More Jocelyn Goodness. This was taken about 2-4 weeks ago. She is really scooting along now. We have to keep an eye on her at all times because she has the keen eyesight to spot the smallest things from across the room (dirt particles, tufts of cat hair, etc..) and wonders what it must taste like.
embedded by Embedded Video
Haven’t had much time to update the blog as of late, but thought I’d share this slide-show I put together of Jocelyn from birth to now.
This month’s book selection comes from Laura. The Middle Place is the story of Kelly Corrigan, who could practically be my neighbor (according to the book she lives just across town), and her battle with breast cancer which occurs concurrently with her father’s bladder cancer diagnosis and treatment. Though it sounds like a downer, this book was both enlightening and amusing. The title of the book, The Middle Place, refers to the time in your life when you are both a parent and someone’s child, Kelly Corrigan is both a mother and a daughter. This book is part flash-back, part diary, with stories from Kelly’s childhood serving to illuminate the quirks of her family and explain their energetic and sometimes tense family dynamic. Corrigan is at times brutally honest about these relations, stating at one point that she’s a little more her father’s daughter than her mother’s, but this is something her pragmatic mother already understands. Kelly’s dad is quite the character, “The Green Man” as he often refers to himself, is the kind of guy everyone loves, the sort of fella that makes everyone feel like a million bucks, a man who greets everyday with a hearty “Hello World!”. I love my dad very much and wouldn’t trade him for the world, but a couple times while reading this book I couldn’t help but wish George Corrigan was my dad too! It’s no wonder that before his retirement he made his living at a salesman. The author’s absolute adoration of her father is tempered by occasional annoyance at the low key manner with which he handles his medical affairs, as she is decidedly not low key, and also “not very stoic.”
The cancer that changes Kelly’s life, though central to the story, never feels draining. She talks about the ways she tries to shield her children from the frightening reality about her condition. She is sometimes overbearing about her father’s treatment, all in an effort to feel some sort of control over these horrific situations. I don’t want to ruin the book and give away the outcomes, which would be easy to do. A story about life and illness, this book made me appreciate that I too am still someone’s daughter even though I now have a daughter of my own. Though initially hesitant because of the subject matter, I must say I really enjoyed this book. It’s not very long, but the story is satisfying and moving, humorous and humbling. If you’ve got a few extra hours, this book is definitely worth your time.
Jocelyn had her first real fever this week. Took a couple days, lots of patience and napping, but it has passed and she’s doing better. A sick child is probably hardest on the parents, the feeling of helplessness and inability to communicate effectively makes everyone unhappy. I know this is one of many episodes to come, and though I wish I could shield her from every illness, being sick is good for her immune system in the long run.
Our garden spot! We’ve already lost one tomato plant (I’m guessing a neighborhood cat).
More about wordless Wednesday here.
Our landlord offered to let us use an abandonned garden spot on the property. He’d planted potatoes a couple of years ago. In just a few minutes and using only our hands, Velma and I dug up these beauties. I got a bunch more later. The rosemary is from a bush right next to the garden. We’re in the process of planting, we’ll post more pictures of our progress.
More about Wordless Wednesday here.
Just a quick story about Jocelyn’s growing stranger anxiety. We were in the car yesterday, driving to the new Berkeley Bowl West supermarket to check it out and do some shopping. Stopped at a red light, I hear Jocelyn, who’d been happily babbling away, start that wind up whine babies do when they’re about to begin wailing. Since the light was going to be red for a bit yet, I turned around to give her a reassuring pat and assess if something was amiss. I noticed that she was staring out the window at a neighboring vehicle. The man in the driver’s seat was smiling in a very friendly manner at Jocelyn. I couldn’t keep from chuckling. Once we were moving and he was out of sight she seemed to be happy once again. Who knew a well meaning smile could elicit such a response.
She also has a new and interesting habit. When playing she likes to prop herself up on her side. To keep her balance she puts her feet in rather strange positions, crossing them at the ankles and other odd poses. She’ll keep her feet up in the air for several minutes at a time. It makes me think of the way break dancers freeze at the end of their spin moves. Since she rolls around changing sides frequently she seems like our own break-dancing baby.
She’s a good eater, and usually pretty neat, but she likes to turn her head while her mouth is open waiting for the food, this is the result.
More about Wordless Wednesday here.
Bonus picture
Foot size comparison, she’s got a lot of growing to do to catch up with Mom.
