a good long one

First off, I should apologize to Gailzee: she didn't say I suck at updating. She said I wasn't being very good at it, with a baby and all. I use hyperbole, folks, so much so that when I'm not exaggerating (the cauliflower from our CSA was the size of a soccer ball, and I'm being completely serious), I have to point it out.

For reals: a soccer ball of cauliflower. Crazy.

I'm in it deep with the sleep deprivation, and Vesper's even a pretty good sleeper! I think it's a cumulative thing that's just caught up to me: being interrupted one to two times a night wears you down. I tend to avoid posting online when I don't have anything wry or nice to say, and that's where I'm at: patience worn thin, tired, crabby, and snappish. Then my mom gently requested an update that was innocuous enough: a picture or two, maybe letting folks know what's up with Blake, Vesper's new tricks of smiling and engaging with us.

I ripped Mom's head off and shoved it down her neck, all over the phone.

See? That is hyperbole. She was very nice about the request and I can be very nice about complying. Except, no, not really. I have to be a little bitchy, or you wouldn't know it was me!

 The clutch of Huns. There are something like sixteen chicks in this picture, and it was the closest I could get, but you can click to enlarge.

 When Vesper was a week old, the Perrines and the Myers all came to Bozeman, and we had a family friend get a few full family (for now) shots. This one makes me especially happy, because Blake can sometimes be a bit of a shit to his younger cousins, and Maddox in particular just idolizes him. 

 All the boys. Holy Moses, that's a lotta boys. Can you imagine how badly future gatherings of our families will smell?!

 All the everyone. What a blessing to enjoy the fabulous relationships that we do!

 Boys, jumping. Or threatening with Spidey hands.

 We went to Coeur d'Alene for the 4th of July! It was a touch long of a drive from someone just a few weeks out of labor and delivery, but once there, we had a great time with the Perrine family. Audrey is getting so big and was so happy, even when she high-centered herself on her playmat.

 The Bedford grandies came over from Spokane to meet their newest granddaughter over lunch at Panda Express. They approve!

 A: Wipe that look off your face.

R: I told you that the lake, of all places, was the ONE PLACE to avoid on the 4th of July.

A: Oops!

The kids played on the bounce houses and we visited the most enormous playground ever before calling it a (hot) day and heading back to the house. I also sorely missed having a stroller, but at least Vesper was still comparatively light in her car seat.

 Pretty girls! Lane and I had such a fun, snarky time people-watching and feeling MUCH better about our bodies, clothing, and life choices after seeing what else was out there and on display. The only thing that kept me from dropping a pencil in the crack of one heavily tattooed young man was the lack of a pencil and my sense of self-preservation.

 Getting used to each other. She looks unsure, which means she DOES look like me sometimes!

 V: MOM, I LOVE THIS.

R: (to me) I know you're trying to save money and all, but we are buying one of these swings AS SOON as we get back to Bozeman. Maybe we should get two: one for downstairs and one for my office.

 The Bedford clan, sans Bethany, drove over for a few days to bring the dog, help around the house (we now have a large pile of cut wood, thanks to Cec!), and hold a baby. Aislynn told us quite often that she loved Besber, and could she hold her again?

 Smile?

 How about try not to look too weird, sullen, or angry? This is the best we got of the grandkids, and one's even missing (she was asleep).

 I was in Billings for a quick overnight to help one of my dearest friends practice her wedding makeup, and I had to let Aunt Gail know I was coming. She planned to come over about the same time Kellie was going join me. When I mentioned that I'd be preoccupied with Kellie, Gail promptly assured me she didn't care WHAT we were doing, she was just going to hold that baby, and it was a good thing I'd called her. If I had snuck in and out of town without telling Gail, she probably would have hurt me.

I handed her to Rob, assuring him that she'd just eaten and would be happy for the hour or so it would take me to get groceries. "This is awesome," he whispered as they snuggled in together. I got back and they hadn't moved, though he wasn't sleeping anymore, because he was afraid to do anything to wake her. The coffee he'd brewed before I left sat untouched on the counter, and I teased him for a bit before I eventually poured him a cup.

I don't have pictures of the latest and greatest things: Vesper's smiles and eye contact. Blake took part in a science camp this last week that was WONDERFUL. He loved it and learned a lot, I got a restful week knowing he wasn't bored or in front of a screen, and Vesper just slept through most of it. Vesper's passed the six-weeks-old peak for evening fussiness, so I hope to see that continue to taper off (though last night was rough), and we'll start working on that whole "sleeping through the night" thing soon. It's been hot as hell around here, but between our magical whole-house fan and Bozeman temps that can dip into the 40s at night, our house is freezing until the afternoon, when it's simply cool, but you still don't want to turn on the stove or oven to cook anything. 

Life with a dog is going pretty well, though Rob and I have different expectations about what that looks like. So far, Thrall doesn't seem to think I'm a dominant entity around here, which just shows he doesn't know me, but it's hard to want to put in the time needed to fix his misperception when I'm already tapped out with a full-time baby and nearly-full-time seven-year-old. I've taken on the task of feeding him ("You eat at my pleasure because I'm more alpha than you."), and now that we have a stroller, we can hopefully go on family walks to accustom him to a leash and other dogs and, you know, obedience.

And... that's all I got.