Some Grown-Up Time

Thanks to the attentive childcare provided by Grandma Emely and her girlfriends Trudi and Peggy, John and I were able to take a "Coastal Cruise" last Saturday night on what was one of the most beautiful evenings of the summer.

We listened to a Reggae band onboard, saw multi-million dollar homes scattered along the gorgeous coastline, drank beer, watched the sunset, and let the warm winds whip over us. It was sublime.

Girl Power

One of Finney's best friends, Daisy, has decided that she wants to marry him when they get bigger--so she can have baby Shea as a sister-in-law.

Cereal Killer

We've been noticing around the dinner table lately that, while we dine, little Shea (who's usually on someone's lap at the time or chilling in her buzzy chair nearby), has started paying extra close attention to what we're eating and has even started mimicking our mastication.

So last night, just a few hours short of her four-month birthday, Shea had her first encounter with solid foods. As you can see from the photo series below, she was all over it--like white on rice cereal.

What, Me Worry?

Eat your heart out,
Alfred E. Newman!

Givin' The People What They Want

Thanks for all the great feedback you've all given us about our blog, both online and offline. It's great to know so many friends and family members are tuning in to see how the little ones are growing and changing. Some of the comments we've received include requests for more stories and more group family pictures.

So today we've got a family portrait that was taken at our dear friend Jane's wedding in Northern California in late July. It's rare to get a photo of all four of us, so there aren't many to choose from. Thankfully this one turned out great.

In the meantime, please keep letting us know what you think of our blog and if you have any fun ideas for new post topics!

Cute From Any Angle

OK, so maybe I'm a little biased.

Five Months Pregnant

Give Or Take A Few Decades

FINN: "Mom, are you five today?"

MOM: "I wish, Finney. I wish."

- PAUSE -

- PAUSE -

FINN: "Mom, I want cake for breakfast."

Rub A Dub Dub

Two sweet babies in a tub...

Rattle and Hum

Another baby milestone: Shea's holding her own rattle now! And what kind of rattle would that be, you ask? Why, a Dodgers rattle, of course!

(Stay tuned for photos from her first Dodger game, in about three weeks...)

Our Own Private Camelot

So here's a fun example of the precious, little-guy fashion I alluded to in an earlier post. Now may be the last time I can get away with this type of "dear" clothing--I mean it's a tugboat Jon Jon, after all--so I'm taking every opportunity I can to dress my little guy like the three-year-old he is before it's off to the land of wide-wale cords, truck emblems, dinosaurs, and surf motifs.

The More Things Change, The More They Change

THEN: This is John at age 18. (What a cutie, huh?) Throughout his adolescence he spent most of his summers at the beach, bringing with him only his surfboard and a smile.


NOW: John’s a 39-year-old father of two. (And a total hottie.) This summer we spent a handful of days at the beach—and only thing we didn’t bring was his surfboard.

Where's the OFF Switch, Anyway?!?

Our sweet little Shea has been blessed with the combustible, fiery temper of an Irish lass and the sonic, gutteral growl of of a feisty German frau. And her Italian roots? Fugggghetaboutit.

Earplugs not included.

The Sweetest of Slumbers

What does little baby say,

In her bed at peep of day?

Baby says, like little birdie,

Let me rise and fly away.

Baby, sleep a little longer,

Till the little limbs are stronger.

If she sleeps a little longer,

baby too shall fly away.

—Alfred Lord Tennyson

Daily Photo Fix

My goal is to write a little bit each day on this blog but some days--like today--the entries will have to be short and sweet. I will, however, try to at least post a photo up for those of you who crave the viewing fix. (With our new digital camera I can--and do--blissfully snap away like an Eastman with an itchy trigger finger.)

Closet Encounters

Who knew matching outfits could be so much fun?

Pas De Deux, Part 1

When Finn was born, the main questions John and I fielded from well-wishers included, “How is he sleeping through the night?” “Who do you think he looks like?” and “How are you handling the transition into parenthood?” (The answers, respectively, were “Terribly,” “He’s a true blend,” and “It depends on the day,” by the way.)

But since Shea’s birth, the question I’m most often asked is, “How is Finn handling the new competition?” The answer to this, like most things involved with having two children, is not so simple. The bottom line is that he adores his new baby sister and is learning to find his gentler side since her arrival. But the jealousy I had heard and read so much about manifested itself not in aggression towards Shea, as I had expected, but rather in combativeness towards John and me. In short, Finn became a real pistol.

For the first month or so after we brought Shea home our previously agreeable little guy turned into an argumentative contrarian. If we said up, he said down. If we went left, he went right. You get the picture. On a removed, intellectual level, it’s easy to see that Finn’s stark change in attitude was an attempt to extract attention from his otherwise preoccupied parents. But at the time—as I was unable to access any removed, intellectual levels—it was just a pain.

Thankfully things have evened out since those beginning weeks and we’ve all reached a better level of domestic equilibrium. Shea’s more self-contained now so we have more time for Finn. And Finn realizes that he’s not being replaced so he’s given up the continual pursuit of our attention. But what I've learned is that having two means you'll encounter some surprises along the way, and that the green-eyed monster you're prepared to protect your daughter from will sometimes turn and rear its adorable, sandy-blonde head your way.

Prettier In Pink

As silly as it may sound, when I found out I was going to have a baby girl one of the first things that raced through my folic acid–addled mind was that I was finally going to be able to incorporate tights into my new child’s layette. I know, I know, this sounds incongruous with my character and personal dressing style; after all, I only donned pink during my pregnancy (for the first time since high school, mind you) in an effort to sartorially sway the gestational gender gods towards embracing that second x chromosome. (I called it my “Think Pink” campaign. I guess it worked.)

So it came as a great surprise when I found myself elated—all right, downright giddy—at the thought of finally getting to dress my child in tights. (Sure, Jon Jons are cute for little guys in a Hyannisport kind of way, but the rest of the boys’ wardrobe highlights are pretty dim in my opinion.) This, of course, led to the discovery and celebration of other frilly and feminine finery, many examples of which can be seen in the accompanying photos, including:

* Bows
* Barrettes
* Feathers
* Bikinis
* Peter Pan collars
* Kimono-style shirts
* Embroidery
* Lace (within reason)
* Tuxedo ruffles
* Saddle shoes
* Mary Janes
* Bloomers

One day, of course, when Shea’s able to choose her own clothes, I will gladly let her dictate her own dressing style. (Anything but Goth, that is. God forbid.) But until then, as my only daughter, it’s dress-up time, as she’s destined to be my little (pardon the lousy pun) wo-mannequin.

P.S. Happy Birthday, Mom! : ) Now I understand all the dress-up photos in the old albums.

That's What Friends Are For

Finn loves spending time at his grandparents’ house. He gardens with Opa, configures countless puzzles with Grandma, and generally has complete run of the house when he’s there. One of Finney’s favorite things to do at Moellerhaus is pick up the many framed photographs my Mom has scattered throughout the home and identify the people in the pictures. Sometimes, after he’s done viewing them, however, he has a quirky habit of laying them down flat—and upside down.

Last week, when asked by Opa how a cluster of photographs on the piano ended up flat on their faces, Finn realized he was in a pinch. But knowing that his adoring grandparents will buy nearly every line he casts, he did what any self-preserving slick trickster would—he blamed it on one of his best, but conspicuously absent, buddies: “Frankie Dino did it!”

Finding His Inner Fish

Short of jumping off the high dive on his first day of class, Finney’s well on his way to becoming the little water bug his Uncle Eddie was. (My poor Mom.)

After two weeks of Water Explorations swim classes under the tutelage of Heidi, his dulcet instructor, Finney’s now blowing bubbles, floating on his back with assistance, and submerging himself to retrieve water rings (pink and orange are the current faves). All this effort is—in his mind, as clear as the pool water at 6am—to prepare him for the day when he can finally go surfing with his Papa.

How do I love thee? Let me count the rolls...

As you can clearly see from the adjacent photo, Shea is a healthy, ample girl. At her three-month checkup last week she weighed in at a whopping 15 pounds and measured 25 inches, making her the average size of a five-month-old baby. 'Atta girl—that’s our little overachiever!

The even better news is that she’s regularly sleeping through the night already. An average night of slumber lasts from 10pm to 6am, which makes Mom a happy gal. Looks like all that eating makes for a very sleepy baby. Ah, the life of an infant is sweet, indeed.

The Blog Begins

Welcome to my new blog, the Double Duty Diary!

This is where I hope to keep a continually updated, documented record of the stuff that happens to a homebased mother of two and her family.

Many of our friends and family members are curious to know how Finnegan and Shea are doing--and how John and I are surviving--so instead of clogging everyone's in-boxes with huge photo files, I hope to use this forum as an easy way for you all to access updates to their recent antics, activities and achievements.

Hope you enjoy the postings. Please check in often -- they're growing up fast!