Sassy Jumping

Gabriel enjoyed a jump in his Sassy seat when he got home from day care on Friday night. And then Daddy tickled Gabriel while he sat in his chair waiting for dinner.

Mmmmm.... green peas!

Gabriel tried green peas for the first time Monday night. Of everything he has tried so far, green peas went down the fastest. Here's a photo of Gabriel enjoying his peas for a second night in a row.

I learned today that Gabriel can go to The Learning Center full-time starting 7/6/09. He has the permanent Monday/Friday part-time slot, but then another child that takes Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday on a drop in basis doesn't need the care between 7/7/09 and 8/7/09. So we were offered those days. What a relief. Now Michael and I need to cover the week of June 29th (July 4th holiday week) and then we don't have to worry about coverage again until August. We will have to wait to see what will be available for the rest of August and September. I am feeling less panicked now about day care coverage.

Michael, Gabriel and I go for our family visit and orientation next Monday morning at The Learning Center.

Strolling Around the Neighborhood

The whole family went for a walk on Monday night. We went around the cul-de-sac and then up the road to look at the neighbor's huge perennial garden. For the first time, Gabriel sat in the chair part of his stroller instead of being put in his car seat and affixed to the stroller. He seemed to enjoy the forward facing view and had no trouble staying upright with the harness on him.

It seems like there's something new happening every day now.

When I picked Gabriel up at day care tonight, I learned that the closing date of the center has already been moved up a week. They are now closing on June 26th. I am hoping that the inconsistencies that I saw in Gabriel's care today were just a fluke. The staff may be in an initial shock from learning their employment fate and are preoccupied. My little mother voice is telling me to be prepared for an even earlier closure.

On a positive note, Gabriel had been constipated a few days. We were feeding him prune juice and apple sauce, providing belly massage, and doing every thing else we could think of in an attempt to get things moving. Well, things finally moved on Monday when he was in day care. There was a note next to the 3:15 BM that said, "WOW!" And the outfit he went to day care in came home sealed in a Ziploc bag. Oh, so glad that didn't happen while he was at home.

Child Care High Turns To Crisis

I was so excited on Friday when the director of The Learning Center on the Concord Hospital campus called me to say that Gabriel will have a full-time spot at the beginning of October. YIPPEE! We finally made it to the top of the waiting list! The director was probably happier than I was since she won't have to expect weekly pestering phone calls from me to see where Gabriel is on "the list" anymore. I was also offered a part-time slot to get started after the July 4th holiday and can begin bringing Gabriel on Monday's and Friday's. I thought this was a good idea, even though having two part-time slots at two different child care centers will cost more, I thought that it would be far easier to start merging Gabriel into The Learning Center now on Monday and Friday while he has little stranger anxiety, so the big move in October when he is 9 months old won't be so traumatic. I was so pleased after I got the phone call. It was like my kid got into Harvard with a full scholarship, except, I'm still paying for everything.

The day care market in Concord is non-existent for infants, and the few spots that are out there are tough to secure. The one place we found an infant spot in Concord showed up on WMUR news recently due to a state investigation. Glad we passed on that place. I told directors of child care centers I was pregnant long before we got a chance to tell the happy news of Gabriel's pending arrival to our parents, so we could do tours and get on wait lists at those child care centers.

The Learning Center rarely has a snow day because the hospital never closes. Gabriel's pediatrician is on the Concord Hospital campus, so that means I don't need to take a whole half day off for well baby appointments, or sick baby appointments. I will have more flexibility in my work schedule since I won't have to run out of my office at 4:30 pm to make it in time to pick up Gabriel. I will be able to make all of those special events he will have at the day care since he's just a short walk across campus. (So looking forward to the Halloween parade!) I can feed him lunch instead of pumping. The Learning Center offers kindergarten and field trips when he gets older so there is no need to scramble again for child care unless I change jobs or until Gabriel goes to first grade. And right now The Learning Center offers summer programs for kids up to grade 3. On most days I will now be able to have Gabriel in day care hands for less than 9 hours verses where he is now it is 10 hours due to the commute from Concord to Epsom. There are so many things to celebrate with his acceptance at The Learning Center. October just can't come soon enough!

When I drove to pick up Gabriel at his current day care center that same Friday, I was on a high. I knew that it would be a hard conversation to talk to the current director about moving him to part-time after July 4th, but I was ready. And then when I went to have the conversation, I learned that Gabriel's current child care center is closing. WHAT!? They hope to be able to keep enough staff and kids to make it through July 4th. My best child care day ever was now my worst day care nightmare. I am in high anxiety now trying to figure out how to piece together child care coverage between now and his full time slot in October.

I have to remember to keep counting my blessings at this point. For one, Gabriel is a great baby. They call him Smiley at day care and tell us how easy he is. So thankfully we don't have a cranky baby to try to find child care for. And Gabriel is social, so he seems to enjoy people right now and he flashes smiles easily. The Learning Center had already offered him the Monday and Friday slot after July 4th, so I have 2 out of the 5 work days covered. Grandma Abberton has Wednesday's off since she works four 10-hour shifts, and she is willing to spend some quality time with her grandson this summer. 3 out of the 5 days covered. A handful of people have mentioned they would do child care for us previously, so we will start the process of following up and trying to figure out who really was serious and how to work all of the child care together in a way that works best for Gabriel. And I am spreading the word to everyone I can think of who might potentially know of some safe solutions in the Concord area. We at least have an end point knowing we have the full-time slot in October.

Falling Asleep at the Table

Gabriel had a hard day and just couldn't stay awake long enough to have apple sauce for his dinner. It takes a lot of energy to grow so fast.

We Rocked 'n Raced

The 2009 Merrimack County Savings Bank Rock 'N Race was a tremendous success! Thank you to those of you who sponsored Gabriel and me. The official tallies are not yet available, but there were at least 6,100 people who walked and ran the 5K in support of Concord Hospital's Payson Center for Cancer care. Gabriel enjoyed looking at all of the people and flirting with my co-workers. He slept for most of the actual walking. I got a work out pushing Gabriel up and down the hills of Concord. We crossed the finish line at 1 hour and 16 minutes. I think that's very respectable considering I was in the hospital on oxygen 4 months ago. Maybe Gabriel and I can make it a goal to finish in a better time next year. Thank you Sue N. for taking this photo of us on the state house steps.

Excited for the Rock 'n Race

Tomorrow night, Gabriel and I are joining some of my co-workers for the seventh annual Rock 'N Race fun run/walk in downtown Concord! This year's race benefits Concord Hospital's Payson Center for Cancer Care and begins on the Statehouse Lawn at 6 p.m. Gabriel and I will get there early so I can find close by parking. The 5K is going to be draining enough on me, so no need to add more distance by parking far away from the start/finish line. I am still trying to regain lung capacity from the damage of the pulmonary embolism I had on January 19th.

It's not too late to donate if you would like to support Gabriel and I in our endeavor. Click on the Rock 'n Race badge in the side bar and it will direct you to our on-line donation page. We know this is a hard time financially for some of our friends and family members, so if you can't donate- still send us a ton of positive energy! That will be just as much appreciated.

Afternoon in Portsmouth

We took a drive out to Portsmouth on Sunday and spent the late afternoon shopping and grabbing dinner.

Both Michael and I were in need of sneakers. I suspect that my Asics were at least 3 years old. So we went to Runner's Alley to get fitted for new athletic shoes. I ended up with a pair of pink & gray Mizuno sneakers that feel great on my feet. They are very, very comfy- but the store didn't have any other color combinations to pick from. The new sneakers will come in handy for the Rock 'n Race coming up this week. I am wearing a size ten now that my feet have spread from pregnancy. Michael got a pair of Brooks. Gabriel slept through the whole fitting business.

Gabriel and I shopped at Life Is Good while Michael looked at books in the shop next door. I have liked LIG products for a while, but have a new appreciation for the "Good Vibes" of the company since Bert Jacobs (Chief Executive Optimist) was the keynote speaker at a Human Resources conference I attended recently. I picked out an optimistic T-shirt for myself, a Rocket dog toy for Gabriel, and bought some birthday presents for some lucky little people. Gabriel slept through LIG, even while I squeezed his stroller between racks of T-shirts.

And then we went toy shopping at G. Willikers and found some more birthday presents, and little ball toys for Gabriel. Gabriel slept through this store as well.

Michael and I went to Muddy River Smokehouse and had some things to eat that would never be worthy of a low cholesterol diet. Michael had the snakebite chicken burrito while I had a combo plate of Texas Beef Ribs and smoked sausage. I have plenty of leftovers and plan to have ribs again Monday night for dinner, and then have the smoked sausage with pasta for dinner another night with Michael. The Muddy River Smokehouse definitely has generous portions! Gabriel woke up while we were at Muddy River and seemed surprised to see his new Rocket dog toy.

It never did clear up brightly on Sunday, but I was glad we left the house and got some exercise strolling around the streets of Portsmouth. I thought the temperature was just right for a jacket and a leisurely walk.

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.