daddy, Elleigh, and Lucas. You can see Gabriel's skeleton suit on him while he is sleeping in the car seat. I wanted to make sure Gabriel got a good nap in before we hit the road for Trick or Treating. This photo was taken before we realized that Elleigh and Lucas had eaten Gabriel's Jack O Lantern. Michael left them out of the crate while he went to the dump, and apparently they devoured the face of Gabriel's pumpkin while unsupervised. Here's our pumpkin after the brutal Halloween attack. It was so windy that I can't imagine anyone could keep their pumpkins lighted last night, even with a face to help block the wind.

Once awake, we put Gabriel's costume on and drove to Grammy & Grampy Abberton's house. Daddy took a moment

to pose with Yoda and Darth V

ader before begging for treats. And of course, Grammy Abberton was all ready with special treats. Gabriel got a travel size See and Say toy and a whole container of baby puffs. And a 12 month sized outfit. Gabriel was Grammy & Grampy A's first Trick or Treater in years... maybe ever.

A house on Route 28 has had a very festive Halloween display all month. Every year they go all out with Halloween decorations, and I was excited to actually have a reason to stop and visit them this year. We went before it got too dark so their display would be slightly less scary for Gabriel. He didn't seem to mind any of the noises or costumes. And they gave out a green pumpkin covered cup with a straw (which Gabriel will certainly enjoy) and the cup had candy in it (which Mommy and Daddy will certainly enjoy.) We then put our own candy out in a bowl on the door step and then walked through our cul-de-sac Trick or Treating. Gabriel was very chipper and had a good time singing with Daddy and making horror noises. I was happy at how much fun Gabriel seemed to have walking around with us in the dark from house to house. We hit 5 houses before the sprinkle of rain became more significant. So we headed to Town Pizza for dinner. Yoda had chicken, cheese and tomato pieces off from our slices, a little crust, and guzzled a bottle of breast milk.

Gabriel Helps With the Laundry

It is just amazing how fast Gabriel's "firsts" are coming now. Turn up your sound because I narrate this video.

Because of the cooler weather today, I pulled out some of Gabriel's larger clothing with long sleeves. This is an outfit from Nana and Papa and it's a Carter's 9 month size. The pants are a little long, but the top is doing just fine. My suspicion that I should start buying at least 12 month sizes for winter feel confirmed now.

Taking Steps Towards Crawling

Oh,my! It really is going to happen soon!? Gabriel has been experimenting with getting up on his hands with his belly off the floor, and rocking back and forth, for at least two weeks now. He is able to move a few feet in what ever direction something looks interesting by rolling or inching across the floor.

Mother's Day

Gabriel and I went to Vermont all by ourselves on Mother's Day to see Nana Doaner. Gabriel slept on the ride over so he was wide awake to visit with the family when we arrived. Mother's Day weekend just wouldn't be Mother's Day without flower shopping. Nana, Gabriel and I went to Pinewood Gardens to pick out some of our first flowers of the season. Nana spent some of her Mother's Day gift certificate. Gabriel bought me a Rosemary plant. I got myself a pink Million Bell hanging plant for the deck. It was a little brisk as we shopped, but Gabriel held out well while we shopped around. Nana and I can get a little carried away in our flower shopping frenzy. I'm posting a photo of Gabriel and Nana, though I know Nana is going to hate the photo of herself, but it really is a good picture. I also found an old photo of Grammy Johnson and Nana shopping for flowers in the same exact spot on Mother's Day 2004. I suspect Grammy Johnson was shopping with us in spirit this Mother's Day as well.

Gabriel's First Day in Child Care

Michael and I dropped Gabriel off at Precious Angels Childcare & Enrichment Center this morning just after 7 am for his first trial day of day care. Because he is going to the center so early in the morning, Gabriel gets left off in a communal room until enough kids come to break off into the age appropriate rooms a little later. So drop off is a bit chaotic. Gabriel was asleep when we left him, so he did fine with the separation. Mommy had a little melt down in the lobby though. I felt bad about "wasting" a day of maternity leave with Gabriel by putting him in day care. But I am glad to have all of the emotion behind me now rather than trying to deal with it on Monday in addition to my return to work. Gabriel was apparently pleasant on his first day, though, Katelin called by 3 pm to say he had already eaten all of the breast milk I sent with him. So he had a fourth bottle of formula to make it through the day. Gabriel goes again on Thursday for his second trial day, and then he is full time on March 30th- the day Mommy returns to work. I can't believe how fast the 12 weeks have gone.

Gabriel Enjoys His New Blankie

Shelly and Steve sent Gabriel a package that arrived today. It was a nice surprise! In it was this bright blue crocheted blankie and a Reed & Barton divided baby plate in the shape of a whale. Very cute! You can see that Gabriel is already enjoying the blankie. I don't want to rush Gabriel, but it will be fun to use the plate when he starts eating solid food. Thank you, Shelly and Steve! I believe Gabriel is a first cousin one time removed from Shelly.

Lora and the Yoda Sweater

Gabriel and I made it to the ManchVegas knitting group Wednesday night at Barnes & Noble in Manchester. This was Gabriel's first visit, and most importantly, he got to meet Lora. Lora knitted Gabriel a lovely orange Yoda sweater. The sweater is in a kimono style so it makes it easy to adjust the size. He's been able to wear it since he was born with the sleeves rolled up. Lora immediately put Gabriel to sleep when she held him, and then she continued to hold him for at least another hour while I got to knit. I worked on the heel gusset of a blue wool sock for Gabriel to wear next fall. If you are lucky enough to be a member of Ravelry, you can check out all of the specs on the sweater on the website. Lora's username is Lorak. Thank you, Lora! We love the Yoda sweater.

Gabriel and His Mobile

Gabriel was enjoying his mobile in the crib this morning and I shot video of him. We are starting the transition of Gabriel to sleeping in his crib at night in his own room. During the day, I am putting him in the crib so that he gets use to it. I am trying to put him in the crib for some of his naps, but to move him while he is sleeping results in him waking up, so there has been no actual nap in the crib yet. We don't want to transition too briskly because with the sleeping arrangements the way they are, we are enjoying good spans of sleep at night. Last night, Gabriel slept 8-1/2 hours!

Birthday Wishes!

Grandma A is celebrating a milestone birthday today, though we aren't going to tell you how young she is. We are looking forward to going out to dinner tonight with Grandma and Grandpa.

Gabriel Is All Smiles

Here's my first attempt at adding video to the blog. I captured Gabriel smiling at me this morning while we were having a morning chat. Click on the triangle button to get the video to play. And turn up the volume so you can hear him coo.

7 Weeks Have Already Gone By

Gabriel turned 7 weeks old on Monday. Gabriel and I celebrated by going to a Baby Steps class at the Center for Health Promotion. It is a class that meets weekly for new parents and their babies. Gabriel hung out on his blanket on the floor and for the first time had a chance to look at and listen to a bunch of other babies. He was very attentive and took in all of the new sights and sounds while Mommy listened to a Naturopath guest speaker. I thought that Gabriel looked older than other babies his age, and he was much more aware of his surroundings. I look forward to taking him back to one of these classes again before I go back to work, if we can work it into our schedule. After class, we called Daddy and made a lunch date to meet for pizza at Sal's. And then we got groceries on the way home.

What's little Gabriel doing these days? He will usually sleep 5-6 hours in one episode at night, so Mommy and Daddy aren't as exhausted as some parents might be. He smiles. He has been able to sit up assisted and keep his own head upright in that position for weeks, though sometimes he does get a little wobbly with this event. Gabriel is still not a fan of tummy time. He does grasp objects now, but isn't quite sure what to do with them. His pacifier popped out of his mouth last night, and he caught it with his hand and arm and made an attempt to try to put it back in his own mouth. Gabriel brightens and gets excited when he first hears his Daddy come through the door after work. His newborn outfits are getting tight around the belly and short, though, it's too sad for me to pull them out of the dresser and pack them away. When he is picked up by other people (especially the Grandmothers) he will look at them in the face and smile too. Gabriel will usually fall asleep right away when he gets in the car seat. He is also a master generator of dirty laundry. We believe his hair is lightening, and I am seeing more red highlights. Gabriel really likes to look out the window at the brightness outside.

I wanted to share this photo of Lucas and Gabriel sharing the Boppy on the couch. When Gabriel is quiet, both Elleigh and Lucas are happy to lay close to him.

Meeting In The Middle

Gabriel is a good car rider, and I have built up my endurance quite a bit, but a full trip all the way to my Parents' house in Vermont is still too much right now. So on Sunday, instead we met my Parents half way in West Lebanon. We had lunch at McDonald's and then lingered after the meal so Gabriel could meet his cousins Angus and Brandi, and Nana Doaner could ogle the baby. Agnus was very excited to meet his cousin, though, I think he expected that Gabriel would be capable of doing more. You'll notice Nana and I had a good tight hold of Gabriel while Angus was holding him and posing for photos. Afterwards, we went to Wal*Mart shopping, and Nana bought Gabriel some wrist rattles. Gabriel wore his sunglasses. Here is a photo of him waving at the camera and showing off his style.

On Friday night, we went out for a family dinner at The Weathervane. Michael drove in right from work. Gabriel and I came in our own vehicle, and we met Grandma and Grandpa Abberton and Great Aunt Marilyn and Great Uncle Norman at the restaurant. It was the first time Gabriel met Marilyn and Norman. He slept through much of dinner, but we woke him up towards the end so he could be sociable. I had fried clams, which I have plenty of leftovers for another meal at a later date. And I spied Toll House Pie on The Weathervane specials menu, and now I have a craving for that.

Sharing The Remote

What a busy day today! I was in desperate need of a hair cut since I missed my last regularly scheduled hair appointment mid-January because I was hospitalized for the blood clot. So I was pleased that Tony found me a slot today at The Mane Element and was able to get my hair back in shape. Gabriel slept quietly through the appointment. We finished up there just before noon, so Gabriel and I went to see Daddy at work. And after visiting with a bunch of Daddy's co-workers, Gabriel and I took Daddy to lunch. And since we were already up to exit 16 on I-93 to drop Daddy back off at work, Gabriel and I decided to just keep heading north to the Tangor Outlet to see if there were any sales at the Carter's store. And of course we stopped at Gymboree too. Gabriel is a good shopper, but we are both very tired tonight. Gabriel, Lucas and Michael are lounging on the couch tonight sharing the remote.

Smiles!

Gabriel is 5 weeks old today! He is old enough now that smiles are consistently appearing on his face when he looks at people, and it clearly isn't just gas any more. And some of the smiles are even beginning to be grins and laughs. This morning he was entertaining himself in his bouncy seat, batting at the hanging toys, and having a good time. I can't believe how fast he is growing.

Gabriel Attends His First Knitting Event

We made it to Borders on Sunday for the weekly knitting event! We showed up late and didn't stay too long. I haven't actually made it to a weekly knitting event since before Gabriel was born, in fact, I haven't knit a stitch since he has been born. (Luckily we have lots of knitting friends and family so Gabriel has been blessed with several hand knits to wear.) I hope to get back to knitting on at least one project in the near future, now that my energy is returning and I am starting to figure out Gabriel's daily pattern. Michael, Gabriel and I found the knitting ladies in the Borders' cafe as usual on Sunday. Gabriel made the rounds and flirted with any woman who would hold him, and even flashed a few smiles. His first knitting event seemed to be a success. I have hope that maybe Gabriel will be able to accompany me to a few Sunday events in the near future. And maybe I can even knit when I go!




Don't forget to check out the gorgeous gray sweater Gabriel is wearing in the photos. It was hand knit by Aunt Tracy! And Aunt Denise finished the lederhosen that goes with the fair isle sweater she already made. Can't wait to do some holiday photos of Gabriel in that outfit. I will post photos of Denise's project separately, so stay tuned.

Special Request

Aunt Jacinda requested a baby piggy toe photo, so this photo is just for her to ooh and ahhh over.

Trip To Concord

Gabriel and I hung out all morning at the house by ourselves today and managed just fine, in my opinion. It was our first full day alone together without Daddy or a snugly grandparent to help out since Gabriel was born.

In the late afternoon, I had an appointment to get my Coumadin blood level checked at my doctor's office. So I packed Gabriel in the CR-V and we went for a ride into Concord. Gabriel is an excellent car rider, meaning he falls right asleep with a content look on his face when placed in the car seat.

Since my appointment was on the Concord Hospital campus already, and I still had some energy, I pushed Gabriel in his stroller into the Human Resources department for a visit with my boss and the co-workers. The ladies of HR were more than happy to tell me how beautiful and precious Gabriel is, and to hold and snuggle him. The walk was taxing for me, but I can already feel gains from just last week, when I was out of breath just walking myself into the office for my appointment without a baby in tow. And I guess if I want to feel real accomplished, the week before that I was happy just to be breathing.

Baby steps... for Gabriel and I.

30 Days

Gabriel is 30 days old today! It is hard to believe it has already been a month since he arrived. Gabriel has started to consistently sleep a 5+ hour stint each night, though he hasn't yet decided on a consistent time he will be going to bed, so he keeps us guessing there. Gabriel is already a pacifier addict. We have four around the house and still can't manage to keep one in every strategic point necessary. We have a glider chair that Kimi Eugair passed on to us that Gabriel enjoys sitting in during the morning hours. He lays awake a little while just slowly being moved forward and backward and looking around before taking his morning nap. Gabriel now pays attention to some of those toys that hang off his gym, the glider, and the bouncy seat. Sometimes he even bats at the toys with his hands. He seems to enjoy being held and snuggled, and the warmer he can be bundled up in a blanket the better. While chatting with Grandma Abberton earlier this week, he seemed to be truly smiling at her as they talked. And almost from the start, Gabriel has had impressive neck strength. He's been trying to hold up his own melon since he was born. Though he doesn't seem to be a fan of "tummy time" yet. I got the camera out this morning and used the light in Gabriel's room to take some photos of him. I tried to capture all of those little baby parts that will be gone soon enough.

Miss Maya Comes to Visit

The beautiful Miss Maya and Aunt Deb drove to New Hampshire to meet Gabriel on Friday. Grandma Abberton was already at the house care taking both myself and Gabriel. Here is Maya showing that she is in fact a big enough girl to hold her cousin all by herself.