Letter to my Little Bear

Bearsy,

This week, you hit your four-month-old mark. I guess I'm not too surprised anymore at how fast your life is racing by (and yet, somehow, I still am. Weird.). There are so many things going on in your life that I'm hoping I don't forget any while I write this.

Currently, we're battling, you and I. Why? Oh, because after nearly four months of being a content paci user, you decided that sucking on your fingers is super fun. (Poppy says that this is "oral fixation" and totally normal. Hmph) This is not ok with me or your dad. We decided waaay before you were born that we would be paci people, so that we didn't have to break a finger-sucking habit. We're still determined for that to be the case, but it means that my days are filled with removing your fingers from your mouth and replacing them with a paci. I love you, and you're precious; however, you should know that I don't back down from a fight. (At least, not a fight like this.) I think my persistence is starting to pay off...you've backed off ever so slightly. I'm thankful that you have a good attitude about things. 

You laughed for the very first time this week! You've actually done it 3 times now. We LOVE it! I've heard it in person all three times, but you've only done it over the phone for Daddy so far. It's making him sad, so you might want to try doing it in person for him sometime soon, ok?

During tummy time you're this close to rolling over. I'm proud of you, but I'm not rushing it or anything. Take your time. We don't have to be mobile just yet. 

Also, we discovered this week that you are too social for your own good. You basically refused to nap while Kat was here, because you were SO excited to visit with her. I totally 
get that- I've been enthusiastically friends with her for almost a decade, but Bear. Naps. They are necessary. We were all so very aware of the necessity of naps as you persisted in refusing to take them. I will say, however, that you wake up from your mid-morning nap in THE HAPPIEST mood. I love it!

You're a very helpful baby. You may hate me (when you're older) for writing this, but you love to help when I change your diaper. How? As soon as I open the dirty diaper, you raise you legs/hips/tushy up so that I can wipe you. Such a nice way to help! And, you really like your cloth diapers. So do we. Which is weird for me to admit.

You still love your baths. You are so so so offended when they end. You also still LOVE kicking. As in, you're a taddy bit dangerous when you get going. You're also dangerous to anyone wearing clothes that they like: you are really spit-upsy. It's bad. You and I change clothes multiple times a day...which has led to me allowing you to be way of the wild way more than usual. It's one thousand times easier to clean up that way. There are also a lot of bibs in the hamper at the end of the day.

This picture does not support what I'm about to write... But this is your pouty lip face. It's *almost* a little bit funny. 

We love that you're so smiley and happy. I think smiling is your favorite. That and folding your hands (like you're praying). Speaking of praying, you really enjoy church now. You love to look around and listen to the singing. You don't, however, like how Boston temperatures have been in the 90's and church has no air conditioning. I don't blame you. It's rough.

We go on walks often, and you really like your stroller. Who wouldn't? It's like a Baby Chariot. We also practice using your muscles. We do tummy time, Bumbo time, and standing time. You can actually support your weight really well. That's probably because you're basically all muscle and almost no chub. I'm so serious. You like to play games on the floor, like "flying" on my legs (like, where I lay on my back, bend my knees, and bounce you). You LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I'm getting quite the work out from that game. 

Now, please keep in mind that as you get older, your exposure to media will be carefully monitored (in quality and quantity) by your dad and me. But, for now, you get a little bit daily. I tried out Baby Mozart, but alas, it wasn't terribly interesting to you. Surprisingly (and maybe I shouldn't admit this in a public place), you LOVE Duck Dynasty. Like, so much. You are riveted by it. It's really funny to watch you watch them. I chalk it up to connecting with your roots. In other cultural exposures, you and I have been listening to the audio book of Rilla of Ingleside. You seem to like it ok. You're not crazy about the sad parts, but really, who is? Maybe we'll do the rest of the Anne series soon. I fully believe that it's never too early to meet Gilbert.

You're precious and adorable and lovable and joyful. Love you to pieces, Little Bear.

Here are some of your weekly and monthly pictures that I've been taking but not posting (bad, new mom, bad):

12 Weeks

 3 months

13 weeks: Put up your dukes!

14 weeks: I'm a kicker!

15 weeks

16 weeks

4 Months/17 Weeks

Adventures with the Kitty Kat

For those of you that read this blog semi-regularly, you know of my bff, Kat. For those of you who've been reading since the Ukraine days, you may remember some of our adventures from her visit, like the train mishap. Or perhaps this story about creepy Kat in Ukraine. Or this visit with a Ukrainian friend, wherein we discovered the fruity burst of flavor. Anyway, she's an adventurer, and we always have the best time. (She's also the one Brad and I fared the aftermath of the tornado with. We're tight, y'all.)

Anyway, she came to visit Baby Bear this week! She's already visited once, back in the fall. I was feeling like death back in those days, so we didn't get to do a whole lot (other than a visit to Cambridge...on the day of the Havard-Yale game...bad decision...). So this time, we planned a little outing to one of our favorites: Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

SO excited to meet Kitty Kat! Meow.

Brad took me to Portsmouth back in the fall- to an Ingrid Michaelson concert. We loved it. And, I think I've mentioned before that we just really like New Hampshire. I was pretty sure that Kat would enjoy the day trip.

Getting ready for the trip! Yay!

Even MORE excited in the car!!

We got to Portsmouth around lunch time (it's about an hour and a half away) and walked around a little while before eating. (We had eaten a big breakfast. I pinned a recipe for Brad on Pinterest a while back, and it was a hit. This French toast. Yum. The secret is using challah bread.) Downtown Portsmouth is just adorable. We stuck our heads into a few shops and really enjoyed looking around. We found this whole section of bacon-flavored paraphernalia at one little novelty store. I really wanted to buy something for someone...but I couldn't think of who would best appreciate bacon-flavored toothpicks. 

Quaint street scene.

Shops around the town square.

Found a lamp post. Bearsy first lamp post picture!

For being such good friends, we have a shameful paucity of pictures together. We're trying to rectify that situation.

Brad and Bearsy reading in one of the shops. I was *this* close to buying her the N is for New Hampshire book. She has the Y is for Yellowhammer (Alabama) one. I want to start her a collection for the states she visits.

Thought about eating at The Rusty Hammer...just kidding.

Or maybe at Fat Belly's...REALLY just kidding.

Found this little watering hole for puppies.

We had lunch at a little cafe place, where Kat joined Brad in the classic New England dining experience: lobster rolls. And, it was an awesome lunch special. Those lobster rolls can rack up a massive tab sometimes, y'all. I got a blt. Not a New England classic, but it was good, nonetheless.

Kitty Kat and Bearsy photo shoot. Bear LOVES Kat.

Daddy got in on the fun.

After lunch, we walked down to the water. The view wasn't just exceptionally stellar, but we enjoyed watching all the men who set up shop to watch the construction on the drawbridge. Seriously, there were men with lawn chairs set up in the shade, just watching. It was funny. Bearsy took a little nap in her stroller while we were hanging out. We also found a photo opportunity with cut-out critters that you stick your head through (This was outside the public bathrooms. I should mention that the bathroom stalls had EIGHT toilet paper dispensers in each stall! Should have taken a picture of that...). While we were getting those pictures in the cut-out, a man stopped Brad and asked to see the back of his t-shirt (Julie Boyer: it was last year's KAA shirt!). The man was so excited, because the shirt references 2 Corinthians. He was so pumped to meet another believer. We chatted for a few minutes about how he volunteers with a prison ministry, and we met his little family. Such a neat little moment; one that doesn't happen in this part of the country very often.

Drawbridge under construction.

Some of the fellas watching the construction...

How Bearsy felt about the construction. 

The Coast Guard was hanging out.

So was the Fire Boat.

Another friend picture. Y'all. We're on a roll.

We finished up in Portsmouth by checking out the Book and Bar: a bookstore and bar/cafe combo. Kat found quite a few treasures, Bearsy continued napping, and Brad read through a book about the year the Red Sox won the World Series (written by Stephen King...apparently, he's a big Red Sox fan.). A good time was had by all.

We wrapped up the day with a little jaunt over the state line into Maine. Portsmouth is just a few miles from Maine, so we thought it would be fun to hit up three states in one day. Plus, Kat had never been to either New Hampshire or Maine. We visited Yummies Candies and Nuts. Wow. So much candy. Kat and I are, apparently, old because we wandered the aisles of this candy shop, saying things like, "Oh man, I loved __ when I was little! I would never eat that now..." and "My granddaddy used to have those all the time." It was floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall. Wowzers. I almost bought the Red Sox Pez dispenser, but I ended up getting candy Legos. 

Saw this on our way out of Portsmouth. A hashtag on a sign? Really?

Water tower right inside Maine. They love their lobsters.

The candy store.

Sorry this is blurry. The whole store looked like this. So. Much. Candy.

We wrapped up our evening with a great game of Ticket To Ride. We've been taking advantage of Kat's and our mutual love of board games. So far, we've play three times, and we've each one once. She's here for a few more days, so I'm certain more adventures await.

Loving on Kat.

Our 'hood.

Quite a few of y'all have actually visited us here (and we LOVE that!) and have seen our neighborhood. For those of you who haven't (or perhaps "haven't yet"), I thought I'd do a little picture tour of our walk to the grocery store. 

I realized that I've been a little reckless with my use of the term "neighborhood." I've been using it interchangeably for two different concepts. Allow me to explain:

Boston is divided into big neighborhoods- ever so slightly like the boroughs in New York. But not on such a huge scale. Here's the wikipedia map, if you'd like to take a look. We live in Brighton, so when we write out our return address, we can write either "Brighton" or "Boston," and they both work. Brighton is right next to Allston, and most of the time, this area is referred to as Brighton-Allston. There are a bunch of others, like Back Bay, Fenway (yes, it's a neighborhood and not just a ballpark), Jamaica Plains (locally referred to as "JP"), the North End, the South End, Downtown, Beacon Hill, East Boston. These are rather large areas within the city, not to be confused with suburbs. That's one definition of "neighborhood" around here.

The other way that I use "neighborhood" is in the more traditional sense: the area right around where we live. In a confusing turn of events, when I use "neighborhood" like this, I'm actually referring to our little corner of the Brighton neighborhood AND a nearby, separate municipality, Brookline. Within the Boston area, there are a few little pockets that are towns unto themselves...but blend in seamlessly with Boston (like Brookline and Cambridge). Brighton runs into Brookline with almost no indication that things have shifted, but Brookline has a separate government, police force, post office, etc. Again, it's not set apart like a suburb would be; it just maintains its independence from Boston. Confused? Yeah, you kind of have to see it to understand. Hotel Boswell is taking reservations, if you want to come check out the conundrum. 

Anyway, our apartment is on the side of Brighton that is right up next to Brookline, and our grocery store is inside Brookline town limits. And now, with all of that crazy background information, you can fully appreciate this guided tour of our walk to the grocery store (it's about a mile away). :)

This is the view down our street. This looks like there's a lot of parking...don't be fooled, friends.

A few streets over from ours...check out that vine-covered apartment building!

This church is right down the street from the vine-covered edifice pictured above. It's right after you cross over into Brookline. It's also on Beacon Street, which is a big thoroughfare through Boston and Brookline.

Here's the church up close. It's the Chinese Christian Church of New England, by the way.

Once you get to the intersection across from the church, turn left and head this way.

Quaint apartment fronts.

Episcopal church a little ways down.

Up close.

More apartments. I don't even want to know how much the rent is...I bet it hurts the bank account.

Beacon Street.

The apartments along this stretch of Beacon have really lovely flowers and landscaping (in the, you know, two feet patches in front of the buildings).

And, we've arrived! The store is the short building in the foreground...not to be confused with the castle-like turret in the background. REALLY don't want to know how much the rent is there.

We went home a different way (much like the Wise Men...only, in our case, we needed to go to CVS), and I snapped some shots of that part of the walk. More gorgeous apartment buildings.

This is a little hard to see because of the sun, but if you squint, you can see the train on the left side of the picture. This is Cleveland Circle, which is kind of a hub of shops and restaurants for this stretch of Beacon Street.

It's really a rather lovely walk. When it's sunny and not too hot. It wasn't quite as lovely when there was a lot of snow/ice/freezing temperatures. But, it's pretty nice these days. The not nice part is the trek home. We live on Chestnut Hill, so going TO the store isn't bad, as it's downhill. Going BACK is a different story. Not only are you headed uphill, you're now loaded down with groceries. 

Oi. Can't win 'em all. Hope you enjoyed the pictures! I'll try to do a few more walking tours for you sometime. Wouldn't that be fun?