Guess what? Em can smile:


And because I can't help but be excited by a smiling baby, another one:


Is that great? Or is it just me?

My BFF of many years (15 this year!) came out for 11 days to stay with me. You know the type of friend where you don't have to entertain, you just exist in each other's company? That was the kind of wonderful we had. We went on a tour of half of New England, including SIX farm & factory tours in Vermont. Her visit came at just the right time, too, as I was starting to feel a little edgy. Getting out with her made me realize that while the first two weeks may be the hardest, the six week mark has a sort of endless quality to it.

Ben & Jerry's, of course, was quite the highlight of our Vermont tour:

What's not to love?

While driving nearly the length Vermont with a baby with a deep and abiding hatred for his carseat, I had some time to think. I put down my knitting (yes, knitting. I completed a whopping four rows on a sock for me) and stared out the window. I was trying to compose a blog post about this, about traveling with a baby, about all the stuff that accumulates with them, about staring strangers, and about the stress of it all. I kept rejecting thoughts and opening sentences because they weren't what I would like to read about. They weren't that funny/reflective that captivate so many people. Mostly, they had the sound of that high-pitch nervous giggle that you give right before succumbing to hysteria. While that is far closer to my day-to-day emotional state than funny/reflective, it isn't what I want to be. It certainly isn't what I want to blog about.

So, I did some more thinking. I though more about it while we were riding through Vermont (while staring at a baby who, despite a full tummy, a clean diaper and every trick we could think of, still insisted on screaming his frustration at the safety of a five-point harness). I've been thinking of it every day since. I don't know why I can't find the funny. There is certainly something essay-worthy about waking up next to your adorable infant (whom you swore would never sleep in your bed) and realizing that you're covered in his poop.

Maybe it's perspective I need.

I realize those thougths don't sound great, but I don't mean it that way. He's a damn cute baby and I really do wake up every morning amazed at his little self and totally in love with the way he insists on curling up his little body into my chest. Even on the days I have to wash the poo off me.

I have been knitting here and there. Sometimes it's just a few rows on the Baby Bolero I'm way overdue on gifting, but I am knitting. It feels good to go at it again, and as we fiddle with some form of a schedule for the boy I think there may be more time for me in the near future. Lisa and I are even talking about Rhinebeck: Revisited this year. I got my Ravelry invite yesterday, too, so diving back into my fiber obsession seems probable again.

I would like your help, though. I spend a lot of time (still) nursing this little boy. Once he closes his eyes, I like to pop open the laptop and read some blogs. My Bloglines was always pretty sparse, holding just enough feeds for me to be able to sneak a peek at when I was at work. Now that I have oodles of (kinda) free time, I'd like to read more. I don't get to comment much (or return emails), as may be obvious, but I'd like to read more. Please, suggest some of your favorite reads. (Even yourself, if you're not listed over there.)