rory's birthday

We celebrated Rory's birthday this weekend. It was fun and I made it a big deal. And in full disclosure, I made it a big deal because I was using his birthday as a teaching tool. For him. For me. Completely for me, really. And he knew it. He called me on it in the middle of the day, "are you trying to show me how you'd like your birthday celebrated?" Well yes, yes I am.

We were in California for my birthday this year and it was nothing short of phenomenal. Because of my friend Shannon. Shannon went above and beyond for my birthday. The day began with a hot homemade breakfast, receiving a collection of good magazines and books to enjoy throughout the day, 30 balloons delivered to the door (!!!), time for a nap, a 90-minute massage (!!!), and dinner out at a great restaurant. She killed it. It was all Shannon. She commented to me during the day that she believed women have to do this for each other...that we should actually have a girlfriend on our birthday who makes our dreams come true. I have a feeling she was using my birthday as a teaching tool for her husband too.

Rory didn't get me anything for my birthday. Or a card. (He would argue "a trip to California!") And then our six year anniversary came along and neither of us got anything for the other, not even cards. We ate at Noodles that night because the wait was too long at the restaurant we had chosen and wrapped up the evening taking in the Eastview marching band at their Homecoming game. (it seemed more romantic in my head...cuddled under a blanket, taking in a fall football game. Instead I just ran into a whole lot of kids I used to babysit...)

So we're working on this. My work included making sure this year Rory had the best birthday of his life.

Here's how the day went down:
1. While in the shower, spouse makes you coffee and places a large surprise gift in the middle of the living room floor.
2. You open your gift while drinking your hot brew. What? A nail gun and air compressor? I never even asked for this, and I love it. This is the perfect gift for me right now.
3. Breakfast at Original Pancake House with Ivar and your dad. (I had nothing to do with lining this up, but I like it. You should always try to see your folks on your birthday.)
3. Home to work for the morning, walk down to your desk and find 40 framed pictures of your baby boy all over your desk. You remember having said months ago, "you know what I would love? just tons of pictures of Ivar in my office. I think it would make me so happy."
4. Trip to the Zoo. Meet up with Father-in-law and nieces. Share a spirited conversation.
5. Drop off Ivar with Grandma and Grandpa Harrington for the night.
6. Head to new restaurant in Uptown: Muddy Waters. Take your time getting there, drive down Minihaha Parkway.
7. Visit Sugar, Sugar buying and sampling  lots of fancy candy treats for the movies ahead.
8. Drive to The Riverview Theatre and watch Planet of the Apes while stuffing yourselves with candy and popcorn.
9. Stay for the next movie, Crazy Stupid Love. Because you can. Because tickets are just $3 a piece. Because your baby is with grandma and grandpa and this is the first movie you've seen together in nearly a year.
10. Head home for more surprises.

And that, my friends, is one way to celebrate a birthday. And here it is posted in 10 easy steps forever on the internet to serve as a sweet little reference for future birthdays. Like my 31st. Which will be here before you know it.

The next night we had my cousin Kathy over for Rory's Harvest Feast. It was delicous. I made butternut squash soup, Kathy brought an incredible salad and we had a rosemary roast chicken and all of the vegetables from the garden. Happy Birthday, Rory. It is easy to celebrate you.

so busy.

The boy keeps me on my toes. He's really into the kitchen now. He loves standing by the dishwasher, gets a thrill out of opening the tupperware drawers, squeels at the loud noises the stainless steel bowls make when they're thrown on the wood floor. It's a bit louder than usual around here, but also very exciting. I gave him a spatula and showed him how to hit the bowls and collanders and he looked at me like I actually just might be the coolest mom in the world.

fall garden

Rory's garden produced all season long. He just got these carrots out, found all of these potatoes as well as onions. So we're going to roast a chicken and eat all of his garden fresh produce.

I married a doer. He just gets things done. He says he wants to garden, and he builds the raised beds, mixes the soil, plants the seeds and sows the harvest. He says he wants to build a compost, build a rain barrel, build a fence and then he does it. We woke up on Saturday morning and he said, "how about a fire in the backyard?" So we spent our morning sitting by the fire. It was chilly, and Ivar looked like he was going to launch to the moon, but it was a memory made and so much fun.  

conversation after church

Rory: Shoot! Was Jack in church today? I needed to talk to him.

Becca: You know. I didn't see him. Lisa was at the Tea table, I saw Maddie in the bathroom, Josie in the nursery and Kyle when we walked in, but I didn't ever see Jack.

Rory: (big frustrated sigh) I need him to tell me how to get past this part of Legend of Zelda.

(moments later)

Rory: Josie, this is Rory. Is Jack there? Where is he? Can I get his cell number?

Rory: "Jack. It's your uncle Rory. Are you on a bus right now? (pause) How did your marching band do? (pause)  Jack. I'm stuck in this one room and there is a big spiderweb blocking the door. I can't get through it. I can't cut it and it won't break. Swooshing? With my lantern? Hang on, I'll do it again. Oh yeah! That did it! I'm out!

a few of my favorite baby things

I have been wanting to write this post forever. I have been thinking about it since Ivar was born. And after just talking to a friend of Rory's who was trying to process his first trip to Babies R Us to register for their babe-to-be, I decided it was time.

This begins The Baby Gear Post.

I will never forget Rory and my first trip to the big box store that is Babies R Us. I think I've written about it before. It blew our mind: a baby store the size of Best Buy, the size of Borders, the size of the food building at the state fair. How in the world did a baby so tiny, one that was currently doing just fine in my snug little womb, need so much crap? We walked every aisle bewildered. We ended up in the back of the store, me looking at nursery sets, bumpers and quilts while Rory found his respite in the glider rocker, self soothing as he rocked back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. We had just entered a land of crazy.

And it sort of really is. Babies all over the world and all throughout history have survived with much less gear. Before Ivar was born I was convinced that we would never bring one of those enormous exosaucers into our house. They are a space suck if there ever was one. We have a sweet little Minneapolis home and there was no way I was going to let something that bulky and obnoxious eat up a quarter of my living room. Well. Turns out we got two. No joke. One for the upstairs and one for the downstairs. I don't see it so much as a space hog anymore as I do a little gift of genius. Ivar loves it, he stays occupied, and when he's in it I know he's not licking the bottom of our shoes. (got one from a friend and one at a garage sale)

All this to say, every item has its season. And somethings you will never need. For sure, you don't need to get it all at once. The day will come when you'll say, "you know what would be handy? a seat I could set Ivar in so he can't move, that would surround him 360 with toys that he can't throw on the floor." And that will be the day you'll give in to the exosaucer.

After nearly 12 months of enjoying our little boy, I give you...
Becca's Top Five Favorite Ivar Things:

1. Glider Rocker. I've fallen asleep in ours more times than I can count. I love it. Can't imagine mamahood without it.

2. Room Darkening Shades. We got ours from Target (the cheapest brand) and have them hung with Ikea curtain rods that were $1.25 a piece. They are tight against the wall and it means that in the middle of the day I can make Ivar's room dark as night. I swear this has more to do with his happy long naps than anything else.

3. Sleepsacks. Ivar couldn't stand the ones that swaddle with velcro. He wanted his arms by his face. So we got sleeveless sleep sacks and dressed him in a longsleeve onesie. These were my saving grace in the middle of the night. I couldn't handle trying to change his diaper when he was wearing footsie jammies. Trying to wrestle his legs back into the outfit about did me in at 3 am. The sleepsack was a gift from above.

4. Rumble Buns. I thought everyone called it a rumble buns, but I guess I made that name up. The rest of the world calls it a bouncer. Ivar napped in his for the first 8 months of his life. We brought it with us on vacations and he slept better in this than in the pack and play...until he got too heavy and his bottom was bumping the floor.
5. Carseat Cover. Ivar's first six months of life were winter. I never put a coat on my son until this fall. I thought this thing was so slick. If it was really cold I'd cover him with a blanket and then cover the seat. And usually he was a whole lot happier in it than he is pictured below :)

If I were to do it all over again:
1. I'd skip the diaper bag. You definitely still need a bag...but the marketed diaper bags seem bulky, have so many pockets and the one we got was so cumbersome. We ended up getting a medium size mail-style bag at Target that has one big section with two side pockets on each end. We love the size. Feels more manageable. Go for gender-neutral...dad ends up carrying it a lot.
2. I wouldn't get the stroller system. We got a grayco something or other with the infant seat that can lock into the stroller. If I were to do it again I would get a stroller frame for when the baby is little (for something like $70) buy the infant carrier and carseat base separate and then get a good running stroller. Those Bob running strollers are really something. (But crazy expensive!!) Not only are the wheels big for a comfy off-road ride, but the visor to block the sun goes all the way down to the babies toes. You can fully cover your baby. I don't know. I'm still on the fence with this one because it's all expensive, but I guess I think it would be worth it...

Looking back, I'm glad I...

1. Returned everything I didn't immediately love. For real, I have no guilt about this. Hope this doesn't offend anyone, but I became well known at Target and Babies R Us making sure that I returned the stuff I didn't think I wanted and buying the stuff I knew I'd love. Babies are expensive and I love that I love everything I kept :)

2. Kept up with thank you notes before Ivar was born. Because wow. The gifts just kept coming. I still am writing notes, but now I'm caught up so I try to write the note immediately as the gift comes in. It is so important to have a running list that is left out so that everything can be written down as the gift is opened. Life gets a little nutty after the baby comes.

That's my two cents. How about you?!! What were/are your Baby-must-haves?