Life in Prescott: An Update

We like to stick baby in the corner ... of the couch and make her practice her sitting.

Ada considers Shirley.

Welcome to Jerome!

That's Jerome, AZ, a town originally funded by copper mining and now by cute cafes and junk shops run by hippies.

Walking around Tuzigoot National Monument (Ada and I stayed in the car sleeping)

The Prescottonians!

Our friend Maria (connection, Jeffrey graduated from law school with her and her fiance Dave. My dad refers to them as "the rat people") is an official Cardinals cheerleader and the squad was in Prescott doing a little mini-practice at the YMCA.

Last weekend, Jeffrey's mom was here for a visit. Shirley visits mean lots of lasagna, often-confusing stories that somehow relate to people's deaths, and trips to fun places.

While she was here we headed to Jerome, AZ, a town that was developed around copper mining and at one point had the second-largest JC Penney in the country. Then it essentially fell down the mountainside -- as precariously perched mining towns often do when you build them over fault lines and then blast the shit out of the earth -- but was rebuilt and rejuvenated and

"includes a modicum of artists, craft people, musicians, writers, hermits, bed and breakfast owners, museum caretakers, gift shop proprietors and fallen-down-building landlords."

We also had lunch at the world famous Hog Wild Restaurant and the food was delicious -- though none of use took on the celebrated 1-pound pork chop sandwich. (I had the chicken philly -- it was amazingly good -- like, "let's go back and eat lunch at that place in Cottonwood" good).

Sunday we went to see our friend Maria do some cheering. She's a cheerleader for Arizona's NFL team, the Cardinals, and also a fellow law graduate.  We felt a little weird standing around the YMCA gym watching half-naked girls jump around ... but it was really fun to see Maria do something she loves.

This is Jeffrey's second week of work and it is going well. He often pops home for lunch which is nice, and no one at the firm has completely shunned him yet!

I'm back at work and doing my normal work stuff and Ada has been amazingly accommodating -- she basically sleeps through the whole morning half of my work day, wakes up a bit for lunch with us, then goes back to sleep. What a good baby!

Lucy and Lily are liking the house. Lily likes to try to flush out the quail from the porch (poodles ARE hunting dogs after all...) and Lucy is doing really well on the stairs.

So life is good!

The Last Six Weeks ...

So apparently it was six weeks ago that I blogged ... in that time, I've had a baby and moved to a different city. Rather than bore you with the mundane prattling normally found here, I bring you a photo scrap book of The Last Six Weeks!

Several hours before Ada was born, I demonstrate my wry wit along with my heart rate monitor.

Ada Elizabeth Gautreaux, 7-22-2011, 7:35 p.m., 7 lbs 8.6 oz, mommy had ALL the drugs.

Jeffrey holding his daughter for the first time.

Ada, showing us what she thinks of us.

Sleeping!

Ada in a duckie towel after one of her first baths.

Grandpa Rinne holding his great granddaughter.

Who's tired?

Ada, a few weeks in, giving us a typical Ada Face -- she really is sitting up in that corner of the chair all by herself.

At Zinburger with Terry -- he basically packed our whole house.

Lucy in her chair, hemmed in by all the boxes. Lucy has moved ten times in her life. She's a pro.

Ada looking bored with us ... again.

The truck is so big, it doesn't fit in the frame. It also completely obscures our Phoenix house behind it. And yes, Jeffrey drove it all by himself and no one was killed! (I won't mention the incident with the giant rock.)

The view from our deck in Prescott.

Lucy enjoying the view from one of our decks in Prescott.

Sunset at Watson Lake in Prescott.

Ada, finally not bored by us. I think she enjoys living in Prescott!

No More Than Two More Weeks

At my weekly checkup today everything was declared "perfect!" and also declared "not coming any day soon!"

So we are now at 39 weeks. One more week to due date. The belly has gone from feeling like one of those bears-in-the-balloon you win at the fair to "baby stuck in dry cleaner bag."

There's just no more room at the inn.

The doc said Ada only gets up to two more weeks and then she's not allowed to stay in there any longer. You naturalists out there probably think that's rushing it. But I've gained 32 pounds and it's only on my front and I'm getting a little uncomfortable lugging this kid around on my insides. I'm ready for her to try her ErgoBaby carrier on the OUTSIDE.

In other news, we found a place to rent in Prescott.

Boulder Park Townhome. Gated. Corner unit. Dogs allowed. About two blocks from Jeffrey's office. Going to be 100-degrees in Phoenix today. 74 in Prescott. Prescott for the WIN!

My mom and I have been putting appliques on onesies. So far? This is my best applique. The horse body actually wraps around to the back!

Print silhouette on freezer paper, iron to desired fabric square, iron to iron-on lightweight fusing square, cut out image, iron on to onesie. Bask in glory of how awesome it turned out. Consider adding embroidery thread mane. Reject idea because it's just so perfect as it is.