Back at Home Base

Salutations fellow travelers, like-minded parents, rapscallions, hangers-on, and Mr. & Mrs. John Q. Public,

Hats off to the Kazapalooza organizers for an outstanding weekend. We partook of delightful events, gazed on the beautiful-est of Kaz faces, and FINALLY got to connect with a few of our blog friends in MeatSpace. Fantastic! (Then we made some personal stops in the week following, giving Thumblini the chance to meet not one, but TWO great-grandmas, assorted loving cousins, general admirers, our one-and-only LMI Coordinator/Aila's Fairy Godmother (and mother of the Mitch Most Handsome): ANDREA...and even the guy dressed as a toy soldier at FAO Schwartz.)

Pix:

Aila's New Hat

Semey Baby Owen with Daddy (Stewart)

Semey Babies Aila and Tyler, with Mommies (Jenny & Susan)

Semey Baby Mitch with Mommy Andrea (AJ!)

Hi Five from Fairy Godmother!

Semey Babies Aila and Mitch

Daddy & Thumblini on Father's Day

The Boothbay Gang at the Bean

Mommies and Babies (Aila and Cousin Toug!)

Great Grandmother (Nana Jeanie) with Thumblini

- M & J

Succumbed

Today was our first - and possibly last - trip to Toys "backwards R" Us. To my utter incredulity, every one of us gave in almost instantly, to our archetypal roles in the consumerist-impulsivity-crying jag tableau that is the Family Outing to the Toy Store.

Little One: (wailing) I want out of this stroller!
Mother: Oh, look, it's a cute pink chair. I want her to have this.
Father: But it's festooned with fantasy images of passive and impossibly phenotyped princesses that the patriarchy uses to enslave and demean femalekind!
Mother: I know - and I'm the one who's supposed to say that - but look how cute she is! Here honey, sit down.
Little One: [freed from stroller, sits in foam chair that looks like a squashed Peep©]
Father: You really want that thing in the living room? It's pure kitsch.
Mother: Honey, look - she loves it!
Father: Yeah, I guess that is pretty cute.
Little One: [stands up from chair, picks it up, and staggers down aisle triumphantly]



- M

6

6 months ago today, we became full-time parents.

6 months ago today, Aila left the Babyhouse in our arms and became a full-fledged Robinson.

6 years ago, we began our journey to Parenthood.
There were days - months, even - when I wanted to give up. I found that grappling with infertility was, at times, too hard, too back-breaking, too disappointing. There were so many heartbreaks along the way that I often wondered if devoting all of our time, energy, resources and focus to becoming parents was really worth it.

6 months ago today, I became Aila's mommy, and now I know.

Every single injection, every single surgery, every single disappointment, every single bit of the pain and suffering - it was ALL worth it. Now I know. I would do it ALL again, suffer through all of the terror, physical, emotional and psychic pain, just to get to Aila.

I have been transformed by the love I feel for my daughter and by her constant, magnificent presence in my life. I could not possibly love her more if I had physically given birth to her. Being Aila's mother is an honor, and I am in awe of her.

And, sharing the experience of being Aila's parent, with my husband (wow, what a lucky girl to have him as a Dad), is enriching and nourishing and exhausting and inspiring and life-affirming like nothing else in the world.

These past 6 months have been the scariest, most intense, most eye-opening, rock-our-world months of our lives. It is my sincere hope that we all live very, very long lives so that we can share as much time together as possible.

- J

Next Stop: Summer

We just returned from a very full weekend in D.C. We participated in a second - beautiful - memorial service honoring Marshall's Dad (this one was at the National Cathedral), and we had a chance to (finally!) introduce Thumblini to family and friends. On top of all that, we helped ring in Aunt Amanda's [redacted]th birthday on Saturday!


This is how the Robinsons let off steam after Dad's memorial service: teach the baby the Hokey Pokey.


Stopping to smell the roses in the Bishop's Garden of the National Cathedral.


Augie & Aila relaxing after a long day of sippy-cupping.


The double-axel inverse kiss for Aunt Amanda.


(axiomatic)


What to do when you miss your naps.

Kazapalooza or bust!

- J