the just right bear chair

You know the story about the three bears, how baby bear's chair was just right? Well, we found this beauty at the LaZboy Memorial day event. It's the highest grade of leather, but in a color that doesn't suit most people, so they had knocked $1100 off the price, right into what we could afford. We liked the chair before we saw its price. It was the only one that all three of us liked (Pip jumped up and down on it and seemed at home in the store, and it was comfortable to both of us parental units), the color goes with our icons, and it is soooo comfortable. Durable, too. When they delivered it today, Pip bit right into the arm, and all it left was a tiny smudge mark. The leather is so high quality that little marks just lend it character. We figure Pip will one day try to get us to let him take it to his first apartment.

the camera loves me

Or maybe it was the photographer. I went looking through our photos from Scotland (a few blog posts here) to see if I could find some good shots of me. Immediately two issues were resolved: 1, I found a few good everyday sort of looks so I can make prints to put around the house for Pip when I'm out of town in June, and 2, I can be very expressive with my face when I'm playing. That's encouraging, because I sometimes worry about whether I'll be able to put across a dramatic enough emotion for the stage. Then I saw these silly shots of me acting out "the language of the fan" at the Jane Austen Centre in Bath.





The last one is my favorite, and it reminds me of Tito Gobbi as Scarpia.
Here are a few more photos from that trip (October-November 2007, when I was around 1-2 months pregnant). We spent three weeks in Scotland and 1 in England. We left with very little sympathy for reformers, owing to what they did to the old cathedrals. But then, we weren't very very sympathetic to start.

Me in the JAC with one of the gowns used in a film.

The Mr. Darcy tea at the JAC. That evening we had tea a second time for dinner, at Sally Lunn's bun shop.

Me drinking thick hot chocolate at Harrod's.

Andrew and me in the ruins of Dunkeld cathedral.

Andrew caught me looking mournful over the lost Nave (a bit of the church-the choir mostly- was spared by the Protestants to use for their services).

Me at the Beatrix Potter center garden.

Baby Update

Pip has been adding words at a fast pace. We've started writing the new ones on the calendar to keep track. His vocal chords need to develop a bit more, I think, and he needs to practice a lot before he can talk as much as he would like. In the meantime, it's fun to hear him acquiring language so rapidly. Pretty much all the kids in my family talk early, which I didn't notice till I got old enough to have lots of friends with kids. Also, it's probably the Irish gift of gab.

Here are his new words since last time. He associates "Jesus" now with the crosses and icons of Jesus in our house, because he says, "Jesus" when he sees them. He also calls "big brother Michael" icons "bro" now. Another iconic reference: he says Hodegetria for the icons of Mary and baby Jesus. (I thought Andrew was hallucinating when he told me about it, but I've heard the baby say it three separate times now.) He also says, "Mary" and "baby" in reference to same. I took him to the museum yesterday, and he called one of the heads of Jesus, "Jesus," but just once. Other words: glass, lamp, roof, dog (also says "arf! arf!" for dogs), "ah-oi" for "apricot oil," bite, a bite, I want a bite, ball, fern, flag, duck, about, off, on, bed, open, where?, towel rack.

Not surprisingly, the child asks us to read several books to him each day, and has started to finger letters suspiciously, as though he reckons that's where we get the stories. He's cruising and swooping and crawling and jumping and starting to eat a little more solid food. Mostly he still eats bottles, but he's coming along at his own pace.

Okay, since I started this post some of my costume items for the opera workshop came in the mail. Here I am trying on my fake hair and tiara with my fan. I think with the addition of stage makeup and an astounding dress it shall do quite well.

Chipper Pip(per)

Pip is babbling up a storm these days, and mixing in more and more understandable words. Yesterday he added, "Look!" and "Flower," and "Jesus." Today at the beginning of our walk he looked toward where the retention pond lies behind some trees and called, "goose!" We were all, "Did he just say, 'goose?'" On we walked, and on the return loop we approached some geese across the street munching on grass. Pip waved his arms and legs and called, "goose! goose! want goose!" So we took him closer to see them. He was really into looking at the geese, and continued to call back to them till we were almost home, when he switched to reminding us that he wanted a bath. "Bath!" he said in his adorable baby voice. The child loves playing in the water, just like his Poppa.

Speaking of whom, today Pip started calling for his Poppa by loudly calling, "Andrew!" while leaning over. Pip usually calls his Poppa, "Poppa," but he caught on to the fact that I call him "Andrew," when he's in the hall or just out of sight. With "Jesus," Pip may not have made the whole religious connection yet, because so far he only says it (or sings it, rather) every time I start to rock him to sleep. It's his way of initiating his lullaby, which has "Jesus" in it. Pip now sings, "Jesus. Alleluia. Alleluia. Jesus," instead of just repeating, "Alleluia." I'm also not sure he knows his Poppa is called Andrew, because he started out a few days ago calling to both of us by leaning over and loudly saying, "Ah! Ah!" while reaching out a cute little hand. So he may think you summon a parent closer with the word, "Andrew," and he may think "Jesus" is a lovely song title. We'll have to wait and see. One way or the other, he uses about 20+ words appropriately now, with about 12 of them used regularly each day, and new discoveries to boot. We're having lots of fun learning his language and teaching him ours.

Pip, as seen previously, is also a climber. He has taken to moving his little scoot car in front of the couch so he can climb up on the couch and look out the window. Then, today he scored a coup in his ongoing quest to get to an electrical cord blocked by his diaper pail and changing table. He pulled everything off the bottom shelf of the table and climbed in. I got to him just in time. I admit I can't help admiring his cleverness. And now for a classic milestone of babyhood:

I will eventually get back around to posting more of my thoughts. Right now I am so overwhelmed with musical preparation that I only have the time/energy to do baby-book type updates. But I'm still thinking and thanking, and I'll be back around soon.

Brevity is the soul of?

True story: this past Saturday, I was driving to voice lesson when the brakes gave out on the left side of the car. It was safe enough for me to drive to a Sears auto center afterward, where they replaced all the brakes, which mysteriously enough were all about to go out. I still think the meaning of the dream in my last post was true. Prophecies are that way, true in lots of times and places, because they always stand just outside of time to say what they want to say. Anyone who looks at scriptures and tries to quibble that a prophecy can only mean one thing clearly has no clue about how prophecies work. I had a prophetic dream telling me that I felt the need to slow down and savor the small beauties that fill my days, and it also told me not to putter around when I felt the first set of brakes go. Both true.

I've been incredibly busy preparing for my opera workshop next month. I've discovered that I am far more timid than I ought to be, and I plan to write a whole 'nother post on some revelations regarding the voice and what all.

What has drawn me out of my seclusion, my reclusive little tower of music scores and shopping for fake hair?

The Cutest Baby in the World, of course! Pip now uses like 15 words on a daily basis, and keeps adding other words that he repeats but doesn't use often. Sometimes we have to guess if he means, "Bottle" or "Bath," since he sometimes says "bath" in rapid succession, leading to a "bobbuh" type sound. But anyway, the big news is that he's a climber. He totally takes after his Poppa in that regard. They will soon outstrip me in mountain climbing, but they will be so gentlemanly about it that I'll never suspect that they are waiting up for me rather than just admiring the birds and leaves.

Note: I use the baby's real name in this little video. Please don't put it in writing in the comments, though, as I prefer him to be known as "Pip" online.

Speaking of the world's most awesome baby, I had a wonderful first Mother's Day. Andrew and Pip and Pip's godparents and I went out for skeeball and pizza after church. My gift from Pip was 200 skeeball tokens. We had loads of fun. Pip liked the dancing critters and lights and watching us play games. We all took turns holding him while the others played.

Let me back up a bit: Andrew gave me the sweetest card with a note written in that made me weep, accompanied by a new set of computer speakers to help me in my music studies. He traced Pip's cute little hand in Pip's card to me, which is no mean feat. That kid wiggles. Here are some gratutious photos of Mother's Day and a few that just go to show how much Pip is like his Poppa.

Mothers' Day photos. ^First thing in the am.

Above: Pip getting into Poppa's juggling gear.

"I will hold the umbrella with Poppa."

Greening

I've had a recurring dream where I'm driving and the brakes don't work. I begin to approach an intersection, and I pump and pump the brakes to no avail. I pull the emergency brake, and I can see and feel the pads sliding right over the rotors ineffectually. I have to stop because Pip is in the car with me, but the car will not cooperate. Usually I have to stick my foot out the door to make us stop. (This is a dream after all.)

The dream repeated so often that it pressed itself into my waking life. I found on Saturday that I was staring hard out the window at the dream image of the brake, trying to recall which vehicle was defective so that I could warn Andrew. It's not too difficult to know what I'm feeling now, but I needed this dream to show me. We can't slow down time. The opera has begun, the music will not stop playing, and only I can sing my role.

I find myself staring at Pip's sleeping face more and more these days, comparing with his previous faces. The lips beginning to lay smoothly over six little teeth. Those same soft little lips that curled over his gums just a moment ago. His melodious voice, richer but the same as the first time I heard it issuing from a wet little mouth in what sounded for all the world like, "MaaaaaaaMaaaaaa!" I am glad to put aside the nights of worry that he would not eat, grateful to watch as he begins to explore more and more of the world and of foods. His soft head, so sturdy now compared to what it once was, with the fine long hair the color of gold in a Renaissance painting. The weight of him against my chest is so gratifying when he falls asleep. I rub my sore arms each night in satisfaction for a day well played.

We are all three settling into ourselves here. Laughter and play and teaching and singing punctuate our work and our life together. I am learning to look at my husband and my son and hear, when there is something in their speech that evades me, a prayer of the soul. I do not know the words to the prayer, but I believe them. I love the ones praying. I say softly into the sweet forehead of the singing sleepy baby, "Lord, hear his prayer." I lay my hand in solidarity on the strong shoulder next to me in bed. I am learning to be family. Family, those who say "Amen" to one another's prayers.

Saturday week in review

Today-
Me, while sitting with the baby at lunch: "How do I keep getting pizza all over my fingers?"
Andrew: "Quantum tunneling."
Me: "Oh. Right. That's okay then." (eats bits of pizza stuck to hand)

I'm also going to blame quantum tunneling for my lack of blogging this week. Though it has more to do with working hard on music and just being really busy. A couple of quick updates.
-Margaret: She does not have to do radiation, so she is cancer free.
-Me: I am now the big 32.
-Andrew: Got his most recent big work project released.
-Pip: Still cruising furniture and crawling like a champ. Likes to dance and imitate sounds. Is adorable. Has six teeth and is working on the next ones on the bottom.

Monday (above): a walk early this week

Tuesday: Pip's first cracker. Now he loves them. He uses them for biting practice then throws them on the floor. Later on Tuesday, when I forgot my camera, Pip leaned toward the retention pond on our walk. He saw the geese bathing themselves and called out, "Bath!" So we took him home and let him have a long bath. He loves playing in the water. We're looking forward to letting him get in the pool once it warms up.

above: Pip on Wednesday morning, playing with "his" onion. He tumps it around, peels off the skin, and eats it. It's organic, so I let him. Possibly so I can fix some toast without him flipping out.

Wednesday (above): Pip with his first doll. You'll recognize it from the polls. We gave it to him early, and I'm glad we did. He chews and pinches it when he's nervous in public or just needs to teeth on something. Big relief since he bit me and pinched me on Tuesday when he got overtired (not maliciously of course). He likes to throw Nicki on the ground along with his other toys. Gravity is sooo fascinating.
Wednesday (orange Pip outfit): Aunt Sharon took us out for an early birthday lunch. We wound up at that place in Carrboro where the seats are in old train cars. The food was good, and we mostly had our car to ourselves since it was a late lunch. Except for the last 20 minutes or so, when some wacko lady dragged her mopey college son in at the far end and loudly ordered salads and her son around. {Note to wacko lady who decided it was a good idea to berate her college son for not talking with her while she scolded him in public loud enough for us to hear: Do you think maybe you're part of his problem? And haven't you figured out by now that the best way to communicate with menfolk is to walk alongside them or hoe a garden or something? Duh.}

At least we were all happy.

Thursday (above): Andrew and Pip sing me "Happy Birthday" in the morning.

Friday afternoon's walk.

above: I love how they are both pointing.

Andrew says, "Pine tree," or "oak leaves."

above: I was able to zoom in to see the little duckling family swimming by. There are goslings in the neighborhood as well, but I haven't had the camera on me when we've seen them.

Saturday (above): Sharon and David came into town to celebrate David's and my birthdays this past week. Sharon's mom lent me my choice of costume jewelry for the stage, some of which you see me modeling above. I wound up borrowing not quite so many necklaces as you see here, but the pieces I will use should round out what I already have quite well. I'm really grateful to Sharon's mom for lending me this stuff since costume jewelry that's large enough for the stage is pretty pricey.

We ate dinner tonight at the Q-Shack, where I saw the above on the ladies' room wall. Hmm.

Pip tries his first hush puppy, owing to he's Southern and needs to develop a taste for them.

Our happy visitors with cousin D's new crocs on display, before they headed back out of town. Notice that the crocs are Duke blue, just like God's blood. Or something like that.