whittiBaby

Yeah, well I had pneumonia for 3 months, the stomach flu twice, had a baby, and you know some other things...so I've been a little busy lately.

2010-02-23T14:14:00.007-05:00

I won't try and distract from my delinquency for posting with witty banter and whimsical excuses. Instead I'll lean on your sympathies and say, it's oh so much work being pregnant, and I've been sick, and a dog ate my camera, and my computer doesn't like me, and i was hypnotized by wandering gypsies and they wouldn't release me from their spell until i mended all the holes in their socks ...so please oh please find it in your heart to forgive me....more photos to come soon - stay tuned.

tutu take two

2009-03-31T09:22:00.003-05:00

A heroic Trent escorts ballerina Seneca past the frolicking dogs and over the mountainous snow bank. All while he successfully carries his pacifier in his mouth and she a treasured leaf in her hand.

good day sunshine

2009-03-31T09:19:00.003-05:00

Trent, Seneca, and Mia enjoy Pond Skimming, Chocolate Milk, and the beautiful day.

it's been tutu long

2009-03-27T10:29:00.016-05:00

it's been awhile...what can i say - we've been busy. on any given day seneca is a ballerina, a princess, or a mermaid...sometimes she's a ballerina princess mermaid.
and even though christmas was 3 months ago, she sees no problem with waking up in the morning and singing "jingle bells" her favorite part is saying the "hey!"
we went and spent a few days with carole annie and uncle jako...while there seneca spent her first night in a big girl bed (a matress on the floor) the next day she was tired and made her way upstairs, shut the door, and took a 2.5 hour nap. she's growing up.

trent, rohin, seneca.....and peek-a-boo nate

bath time!

lovely fairy girls

Amy, Alicia, Julianna and me at Thanksgiving...a few weeks later Julianna welcomed into the world Phineas

David cookin' it up...

Story time with Alicia.

yup

sledding is the best. especially when you get to bring along your "baby."

taking turns pulling.

aspen gives trent and seneca a lift.

check it out - seneca's in underpants...she's a "potty" girl!

"cindy lou who" on christmas morning....

seneca and katie strategize the present pile

aunt lisa and the elves opening the big box.

cruisin' along on the moving sidewalk fish tunnel thing in the atlanta aquarium.

hi "d", hi "k", hi "toad"

xoxo

awesome.

watching the jelly fish a.k.a. "ballerina fish"

feeding time in the tropical tank

grandma sandwich.

this is what -20 looks like

yup - that's my hat...confiscated by my mini-me.

mia and seneca having a "ball". science is wicked cool at the montshire museum.

still trying to identify that big ass moth I stepped on awhile back....

seneca's required accessory for school....seriously.

"i like purple, but pink is my favorite." direct quote.

housekeeping

2008-11-18T20:57:00.003-05:00

i was cleaning up my desk, going through the stack of cds that have piled up and came across these from our visit down south a year and a half ago...wow.

Man, we've been busy

2008-11-11T11:40:00.021-05:00

HI! Holy smokes, do we owe you an apology! We've been having so much fun (Carole Ann and Jako got hitched, going to Canada, visiting with Grandma and Grandpa, celebrating birthdays) that we haven't taken the time to share photos with you. In a vain attempt to make it up to you here are a bunch of photos to keep that dazzling smile on your face.

Gettin' the rig ready for our ride

Aside from popsicles, Bubbles are the funnest thing about summer....

Rehearsal Dinner for C&C's wedding

Wearing mommy's shoes

It's official, Jaka is her Uncle!! Seneca preformed her role as flower girl perfectly.

all it takes is a bucket of water and Senec is entertained. It's the simple things. Our trip up to Canada went much smoother this year.

Nana love

required family shot

ICE CREAM!!!!!

Music lessons with Nanny and Nana

Grandpa lovin...

mmmmmm....blueberries do a belly good.

stone skipping lessons

Seneca explains the physics behind the proper splash

Grandma teaches Seneca that science is cool.

Cheese! Seneca turned two! Nana came to help celebrate, and help open presents.

dueling harmonicas

...more presents!

Janice!!!

Lordy, Lordy, guess who's 40?!?

Trent and Seneca: BFF

A cow says "moooooo". Photos from our visit to Dan & Melissa's...

fall

2008-10-13T08:44:00.003-05:00

summer's gone to fall and seneca's growing like a weed... wood is split and stacked and soon we'll be thinking 'bout getting seneca on skis for the first time...

Happy 4th of July!!

2008-07-08T13:19:00.003-05:00

It's our first year being in the valley for the fourth of July (normally we're up north for Canada day). Good times, Good Times. We rode our bikes down to Warren, I was in the parade, Jeff and Seneca stood on the sidelines (along with about 1,000 others) and cheered.

27 photos to keep you smiling.

2008-06-09T09:24:00.010-05:00

This morning Seneca and I were doing our version of "this little piggy". They go skiing, to the museum, hiking, and today one "ate chocolate cake". Well at this Seneca looked at me and said "mmm. I like cake". I love her. Every day she says something new. Recently she said "I love watermelon". The juicy fruit was dribbling down the front of her face and covered her shirt. Admittedly I am a little jealous of the fruit - I have yet to hear her say "I love mommy". When we go for walks around the block with Bronte - Seneca likes to yell "Broooonteeeee - where are you?" in that sing song way...

Mommy's little cupcake helper.

..and later she helped eat the cupcakes!

3 - 2 - 1 BLAST OFF. Caleb helps set up the stomp pad and Seneca takes care of the rest!

"GO GATORS!!!!" Katie sent this dress to Seneca just after she was born...it's no coincidence that Seneca has orange crocs and her dad has blue.

Sometimes, I feel like the paparazzi. I'm always chasing after Seneca with the camera snapping photos of her. But I convince myself it's okay, because I'm do it all for you - her number one fan.

Seneca says "Check out my new bike helmet. Safety first."

Stretching before moving to her floor exercises...

Second position

Port de bras front.....and back.

Échappé

Nana came for a visit recently and together she and Seneca created masterpieces with Crayola's washable markers.

Be honest - do these shoes make my butt look fat?
Seneca is all about shoes lately.

These are Seneca's favorite shoes....the orange pair, not the blue - those are Jeff's. I just wanted to give some perspective on how tiny her feet are. She loves these and Trent has a matching pair.

Seneca says.....

2008-05-14T13:59:00.004-05:00

MMMMM.....I LIKE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE.

Photos of Seneca enjoying a tasty treat at her pal Janice's.

keeping it clean

2008-05-11T20:04:00.007-05:00

i came downstairs the other morning to find jenn and seneca engaged in some sort of magician's battle...

seneca has become obsessed w/washing her hands. can't complain, but the well may run dry.

sorry the pic quality isn't that great, had to get a new cell phone and opted for the one w/the "good" phone, mp3 player, email, etc. went from having a phone in my pocket to a mini-computer. i'm pretty geeked-out.

nana is here visiting, helping w/wedding invites, hanging w/the muffin. pics to follow... Mary's been a huge help. thanks Nana!

just another morning...

2008-05-06T09:30:00.001-05:00

seneca looking especially cute wearing a dress grandma rose sent her...

Mack Attack

2008-04-12T13:26:00.013-05:00

On a recent whirlwind trip through Boston we met Madi's little brother Stephen Mack. He's awesome and Madison is the best big sister ever.

Cheese! You know, getting a photo of three cute kids looking cute at the same time is hard! How do those baby GAP photographers do it??

Doe a deer..Seneca and Madi jam out.

Seneca, Lesli, and Gus play hide and go seek. Yes, they all squeezed into that closet.

hmmm....where could Seneca and Lesli be? These peeping piggies are a sure give away.

"Peak-a-boo" Seneca's favorite hiding spot is the shower. She spends a lot of time just hanging out in there.

Love, Peace, and Ponchos man...knitwear by Gisela (Uncle Jako's crafty mom). She made me a matching one!

"HEY! LOOK AT ALL MY TEETH!"

Seneca has some quiet time with her shape sorter. Sigh, some day we'll properly hang the curtains I sewed.

Daddy's little helper...

These boots are made for: walkin'; stompin'; hoppin'; running. Boy, those are some good boots.

This hat was a birthday present to Jeff that I knit with my own two hands. Yes. I am proud.

High Five and all that Jive...

2008-03-31T14:24:00.007-05:00

AT 19 months Seneca can say and do a lot. In no particular order here are some of her vocabulary words:

Mommy
Daddy
no
I want that
no
hi
bye bye
nana = banana
ball
apple
no
doggy
cat
mooo
baaa
grrrr
no
juice
baby
momo = elmo
more
no
color
bot = up
no
blast off
dodo = dora
boots
shoes
socks
outside
no
bath
shower
no
whheeee
uh oh
woaha
soup
shhhh...baby's sleeping

she loves to color, dance, sing, twirl on her tip toes until she's so dizzy she falls down, hold a wipe in one hand and suck her thumb, blow on her eggs because they're "hot", snuggle with bronte, play outside, go into the shower and hide, "read" books, stomp in mud puddles, "count" backwards then jump up and say "blast off", say "cheese" when you go to take her photo, and give lots of hugs...she's pretty stingy with the kisses but that doesn't stop us from giving her kisses all the time. she's also just chatting up a storm, but Jeff and I have no idea what's she's actually saying...we're waiting for that day when she just walks up and says "mommy, could you please help me get the crayons down off the shelf? i'd like to color daddy a picture."

at 18 months she was 23 lbs. 10 oz and 32 1/2 inches tall.

tell all your friends

2008-03-05T21:54:00.008-05:00

holy smokes it's been awhile! since like Thanksgiving - so without further delay, here's a whole slew of photos in no particular order from the past 3 months. details on Seneca and life in general to come later - I promise it won't be another 3 months.

Bath time!

2008-01-18T10:41:00.001-05:00

I'm guessing these are the kind of pics we can whip-out when Seneca is a teenager to really embarrass her! Of course, when the camera comes-out, Little Miss S tries to steal the show - this time w/a kiss. She certainly isn't afraid to go after what she wants. Sometimes I worry about those Jordan boys, but I'm getting the feeling Seneca will be the one they need to worry about!

SO LONG!!!

2008-01-14T10:44:00.001-05:00

i can't believe how long it's been since our last entry! 3 major holidays have whizzed-by and we've got a zillion photos to post! here are a cpl from a morning photo-shoot in mid-December for our holiday card that we just didn't quite find the time to finish (or mail). in our free-time we could a) go skiing in knee deep powder or b) make a holiday card. hmmm... before this winter is out, there's a pretty good chance seneca will be out on skis! she took to sledding like a champ, why not go for it!? oh yeah, lots of good pics of sledding too... so many pics!

morning walk

2007-11-21T10:56:00.001-05:00

the weather be a changin'. the morning walk takes a bit of prep work these days...

but it's worth it...

bronte agrees...

what ya'll doing down in the south, come on up for a winter visit!

Blast from the past:

2007-11-05T15:46:00.000-05:00

A few weeks after Seneca was born her Aunt Lisa hopped onto a plane in Florida and came to visit. These pictures were stored somewhere unknown to us on our crummy point and shoot $25 digital camera. For whatever reason they surfaced when I was downloading some video of Seneca (soon to be posted). It appears that Aunt Lisa was so absorbed by Seneca's itty bittyness that we never did get a photo of her looking at the camera...

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

2007-11-01T09:09:00.000-05:00

Fueling up before taking on the evil Empire...

"Watch, I will use the force, and change my own diaper."

"Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi; you're my only hope."

"I don't know who you are or where you've come from, but from now on you'll do as I say, okay?"

"Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?"

Princess Leia takes down the tall lady who makes her eat peas.

Leggo my eggo

2007-10-22T11:54:00.000-05:00

Some babies have a special blanket, some a special pacifier...Seneca has an eggplant.
Our friends Deb and Mary gave Seneca this special stuffed veggie - little did they know it would become an integral part to Seneca's sleeping routine. She tucks her knees under tummy, sticks her bum up into the air, clutches Eggo in one hand, and stuffs her thumb in her mouth.

Brrrrrrr......

2007-10-18T10:14:00.000-05:00

Time to unpack the parkas and unveil Seneca's new BLUE HAT! It's been below freezing at night.

THANK YOU!

2007-10-12T10:40:00.000-05:00

Many thanks to Carole Annie and Uncle Jako who played and loved and loved and loved with Seneca last weekend so Jeff and I could spend a night out in Boston.

Apple in my eye

2007-10-12T09:56:00.000-05:00

Another juicy adventure with Miss Seneca Maeve.

walkin'

2007-10-08T09:14:00.001-05:00

Seneca "HEARTS" Trent

2007-09-25T11:16:00.000-05:00

Orange you glad I'm walking?

2007-09-24T08:28:00.000-05:00

Seneca is stumbling around better than most frat boys on a Saturday night. It's tricky to capture on video because once she sees the camera she is desperate to get her pudgy little hands on it and ends up speed crawling over to me. Someday she'll be as confident at walking as Trent. He had no problem cruising around while sporting Seneca's orange patent leather loafers. You might not see Trent clearly in the videos...but come on, it's all about the shoes.
In other walking news, Sarah (now 5 months pregnant) and I hiked up Burnt Rock this weekend. I know what you're thinking...this is a blog about Seneca, but I'm hoping once you see the beauty of where we live you'll hop in the car/plane/train/bus and join me for the next hike. Anyway, I kinda viewed it as a litness test for my knee. We picked the perfect day to ditch the kids and hit the dirt - blue skies, nice breeze, and perfect temperature. My knee felt/feels great, so I guess all the trekking around I do with Seneca strapped on has really paid off. Bring on the snow; my board is waxed and ready.

Anyway, without further delay videos of Seneca and Trent are here

View from the top of Burnt Rock...VT fall foliage has begun.

Our many attempts at photo together...clearly I'm putting that degree in photography to good use.

Our photos got slightly better when someone was actually holding the camera...it's a dinky little digital, so you never know what you will end up with.

Baby cakes

2007-09-09T19:54:00.000-05:00

I love birthdays and I love parties. Admittedly it was extremely difficult to control the Martha in me for Seneca's first party. Overall I did a good job, there was only one moment when I flashed my latent "everything must be perfect" side to my mom when I was baking. I think I recovered gracefully - although you'll have to confirm with her.
Thanks to Nana, Papa, Carole Annie, Unkle Jako, Uncle Donnie, and Aunt Hillary for coming into town. Seneca is a much loved little girl.

Goofin' around with Uncle Donnie

My grandmother (Nanny) knit this sweater for my mom (Nana) when she was in college. Now I wear it all winter long. Nana saw this sweater and couldn't resist buying it for the little muffin head's birthday. I love it. Thanks Nana!

Seneca gets the big smoosh.

Tickle time with Nana.

Hanging out with the Hammond boys.

Apparently Seneca could reach the blueberry container I left on the table.

Jeff, Mike and Sean get their ride on before the big bash...and of course there's Bronte waiting for someone to toss a ball.

Seneca flashing her thunder thighs while she struts her stuff for Nana and Papa.

The cake; sadly I didn't have time to fancy it up with frosting.

Cupcakes - for those late night snackers...

Nana teaches Seneca the proper way to drink out of a pint class...

Gettin' some love time with Janice.

Proof that Uncle Donnie reads this blog - he brought Seneca beer.

Chatting up Carole Annie

All this attention can really tucker a girl out.

Off the sauce

2007-09-05T11:42:00.001-05:00

Seneca had her 1 year appointment today and all is well. Her motor and verbal skills are on par; she weighs 20 pounds (that's on the lighter side); she's 29 1/2 inches (that's on the longer side); she has a big mellon (that's from Jeff's side - kidding). So now that she's a 20 pound love bug she's able to face forward in the car seat - wahoo. I'm sure it gets lonely back there staring out the window. I made a promise to myself that I'd nurse her until she turned 1; however I think she has a different timeline in mind. This morning at her 5:30 am wake-up call she wanted NOTHING to do with the bottle...oh well, tomorrow we'll give it another go.

Today is Seneca's 1st birthday; send her beer.

2007-09-04T10:31:00.000-05:00

Can you believe this little pork chop turns 1 today? She's had a wild year. Between traveling up and down the east coast and moving to a new state, she's done more in 1 year than a lot of people do in 10. She's become the best alarm clock in the world to wake up to. Almost every morning she hangs out in her crib and chit chats to all her little friends; it's a special thing to lay there and listen to all her story telling. I love her.

Seneca hangin' out with Carole Annie in NH

Apparently I’m a slacker at blogging since I’ve been receiving a bunch of flack from folks that there are “no new photos” of Miss Seneca Maeve. Here’s what’s been goin’ down the past few months – hopefully this will satisfy y’all. If not, get up here, visit and then type up your own re-cap.

Seneca is a little monkey head. She likes – no make that – LOVES to eat…a lot. Blueberries, peaches, bananas, asparagus, scrambled egg w/cilantro, cottage cheese w/cinnamon, cheddar cheese, fruit smoothies, macaroni, veggie burgers, burritos, pancakes, fig newtons, waffles, banana bread, and Jeff’s special oatmeal concoction. She makes the best smacking sounds when she's munching on food and her cheeks get all big and squishy like the stay puff marshmallow guy. In the rare instance she doesn’t like something she spits it out and throws it onto the floor where Bronte is patiently waits with her mouth wide open. She crawls everywhere and onto everything – I’ve posted videos of her so you can witness her in action.

Hmmm..what else…Oh, I made the mistake of cutting her hair (which you'll notice in the videos). Really it was an effort to avoid food ending up in her hair and create some sort of crazy goo paste - once oatmeal has a chance to set you're in some serious trouble. Anyway, clearly I made the right decision by not attending beauty school – I’ve since let the bangs grow out and just plop her in the shower a lot more. Also, she’s become quite the talker – always pointing and saying things like blah blah blah – a goo. She’s likely saying something terribly funny with explicatives sprinkled throughout. After all she is Charlie Morrison’s granddaughter and Don Morrison’s niece; therefore she MUST have a wicked sense of humor. She’s rediscovered her bouncy jolly jumper thing and is developing quite the leap – her Aunt CA is very proud…she’s becoming a tiny dancer. And, now I’m not exaggerating here, she’s a singer, or at least musical…totally Whittingham all the way.

This past weekend Jeff headed down to Virginia for the final 100 mile race in the series and arranged for some “Elite” babysitters to come for the weekend and help me out with Seneca. If you’re in Boston and looking for some reliable child care contact Jon Bruno at Independent Fabrication (aka IF, I Fab, Indie Fab). He’ll put you in touch with the guys from the road team who stayed over the weekend to participate in the Green Mountain Stage Race. I have to admit, it was a little intimidating to be in the company of men whose legs were shaved smoother than mine; razor envy aside, the moment they walked in the door it was fun fun fun for her – Stan jumped right in and played stacking games (completely unphased by her diaper overflowing), Jon played peek-a-boo, Adam spotted her while she climbed all over the couch, Emilie hooked her up with splash time, and Greg seranaded her with some new “lullabies”.

Seneca trying on some I Fab Fashion.

OH Canada

2007-07-10T13:18:00.000-05:00

To quote the Grateful Dead, “What a long, strange trip it's been”.

I suppose it makes sense to begin at the beginning. Our trip had ominous tones when before we were even in the car Jeff wondered how Seneca could be comfortable in her car seat when it was only a piece of thin foam resting on plastic. I said it would be fine – she’s never cried about it before, why would she start now? Famous last words. In case you haven’t noticed, Seneca has turned into quite the pork chop. Her toes look like little sausge links and her tummy turns into a pot belly after a good meal. Three hours into our 12 hour trip she decided to call it quits on the seat that had carried her many miles around the east coast and acted as a bed when none was available. We were traveling in backwoods Maine - trust me I’m allowed to say “backwoods” because on most days I see more tractors than cars – when all of a sudden a super mega Walmart appeared on the horizon. “Stop the car” I yelled from the back seat. Jeff did a quick u-turn and 1 hour later Seneca was snoozin’ in her new Cadillac sized car seat.
We arrive at Cassidy Lake at around 2 am and are bone tired. Thankfully, Nana’s thoughtful neighbors had left the lights on for us and set up a crib for Seneca to sleep in.
Later during the visit Bronte had a near fatal encounter with some hallucinogenic mushrooms via horse poop – seriously, I could not make this up. Long story short, the horse ate the mushrooms, and bronte ate the poo and started tripping out, going into seizures and foaming at the mouth. We made it to Sussex Animal hospital where they saved her life. She’s recovering, but at nights she still has some flashbacks. During the day she’s totally fine and dives for rocks and other sunken objects in the lake.

In brighter stories it was great to see Nanny, Uncle Doug and Barb. Nanny and I took a trip up to St. Martins for the required lobster roll and ice cream cone. I also made it to the Cream Puff for the necessary sticky bun and assorted cookies…mmm. Unfortunately, the week got away from us and I never got my hands on some dulse – oh well. Next year for sure! We saw a bald eagle swooping over the lake and enjoyed the sunset out on the back deck with good company, good food, and good music. I love CBC radio two.

The trip home was thankfully uneventful. We stopped at Tim Hortons once we crossed the border and then again at the Sunday River BBQ place where Seneca enjoyed, pulled pork, rice pilaf, corn bread, and to my dismay - baked beans.

"So, come here often?"

Uncle Doug: devoted to the Jets no matter what.

Seneca gets swim lessons from Jeff, while Bronte waits for someone to throw the ball.

cutie pie

standin' strong

"I'm thinkin about getting some open toed Robeez. What do you think Nanny?"

Jeff kindly shares his oatmeal with the ever hungry pork chop.

Restin' on Barb before hittin' the sack.

Loungin' on Daddy.

Gettin' some lap time with Mom.

Sunsets at the lake are always a nice way to end the day.

Bottom's up! Bronte does her best imitation of a duck.

You know what? It's hard gettin' a photo of 3 good lookin' girls lookin' good simultaneously!

Hail, Hail, the gang's all here

Jeff picked a flower for Seneca, which she then picked from him- meanwhile Bronte still patiently waits for someone to toss the ball

hola

2007-07-10T11:25:00.000-05:00

Photos of Seneca for no reason other than she's totally cute.

Playin' hide-n-seek

Do you think all those pin-up girls and pulp fiction covers we have hanging by her high chair are influencing her?

Restin' on Andy after a hard day

Practicing her acceptance speech for world's cutest baby

"Um Dad, can I talk to Grandma?"

Seneca practices her modeling poses; unfortunately Bronte isn't a stable prop.

"Be honest. Do these diapers make my butt look fat?"

"Nomar really brought a lot to the Sox."

Hats off you to you Nomar!

Food me please

I love Vermont.

We interrupt this blog with a special word from our sponsor

2007-06-28T11:37:00.000-05:00

Yes; I’m taking advantage you. It’s been awhile since we’ve uploaded new photos therefor I know you are a captive audience. I realise this isn’t an entry about Seneca specifically, but it does involve her and my heroic efforts to save her from a prehistoric size bug. So either read my words or skip ahead to the latest updates – I’ll know who my real friends are when I quiz them on this entry and they’re able to answer accurately….

It was late on a Saturday night, Jeff was away at a bike race (which he totally rocked) and I had returned home from casa de Sarah and Mike. Seneca was safely fast asleep in her crib and I decided to download a TV show from iTunes (I know it sounds lame) and check some e-mail. Suddenly while sitting in the blue glow of my laptop’s screen I heard “thump thump thump”. I glanced up from my revitting e-mail and there flapping around my wall light was the BIGGEST insect I have ever seen - to make matters worse, it was inside my house – granted its size was increased by the enormous shadow cast on the wall, but still this sucker was HUGE.

Being the brave mother I am, I didn’t yell out in terror just ducked my head, sprinted the three steps into our bedroom and quietly slammed the door. Inside the safety of my bedroom I took deeps breaths, collected my thoughts, and remembered that I had left Seneca’s bedroom door open. Thoughts of this beast flying into her room and landing on her tiny sleeping body flooded my imagination. So I did what any fearless mother would do, went back out into the hallway to go close her door, and decided on the way to grab my laptop – I know I know lame, but I really wanted to watch the TV show I had downloaded – so walking in my barefeet I went back into the office and just before stepping through the threshold I heard a POP and something beneath my big toe. It couldn’t be – could it? How with all the room for my foot to land could I possibly place it on top of that - that thing?? I turned on the light and yes, I had stepped on it. In the end I felt victorious and celebrated with a yummy Wolaver's brown ale - I had saved Seneca from this bat sized moth and could now relax and watch my TV show knowing she was safe.

I took a picture so I could later identify it. And yes, those are its guts squirted out on the side there. I typed “big ass moth” into google, but surprisingly nothing matched my photo. If you know what type this is – let me know, I’m curious.

And now back to Seneca Maeve.

Cheerio

2007-06-28T09:41:00.000-05:00

Top o' the muffin to you! Life has changed in a mega huge way for Seneca Maeve these past few weeks. Apologies for the lack of entries, but between grandparents, bike races, and crawling we’ve been a busy lot lately. Yes, you read correctly…CRAWLING. Here’s what’s been happening these past few weeks: Seneca has two teeth on the bottom; loves to eat: cheerios, avocado, mango, strawberries, banana, bread, and yogurt (she’s not allergic to milk). Now she likes to “share” her cheerios, which involves shoving her little pudgy hand into your mouth and releasing the sticky soggy cheerio like thing onto your tongue…mmmm

She began crawling when Nana was up visiting – Jeff and I were painting and Seneca decided she desperately needed to examine Nana’s glass full of Polar Seltzer so she crawled on over. Sadly Nana had to take it away – silly baby, seltzer’s for grown-ups. So that was around June 9th – my birthday (happy birthday to me thank you very much) and I suppose Seneca’s gift to me. Now she likes to crawl over to the stereo and crank the volume knob up and bounce around on her little butt. She likes Maroon 5, Jack Johnson, Patsy Cline, and the Dead. She can kinda pull herself up now and will sometimes pull on your legs and bury her head against you…ahhh so cute. She also enjoys playing with poker chips, knocking down the little tower I build out of stacking blocks, and loving on her Apple Dolly dumplin' doll that her cousin Alyssa gave her.

Let’s see what else. Oh yes, she likes to play peek-a-boo. She’ll duck her little head down and when you say “where’s Seneca” she’ll pop it up all smiles and squeal or hide behind a poll and poke her little head around it…again so cute!

She now says “Dada” when Jeff comes into the room and “all hail the best mom in the world” whenever she sees me. Well, not in so many words, but I know those sounds mean something to the effect.

So now with our further delay…here’s Seneca:

I still haven't figured out how to use all the settings on our souped up digital camera hence the constant flashed out pictures. The other day I figured out how to turn the auto flash off and snapped a few natural light photos of the little pork chop.

Grandma and Seneca Maeve sporting the classic white tee

Checkin out the view up top

Fixin' the sink with Grandma and Dad.

mmmmm - mushed up chicken and vegetablees - my favorite!

Operation Mango Tango: 1) taste 2) inspect the substance 3) success!

The many faces of Seneca

Workin' on the bike shoes with dad.

hmmm...I wonder what's over here??

thanks guys!

2007-06-21T09:52:00.000-05:00

seneca wanted to say thanks for visiting us everyone! nanna, grandpa and grandma. see you soon!

Grab your popcorn

2007-05-24T13:20:00.000-05:00

Some movies of Seneca's life in Vermont.

Lights; Camera; Action!

Seneca and Trent - part I

Seneca and Trent - part II

Part III - Trent's realizes I'm not his mom.

Bangin' away parts I, II, & III

Almost crawling:

fish, sheep, and dogs oh my!

2007-05-08T20:24:00.000-05:00

Timber...

Check out Seneca's wicked cool Gator football...she's got a good throwing arm on her.

Okay, enough with the photos - feed me!

Seneca wakes up early - like 5:30/6 am early. While this used to be my normal wake up time before she was born, it has become a total challenge to get out of bed and begin the day. Now with warm weather, we've made it a routine to go for a big walk every morning...here a few sites we see along the way.

The walk begins with sleepy eyes...

Mt. Ellen still has snow!

Where's Rohin??

Rohin stomps around in the brook with best friends Stella and Bronte.

Sarah and Rohin showing off the fashionable VT footwear. Meanwhile Mr. T is kickin' it in the Ergo.

These boots were made for walkin' - well made for Mike J. to walk in, but I borrowed them.

After our romp through the woods we play a cut throat game of "don't break the ice"...

I love Sunday mornings with Uncle Jako.

Seneca introduces herself to goldfish Pattie and Bruce.

hi.

This is how I roll with it...

Nobody puts baby in a corner...

tada - Seneca sits all on her own

ahhhh...open wide! Seneca recently had a doctor's appointment. She weighs a whoping 17 1/2 pounds and is 27.5 inches long - apparently these numbers mean she is a long lean baby for an 8 month old.

morning walk

2007-05-08T09:43:00.000-05:00

Morning walk

Seneca kickin' it

3 dog weekend...

2007-04-23T12:28:00.000-05:00

It was a beautiful weekend for visitors! Sunny and warm (65 degrees). Aunt Carole Annie showed up - after going without power all week due to last weekends snow storm - with Lewis and Beatrice who were so happy to romp around with their cousin Bronte...
Missy and Madi came too and we all went to the local food attractions - American Flatbread Friday night and the Ben Jerry's factory on Saturday...mmmmm ice cream.

Lewis considers himself a bit of a pretty boy and likes to be a part of every photo

It was a snuggle fest on Pajammie jam Saturday...

east coast, west coast and everywhere in between

2007-04-09T21:13:00.000-05:00

10 days, 20 photos and a whole lot of miles on that little rental car. Florida was fantastic - the wedding was picture perfect, the Arnott girls are growing up fast, and Nana began teaching Seneca the art of serving...tennis that is. You'd think we'd miss all that warm sunshine when we returned - but the latest winter snowfall has made things just as pretty...

We went from here....

....to here!

tada! Erin and Frank tied the knot

Frank's mom get's some lovin' time with Seneca...

Denise, Betsy and Mom taking a break from dancing

Seneca has her own personal waiter

..zzzz all this partying can really tucker a gal out!

Aunt Lisa's blog debut!

Seneca gettin' some tummy time...

...double trouble!

Strike a pose....

Seneca sports the "palm tree" hair to honor Florida's blvds.

This is how you put a spin on it...

home again home again...some shots from inside our house looking out at the backyard.

pre florida trip pics

2007-04-02T08:23:00.000-05:00

always behind posting pics and such, here are a cpl we took before heading to Flor-E-Da for a wedding and to visit with the arnotts and michelsons.

seneca sporting her cold weatha' gear. the snow suit, giant for her in december is now so tight we have to squeeze her into it. she sure does look like mary and her eyes keep getting bluer and bluer.

crazy hair-do!

yeah!

Back by popular demand

2007-03-11T16:03:00.000-05:00

Now that the charger has been located, we've been goin' bananas with the camera - makin' up for lost time I suppose...

Battle of the bed head. I love Sunday mornings - pancakes, pajamas, and family time.

Remember that scene from ET when Elliot's mom walks into his closet and ET is hiding amongst all of Elliot's stuffed animals? I'm not saying that Seneca looks like ET, although her eyes are probably just as big as his. Oh and her favorite thing to do for the past month or so is playing with her toes.

Seneca in da hood(ie)

I love daddy...and sweet potatoes too!

Trent! For those of you who don't know, Trent has an older brother Rohin. Someday we'll get a photo of the trio.

xoxoxo - grabbin on her toes again.

I don't know about you all, but I can't get enough of the blue hat!

Smurf suit

2007-03-07T19:41:00.000-05:00

We're slowly unpacking. Part of the process involves me sorting through Seneca's clothes, packing away those which no longer fit and pulling out new things for her to wear. One being this blue hat. I love it. She wore it to the hardware store today and got lots of compliments from all the men working and "shopping". Later in the day Trent came over in his matching smurfy snow suit - perfect attire for a stroll around the block.

wow, what a month!

2007-03-04T17:52:00.000-05:00

it's been a little crazy this past month, getting packed-up and out of Medford and up to Waitsfield. we have many excuses why no pictures of the little muffin head have been posted for a month, but the real gem is that we lost the charger to the camera - which in the end was not lost at all but right under our noses! with the help of our good friends, we made it to Vermont and can finally begin the process of settling-in. AND, today is Seneca's 6 month birthday. hooray!

our new home:

seneca settling-into her "baby genius" chair. "look guys, i can stand-up too!":
getting some lovin' from mom:
happy, happy joy-joy:
it's been snowing here. a lot. seneca and dad enjoying a short hike:
this path seems a bit better...
wow! that was a great walk, so good i'm droolin' about it...
no wait, that's allison's cooking...
why aren't you visiting me!?:

Adios Tia

2007-02-01T14:28:00.000-05:00

It's been chaos these past few weeks - coming back to work, buying the house, selling our house and keeping immaculate, Seneca getting sick with an ear infection and now eye infection, and now trying to wrap up my projects here at work (it's my last day). There's no way I would have any sense of calm if weren't for Tia. She loves Seneca - it's a mutual love actually. Seneca lights up when she sees her. She laughs and sings with Tia too. Knowing Seneca is in such good hands while we're trying to get through this stress tornado has been our saving grace.
I knew it would be hard to say good bye to Boston and all of our friends, I just wasn't prepared for how difficult it would be to say to Tia.
FYI Seneca does have eye infection(s) hence the teary look in these photos...

Tia and Seneca!

Trent has some competition with John Henry.

Tia, Seneca and John Henry

VT photos

2007-01-29T16:34:00.000-05:00

Seneca gettin sum lovin on Dad...

Aunt CA is preppin' Seneca to become a principal dancer. She is learning how to point and flex her little piggies.

Auntie A-train snuggles up...
It takes a lot of work being this cute. Luckily Auntie A-train was there to rock her to sleep.

Seneca's boyfriend

2007-01-29T16:25:00.000-05:00

Yikes it looks like we'll have to keep our eyes on Seneca and Trent. Once he was on the ground where Seneca was relaxin' he made a bee line for her!

The move begins

2007-01-29T15:35:00.000-05:00

Here's the story: One day Jeff called Andy and said "hey man, I'm packin' a u-haul wanna come by and help me move a few heavy things and then we can go for ride in the woods?" Well 10 hours later - or maybe it was 12 and a 90 minute bike ride they kicked back and relaxed. Thanks Andy!
The driveway looks easy enough, but when Jeff pulled up with the u-haul it was icy mud
Bronte's new stompin grounds
Tada....
Sweaters are the sensible fashion for winter in VT

Jeff handles the "heavy" lifting...14 lbs of love is a lot.

Original BBG

2007-01-25T10:16:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that Jessica and I met when were just 6 years old- it doesn't seem possible that we've known each other for close to 25 years! Her daughter Sophia is the original beautiful baby girl (bbg) and it's wild to think she'll be 2 on February 15th - I remember visiting her in the hospital, heck I remember Jessica telling me she was pregnant, and it definitely does not seem like 2 years ago. I guess it's true that time flies when it comes to children.
Jeff and I are trying to catch up with friends before we make the final haul up north; last night we finally had a camera to take a photo of the girls together. It was sweet to see them "playing" together. Sophia took very good care of Seneca, bringing her dollies and toys to play with and rocking her in the car seat. It was like Seneca was a real live baby doll for her to entertain. So without further delay another batch of photos for your viewing enjoyment:

Next year!?!

2007-01-24T11:14:00.000-05:00

A year ago I was over at my friend Missy’s when she guessed I was pregnant – I had just declined a tasty Sea Dog Blueberry beer. It turned out that Seneca’s due date (8.29) was the same Melissa was given for her daughter Madison who was born on September 7, 2005. Anyway, to get to the point Madison is pretty much exactly one year older than Seneca, but when you see these photos it’s hard to believe at this time next year Seneca will be talkin’ and struttin’ her stuff like little Miss Madi Rose. I suppose the difference in year is negated only after you’re able to hit the pub - legally of course.
Oh and Seneca is doing much better now. In fact she had her first spoon fed meal last night. It was a tasty treat of rice cereal mixed with breast milk. I think more ended up on shirt than in her tummy…

hi.

2007-01-12T15:40:00.000-05:00

More photos from the holiday card photo shoot.

Seneca had her 4 month check up today that really was more of a sick appointment. She's been fighting off a cold the past few days and this morning it erupted into a full out double ear infection - poor muffin head. She's been fussy and not her self at all - or as Auntie A-train says she's a "fuffin" (fussy muffin).

Anyway she's a healthy 14 lbs 4 ozs. that's average for a 4 month old and 27 inches long which is wicked long! And her head is normal size - I can't remember the circumference...

yo ho ho - Happy New Year!

2007-01-05T16:06:00.000-05:00

and now some photos of Seneca and family during the holidays. I would type captions for all of them, but it just takes so long - and let's be honest here, really it's only the photos you're interested in because she's ever changing and my witty sense of humor is constant...xoxo Jenn

Seneca kickin' it with her cousins Katie and Alyssa.

Uncle Darren struts' his baby rockin' skills

Katie snuggles up

Trent catches some z's while Seneca does some floor stretches

Seneca restin' with her "buddies" ....

While Uncle Donnie and Uncle Chris rest with theirs....

It's exhausting being a baby

Flying lessons from Uncle Jako

Uncle Donnie -vs- the lobster claw

morning time

2006-12-14T12:41:00.000-05:00

jenn borrowed the digital SLR from work again and we've been making the most of it, getting lots of pics of the little muffin head.

seneca getting bundled-up in her "patagucci" for a walk (don't worry, we bought it off eBay for 1/4th the cost!) seneca loves a good deal.

jenn and seneca after the walk...

in my "work" clothes, making breakfast for the crew.

seneca bright-eyed and happy.

peek-a-boo

2006-12-13T17:46:00.000-05:00

a few "no" photos from the holiday card shoot. Taking a good photo of Seneca is tough. She just doesn't like to sit still. Or she'll be all giggles and smiles and the moment I put my face behind the camera she clams up.

PS - Seneca is sporting another fabulous sweater knit especially for her by Nanny...

happy baby`

2006-12-08T17:39:00.000-05:00

seneca likes to smile. a lot. it's tough not to get her to smile. of course, if she's not smiling you may see the marshmellow face as it slides into full-force freak-out and that's kinda worth catching, so it's not so bad when she cries, never lasts for long. simple cues. food. diaper. sleep. active. the cycle of life. everything else is to be absorbed - and the happiness with which Seneca is sponging-up her existance is very special to be a part of.

the past week, alone with her, has been amazing. learning about each other, creating a bond. months ago, the first time seneca smiled at me, my heart raced, i pulled her out of the carseat and bobbed her little head. she cried a little and i felt as if i'd lost her trust... which is silly, but this week alone with her i really feel like i've gained it - and that's something a lot of men, fathers, don't necessarily get to experience at this age.

what i've found is this perfect little person, learning by leaps and bounds, very happy to be here, to be aware, to be learning, and to be included. she'll sleep and play on her own, but prefers to be held and played with, unless she's enjoying SportsCenter, in which case it's all about being in the swing. i kinda feel bad about her watching tv, but after her 10a witching hour, then a feeding, she's in active mode, but i have to work... SportsCenter (must be the charlie morrison in her) makes her happy. nature shows, not so much. law and order. nah. she needs terrel owens, barry bonds. what kind of dad would i be to deny her happiness!? ok, justification over. time to make dinner. seneca's out cold, it's go time.

9-5 Day 2

2006-12-05T16:05:00.000-05:00

I definetely had the back to school jitters Sunday night - what the heck would I wear, would I remember what to do, would people like me, would Seneca and Jeff have a good day? My day went by fast and smoothly - I'll let Jeff give his take on the first day of staying at home with Little Miss S. I miss her a lot, mostly I miss seeing her sleeping - and I'm sure Jeff wishes he got to see her sleep for longer. She takes little cat naps - 30 minutes here and there - and she such a little peach asleep. I just want to hug her! I've learned to resist the temptation and let her sleep. There's nothing worse than a fussy muffin.

Success!

2006-12-02T12:43:00.000-05:00

Seneca took to the bottle like teenager and her first can of Miller Light. She chugged it down and then let out a roaring belch. That's our girl!
We had experimented with a few different kind of bottles before flying down to Florida, none of which worked. Finally Nana had success with the Dr.Brown's bottle which I bought on a whim (read desperate purchase) at Target just before getting on the plane to Florida. Equipped with her advise of singing "Old MacDonald" and knowing that the turkey gobble is her favorite part of the song Jeff gave her more than 3 ozs. - up until this point she had only taken about 2. I guess she was a hungry little muffin.
Tomorrow is her 3 month birthday and I go back to work...it's hard to believe how much things have changed, yet somehow it seems hard to imagine our lives before Seneca. She's changed so much from when we brought home that Thursday. She sucks her thumb now, smiles and coos, and is just overall more interactive. Fun Fun Fun.

Flying solo....

2006-12-01T09:23:00.000-05:00

Seneca and I just got back from a whirlwind visit with Nana and Papa down in Florida. Admittidly I was a bit apprehenisive about flying alone with her, but my anxiety was unnesseray. Everything went smoothly. The flight down was empty and we had a row all to ourselves. Seneca slept in the sling for the first half of the flight and then "played" on the seats for the last 1 1/2 hours of the flight. On the flight home, she slept in the sling the entire flight....again, the sling rocks. While down there I learned that even though you carry the baby for 9+ months, give birth and then care for her, grandmothers get all the credit for how adorable she is. Also being a model is hard work. It takes a lot of energy to pose pretty for the camera. One should be well rested and well fed before getting in front of the lens. The photos are from Seneca's first professional photo shoot. I've tried countless times to get some good photos of her, but everytime I put my face behind the camera she freezes up, so I thought I'd have better luck going to Sears. We did get some really great shots...these are just a few of the more, um....amusing ones.

...The swimsuit pose

Proving that there is such a thing as too much tulle

As promised here are a slew of photos from Thanksgiving at Alicia, Dave and Ania's house:

Bronte patiently waiting for some crumbs to "drop" from the table

Ania "holding" Seneca

Seneca feels the effects of Thanksgiving glutony

Slingin' it with Alicia

Hitchin' a ride with Dave

Muffin-head

2006-11-28T14:44:00.000-05:00

it seems like every baby has a nickname, peanut, munchkin, pumpkin, you know, the usual assortment of cute names that makes everyone else (sans baby) think yer crazy. jenn and i are simple people, we started-off with the obvious: "baby", pronounced: bae-be. but, we knew it couldn't last and a better nickname had to be found, but you can't push these things! then, one day a few wks ago, jenn said something like 'the little muffin-head is sleeping' and muffin-head was here to stay. and, as with all good nicknames, it can morph to any situation or mood. after a trying session at the photographer's today, she was a 'fussy-muffin' which of course can be replaced with tired-muffin, action-muffin, happy-muffin, gatorFan-muffin, and of course, little muffin-head.

as of next monday, i'll be a stay-at-home dad (for the month of dec). it'll be interesting, that's fer sure.

phew...it's been so long!

2006-11-22T09:49:00.000-05:00

ok ok. It's been a long time - blame technology. Our digital camera leaves something to be desired - like clean clear pictures. The only time you can get a non-blurry picture of Seneca Maeve is when she's sleeping...

Seneca recently had her 2 month appointment, and I won't rehash the details of her crying, it's too sad. What's worse is she'll have to relive it at her 4 month appointment. She's growing like a champ and is a whooping 12 pounds, 24 inches.

Aunt Lisa came for a visit a few weeks back and sadly the phots didn't come out - again blame the camera. It was a great visit, we went to the birth center, shopped at the mall, and hit her up for some expert advise to get our house ready to sell which required a late night trip to Lowes. Which is a very interesting place at 9 pm on a Saturday night.

Tomorrow we're heading over to Alicia and David's for Thanksgiving. They have a kick butt digi camera and we'll "borrow" it for a few shots.
In the meantime, here're some photos of the little muffin head sleeping.

more pics soon!

2006-11-01T07:28:00.000-05:00

this blog has gotten pretty boring, no posts, no new pics of Seneca! here come the excuses: jenn and i have been going full-out on the house, getting 'er ready for sale and while we've been snappin' away photos of little S on our camera phones and sending them on to a lucky few, we haven't had time to do the whole digi-cam, upload to the computer, upload to the blog thing. but, the good news is that the house is looking sweet! 2 more days of hard work, then on the market friday, open house sunday. haven't heard too many good things about the real estate scene in these here parts, had to shave a few ten thousand dollar bills off our expected selling price, but hey, what's a ten thousand dollar bill but a yuppie food stamp? oh wait, that's a twenty dollar bill. goshdarnit. who says goshdarnit? i do. this is a baby blog after all - and while there is a strong chance that little S's first words will be the f word with all the bombs we've been droppin' the past cpl wks, have to pretend like it's all hunky-dory- goshdarnit-land on the blog. ok, enough rambling for now, new pics to be posted after friday when the house is done!

Full circle

2006-10-16T16:42:00.000-05:00

Through out high-school and college I was a nanny for three amazing little girls that lived in the house across the street from my home in Niskayuna. They were the subject of many of my photographs and gave me an insight into what it takes to being a mom. Liza (the oldest) is a senior at Vassar now, Haley is a senior at Emma Willard and Shelby is a junior there too, but spending this year in Spain. It's hard to believe that they are experiencing these life events...I never think of them as growing up. I suppose the same will hold true for Seneca...
Liza was in town this weekend visiting friends and I kept the tradition of taking some photos of her and Seneca.

It's insane how quickly Seneca changes on a daily basis. She's able to focus her eyes on objects and follow them - so we set up her activity mat and watched her kick it on the dining room table.

Essentials of motherhood

2006-10-13T08:51:00.000-05:00

There have been a few clutch things that helped me through pregnancy, labor, and now motherhood. At the risk of saying "thank-you" too much here's what those items are:

Every woman needs a pair of good jeans and pregnancy is no excuse. I wore these almost every day when I was pregnant and have worn them almost everyday since having Seneca. Thanks Aunt Carole Ann!

It's interesting to think about becoming a parent. There is so much to learn, and way too much remember. This book has already become dog eared and worn from the countless times Jeff and I have flipped through it to look something up. Thanks Aunt Lisa for hooking us up with some good advise.

Before getting pregnant, I never really thought about labor at all - if it would be hard, if it would hurt, if I would use drugs. When we found out I was pregnant, I just figured I may as well do it the old fashioned way and go natural. I read and re-read this book many times in the past year. It's filled with beautiful stories about natural births and made me look forward to and feel confident about Seneca's birth day - to expect the unexpected.

No matter how many times the nurses showed me and Jeff how to swaddle her up we could never do it as snugly as they did - so we cheated and bought this. Seneca doesn't always want to be wrapped up like a sausage, but when she does, she sleeps like a champ.

Alicia rocked the sling when Ania was a baby and totally sold me on how easy it is. We went to a wedding this past weekend and it was the best thing we packed. Seneca crashes out when she's in the maya wrap and Jeff and I can walk around without having to lug the car seat everywhere. It's what I wear when I walk in the woods with her and Bronte....

And lastly and most importantly everyone needs a Jeff. If it weren't for him being sooo patient with my undulating emotions when I was pregnant, being calm, supportive, and reading my needs during labor, and being such a fabulous husband and picking up some of my chores around the house while I figure out how the heck this whole motherhood thing works, I wouldn't be able to even have time to brush my teeth.

Jeff catches Seneca and Bronte up on the latest Velo news...

Belated birthday wishes

2006-10-12T17:10:00.000-05:00

Belated birthday shout-outs to Uncle Donnie (who makes his blog photo debut due to technical difficulties) and Nana...

Uncle Donnie, Rockin' Aunt Hillary and 6 day old Seneca

Uncle Donnie and 12 day old Seneca

The Morrison crew

Nana and Seneca resting after a hard day shopping.

5 weeks!

2006-10-10T15:41:00.000-05:00

Holy cow. It's wild to think that only 5 weeks ago Jeff and I were laying on the couch watching TNT's "The Closer" and counting the minutes between contractions. Seneca has changed so much. She weighed 9lbs 14ozs at the doctor's appointment last Monday - it probably would have been around 10 if she hadn't pooped her pampers just before she got weighed. Now she seems to be looking at you rather than staring off into space - it's awesome. She seems to becoming more aware of her hands too. She's putting them in her mouth and clutching things too - like her hair - which doesn't seem to make her too happy, but if you rub her belly and smile, she's sure to smile back.

Seneca took her first ride in an airplane this weekend and behaved better than most adults I've seen on planes. She was a total peach and slept almost the entire flight there and back, waking only to eat and then promptly going back to sleep.

Okay enough with the updates, I know it's photos you want.

...zzzzzzzzz

...near

...far

nearest!

vermont 50

2006-09-25T12:51:00.000-05:00

grandma rose came for a visit this past wknd, got to meet Seneca. she showed her skills as a grandma, quieting her down in the most fretful of situations... hiked-up Wright's Tower on Thursday, amazing view of Boston below, too bad our camera skills aren't as amazing as mom's ability to quiet Seneca...

so tiring being a baby...

hello.

what's that? something shiny? oh my!

i have no idea what she's thinking about now!

the vermont 50 was sunday, read all about it here.

seneca sporting the newest in baby-bike wear style.

Seneca's first lobsta' bake! And some video!

2006-09-19T05:29:00.000-05:00

saturday jenn, seneca, bronte t dog and i headed to a lobster bake at andy's. seneca's first big party and she did just grand. weather was absolutely perfect, 75-80 degrees, sunny, no bugs, nice little breeze, ample sunshine, how couldn't you be happy on a day like that!? then add lobsters to the mix!? however, it was sad to say goodbye to Nana saturday morning (aka, mary), who's been such a huge help the first 10 days of Seneca's life...

prior to cooking. already looking great!

the "bug's" are done! now that's an old fashioned lobsta bake!

jenn and seneca enjoying the day.

Seneca sleeps through just 'bout all the action. mom ate 2 lobsters so seneca's got a taste for 'em now!

b-dog being b-dog, just chillin'.

went for our first walk as a family on sunday morning. it was nice to get-back out, i know jenn's been itching to get back into her routine - something that's tough with a hungry little milk-machine in the house. but don't worry, we've been eating her share of the cookies.

Couple-Few Videos:

Stay away from the light!

Reggae power

Sunday morning walk

B-dog shows her stuff

Met with Dr Matt for the 2nd time today at Senca's 2wk check-up. She's doing great, gaining weight right on schedule, 1 ounce / day. We really like Dr Matt, he takes his time, answers all our questions, draws diagrams, hums and sings, which would be odd for a Podiatrist, but just perfect for a Pediatrician!

Mother Sucker

2006-09-11T14:52:00.000-05:00

A lot of people have asked how nursing is going. Seneca had her first visit to the doctor's today and she's already back to her full birth weight - she was 7lbs 12ozs when we left the hospital. So I guess she's getting her fill. I have to say after she's filled her tank, the expression on her face is so sweet and pure that I don't mind being up at 2 am...I'm sure I'll be retracting these words somewhere in the future, but for now 2 am is bliss. The doctor said she is a picture of health and was a total peach during the exam.

In other events, Seneca went on her first walk today with Bronte. We didn't go to the woods, but did manage to see some ducks and give Bronte some swim time. Nana/Mom pushed the stroller while I threw the ball at ducks - just kidding Nana threw the ball at the ducks.

All this walking is making Seneca sleepy.

Seneca and Auntie A-train getting aquainted.

Nanny's (my grandmother) awesome knittin'.

First bath

2006-09-08T20:30:00.000-05:00

another couple hospital pics...

uncle Jako holding seneca. she looks mighty tiny in his big boxer's arms...

3 generations of Morrison girls w/ Jenn's sister Carole Ann holding Seneca.

jenn's baby photo next to seneca. see a resemblance? nah.

ahhh, sleepin' on dad. again.

sleepin' on mom.

home. time for our first bath! somehow managed to not mess it up. at least not too bad.

wow, that's a big dog. it won't be long till seneca's pullin' bronte's ears, really making her mark as a "sister".

Seneca Maeve Morrison Whittingham

2006-09-07T13:42:00.000-05:00

At 11:58p on Monday September 4th, we welcomed Seneca Maeve Morrison Whittingham into the world.

Monday started early, with Jennifer waking to light contractions at 315a. Being birth neophites, we jumped in the car, headed to the birth center and were promptly sent home to await stronger contractions. We had some time to kill so Jenn gave me the green light for a 2hr mtbike ride in the Fells. How many wives give their husbands the green light to ride when undergoing contractions!?

At 5p the contractions had really increased in force, but were still spaced too far apart so we took a short walks in the Fells up Wright's Tower w/a late summer sun nearing its end. We never get tired of this view - all of Boston and the harbor layed-out below us, busy roads streaming commerce in and out of the city, the Blue Hills reaching-up to the South. The walk really helped move things along - and we got some odd looks from others while jenn leaned on me during contractions!

At 9p we were on our way back to the Birth Center and over the next 2 1/2 hours Jenn gave a clinic on how to have natural child birth. Calm, controlled and focused she worked with her body - and before we knew it I was staring down at a surprising large head and face - and one push later - our daughter was born. Beyond that, i don't have the words to describe how amazing an experience it was. Minutes after birth Jenn looked so fabulous you wouldn't know the effot she'd just produced. I held Seneca while Jenn was taken care of by our patient, knowledgable, and caring midwife Karen.

We are in awe of this amazing day. so many people have said in ominous tones, "this will change your lives forever", or mentioned how hard child birth is, we both wondered why so many people focused on the negatives, the fears of the process vs the pure awe, beauty and wonder of it. And of course our lives are changed! For the better.

Wow.

Jenn looking fabulous.

Jenn and Seneca looking fabulous.

Dad and daughter catching some zzz's...

did i mention wow?

"Labor" Day Weekend?

2006-09-01T16:14:00.000-05:00

When Jeff and I first found out the baby’s due date we joked around that we may bring new meaning to Labor Day weekend. For no certain reason, we both think this will be true…Jeff thinks Sunday night; I’m thinking (hoping?) tomorrow. Either day would be great because we’re really comfortable with the women who are on call this weekend and we have nothing else planned - haha.

We had our appointment today at the Birth Center and the baby has (finally) dropped - hence my need to whiz every five minutes – and the heartbeat is strong and steady. We also went over all the options to jump start this labor – more to come on those if they’re necessary.

I brought along the camera today on my morning walk with Bronte; I figured I should document her last days as an only child. Beginning each day with a hike through the woods has really helped me through these past 40 weeks both mentally and physically. I'm able to sort out what I what to accomplish, think of design solutions, and decide what I want to eat ;). On the physical side my knee hasn't given out again. I'm optomistic that if I can lug around 30 extra pounds on the front side and not feel any pain, then I'll be able to throw on a 30 pound back pack next spring and hike around.

Rose/Grandma has been busy these past 40 weeks too. She hooked the baby up with an AWESOME hand painted ottoman. Well, okay it’s not for the baby per se, but it will be used when I nurse, Jeff bottle feeds, and we read/rock the baby to sleep. Now all we need is the baby to go with it!

Still high and hick-upping

2006-08-29T07:16:00.000-05:00

Today is the official due date! The baby is still sitting high, mastering the rib shot, and hick-upping...a lot. The commute to the office was about to get really hairy with school starting back up so I've started working from home.

I'm feeling great and still taking Bronte out for a morning walk in the woods. But I am looking forward to the day when my stomache doesn't rest on my knees when I sit and I can tie my shoes with ease...

BIG

2006-08-25T12:45:00.000-05:00

No I'm not talking about my belly - well sort of. It's that time of week again when I go up to the Birth Center for my weekly appointment. Instead of Jeff coming along mom/Mary came to case out the joint and put to rest her worries that the mid-wives don't rely on torn sheets and boiling water to deliver babies. She got to check out one of the birth rooms (the other was occupied by a brand new baby and his family) and see how close the Beverly Hospital is to the Center.

All is well; baby's heart beat is 142...and going to be about 8-9 lbs - which I kind of figured since the Morrison kids were all porkers. Donnie was over 9 and CA and I are were in the high 8s. Deb Black (the mid-wife on schedule) didn't seem to indicate that this baby was going anywhere anytime soon - it's fairly typical for first time babies to be late. Just more time to enjoy ice cream guilt free I guess.

almost there!

2006-08-21T14:13:00.000-05:00

sunday august 20th...

Full

2006-08-18T14:01:00.000-05:00

It's hard believe that this baby isn't done growing yet - there's no more room left! Yesterday after lunch I my stomache was at maximum capacity...maybe I shouldn't have ordered that chocolate shake! Jeff and I just got back from our visit with the mid-wife, and all is well. Baby's heartbeat is 141 and it's still high and kicking. However our eldery neighbor swears it's dropped - she also told me that my face was looking fuller, so I think her eye site might be going ;).

the waiting game

2006-08-15T14:13:00.000-05:00

nothing too new to report. whittiBaby is going crazy, kicking, squirming, getting big, making it tough on jenn to get a good night's sleep. final preparations are underway, install the car seats today, buy a few more food items for the Birth Center "pajama-party", pack a toothbrush, maybe some cards and the cribbage board - i bet i can take jenn if she's having contractions, but who knows, that woman's a competitor... set-up the co-sleeper, re-wash whittiBaby's clothes in the special skin soap, lots of house chores to do, but there's always more chores to do.

while we've been readying ourselves for this day for months and months, it seems a little surreal, like it isn't actually going to happen, but of course it's going to happen, could be anyday now... or maybe that's just my take on it and because jenn's done all the work for the past 8 1/2 months, it's more "real" to her... in an effort to have things "hit home" for me, been trying to listen to this once a day...

Happy & Healthy

2006-08-11T13:00:00.000-05:00

Hi All;

Jeff and I just got back from the (now) weekly check-up with the mid-wife. The baby's heartbeat is about 130 - strong and healthy, head down, and just kickin' around.

2006-08-10T09:32:00.000-05:00

let me outta here so i can eat that cake!

Shower Power

2006-08-10T09:07:00.000-05:00

Photos from the Boston shower. Check out the awesome cake my friends had made to match the invites. Not only did it look good, it tasted good...

at 7 months...

2006-08-08T13:30:00.000-05:00

4 weeks to go!

2006-08-02T14:21:00.000-05:00

figured i might as well kick-off the whittibaby's blog with a post, being the experienced blogger i am. everything is falling into place, cpl more lists to check-off... everyone's healthy and happy and that's just grand. t-minus 28 days!