3 months old

Quinn's 3 months old today and doing great. Rebecca goes to some playgroups where they do singsongs and rhymes and he just loves some of them, especially ones with bouncing involved. He laughs and smiles and it lights up my whole day. He drools a lot and sucks on his hand and lip, which makes us wonder if he's teething. None are apparent though, and he's not in bad humour at all which I thought was part and parcel of the whole teething thing. Maybe he's just a drooly kid.

He really looks around a lot. He seems to want to follow where he is and where he's going when he's being carried, like he's maintaining a frame of reference. Twice now when he's been partially melting down but still taking input / looking around, I've swayed back and forth rapidly in front of the mirror. You can see his eyes try to keep up but after awhile it's just too much and he gives up and goes to sleep. It's seems unfair somehow but I guess you gotta use some dirty tricks sometimes as a parent.

It's hard to believe it's been 3 months. The time flies by. I'm trying hard to lap it up as much as I can.

Our little blade of grass

Quinn obviously can't walk yet. He can't even crawl. But somehow he manages to move. It's almost imperceptible - much like a blade of grass, if you watch intently he (or the blade of grass) doesn't appear to move (or grow) but then some span of time later he's in a slightly different spot (or the grass is taller). He does it in bed as he migrates in pursuit of Rebecca. He did it tonight while lying on a blanket on the floor. We looked back at one point and he had rotated almost 180 degrees, pivoting on his huge melon. I don't think it's any known form of propulsion - it's not bipedal, or on all fours, or a snake-like motion, or crawling, or bouncing. It's sort of a collection of a thousand tiny wiggles but with the average over time propelling him in a direction that really looks like his choosing. It's really quite amazing. I've never had so much fun watching the grass grow.

The crickets of Limoges

It was late Saturday evening under a full moon. We were on the way back from the long but good day of Aunt Faith's funeral. Quinn had been great all day, many thanks to frequent ministerings from Rebecca. But he got hungry on the drive home, so at 10pm we pulled off at the Limoges exit on the 417. I went to pull into a service station lot that was lit, but it was closed and there were a couple of cars parked there, idling. We decided to avoid any possible local mafia transactions and went back to the highway (it was probably just Saturday night in Limoges but who knows...) . Rebecca fed Quinn while we were parked at the side of the entrance ramp.

There was not much for me to do except watch the psychedelics of the 4-way flashers in the ramp curve reflectors and listen to the frogs (I would have titled this 'the frogs of Limoges' but I wouldn't want Quebec to separate due to a misunderstanding...). As I sat and enjoyed the quietness I thought, "You know, I just never pulled off on some random exit in the woods and listened to the frogs on a Saturday night before". The things you do for parenthood. It makes you slow down and see things more. It was actually a welcome rest this night.

First the Subaru Motel at the Irving Big Stop at Edmunston; now the Subaru Roadside Restaurant in Limoges...and Rebecca says I never take her anywhere...

Farewell Aunt Faith

My beloved aunt, Faith Burgess, has succumbed to cancer. She was fortunate in that she was able to do so from the comforts of her own home, with her husband of over half a century holding her hand as she took her last breath. My heart goes out to my Uncle Bruce, who served yeoman service in the labour of love that was caring for his wife during her time of troubles. My heart goes out to my cousin Clifford for whom it must have been difficult to have been separated from his ailing mother while working in Switzerland. My heart goes out to my cousin Wendy, for whom it must have been difficult to see her vibrant mother ravaged by disease, on top of all other challenges that life presents.

As a Nova Scotian transplant in Ottawa, I have been fortunate over the years to have been the beneficiary of the love and caring of the Burgess family that live in the area. Being someone for whom family is important, and being so far away from my immediate family, it has always meant a tremendous amount to me. Uncle Bruce & Aunt Faith were so gracious in inviting Rebecca & I for a family gathering they had over last Christmas break. It was an inspirational visit due to the exceptionally high quality of human beings in that family - and Aunt Faith was known to be sick at the time and the prognosis wasn't especially good. It added a sombre undertone that she was determined should not drag down the event.

That visit epitomized so much of what I loved about my Aunt Faith. She responded about her state of health when asked, but urged everyone not to dwell on it and pressed the conversation elsewhere. She encouraged others to speak and listened intently, as she always did. She was a lay preacher but was never preachy about her beliefs, as evidenced on that day when the conversation turned to religious topics. She was so positive and upbeat, as she always was, even in the face of long odds. There was reminiscing about her golfing with the grandkids and of her roller blading exploits - both of which were two of many things taken up relatively late in life by my avid-learner aunt. She was drinking in every moment of having her family around that she loved so much. She laughed a lot. She looked and sounded great. That day will live in my memory for a long, long time.

In so many ways, you inspired me Aunt Faith. Thank you for being you. I love you, wherever you are.

Shhh...

...Quinn's asleep in the swing. He's just recently learned to fall asleep by himself in the swing, which has Rebecca quite excited about the prospect of being able to do something without him being surgically attached to her.

Rebecca & I were able to go out to dinner together last night for the first time since before Quinn was born. Our friend Elisa very generously offered to take care of Quinn for a couple of hours. We went to a great restaurant just down the street (called Canvas http://www.canvasrestobar.ca/) for a great meal. I found myself having to relearn how to not bolt my food but it was well worth it. Over dinner Rebecca was remarking that Quinn is almost 3 months old. "He'll be going to university soon", she said. I suggested that first we'll need to get him to sleep somewhere other than our bed.

So be vewwy vewwy qwwiet. Quinn is hunting wabbits in his sleep as a first step towards university.