Mammoth in the Summer

So I had intended to post photos of The Girl in her Halloween costume...she went as Tiger Lily or rather the whitest Native American since Dances with Wolves. And she was really cute. Unfortunately, we didn't get her in her costume in time to get good photos...seriously, they're all horrible. I'll try again later (although she really HATED putting her wig on).

Anyway, here's some good photos from our last-minute Labor Day trip with the Brewers to Mammoth. Per usual, we drove up there Sunday morning at 3am to give ourselves a full day without having to deal with traffic or pay for another night in a hotel. Someday we'll have a place up there...some day.

The weekend was super fun - hiking, canoeing, malt-eating, gondola riding, etc. And a run in with a bear (keep reading for that story). We were stoked that the Brewers were up for the trip, which again was "planned" just hours before we left.

It looks so different when it's not covered in snow.





We have photos next to this post in the middle of winter...and our heads hit just below the sign. Mammoth gets LOTS of snow. Oh, I miss it. Given that I spent last year's season pregnant, I'm counting down the days until we can snowboard. Anyone want to babysit a really cute baby?



After our hikes we felt we had earned malts at Burgers. Keilana may have been the most excited for this. I don't have a photo, but she proceeded to grab one of the cups and tilt it completely upside down into her mouth. (Thank goodness the malts are super thick and didn't spill.)




How cute is Keilana? I'm pretty sure she would have jumped right into the (FREEZING cold) lake had Paul/Kristi not kept a firm hold of her.


This rock was the perfect place to stretch out after the hike. We all took turns.
The hike wore Keilana out...riding in a back pack is hard work.
Lola did great (as usual) and slept most of the hike.


I'll end the photos with this one...our hike was delayed when our girl decided to EXPLODE. So, so gross.

Now for the story...

We retired to our rooms pretty early as everyone was pretty beat and Paul had some studying and Kenny had some work to do. To get the Internet Kenny had to go to the motel lobby. This proved difficult when he opened the door and was cornered by a raccoon. Note: Kenny's deathly afraid of possums and raccoons are a close enough varmint to freak him out by association. Every time he opened the door the raccoon got closer and looked ready to dart right in. For real. I didn't believe him, but when I opened the door the ugly thing was less than a foot away. Anyway, Kenny was keeping watch waiting for a chance to break free. He suddenly looked puzzled. Then concerned. He cracked open the door and then slammed it and started fumbling with the deadbolt. He looked at me with equal terror and excitement and whispered/yelled, "There's a BEAR out THERE!"

And there was.

Just feet from our room on the second floor, mind you. It was rummaging through some garbage can. We again slammed and locked our door and proceeded to freak out. I then called 911 but somehow got connected with the front desk person who was totally unfazed by the situation. Eventually the bear sauntered off and Kenny was able to go down and get his work done.

Fun times. Thanks again, Brewers, for coming. The trip was awesome and I can't wait to go back. Soon. VERY soon!

Today's Lunch...

...consisted of one-two bites of each of the following:

• Korean BBQ slider
• sloppy joe slider
• french dip slider
• sausage & chimichuri on foccacia bread
• portabello & cheese quesadilla with some sort of vinegary (in a good way) sauce
• tater tots
• carrot cake cupcake with cream cheese frosting
• fudge brownie dessert shot
• hazelnut brownie cream puff
• chocolate covered macadamia nut
• chocolate and caramel covered macadamia nut
• chocolate and crispy rice covered macadamia nut

Anyone wanna help roll me home?

(Good thing it was all really good.)

6 Months

Today our baby is six months old. Every cliche about how quickly time flies and how much one can love their child is 100% true. I really enjoy being Lola Dee's mom. I marvel at everything about her and am still surprised by the fact that nothing about her has ceased to be as exciting and wonderful as it was those first few weeks. Granted, she's still in that phase where she demonstrates some new trick every day...still, though. I'm eating it all up and truly cannot fathom a time where she becomes "old hat" so to speak.

That being said, however, I must take a moment to discuss my motherhood-related challenge: the total loss of my brain. I read about and listened to 1st-hand accounts of the scatter-brained-ness pregnancy and motherhood can cause, but didn't pay it much heed.

Oh, I wish I had known.

I'm fairly intelligent. I would admit to being well-read and educated. Yet I am frustrated daily, even hourly, by moments of total brain shut-down, usually at those critical moments I need my brain most. I can't describe the inner turmoil it causes as I hear myself struggling to communicate in cohesive sentences or suddenly realize that I've overlooked or forgotten something important and even obvious. My baby, so far, has been easy. Rarely does she needlessly cry, she sleeps as well as one could hope, and she's healthy and developing as she should. However, my brain functionality - or rather the lack thereof - has been the true challenge of motherhood.

I read this fantastic book on the female brain when Lola was first born, so I understand the biological reasons why my brain is betraying me - at least when it comes to being intelligent - yet I thought by now I would have regained some control. But I haven't. And I'm starting to worry this might be a permanent condition or one that gets worse over time and/or with the addition of more children.

(Insert a huge, depressed, hopeless sigh here.)

In a meeting this morning with a senior executive I was asked for my thoughts on something...I can only describe the sentence that came out of my mouth as verbal throw-up. And, like actual vomit, I was powerless to stop it. It just kept coming. Unlike real vomit, however, I felt metaphorically sick-er afterward. There was no momentary relief from the malady; no, rather it was the cause of the yuck I'm still feeling.

Anyway. Writing is good medicine. It provides a way to extract the mess floating around in my head onto something else where I can then, objectively, evaluate it or forget about it all together. So there you have it. Hopefully I can move on and actually accomplish something today.

To end on a lighter note and again returning to the awesome part of motherhood I'll leave off with this:
Lola's first swing. She was concerned at first (it seems to be her default condition...those eyebrows!), but she soon warmed up to it. Dare I say she loved it?

I just love her.

Post edit: Lola's six months as of TOMORROW. My dates are all mixed up. Yet another Mom-Brain moment.

My family visits.

Sometimes my extended family comes in to town and remembers to call us. Not always, but occasionally. We really love it when they do. Especially when it means we end up at the beach on the BEST day and get to have Pedro's for both lunch and dinner. These times happen too seldom, so I have to document it when it happens.

Ben and Sheri...

again, but right-side-up this time and with Miley.
More Miley...
Staci and Tyler...awww.
And more Miley. Hearing her say "Lola" may have been the best part of seeing them.
Sheri dances. Who knew?
Sunset was BEAUTIFUL.

Oh, Tyler. How kenny misses you especially.

Now for a quick PSA from Kenny:

Pedros Tacos may be awesome in every way, but you may think twice before eating it for two out of your three daily meals. Unless you really enjoy spending the next morning (and early afternoon) indisposed. Seriously.

The Pumpkin Patch

Saturday we met up with Amelia, her boys, and Kenny's parents for soup and a trip to the pumpkin patch. It was really fun and I'm excited for next year when Lola can actually do stuff.

The lighting was capital-h-HORRIBLE, but we did the whole photo thing anyway. Sorta.

No, she's not going to be an owl for Halloween (yet), but I couldn't resist this hat.

Here, "Crappa" (aka Grandpa Mark) helps Sloan out in the petting zoo. Sloan was very interested in this goats, ahem, nether regions. In a purely observational sense. (I know you were worried.)
Yikes. Hudson behind the wheel. I though we had a good 11 years before we had to worry about that. He, of course, LOVED it.
Sloan was fearless on this HUGE slide. That's his tiny body way up there.
And, of course, more Lola...and us (with Lola).








The best part was that it was actually kind of chilly (i.e. low 70's). I actually wanted hot apple cider. Next time.

Part A
3.5 hours of sleep
+ 45 minute morning commute in the rain
+ 2.5 hour meeting
= tired Jill.
Make that VERY tired Jill.

SO happy it's Friday.

Part B
On another note...last night, at the insistence of a sister-in-law, I watched my first episode of a certain MTV reality show last night. I won't say which one, but I will clarify that it follows a certain family of big-bootied Armenian sisters (and their CREEPY-looking, plastic-surgeried step-dad...and mom for that matter). I just watched one episode and that one was WAY more than enough. Ladies and Gentleman, I have identified the source of all Bad in the world today. Applaud me.

So, in addition to being exhausted today, I'm in mourning for two things: the half hour of my life that I'll never get back and the unknown quantity of brain cells that were lost as collateral damage as a result of my viewing that show.

The combined effect of Parts A and B is making it extremely difficult to get any work done. The remaining brain cells have all but gone on strike...or maybe they've just already started their weekend.

I think I'll join them.

More Blessing Photos

To accommodate our families and their conflicting schedules, we finally decided (very last minute) to have Lola's blessing at our (very small) apartment. It worked. We were still missing a lot of key people, but oh well. The girl wasn't getting any younger.

Here's a few of the kiddos.

The obligatory family shot. Kenny shaved his beard for the occasion, but hasn't shaved since.
Those eyebrows. Seriously. She always looks so concerned. Plus she was tired at this point.

Skyler was out of town, but Elise was able to make it. (Don't mind Lola's face...the important thing is that WE looked good, right?)

Poor Mark had MAJOR car problems on the way...but at least we had my parents and Kenny's mom.
I'm sad I didn't get any other photos of those who came...we were all kind of rushed. Or maybe it was just me.

I know a lot of these photos are essentially the same...but I don't really care. I'll be staring at them all day at work and they'll make me happy. I really love her. And Kenny. And everyone who came.

Thank you.

It was a good day.