Yikes! 10+ Months!

It's been two months since I posted. I've been meaning to do so sooner but family, work, travel, and mommyhood have been keeping me busy! In July I finished off my first semester back at work since Eleanor was born. Even part time the summer semester kicked my butt. I'd love to say my students were stellar, but I haven't seen a group this dedicated to their slackerness in a looong time. It was with, in all honesty, a sigh of relief that classes finished and I handed in my final grades but not before I enjoyed a quick escape to Mexico for a weekend family reunion. The love of family and healthy dose of tacos al pastor fortified me for finals week! Will, like the awesome Dad he is, took care of Eleanor while I was gorging on pozole and elotes. :)

After finals, Eleanor raced off to Canada for two weeks. Grandpere and Abuelita were anxious to see her again. We made the epic trek with careful planning and some strategic stop overs so both E and I would survive the two flight, 4 hour car ride, and ferry ride to Mom & Dad's . Eleanor hadn't met her Uncles, Aunts and cousins on my side of the family yet, but I was saved the trouble of travelling even further when everyone decided to meet up at Mom & Dad's. :) I am always surprised at how much love my daughter inspires. Is it the same for all babies? Is it that she's the result of determination and generosity, of a previously believed impossibility? Is it because she is the baby of the baby of the family, me? Is it that her cousins are all older (7-22 years older) and have a better appreciation of her inherent cuteness? Regardless, I am happy to see her welcomed so warmly to this world and to this family. It was touching to see my big brothers looking out to her as I know they did for me when I was younger. And my sister-in-laws' gentle care of Eleanor as I saw them all do with my own nieces and nephews. Though each cousin was smitten, they were so in different ways. Sara loved E's chub, Keath had many questions about baby Eleanor, Joseph was hesitant but enthralled with the first baby in the family...for him anyways! Grandpere had his share of holding and snuggling 'his girl'. Yes, I have officially lost that position! And abuelita, in true mother-style, was often in charge of feeding Eleanor-giving her the choicest hand fed morsels of blueberries, apples, etc. Though I must say her favorite food was Grandpere's vegetable soup. :) We also took E to meet with Uncle Paul each morning and brought him a few choice morsels for breakfast as well. I'm not sure who enjoyed the garden raspberries more. :) The walks to the lake early in the morning, the trips to the beach-where Eleanor was content to enjoy the sun, sand and company of her cousins, but NOT the cold lake water, and the barbecued food big brothers rustled up were all so relaxing, delicious...and memorable! :)

At 10+ months, Eleanor is now a seasoned traveller with a recent trip to Texas for the long weekend to visit Auntie Margaret who also fed us well. Clearly, we'll go anywhere for good food! :) We are getting more adept at having all the right tricks up our sleeve, or in our diaper bag as it were, for making plane travel with a baby smoother and Eleanor even recognizes her portable crib now and crawls right in! All this makes for a happier Mommy and Daddy! We still can't push bedtime any later than 7pm though; we have to relearn that one again every once in a while. It's no surprise that a daughter of ours would love her 11 hours of sleep per night!

Eleanor now has 6 teeth. The two bottom ones came in earlier around 8 months, as I previously wrote. The top four came in one after another as we were wrapping up our trip in Canada. That would explain her fussier eating and crankiness over her mouth. :( She seems like such a big girl now! We loved her gummy smile. :) She is eating well...sometimes it seems like she's insatiable! She'll have a bowl or two of whatever's on the menu for lunch and then gobble up whatever finger food you put in front of her: cheese, cheerios, blueberries, grapes, etc. :) She'll eat what we are eating too...so we get to introduce her to a wider world of gastronomical pleasure. :) E needs all that food as she is motoring around now. She crawls all around the house; we've baby proofed but she sure finds what she shouldn't get into quickly! And she pulls herself up to standing by grabbing onto whatever is nearby the coffee table, a chair, your legs. :) Of course, she then has access to what's on the table. You see where I'm going here...nothing is safe from her reach now! :) But it is a delight to watch. She learns so quickly...to stand, to sit back down gently, to peer over the edge of a table. One week with 15 family members in Canada also seemed to open the gates a bit more for her to vocalize. She babbles more now and surprises us with her new but totally incomprehensible sounds!

This summer has also brought some surprises for Will and I. We were told that I will be needing another surgery to replace part of my aorta; this will be my third surgery, but still 'a big deal' as my cardiologist puts it. We have decided to do this surgery locally at the end of September and have been touched by the support of friends and family. Being far from Canada and having a little one complicates things, but we are so lucky to have such good friends and family-here, in Canada, and in Mexico-who are willing to help out in anyway they can. It means so much to us. I am reminded at the breadth of the human experience-the fear of the unknown and the kindness, generosity, and love of those around us. I strive for gratitude more than fear because I have so very much that I am grateful for. :)