Keeping Warm Thoughts...

I realized tonight, that our faithful blog-readers didn't get a fair dose of Texas this year. Given that we were supposed to be in SA both this week and next, I am going to treat us all to an impromptu cyber visit to the Lone Star State. This is my first time around with One True Media and I can't figure out how to do the music, so feel free to hum the Oscar Peterson tune of your choice (may he rest in peace, dear soul), I picked Bye Bye Blackbird.

I also couldn't figure out how to do the captions. Below are highlights of our Texas vacation in August 2007:

Scene 1: Lunch at Blanca's with Baby
Scene 2: Playdate with Rosemary and a trip down sepia-toned memory lane
Scene 3: Harvey practices for his next gig
Scene 4: Genevieve takes Harvey to the Childrens' Museum. Harvey bakes a pie with a little help...
Scene 5: Tasty peach pie
Scene 6: Joe's gig at the Continental with Elana and friends
Scene 7: H puts on shoes, getting ready to go home
Scene 8: Back in PA - we had a "grape" time! (sorry, bad pun, but aren't those grapes divine? I do declare that they look rather biblical)

By the way, I am on heavy doses of Percodan and Advil to manage sugery pain. This has caused cloudiness of my brain function and increased daytime sleepiness - hence the 3:30 AM posting and inability to figure out how to keep up with the latest blogger technology. PS Thanks KKH for the idea to do this. I LOVED yours!

Free MySpace slideshows, photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Zoo Two

We had two weeks off from teaching. After a few days of NYC we headed north (brrr!) to Boston where Harvey enjoyed his second Zoo trip in Jamaica Plain. We stayed with our friends Cathy and Ron in Roslindale and Harvey bonded with their 3 kids. He especially liked trying to keep up with the older boys Cooper (4) and Henry (7). They had so many toys that he wasn't interested in trying to go up and down the stairs!!

Binky and the Beach

Bedouin Baby

بدوي

Bedouin, derived from the Arabic badawī (بدوي), a generic name for a desert-dweller, is a term generally applied to Arab nomadic pastoralist groups, who are found throughout most of the desert belt extending from the Atlantic coast of the Sahara via the Western Desert, Sinai, and Negev to the eastern coast of the Arabian desert. It is occasionally used to refer to non-Arab groups as well, notably the Beja of the African coast of the Red Sea.

Our Baby Bedouin travelled across the sands of Port Aransas, Texas. It was necessary to keep the binky in the mouth to avoid sand consumption. We learned quickly that SPF has to be put on BEFORE reaching the beach. Rubbing SPF over sand coated tender skin is so not pleasant!

Too Big for the Airplane

The packing list is already too long. We are torn about bringing the pack-n-play as a substitute crib. So we are posting these pictures for our dear friend Catherine in Fontainebleau who will help us to get a crib and a high chair so that nothing is lost in the translation. What IS the french word for crib, anyway?

Taxi Touchay!

Harvey LOVES his new toy! Thanks to M and MJ.

I am still reeling about the extra $295 we have to pay for Harvey's flight. Is it a "crying" surcharge? Harvey is a good traveller and very compliant. I think that the baby-fee should be on a sliding scale depending on how cranky the baby is during the flight.

Globe Crawler

Harvey is so excited about going to France that he started checking out other cool places to visit on the planet. We are waiting for his passport to arrive. Joe took the photo for it and the passport lady at the Post Office exclaimed that it was the best baby picture she'd ever seen on a passport. Today I spoke with the travel agent and we still haven't been guaranteed the bulkhead with a bassinet yet. US Airways has been a bit over the top. They charged us $295 for Harvey even though he's not getting his own seat! Meanwhile, we are trying to figure out what to take. Should we bring the carseat and stroller transportation system and pack-n-play? Should we try to find a crib for loan in Fontainebleau?

Harvey goes to Starbucks

Yes, I'd like a double grande breastmilk latte on the rocks please.

Texan Taxi and Toe Troubles

Harvey was a calm and patient traveller, but his parents were not so lucky.
1. 9:45 to 11:47 A.M. drive from NYC to Philly.
2. 11:48 to 1:45 pack, breast-feed,check email and make the 1:46 R5 Train from St. Davids to 30th Street Station (Philly)
3. Elevator down
4. Elevator up
5. Wait for R1 (52 minutes late)
5. R1 Train from 30th Street to Airport
6. Puddlejumper from Philly to Newark (view of NJ Turnpike from the plane window) "Honey, weren't we just there 6 hours ago?"
7. Shuttle from Terminal A to Terminal C. Moving sidewalks and the miracle of draft beer and 3 elevators get us through security check and all the way to gate 97 (the furthest possible point)
8. Plane from Newark to San Antonio. Harvey is a dream baby. The flight attendant is afraid that he is losing oxygen because he sleeps so soundly.
9. Arrive late at midnight... everyone's asleep.
10. No problem. We'll take a cab.
11. Before Joe can strap in the baby and Laura can get in cab, the driver takes off. Joe yells at driver and Laura screams as cab drives over her toe. Ibrahim,the driver, slams on brakes, causing cab door to smash into Laura's face. Luggage is removed from cab and accident reports filled out with airport police.
12. Sister Genevieve arrives to rescue us.
13. Vacation Begins!....more to come.

Texas Trio

Harvey didn't like the sun in his eyes. Notice the Kerr ancestor engraved on the Alamo Monument

Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

Harvey is now in San Antonio. It is so warm that he doesn't need to wear footed sleepers - a onesie will do! He was remarkably good for the airplane rides. He hardly ever cried or needed a diaper change. He sucked his binky the whole time. He was the envy of all of the other parents toting trying tots! Yesterday he met Aunt Teresa and Aunt Genevieve - that puts the Aunt Count at 6. He slept for 5 hours in the pack-n-play that Aunt Chita bought for him, woke up at 3 AM, nursed, and proceeded to "talk" to himself. It was the funniest thing - it sounded like he was speaking in about 27 different languages. Finally he went to sleep. Tonight we did a four step Cradle Cap removal process to get him all gussied up for dinner at Rosemary and Jimmy's. Tomorrow is his 3 month birthday. He is 12 pounds and 3 ounces. Happy Birthday Pooka!