A Working Week
This past week has been pretty exciting for the Gribble girls, as we started working two days a week on Monday. Before we had to go into work, though, we enjoyed a wonderful weekend!
On Saturday we went to a second baby party for our friends the Brinkmans and the Bronskis. John’s little sibling, sex as of yet undetermined, will make his or her way into the world on Tuesday, May 25, and Baby Bronski, Marin’s little sister, is due at the end of July. We can’t wait to meet our new young friends!
On Sunday we went to church and then hung around there until 3:00 p.m. for a coffee house that was both a fellowship event and a fundraiser for a mission trip to Pine Ridge Reservation that will occur next summer. Dave was in charge of lining up the acts, and he did a great job organizing, recording, and being the emcee. He also played some sax duets with Katie and a great jazz piece with Gladi on piano. I read a personal essay I wrote back in college. It was such a fun afternoon! There were many musical acts along with some dancing and poetry. Church members exhibited art that they’d created. We’ll have to make it an annual event.
Now that I’m driving the car more than Dave, it’s my responsibility to record important events like the odometer ticking over to big round numbers! Alas, I missed 250,000, so I took a photo of 250,250 instead.
Good old Taco...still going!
I guess you know you’re a parent when you’re videotaping your sweet little girl falling asleep!
Phoebe kicking around…and sneezing…in her carseat.
Phoebe asleep after eating on Sunday evening.
Phoebe’s first day of work went pretty well. We brought her borrowed farm (there’s a cow, horse, and chicken with a cowboy hat hanging above her head—thanks, Genevieve, for the loan!) and she slept in her carseat. She sleeps for a four-hour stretch almost every day, so I got some work done. It was kind of fun to get back into it; I mostly checked my e-mail that first day.
Office with sleeping baby.
On Wednesday I went a little crazy taking photos of our happy baby underneath her farm. Bear with me.
Hands in motion.
What a sweetie!
Something must be funny.
Happy with a horse overhead.
About to sneeze.
Try not to get dizzy as you watch this swooping exploration of farm life…
Phoebe has two new developments this week. She gets tears in her eyes when she cries (so sad!) and pouts (even sadder!). These are obviously meant to make Mommy and Daddy feel horrible and attend to her needs immediately…
Pouting baby.
Thank goodness she looks so cute in her summer outfit! (It’s going to be 85 degrees this weekend.)
Look at the fuzzy monkey!
Rear view.
We’re Back!
When we left you last Tuesday, we were awaiting a visit from Dave’s sister Erika, her partner Heidi, and their daughter, Genevieve. They arrived in the afternoon, after taking a very early flight from Pittsburgh and picking up a rental car. They were pretty tired, so we spent a quiet evening at home chatting. Genevieve wasn’t particularly interested in Phoebe except when she cried—then G would stop exploring and look worried. She did like Phoebe’s bouncy chair! She’s pulling up on furniture and even the walls, so she’s bound to walk soon.
Genevieve takes a look at Phoebe.
On Wednesday, we all (minus Dave, who had to work) went down to the Pearl Street Mall to walk around. I put Phoebe in the Baby Bjorn, and Genevieve sat in her stroller. We stopped in at Little Mountain Outfitters to try out backpacks—Genevieve was a great sport about sitting in the backpacks while we walked around the store! We also went to Peppercorn, the most fabulous kitchen store in Boulder. Phoebe and I had to go to my six-week appointment with the midwives, where I got a clean bill of health! Then back into town, where we all met up at Bookends to head over to Old Chicago for dinner.
Genevieve eats a piece of broccoli. You should've seen the ring of veggies that surrounded her high chair by the time we left!
On Thursday, Erika, Heidi, and Genevieve went down to the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. I stayed home to work on the curtains. It took all day, but I finished all four, hung the other rod, and finished the project! Hooray!
We finally have curtains to block out the moon and the streetlights!
Phoebe making Blue Steel (from Zoolander).
On Friday morning the six of us (again minus Dave) went to the zoo with Emily, John, Katie, and Henry. I hadn’t been to the zoo in years! Phoebe slept the whole time, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
It was a chilly morning. Thanks, Marpoo, for the warm suit!
I’m partial to the primates.
Silverback gorilla.
But the elephants, bears, and other animals were great too.
Perhaps the most fun animals, however, were the little boys…
Henry and John.
The Gribble/Monroe gang.
Dave and I went to the bookstore for a while when he was done with work.
Jess and Phoebe snuggle at the bookstore.
On Saturday, Dave rode his bike to Amante to watch the Giro d’Italia on TV with Elijah, but they weren’t showing it. We met him there and headed up to Nederland to hike in the mountains a bit. Genevieve borrowed Henry’s backpack and seemed to enjoy being outside. Phoebe napped in the Bjorn with Daddy.
Dave and Phoebe hiking in Nederland.
Heidi and Genevieve (seconds before she removed the sunglasses).
We came home and had an early dinner at Efrain’s and then watched the movie Bad Lieutenant. (I went to bed before it was done—it wasn’t really my cup of tea.)
On Sunday, Dave, Phoebe, and I went to church and then we all drove up to Estes Park to see the national park. Heidi hadn’t been there before. We tried to hike, but it was too snowy for tennis shoes, so we ended up just admiring the snowy mountain views.
Daddy and Phoebe in the mountains.
On Monday, Erika, Heidi, and Genevieve went to the Leanin’ Tree museum in the morning. Dave took half a day off work, and we walked around Pearl Street Mall some more. We ate lunch at Snarf’s and stopped in at the teahouse. Dave and I went to YABS that evening while Erika and Heidi packed to head home. We had a birthday party for John, who turned two!
Party hats.
John tries valiantly to blow out the candles on his fish cake.
Tuesday morning at 3:00 a.m. Erika, Heidi, and Genevieve left for home. We had such a nice visit! We can’t wait to see them again when Phoebe is more interactive and Genevieve is walking and causing mischief.
Excitingly, Phoebe has begun to smile this week. When she’s in a good mood, she’s all smiles, waving arms, and kicking legs. See, for instance, this photo and video from Tuesday:
Happy baby!
On Wednesday, Phoebe had a therapeutic bath, since she had a bit of tummy trouble. Luckily, she really enjoys the bath. (She must take after Mommy!) She hasn’t had as many gas problems in the past few days, for which I’m thankful. It’s no fun when she’s in pain!
Phoebe relaxing after her bath.
Happy, smiley baby!
I discovered that Phoebe can follow a mirror moving side to side. She’s becoming so talented!
She seems to enjoy her silky blanket square.
Tuesday Morning
We had a nice weekend. We went to church on Sunday morning and then to the coffee shop for a few minutes. Dave and Katie had a band concert in the afternoon, so Chris and Beth came over and went to the concert with us. It was a little sad for me not to play the music I’d practiced before Phoebe was born, but it was also kind of fun to be in the audience and know the music so well. Afterward, the Edelmeiers and Johnsons came over for brats and French fries.
Yesterday Phoebe and I slept in until 9:30 a.m. because Sunday night was kind of rough. (Tummy ache and the moon coming in the window conspired to keep all of us awake in the middle of the night.) Once we got all of the morning stuff out of the way, P and I went to Target to get new socks and to Home Depot to get curtain rods. Dave and I haven’t added a single curtain to the house since we bought it, but we did buy some material to use for curtains in our bedroom. I spent most of the afternoon hanging a curtain rod and sewing curtains for one of the windows in the bedroom. I have a very old, but quite beautiful, portable Singer sewing machine that I don’t use very often.
Sewing machine from Aunt Nancy.
Because I’m not particularly talented in the craft department, I did succeed in making curtains—but they’re too narrow. I’m almost positive I didn’t measure wrong; I think I just sewed wrong! I think I might still have enough material left to re-do that window and do the other one.
Nice, but too narrow!
(Mind, you I had to feed and soothe Phoebe throughout the day too.) We invited our new interim pastor to dinner, so around 4:30 p.m. I started cooking and cleaning to be ready for him to arrive. We had chicken stir-fry, rice, a green salad, and apple crisp. It was a very pleasant evening. When Pastor Brian left, we watched House, which Dave had had the foresight to record.
This morning has been much more chill than yesterday, although Phoebe has a terrible stomachache. I think it’s my fault—I put too much garlic in the stir-fry. Anyway, she’s asleep now and I’ve cleaned the house to prepare for the arrival of Erika, Heidi, and Genevieve sometime this afternoon!
Sleeping baby. Look how much her face has filled out!
She's almost found her thumb!
There’s a really cute yawn near the end of this video—otherwise it’s just some tongue wiggling and arm waving.
Dirt Showers, Food, and More Baby
On Thursday, we had a spring rain that left dirt all over the car! I’ve heard of acid rain, but mud rain is a new one. Weather forecasters had this to say:
Spring rains are typically refreshing, but Thursday morning’s moisture was mixed with dirt, depositing a dustlike film is some areas. And while some might suspect the volcano in Iceland as the messy culprit, experts say that was unlikely.
‘We can’t prove or disprove it, but it’s more than likely not the volcano,’ said Frank Benton, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Strong windstorms out of the Southwest likely kicked up dust as they roared across deserts in Arizona and southwestern Colorado on Wednesday, sending particulates into the jet stream, which were then washed from the sky as rain fell overnight and Thursday morning, Benton said. ‘It’s high winds across the desert and jetstreams,’ Benton said. ‘Then the rain came and dumped it to the ground.’ (Story by Kieran Nicholson, The Denver Post, 4/30/10)
On Thursday, Phoebe was wide awake quite a bit. She’s spending more and more of the day looking around and working out her little legs and arms. In this video, I broke my self-imposed two minute limit because I got enraptured by her karate kicks and chops.
However, she did sleep adorably some of the day.
This hand is even more pronounced than the last one!
More kicking, this time while lying on the Boppy. (The color balance is a little better in this one.)
This is just a series of totally cute Phoebe photos…
Pot pie dough.
Yesterday, I spent almost the whole day cooking. Brenda and Michael came over for dinner and I wanted to try a pot pie recipe I found online. It started with a whole chicken! I had no idea you could make stock or soup by boiling a raw chicken…for some reason, I thought it had to be roasted first. I guess heat is heat! First I made stock (with some left over to freeze) and set aside the chicken meat. Then I used my new food processor to make the pie crust.
An hour or so before we were planning to eat, I made the filling. I bought 10 oz. ramekins at the grocery store specifically for these pies, but they’ll be good for dessert tarts too. I rolled out the dough, topped the pies (the recipe doesn’t call for a bottom crust), and used a wooden spoon to brush on the egg wash (I don’t have a pastry brush). The pies baked for 25 minutes. I also made a couscous salad. I frosted the chocolate layer cake I’d made the day before. (Chocolate icing with a spring flower in green, pink, and yellow…why didn’t I take a photo to show you? I guess I’ll have to make another cake sometime soon…) The pot pies were just amazing—totally worth a day spent happily in the kitchen. The cake was great too. My mom used to make cookies all the time, so on Thursday I made oatmeal raisin bars. What’s the point of maternity leave if you can’t do some cooking? Phoebe and I are getting out for a walk daily, so I think we’re counteracting a few extra desserts.
Today it’s sunny and beautiful outside. Since it’s Saturday morning, we’re at the coffee shop. Erica, Adam, and Henry are coming over for lunch and we’re planning to Skype with Mom, Don, Erika, Heidi, and Genevieve later on. E, H, and G are flying out on Tuesday for the Grand Meeting of the Cousins. We’re looking forward to seeing them! Photos ops should abound, so stay tuned.
A Failed Weigh-in and Other Activities
Yesterday Dave took his bike on the bus to work so that he could get to his dentist appointment while Phoebe and I went to a Rainbow Child Care board meeting in the afternoon. However, he forgot his healthcare checkbook, so we needed to drive over to Eltron. Phoebe and I slept in until 9:30 a.m., so we had to hurry to accomplish our morning routine before meeting Dave at 11:30 for a walk around one of the twin lakes. The mountains were just gorgeous in the distance, brilliantly snowy against a crystal blue sky.
The Indian Peaks from Gunbarrel.
Daddy carries Phoebe on our walk.
After our walk, we bought stamps at the post office and stopped by Bundle to drop off the dirty diapers that the Lupus Foundation had returned. A lovely woman named Amanda answers the phone at Bundle; she’s always cheerful. We hung around in the shop for 40 minutes or so, chatting with Amanda and feeding and diapering Phoebe. Amanda loves babies and was tickled to hold Phoebe. I bought a couple of small diaper covers, because Miss P is likely to outgrow her extra-smalls pretty soon. Then we went to Target to get some more thank you cards. We were both starving when we got home!
At 4:30 p.m. we left for the Rainbow meeting, which was relatively short. We picked Dave up at the Laughing Goat and then got a pizza from Pizza Hut; their any-pizza-for-ten-dollars deal is too good to pass up! We ate dinner calmly, little realizing that Phoebe was getting ready to explode. She must’ve had a stomachache again, as we spent the next couple of hours trying to calm her and make her comfortable. She was screaming her head off! She finally fell asleep around 10:45 p.m. and we followed her to bed. I guess the stomachache had resolved, because she only got up once to eat and be changed, at about 3:30 a.m. She got up again at 5:45 a.m., which is basically morning. It would’ve been a great night, if it hadn’t been preceded by screaming!
This morning, Phoebe was in a great mood, and we’ve had a nice day. She’s basically outgrown all of her newborn outfits and feels really hefty, so we wanted to weigh her. I tried to use my new kitchen scale, but after trying to tare a pewter platter that she would fit on, wiping up her pee after she got scared, and discovering that the scale tops out at 9 lbs, 14 oz, I gave up. I’m guessing she’s about 9 lbs 5 oz or so, but that’s just conjecture.
Look at that round belly and chubby face!
Phoebe's first 0-3 month pajamas.
I got a few chores done today: laundry, dishes, and I cleaned out the trap for the kitchen sink. That’s about the grossest thing I’ve ever done, including cleaning Ted Pastor’s long black hair out of the shower drain at our house in college. (And that was really yucky.) The sink trap goop smelled bad. It was full of kitchen scraps, my hair (??), and an entire popsicle stick! But the water drains much better now.
Tonight we’re headed to the Johnsons’ so that Dave and Katie can practice a saxophone duet for a coffee house fundraiser at church in mid-May. We’ll have dinner and hang out until Henry’s ready for bed. Wish us a calm night full of sleep!