Grandparent time

I have great memories of time spent at "the farm," as we called my grandparents' house, when my parents went on trips. As much as we loved being with my parents, we loved an excuse to have special treatment by Maw Maw and Paw Paw. Such treats included: ham sandwich with mayo, white bread, and the crust cut off (I don't eat mayo on my sandwiches anywhere but here...somehow, it is just really good); biscuits in the morning with homemade peach preserves; a blanket heated and wrapped around your feet as you go to sleep at night; as much attention as you could ever want...It was fabulous. I was always ready to go home and was glad to see Mom and Dad, but it was quite a treat. 

For the last few days James has experienced the pampering of not one but two sets of grandparents. He has enjoyed a little (or a lot) of TLC from Nana/Big Daddy and Ya Ya/Poppie. They both have oohed and aahed over this little guy and may or may not have lied about how early he woke up each morning. I hope this is the first of many times he enjoys the company of these marvelous people who have loved his parents so well. What a delight to see your parents enjoy your kid!

So you may be wondering, where were you in the midst of all of this grandparent fun....I was probably asleep! Isaac and I have been in Miami for the last few days; Isaac working and Katherine reading or sleeping. I spent a lot of time asleep, and it was marvelous! Unfortunately, we have no pictures to document, but if you are interested, we stayed in a great hotel http://www.loewshotels.com/en/Miami-Beach-Hotel, had wonderful food, and I just relaxed. I highly recommend a lazy adult trip about 6 months after having a baby....I feel rested, relaxed, rejuvenated, and reconnected to my husband (do you like how all of the words started with the letter "r," much like a sermon). 

James looks pretty content with Poppie! (I can't figure out how flip it...)

If you are in Miami anytime soon, I recommend the following:

Casa Tua

Front Porch Cafe- breakfast/brunch

Las Olas Cafe

Who's in charge here?

If someone were to walk into my house right now and ask that question...I would point to James and shrug my shoulders.
 Last night James and I returned from a great weekend in Kosciusko with my family. We decided when you have that many children around, you just have to adjust your expectations and get ready for a little chaos. James was in rare form...we are blaming it on teething. (I guess if no teeth show up in a week or so, we'll know he was just in a bad mood!) We enjoyed the baby pool, playing with cousins, a ballet recital, catching up with siblings and parents. As always my mom outdid herself, cooking on Mother's Day, entertaining the kiddos, and making everyone relax. James and 2 of his cousins (on the Potts side of the family) are just a few months apart. A few months creates big gaps in skills at this point, but it will really be fun when they are able to play together...or at least acknowledge the other one's existence!
 All of this to say, James is a constant reminder that I am not in charge (i.e. I cannot make him nap when I want him to, I cannot always stop his crying, I cannot make his gums not hurt, I cannot make him like to walk in the stroller, I cannot make him be content to play alone on a blanket...you get the idea) and if I just recognize that, we all have a better day! 

 Cousins James and Swinton (5 months and 7 months)

Burton, Rachel, Swinton, Sarah, James

We attempted a group shot and this was the best one. It's a bit of a challenge to keep everyone upright and happy!

they make a handsome pair!

Let the Merry Sunshine In

As a child and even a teenager my mother would wake me up by singing "let the merry sunshine in. Open all the windows, open all the doors and let the merry sunshine in." I don't know if it is really a song or if she just made it up?! I found myself singing that Friday and Saturday to James, as I was almost giddy that the sun FINALLY made its appearance. 


James's attention span is pretty short these days and we rotate through activity centers (or more specifically...plastic, brightly colored baby toys) quite quickly. I swore I would not have a house full of baby clutter. At the moment there is a car seat, swing, bouncy seat, Johnny Jump Up and play mat all on my living room. (eat those words...yep!) So, Saturday James woke up bright and early (gone are the days of sleeping in on the weekends; although, sweet Isaac had baby duty this morning and I stayed in bed until 7:45!).  By 10 a.m. James had rotated through all of his toys, taken a SHORT nap (his new bad habit), gone for a "swim," changed clothes 2x, played outside on his playmat, watched Isaac cut the grass...you get the idea. 


BUT, in spite of our chaos and such, days are much more enjoyable for all of the Byrds when the sun is out. Here are a few pictures of our outdoor activities this weekend. It's cloudy and rainy today BUT we are watching the Grizz which is almost as good as sunshine (especially if they win). More on that later!


See a few pics from our yard, garden, and sunny days. 

 Peonies...the buds are almost as beautiful as the flowers. I think I will plant more of these next year. The only bloom once, but it's well worth it!

 The smallest pool you have ever seen, but perfect for a 5 minute "swim." It only took 2 pitches of warm tap water, and he was ready to go. Don't worry, that white baby skin was coated in sun screen, and he only lasted a few minutes. 

This is Isaac's garden. He seems to have the green thumb of the family. The veggie garden includes: a variety of tomatoes, peppers, okra, and squash. We will invite you over for a "farm to table" dinner soon!

And last but not least, here is James in his Sunday best. He is into short naps (30-40 minutes). So when I walk into the nursery to get him (usually a little frustrated that I don't get a longer break) and lean over the crib...I breaks into this smile. Seriously, how do you stay mad at that?! He is a handful and quite exhausting at times, but boy do we like him!

Tiger Mother

The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother is like a five car pileup; you can’t help staring. Amy Chua is a law professor at Yale and a mother of 2. She describes the clash between a stereotypical Eastern and Western styles of parenting.  Her m.o. is “make sure you come in first so that you have something to be humble about.” She does admit a few times she should have loosened the reigns. But at the end of the day she has 2 extremely successful daughters (musical protégés, academic all-stars, culturally informed, disciplined, etc.). I heard recently that her oldest was accepted into Harvard. It’s a pretty thought provoking book and an easy read (which I am particularly drawn to these days).  I will warn you, it will make you feel a little lazy and undisciplined, or it will make you a little proud that you aren’t that uptight! 

Click here to see a link to the book on Amazon

Tiger Mother

Happy Easter

Happy Easter!

Here is a quick recap of our last few days.

Let's describe our weekend as...full of controlled chaos (what's new?!). Friday afternoon, Isaac and I packed up the car with way too much stuff...including James and George (our dog) and headed to visit the family. James was not a happy camper going down or coming home, making the 2+ hour drive seem like forever! A quick stop in Kosciusko to see family and then on to Louisville. For the amount of people, dogs and children (on average 11 kiddos and 2 dogs), it was a fairly uneventful weekend....if you count egg hunts, cookouts, playing outside, games of chase and fetch, attempting to nap, and yummy meals, as uneventful. James looked pretty handsome in his Easter outfit, even with several spit ups (I said he looked good, but I never said he smelled good). We loved seeing so many siblings, cousins, and parents this weekend. What a great way to celebrate such a significant holiday! Isaac and I are enjoying a relaxing, quiet house with James tucked in for what will hopefully be a long night's sleep! Here is a small picture of the weekend.

Ya Ya and Poppy with Winnie

babies everywhere (cousins: Baron, Winnie, and Henry)

James in his Easter best

The Isaac Byrd family photo

Mia and Ella Kate swinging

James

Our biggest life change yet, weighing in at 15 pounds and with a head full of wild blond hair…meet James Roland Byrd. James is 4 ½ months old. He enjoys his bouncy seat, shoving his fist in his mouth, eating oatmeal cereal, sleeping through the night (most nights), a high pitched voice, his toy butterfly, rocking and swinging. While James has presented some challenges both pre- and post birth, he also brings so much pleasure. It is a true delight to watch him discover his world. I’m sure there will be much more on little James to come, but until then…here is a small picture of how much he has changed and grown. Maybe you will begin to get an idea of why this little guy has won a place in our hearts!

 James dressed and ready to leave the hospital. 6 pounds, 7 ounces

 8 weeks old with Ya Ya

 3 months...I can get my toys to my mouth

4 months old and sitting if propped up

I've promised honesty, so I will admit that life with James isn't all smocked outfits and long quiet strolls. He is often a man of extremes. But we do love him in spite of his dynamic personality! Yes, this was taken on the same day...and probably in the same hour.

Dolce Vita

the Byrds

Dolce vita is an Italian phrase meaning “the good life” or “the sweetness of life” (and yes, it is also a show on the Cooking Channel).  Most of my time and focus is spent on the, let’s call them, challenges of my day/week, rather than recognizing and delighting in the blessings and pleasures. I am a realist and a cynic by nature, yet even I cannot ignore the sweetness of life. While I do not consider blogging quite the equivalent of the written word, it must suffice as a means to (or at least an attempt to) document this good life. This sweetness can come in many forms and often goes unnoticed. “Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes but when you look back everything is different” (Prince Caspian). So, welcome to an honest and candid glimpse into the good life, and maybe you too will recognize that you are in the catbird seat as well.