Back in the Saddle

Awww, I missed you guys too!

Sorry for the lag in posting! We've had a lot of adventures in the last two weeks since, including out-of-town visitors, the inauguration, and a raging case of mastitis (whoo hoo!).

First, we've been closely following UNC basketball like the good Tarheels that we are. Silas has a number of Carolina ensembles given to us by various good friends and relatives. For the Boston College game, our good friend Liz came over and we taught Silas the basics of UNC fan-manship, watched the game, yelled at the television, and commiserated with one another after the crushing loss.

Check out my UNC duds



Getting a pre-game pep talk from my UNC Rammie



Go Heels!



I'm already learning the fight song

Silas also had a visit from his good buddy, Sam. Sam's parents were moving and, given that Sam is only six months old and not likely able to lift many boxes, he came over to play with Silas. Sam and Silas enjoyed some quality time together, and we enjoyed playing and snuggling with Sam and watching him try out some of Silas's toys that Silas is just a little too small for.

Mind if I gnaw on your feet a little, buddy?



Hey!



Just breakin' it in for you, Silas



I'm plum tuckered out from all of the fun!

Last week, Silas and I visited my co-worker Jamie and her baby, Isaac. Silas was very interested in Isaac's toys and very excited about the teething ring and diapers that Jamie and Isaac graciously gave to us. I very much enjoyed chatting with another mom and we hung out, nursed our boys, and ate lunch.

To celebrate the Inauguration of President Obama, Silas's Grand and our good friend Earline came up to stay with us. They watched Boy Wonder while Matt and I attended the North Carolina Society Ball with Uncles Scott and Russ and Aunt Morgan. Matt and I really enjoyed getting dressed up and going out on the town and are now finally in the market for a good teenaged baby-sitter so that we can make that happen more often. Grand and Earline had tickets to see the inauguration, but were unfortunately part of the Purple Ticket Tunnel of Doom fiasco and were unable to get into the event. All was not lost, however; Matt tivoed the inauguration, and so we were all able to watch it together (while staying warm) once they got back to the house that morning.

Just hangin' with my lady friends.

Man, you give good snuggles, Earline!



Aunt Morgan and Uncles Russ and Scott celebrate with us



Clearly having a blast!

On the developmental front, Silas is moving ahead in leaps and bounds. He's discovered that he has hands and that they can do things. Often we find him attempting to cram his entire fist in his mouth. He's also figured out how to grab his toys, which, remarkably, also usually find their way to his mouth.

(Channeling Golem) Keep away from my Precious

Silas currently spends his days snuggling, eating, pooping and sleeping, and actually slept almost nine straight hours the past several nights. He still very much enjoys "talking" and we have several "conversations" each day. He has also started chatting with his toys--particularly the cats attached to his bouncy seat and the fish on the mobile attached to his cradle. We've got a great video that I promise to post later this week.

Yep, this is where my good looks come from

Nom nom nomnom



Just chillin'

This week, we're going to practice sitting up, reading, riding in the stroller, and Silas's comedy routine. He really needs to work on his timing.

What are you talking about? I'm hilarious.

Two-Month Doctor's Visit

At two months old, I'm still a wee little man

Monday Silas had his two-month doctor's visit. He is now 22 1/2 inches and 12 lbs 4 oz. Our boy loves to eat! Given that I'm currently his only source of sustenance, I'm mighty proud of the two of us! In addition to being measured and weighed, Silas also received five immunizations--four shots and one oral vaccine. It was terrible. I think I cried as much as he did. Matt couldn't make it to this doctor's appointment (he has come to all of the other ones) because he had a filing due Monday night. He felt so badly about it, however, he came home early Tuesday to help clean the house in preparation for a visit from my Aunt Ann and cousin Mack. As I left the house to run to the grocery store, I heard Matt explain to Silas as he loaded the dishwasher, "See, buddy, Daddy is modeling positive gender roles."

Silas and cousin Mack

In addition to seeing my aunt and cousin, since New Year's Day, we also had a visit from my college roommate Whitney. She and I had a great time catching up and Silas loved giving her some of his signature snuggles.

We also finally took down our Christmas decorations, which is always depressing. For the sake of posterity, I'm posting some pictures--if only to inspire me to open up the boxes and do it all over again next year.

I enjoyed my new camera this week, taking lots of pictures of Boy Wonder and his various facial expressions. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Hel-LO, ladies

Who me?


I'm innocent, I swear it!


Read my (lower) lip, I'm not pleased with this current situation.


Seriously, woman, put down that camera and give me my lunch!


Who is this 'Silas' person and where is my blog?

Christmas and New Year's

I look silly

The Jones family sojourned to North Carolina for Christmas this year. Silas and I rode down with Gran and Great-Gran Sunday December 21. On the way down, we stopped and toured the Frank Lloyd Wright Pope-Leahy house just south of DC. I popped Silas in his sling and he slept through the entire experience, although I like to think that he absorbed some of the information and architectural significance anyway. The docent who led the tour was very impressed by the fact that our group consisted of four generations--Great-Gran, Gran, me and Silas. I wish I had asked him to take a picture of us.

Silas has been a great traveler so far. He slept most of the way down to NC--we only stopped once to nurse. With the use of our fabulous "Hooter Hider" nursing cover, he and I are able to breastfeed fairly incognito and have at a variety of fast food establishments and Starbucks (Mama needs her caffeine) along the I-95 corridor.

Once in NC, we made the rounds. First we visited our good friends, Kerri, Mike, and Elliott Flinchbaugh, who very kindly gave Silas a copy of What if Bees Made Cheese?, a book written in honor of Kerri's sister, the proceeds of which go to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. The book is great and is available at www.lulu.com. Elliott also kindly gave Silas some of his "baby" toys, which Silas has really enjoyed.

Matt arrived in NC in the early morning hours of Christmas Eve. Both Taylor and Silas were really glad to see him, especially since it appears that Silas can't sleep without his daddy's snores to lull him through the night. We're incredibly thankful that, generally, Silas is an excellent sleeper (he takes after his mama in this regard). Since he was about six weeks old, he's slept a solid stretch of six hours each night--generally midnight to 6 am. He actually slept almost eight hours a few nights ago, and may have gone longer, but I was feeling a little "uncomfortable" and woke him up for his breakfast.


Silas enjoyed some quality time with his Gran and Big Papa, his uncle Haig, his Mimi, Uncle Russ, Aunt Morgan, and Uncle Scott. He also got a visit from our good friends Worth and Liz, Missy and Blake, and Fran and Pat. He practiced smiling and cooing and generally charmed the pants off of anyone who spent any time with him.



On Christmas Day, we dressed Silas in the Christmas outfit sent to him by his great Aunt Judy and we all headed down to the Pamlico River to celebrate Christmas with great Uncle Tom David, Silas's namesake, great Aunt Sarah, first cousins once removed (not to get technical or anything) Stancell and Turner, and Great-Gran. Great-Gran gave Silas a bottle of milk I pumped earlier in the day so that I could enjoy a Christmas bloody Mary. We ate oysters and grilled Boston Butt (pork) and Santa was good to everyone, especially Silas, who had so many toys, books, and clothes, we could hardly fit them all in the car for the drive home.






That evening, we headed to Matt's mom's (Silas's Mimi's) house to celebrate with Mimi, Uncle Russ, Aunt Morgan, and Uncle Scott. We decorated the tree, ate a lovely dinner of standing rib roast, yorkshire puddings, green beans and pumpkin pie, and opened still more presents. Mimi even made Silas a jester hat, matching ones that she had sewn for everyone else to wear in our annual Christmas portraits. I'd post the Christmas portrait, but I have been forbidden, upon penalty of death, for fear that such photo would make its way onto Facebook and ruin the chances of a certain bachelor uncle to impress the ladies. Just imagine Silas's hat on all of us, who are also wearing matching UNC t-shirts.


We left NC to head back up to DC on December 29, and once again, Silas was a dream baby. We only stopped to nurse and change him once, at a Subway (Matt and I started our New Year's diet a few days early) just outside of Richmond.

On New Year's Eve we hosted old friends Uncle John, Aunt Heather, Uncle Jim and Aunt Ginny. We all watched the UNC basketball game, ate, drank, and were generally merry.

Cheers!

Today, we all went to a New Year's Day party at our good friends, Nate and Suzzanne's apartment. As the only baby at the party (yes, we're apparently those people), Silas was the star, at least until the hostess broke out the accordion she received for Christmas and one of the other guests demonstrated his honest-to-god accordion-playing skills. Silas was appropriately upstaged, but promises to make a better showing next year--perhaps having picked up the harpsichord or the mouth organ.

Matt gave me a new camera for Christmas, so hopefully, you will detect a marked improvement in the quality of photos posted here. If not, don't tell him. I think he spent a lot of money.