A City Life For Me

Yesterday marked two months since Nolan joined our family.  Wow!  Time flies by so fast!  He is such a happy, easy going baby (except in the late evening…I guess everyone needs a fussy time).  Recently he has started smiling and making all kinds of little happy noises.  He loves to have company – definitely the social butterfly type of second child!  If I walk out of the room or he is not included in what is going on, he cries.  He particularly likes his play gym and bouncy chair right now. “Aww, Mom!  Not more pictures!” “You were serious, weren’t you?” There…I captured his smile without blurry movements!  He is very active and always has something in motion!  Nolan’s shirt says “Made You Smile” and that is what he does…everyday!

     

…random lessons from the life of a NYC mommy… :: Sleep is not overrated.  I’ve been getting more of it since Nolan has slept through the night (7+ hours) every night this week.  ::  Elaine is too smart for her own good…sometimes.  She helped herself to a screwdriver to try to open the battery compartment on Nolan’s play gym (when she couldn’t get the music to come on).  Unfortunately, Nolan was right underneath her.  Fortunately, Mommy walked in just in time! :: Elaine watches everything .  She has started nursing her baby doll this week.  Then she burps Betsy.  Just like I do with Nolan. :: The news reporters and weather forecasters are not always right.  Hurricane Irene was a bust, at least in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.  They totally played it up too big.  Ben was told by a reliable source this week that they were trying to make up for botching the snow removal from the Dec. 26th blizzard last year.  We had rain, and ...

Here are some summer activities that we have been enjoying: :: Meeting Erika & Kevin Meader in CT for lunch Kevin & Elaine – same size, Elaine is 7 mo. older Gotta love her face! :: The baseball game which ended up rained out before it started Nolan loves baseball! Dark clouds over the ball park.  They had tarped the field hoping to be able to play the game. :: Time at the park :: Elaine loves being one of the “big kids” now and not needing Mommy’s assistance to play at the park. :: Cooler days mean more play time in Elaine’s room   She has been great at self-entertaining for hours with her toys and books at her bedroom window :: Shopping trips and outings Here we are ready to head to Costco.  Elaine brought her Bible and new purse along! :: Picking weeds flowers on the walk home That’s my girl – she has a great smile :: Ice Cream Cones

Today marks one year since my Gramps stepped into eternity with Jesus.  I can hardly believe that it has been a year.  (Read more here and here ). I’m sure the time has dragged by for Grams as she has had to make many life adjustments.  I was thinking about Gramps this week.  I was remembering everything that took place at this time last year.  I was leaving the Bay Mart after a regular shopping trip.  Elaine was in the stroller.  Mom called and I cheerfully answered the phone.  She said, “It’s not happy news that I’m calling with.  Gramps is in critical condition.”  Gramps is the first loved one that I have lost, and it was very sudden.  I just didn’t expect to hear my mom say those words. After Dad and his siblings made it to Oklahoma to say their goodbyes, the decision was made to remove Gramps from life support.  It was very early in the morning.  Dad called me right afterward Gramps because I am an hour ahead and...

…must show {herself} friendly.”  ~ Proverbs 18:24 Elaine Hamilton, Selah Humala, and Adelei Barker Summer Picnic, 2011 Blessed to have friends!

Our downstairs neighbors just gave Nolan this play gym.  Nolan was a typical male and showed little expression about the new toy.  Elaine, however, was ecstatic.  So Nolan was gracious enough to “share” his new toy with his older sister.  He even put up with her demonstration of how everything works.  Check it out…

I have been telling Ben all summer that I wanted to go and walk along the beach…any beach…in NYC.  The last time we took in a sandy shoreline was in Virginia Beach over a year ago.  Elaine now loves the water and playing outside, so I thought she would enjoy the waves on her toes and building sand castles.  On a perfect-almost-fallish-evening we packed up our gear and headed for Manhattan Beach (which is really in Brooklyn). I dressed Elaine in her swim suit underneath her clothes, even though I intended to walk and not swim at the beach.  I guess that was silly thinking!  We were busy setting down our bags and picking a spot in the sand while Elaine made a bee line straight for the waves.  She went crashing in without regard to depth, sand, or salt.  And she loved it!  She floated, she sank, she held Daddy’s hand, and she shivered, but she did not want to get out.   Swimming with Daddy – I love her pony tail! When we finally ...