Moving weekend was a success. The flat and various storage units are essentially empty, the house is essentially full. Midway through the moving weekend Saturday night there was even a moment when the house was a semblance of the home it will soon become. 

Then the next wave of moving came and we were buried in boxes and chairs anew. 

We could not have designed a better move, really. We had no preparation work in place going into the Saturday morning move, and a bare bones team of three assembled. Then, crucial and generous offers of aid came rolling in and we graciously accepted all help. We had an amazing team! We could not have done it without the support muscle and brains of all these great folks. Huge thanks to Duane, Lynn, Margo  Laura, Julie, Greg, Lindsay, Tom and my husband hero, Michael. 

Lake and the kitters did a laudable job as well, providing the motivation and the levity! 

Now, on to the unpacking … and maybe we will even get decorated for Christmas! The important thing is, though, we now have a place to hold our year round Christmas feeling. 

Bundled up good! All ready to go! Mummy is getting ready to walk us to the local UW Health Sciences shuttle stop to transport us directly to Harborview.

Our new commute is underway. It takes us 15 minutes to walk to the shuttle stop. It used to be half block, but the new 15 minute walk was very nice too. Such a pretty day… the mountains were stunning. We admired the Cascades to the East and the Olympics to the west once we were on the shuttle underway as we crossed over the Eastlake Union I 5 bridge. 

Then, zippity doo da: we’ve arrived! We’ve arrived at school! Time to unbundle. 



After a great day at work and school we reverse our commute. We retrace our steps. We catch the shuttle back to the University District:

And now we are back home! Such a trooper, Lake. You took mummy’s day in stride. It’s incredibly special to have spent the day with you. Thank you for being such a willing commuter. A perfect day…I’m glad I spent it with you. 

Lake is growing strong… already six months! These days he gets to hone his development while I’m at work. So instead of spending every moment with him, there are now gaps of 3, 4 or 5 hours. Now he has time to save up some new skills to surprise me. This evening he showed off how steadily he was able to sit in an upright position. There was absolutely no trace of wobbles or threats of topples. He was owning it. Sitting pretty!



We signed our escrow paperwork last night for the new house! Kim Jones of the mobile notary world came to facilitate the transaction. It was a late night family affair. 

It’s hard to believe still, but it’s getting real; we are looking at moving this weekend. We felt like celebrating! So an impromptu popcorn party ensued complete with some singing, happy shrieking, some dancing about and some classic film from the 1990s. Happy six month birthday to Lake! A new home getting all wrapped up for you!

Lake shows a strong affinity for fibers and fine textiles. Perhaps it’s no wonder since he’s been swaddled in silks and cashmere since Day One. His mother has traveled to India: to the Himalayan foothills near Kashmir, the silk bazaars of Delhi and the cottage industry silkworm farms of central India. His play mat is a gorgeous sheepskin from a local sheep raised by Nora Shapiro on her fiber farm in Port Townsend. His bedding is a great family sheepskin from his Grandma Julie. His favorite thing to play with so far, according to all accounts, has been a gold silk scarf I picked up in Santa Fe, New Mexico in the late 90’s. It is slowly becoming beloved gold silk shreds. 

Over Thanksgiving while we were visiting our best friends in Portland he got ahold of Nana Joanie’s bright raspberry yarn. Oooh, did he love that! He was engrossed. 

His Auntie Kendra says:

So the top of Lake’s Christmas list would be 1) scarf 2) string?

And his Auntie Jessica says:

The next Kaffe Fassett

Fassett is an American fiber artist who lives in London. He pioneered what had been the realm of crafts, elevating it as a fine art form. Lake is engaged in his early arts education. 

Then, this weekend visiting other dear friends in Bellingham our young Kaffe Fassett was captured in his first original portrait. So, one budding artist commemorated by another:

Life can be simple and rich. A pen, some paper, a ball of yarn, children. A perfect day. I’m glad I spent it with you!

We made a small foray out into the world of shoppers today for Black Friday. The Hanna Andersson outlet was our destination and pajamas were our goal! Lake also tried on a new pair of jeans. He contemplated his new style before deciding to go ahead and get them. Meanwhile, Mummy and Daddy are moving ahead with our biggest purchase of all time, signing our closing disclosure today. One step closer!

Reportedly Lake wasn’t so interested in the applause on Day Three. There must be a story there. He’s intelligent. When he elegantly illustrates this, it probably shouldn’t, but sometimes it takes me by surprise. Turns out he knows inherently how to take such good care of himself. 

Tuesday night (Wednesday morning actually) was terrible. From 3am to 8am he was crying shrilly and inconsolably. The only thing that comforted him was to keep him on the breast. He ate from 3-4:30 am but then he didn’t go back to sleep the way he normally will if he gets up in the middle of the night, which is in and of itself rare. So then Michael and I were up with him the rest of the night. 

He was sounding in pain. We did not know what was wrong. It was distressing. Every time he would lose his latch he would revert to his cry. In retrospect I think it was the applesauce. A bit overboard on the applesauce at daycare. The well intentioned daycare providers fed him applesauce twice on Monday. Apparently he really liked it. It was his first food, and when I had authorized giving him fruit or vegetables to eat. I’d meant it to be a bit of a distraction in emergencies until I arrived to breastfeed him. Well, he had applesauce three times on Tuesday, where he ate “most of the applesauce” each time. 
Wednesday morning around 8am, just before getting us both ready to head out the door, I had the thought, 

maybe it’s the applesauce. 

So I have him some adult probiotics. So far he had only had neonatal probiotics with bacteria for exclusively breastfeeding babies. So I opened a capsule of my probiotics and shook it in his mouth. He made a face as he smacked on the dry powder, then promptly fell asleep. Into a deep restorative sleep. 

He slept most of the day. He even slept through the daycare fire drill. They piled three other babies in his crib and rolled him outside. He stayed peacefully asleep. And he refused the applesauce. 

Today he’s his old self again. Happy-go-Lucky good natured fellow. Ah, happy Thanksgiving! Thankful to be looking forward to four days of mummy bliss together with him the whole time!

Wishing you all the happiest of holidays as well!                                                                                                                              

We made it through our first day back at work yesterday and first day of Infant School for Lake. Big day. Successful day.

He had his first solid foods. I’m sad I missed witnessing his first food other than direct breastfeeding. But, I have no doubt he enjoyed it thoroughly. Grandpa says on Lake’s behalf:

I can hardly wait to get back there!

Well, baby, here we go!

You’ve got a smile that’s a mile wide!

I overhead Michael remarking to Lake. Later, as I kissed Lake’s knee and leg, he giggled gleefully in response. 

Kiss

Giggle 

Kiss

Giggle

Kiss

Giggle 

He’s so much fun! And he elicits a mile wide smile from mummy too! Wish us luck in keeping those smiles bright as we make the transition back to work today.