Archives: October 2007
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First, a discaimer: I owe so many people emails and updates that it *almost* keeps me up at night. My goal for this week is to set up the wireless connection at my parents' so that I can start using my own computer again. Photos will be uploaded then, too. I haven't had much success getting everything hooked up to date, and it's sort of disturbing how much activity will be put on hold until then. So for now, a small update.
Our weekend away was wonderful but exhausting. I think Teo and I will be happy to avoid planes for a bit, and to get a chance to establish some sort of schedule. The poor baby was tossed around from time zone to time zone, person to person, and bed to bed. He held up remarkably well, and I was so happy everyone got a chance to meet him. I especially loved seeing my sister and brother-in-law with him; they are going to be great parents.
After the wedding, I spent two days at L's house. It was a perfect visit and I wish it could have lasted longer. I realized at some point that L and I have been friends for almost 20 years, and that is both wonderful and terrifying. Twenty years! Feels like the blink of an eye. We hung out with L's dogs (two sweet and gentle Siberian huskies) and her hilarious boyfriend, eating good food and giggling. We also got to spend the afternoon with her parents, who have known me since I was a little girl. The whole visit was low-key and filled with positive energy. We also discovered Teo's love of drums -- I don't think anything else has ever fascinated him for so long.
Our return flights were exhausting as Mateo cried during both landings. I think his ears might have been bothering him. We made it, though, and then managed to pick up the dog from the kennel just in time. Then we drove to the house, ate dinner, and collapsed for a 12-hour night.
We have already been back for two full days and I am already surprised at how quickly time flies around here. Getting both boys -- Mateo and our dog, Rocky -- out for four daily walks is an enormous task in and of itself. Otherwise I have just been doing some basic things like going to the grocery and so forth. I might become dreadfully bored before my parents' return in just over a week, but for now it is sort of nice to have some down time.
My other daily activity is packing up Teo and driving to my grandmother's "assisted living" center for a visit. Grandma is losing her memory and is pretty confused much of the time, and she is clearly still reeling from the death of her husband of 68 years. Understandably, of course. Dementia is an interesting demon. Grandma spoke to me of the dancing she used to do (and teach) when she was in her 20's in Minneapolis with crystal clear precision, yet she struggles to remember how old Mateo is and asks me several times each visit. Yesterday, I mentioned that this is my first Halloween home in eight years, and she grew deeply concerned about the trick-or-treaters who would stop by her house in Duluth. I told her we would talk to the neighbor about putting a bowl of candy out for them, but she was really worried and repeatedly brought it up. It's strange how important some details are to her.
Last week, my parents and I had gone to Family NIght at the home, which basically consisted of a bunch of women in wheelchairs sitting around listening to a DJ playing tame, familiar hits. There was a sort of emcee running the party who semi-danced with the seated residents, and I was super impressed by the enthusiasm of two of the more "with it" residents who were excitedly waving their pom poms through the air. It was a strange party indeed, but Teo proved to be a superstar by singing along, much to everyone's delight.
When we stopped by yesterday, there was an a capella men's quartet performing in the parlor, so we sat downstairs for awhile and listened. Teo stood, wrapt in attention, and he occasionally joimed in (slightly off-key) the singing. It was a hoot, and I don't think I have seen grandma laugh so hard in years. All of the residents in the home like to say hello to him, and there are two or three who seem especially enamored with him. Grandma sometimes pipes in, "And I'm his great grandma!"
He's portable entertainment.
We made it Stateside in one piece, but I am still adjusting to the keyboards so this will be short. The goodbyes in Paris were painful enough that I don't want to relieve them here anyway, so that cuts down the story significantly. I cried saying goodbye to my friends, cried in the cab, cried at the airport with The Boy, cried going through security, cried getting on the plane. Then I cried again the next day while remembering all of that crying.
But now it's two days later and those memories aren't quite as biting. I have managed to go to Target three times since being home (don't ask) and my parents have gotten in snuggle time with Mateo. They set up an adorable nursery for him, and he managed to almost sleep through the night in his new crib. I have been slow on the unpacking because we have been busy doing other things, but it's coming along. We have been out to see Mateo's great-grandmother twice since arriving and, while it's a hard thing to do at times, it feels good to put a smile on her face. We are adjusting well enough, all things considered.
However, tomorrow morning we are boarding a plane for New Mexico, and we will spend five days there with family and friends. I feel like I just stepped out of one crazy storm and am walking straight into another.
So posts will be sporadic at best, nonexistant at worst.
The good news is that I bought a new camera (with my Target gift card, thankyouverymuch) and will be documenting Mateo's first days in America to the best of my ability. Stay tuned.
Oh -- and just a moment of bragging: Teo was so good on the plane that he got lots of compliments. I couldn't have asked for better behavior, he really was a doll.
Hi Mateo! You are sleeping in bed right now, fast asleep on the first night of your fourth month. It has been a whirlwind of a day, and both you and I are absolutely exhausted. We spent the day cleaning out the house, and thankfully Kathypath was there to help us in a big way. You were so tired, but people kept coming and going and you never got to get in a good nap. Poor thing -- we put you to bed without a bath after you collapsed around eight pm.
I promise I'll recap all the amazing ways you have grown this month. I can't get over how much better I know you, and how much more fun you are becoming. Even your annoying screechy voice (that seems to fascinate you) has its merits. But for right now, I have to finish packing our bags so the two of us can go back to the United States tomorrow. It has been a long struggle for me to get things taken care of here, I hope you and I can breathe a sigh of relief once we get on the plane.
Maybe we'll get to do so once I stop crying from the goodbyes. The whole process is bittersweet, but I am so happy to have you with me for the ride.
Here are some pictures Aimee took of us recently. I love them and hope you like them when you're grown. You already look like a grown-up in this one.
I have been so busy that I actually lost my to-do list. I don't normally make to-do lists, but there are so many details to straighten out that it seemed like a good idea. Clearly, not. It was very long and I am convinced there were things on it that I have just outright forgotten.
Yesterday was my 28th birthday. The birthday came and went without fanfare and that is just the way I like it. When I look back on where I was last birthday versus where I am today, I am just amazed at how much a year can do. I am positively drained or I would delve more into that, unfortunately my brain is having a hard time even creating cohesive sentences at the moment.
Anyway, I spent most of my birthday day packing and chilling with Mateo, and in the evening, a few girlfriends came over and we had a wonderful dinner. It was low-key but entertaining, and I was so happy to have spent the night just talking and giggling with them. I went to bed a happy 28-year-old.
I am, for the most part, packed. I have managed to squeeze everything down to four suitcases, two of which were taken back by the LongIslander after her wonderful week-long visit and two of which I am taking with me on Sunday. I am also shipping back three boxes. I am pretty impressed with how ruthless I have been in the packing department. I am maybe not a true minimalist, but I have definetly learned to part with a lot of things in recent days. It's probably really liberating, but I am too fried to even think about it right now. I feel I have been non-stop, and I can tell it is not going to get any calmer in the coming days.
My long lost to-do list includes the remaining:
- bring up stuff from cellar
- make appointment to throw away big objects (people come around to pick up things like dead computers and old mattresses)
- make wireless headset work
- go back to post office FOR THE THIRD TIME in hopes of finally retrieving my package
- go to bank to pick up checkbook and transfer money
- go to embassy for official copy of Teo's birth certificate
- send off clothes sold on Ebay
- pack all but final clothes for last few days
- double check bassinet reservation
- empty fridge
- clean entire house for Saturday's inspection
- take down 5 (and possibly more) bags of garbage
- go to work to reroute mail and explain software stuff to coworker
- scan The Boy's baby photos
- pick up some copies of French books
- social security mail and reimbursements
Every day, I have a few social visits as well, which I think is necessary to my sanity. Still, it is sort of hard to see how everything will fit in somewhere, but it will. I finally feel that I am starting to get a grip on things, and I can see that I am going to make it out of here in a reasonably orderly manner.
So for now, bed time. These next three days are going to be action packed.
New pics on flickr, by the way.
Read more »Super busy but doing ok. Will update soon.
Also: Teo rolled over today. Twice. And then just didn't feel like doing it again for any witnesses other than me.
