Catskills & Bangladesh

Our family is on opposite sides of the world this week. On Tuesday, Daddy flew off to Bangladesh to work on a World Bank climate change project, while Mommy and Aidan stayed in the Catskills. Grandma and Grandpa Ruane stayed in the Catskills till early Wednesday morning, drove back to Massachusetts to work Wednesday through Friday, and were back in time to hang out with us at Skylar's birthday party (Aidan's second cousin, Mommy thinks). Grandma and Grandpa were both here for the weekend, and Grandma is taking vacation from work this week to hang out with us!

At the beginning of the week, Aidan would run up and bite Mommy on the leg if she forgot to give him Infant Motrin or Tylonal, so his teeth must have really been bothering him! His top left one (next to the middle two) is taking *forever* to come through - it is gleaming white through the skin but still hasn't cut; and it is driving Mommy and Aidan crazy! Fortunately, medicine helps, so we have been using that. Aidan has been up at all hours of the night, even with medicine, and Mommy thinks that teething isn't helping their either. Maybe it will finally happen tonight!!!

Mommy took Wednesday through Friday "off" and she and Aidan had a wonderful time. We took long naps (2-3 hours!) each day in our king-sized bed, which gave Mommy a chance to both sleep and to read for fun (she finished Taking on the Big Boys: Why Feminism Is Good for Families, Business, and the Nation - two thumbs up! everyone should read this). We also ran through the sprinklers, played in the baby pool, threw rocks and sand into the stream, walked up to visit Marguerite & Nadir's chickens and dogs, and barely had to cook at all because of the delicious birthday leftovers from Aidan's birthday! It was wonderful.

On Friday, Aidan was a trooper and partied at Skylar's 4th birthday cook-out celebration until 9PM, when we finally came home and let him pass out. It was one giant "jail break" for him, and he loved it! He was friendly with all of the hollow-folk, fascinated with the dogs, and determined to toddle and slide down the grassy tufted lawn wherever Mommy or Grandpa or Grandma would follow him.

This weekend we switched gears, and Mommy started getting back into work mode for the first time in a long time. Aidan has been totally happy with Grandpa and Grandma (yeah for the end of separation anxiety and stranger anxiety!), so Mommy passed him off to them and locked herself in a room to read and take notes on how women's rights have evolved in history. Aidan got a sweet deal! Grandma and Grandpa took him outside whenever he wanted to, visited chickens and dogs, played in the stream, and even took him to pick fresh raspberries! By the end of the weekend, Aidan would clap when he saw Grandpa in anticipation of sillyness, and regulalry leap into Grandma's arms knowing adventures would be sure to follow! He liked the raspberries so much that Grandma and Grandpa could only save two for Mommy to try; but they were delicious!

Aidan's big developmental things this week are waving and patience. He has waved for a while, but he is now doing it regularly, always abouta minute after you would expect. Mommy says to "say hi" or "say bye-bye", and waves, and Aidan thinks about it, and just when you think he has moved onto the next thing, he waves! It's a big, circular wave - not a finger-grasping or miss-America or side-to-side one - totally his own reinterpretation, and very cute! On Saturday and Sunday, he also started showing some first signs of patience: unlike ever before, he was willing to hang out in his high chair while the grown-ups ate lunch and dinner, even after he was doen eating! Aidan usually is adamant about leaving his high chair the minute he is done eating himself, which makes it difficult for Mommy to eat her own food. So, she is thrilled that meal-times might become more relaxing! One last thing: Aidan now knows exactly what he wants, and has reverted to a primarily one-word vocabulary: he goes everywhere with a pointed index finger in the air, demanding "da! da! da!". This usually means that he wants "that" or is asking what "that" is, and is absolutely and completely focused on it! Mommy is looking forward to a re-expansion of his vocabulary!

Daddy made it safely to Dhaka, Bangladesh, started to turn his clock around, and has started working 12+ hour days. He will be back in New York on late on the July 22nd. We miss him, but we are happy that we can hang out with Grandma and Grandpa.