Hi, everybody! Welcome back!If I'm not careful, the entire month of September is going to get away from me with nary a blog post. And September isn't just any month -- it's my blogaversary month. So it really would be a shame to give it no little blog babies (which is a term I've just now created to refer to posts). Now, where were we?
At the end of August, our dear friends Jeanette and Dawn came over for a proper August birthday luncheon. Annabel was more than happy to entertain with her piano playing and highchair tray drumming. Then September came, and brought with it a holiday! The months without holidays are cruel. Yes, I'm looking at you, February, March, April, June, and August (October gets a pass because even though it has no holidays that close work, it has Halloween, which is a Fox Family Favorite). This is a round-about way of saying that Labor Day was fun.
Annabel and I headed to Gulf Shores, where Uncle Bill had gotten a condo. Fox had already planned a hiking outing with his dad before Bill had his stroke of genius. Unfortunately, Tropical Storm Lee also headed to Gulf Shores. We had a great time anyway, and I saw more rain and wind than I knew existed.
This little gangsta loves the wind.
However, I thought my hair might blow right off my head.
With Uncle Bill during my first UT football game, which was not on t.v.It was a little hard to take Annabel to the beach because even during the ten minutes it didn't rain, the wind was blowing the sand so hard it was like getting a free microdermabrasion (which has its benefits). I was scared we were going to get sand in Little Bug's eye though. She took advantage of crawling practice on the king-size bed.
How do I get a king-size crib?
So yes, Annabel is mobile now. She doesn't often do the traditional crawl, though she can. She likes to do more of a stanky-leg crawl where she keeps one leg straight and drags the foot, as a sort of feeler or kick-stand, perhaps. It doesn't have to be pretty -- it gets her where she wants to go. She can get from laying down to sitting up now, and she even tries to pull up, mostly on her crib. I had to lower it some, which really felt like a big-girl step and made me a little sad. The days of her rolled up as an immobile, but snuggly burrito are gone, and they were so short! I've been back at work longer than I was off, and she's almost been out in the world as long as she was on the inside. Before I wax too nostalgic, let me move on...
Fox and the band hit up Athens for a weekend during the middle of the month to start recording their album. I've heard some roughs, and they are boss. Major ups to our buddy Frankie for serving as the Bellwether Station hotel (and for sending me British chocolate). I'm not sure when the next recording weekend is, but I can't wait to have a finished album. Annabel and I had a nice girls' weekend and accomplished lots of errands.
Also, about two weeks ago, I realized out of nowhere that Annabel had two top teeth! She now has FOUR TEETH!! They snuck in like ninjas (and are equally dangerous). She had a fever a few days before, which of course scared me to death. Luckily our pediatrician's answering service is very patient. The fever went away with some Tylenol and did not return. I chalked it up to some weird bug from school, but then a few days later there were two new teeth almost halfway out (I mean, I assume they won't just keep getting longer. They are about half the length of a normal baby tooth. How scary would it be if they just kept growing, like sabertooth tiger teeth? That would certainly be the end of nursing.). I have tried to photograph the teeth, with very limited success.
The bottom teeth I can photograph, the top two like to hide out.Let's see... what else? Atlanta's weather has gotten awesome. I'm so excited it's fall. We've been watching lots of football, and fall food and beverages are the best. If Annabel ever doubts my love for her, I will tell her that I sat out an entire season of pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin beer for her when she was on the inside. I have recently been able to enjoy some of both (in major moderation) and can't believe that it's been almost two years since the last time I had them. Note to self, avoid pregnancy in October if possible.
Though not related to the Foxes Three, it is worth mentioning that R.E.M. broke up. I'm really sad about this. R.E.M. was my first "real" concert (sorry Aunt Ann -- James Taylor was awesome, but everyone sat down the whole time, so it was like a warm-up concert [but thank you so much for taking me because I do love sweet baby James]). It was the 1995 Monster tour with Radiohead opening -- September 11, to be exact, long before that date held its sad significance. It was a school night, it was all the way in Nashville, and I'm so glad my folks knew it was really important to me. Fox and I saw them together twice in law school -- once in Atlanta with Bill and once at the Ryman. Then, in 2006, R.E.M. was being inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. Some other awesome artists were playing a tribute show at the 40 Watt in Athens, but we had a hot tip that R.E.M. was going to show up and play as well (thanks, Fonze -- we will love you forever for many reasons, but this is certainly among them). It was true, and we were rewarded with "So. Central Rain" and "Begin the Begin." Good times... such good times. I hope there are good bands to get excited about when Annabel is a teenager.
Right now, I really just want to play with my feet.
And now we march on into October. I will strive to blog more, since it is such a fun month. I know we will have lots of adventures.
