We're building a garage/office, aka The Nest

Where our cars once parked on the slope below The Roost, The Nest is taking shape.
In the site plan for our house construction (six years ago!), we planned a two-car garage in this spot. The photo above shows the two extra feet into the lot-line setback that we were allowed to build after we applied for a "variance" to our city's building code. The white line is our property line; the parallel yellow lines endpointed with white rocks show the required 10' setback (at left) and the adjusted 8' setback (at right), where the wall of the garage will be aligned. Our application received no comments and was approved. (Yes, some of our landscaping is in the right-of-way; this is very common around town, on streets like ours with no sidewalks.)
Two weeks ago, on Aug. 5, we broke ground.
In an hour, all the bamboo had been ripped up. We repotted some for ourselves and gave a lot away. It had been a gift to us originally, and provided a great visual screen for a number of years.
Looking down from the third-floor window of The Roost, the footprint starts to take shape with the first footing frames.
Here the frames for the footings are largely in place, ready for the concrete pour.
Soren tries to join in the fun with his beach shovel and rake. Duke, our contractor (shown here), said he'd hire Soren if he got himself a pair of Carhartts. Do they make them in baby sizes??
Soren was in heaven running the backhoe...
...with supervision, of course! And after the crew had knocked off for the day.
Footings have been poured, pea gravel is filling the garage footprint in preparation for the slab pour.
Yesterday the slab was poured. We used a terracotta tint in the concrete, like we did in building The Roost. The basement floor and an outdoor patio are both this color. It's cheery!

And here's an opportune time to point out the additional structure on the left (east) side of the two-car garage. We went back and forth on this, and finally decided to include a 320-s.f. office/guest bedroom (aka The Nest) as part of the construction project. It will be about the size of a standard 2-bed hotel room, with a shower and kitchenette. When I more fully return to writing, it will be a place for me to retreat and work in peace. In between times, it will serve as guest quarters for our family and others. In fact, both our families are contributing financially to make this project happen.
So there's the slab, getting hand-polished. The Nest will have a wood truss floor over a crawl space.
Watching from our deck, Soren thinks this is all very interesting!

He's walking!!

OK, these are not the best action photos, but Soren is not only standing, he's pushing that chair around and then toddling across the vast expanses between furniture outposts. With no support except from that of his two little footsies on the floor.

This started right around his 11-mo. birthday. On that day, I recorded in his baby book that he took a record eight steps unassisted, and from then on, he's been steadily lengthening and quickening his strides. My parents have been visiting for five days and they commented that, in this short time, they've noticed his arms moving closer to his body as they are less needed for balance.

Soren continues to be a thoughtful child, and not as reckless as I've seen some nearly-one-year-olds. He loves to climb the stairs, but we don't have to be fanatical about keeping the gate locked at the bottom of the flight. Of course, he can't turn around and go down quite yet, so the gate at the top of the adjacent descending flight is more important.
I'll sign off with this grin from our little bugaboo (who cut teeth #7 & 8 two weekends ago, the two on either side of the two front bottom teeth visible here). And I'll apologize for the dry spell in posts.

I have been CRAZY BUSY finalizing the one freelance magazine article I committed to this year (a feature for WoodenBoat magazine--I just couldn't turn down the assignment when I was asked!). The deadline is Monday and it's looking like I'll make it. Of course, then I've got to get cracking on another consulting project, but come late August I'll be off the hook for outside jobs for a month or two. Whew. When I'm "working," it's like juggling two full-time jobs, because I'm running after Soren at least 40 hours/week.

Mama Mondays & Mothering magazine

I have gained a new community of mama friends since Soren's conception (yes, we started gathering before birth!), and I am particularly grateful for a playgroup that meets Monday afternoons just a couple of blocks from our house.

Two mamas who are Port Townsend High School grads come home to stay, with sons just a little younger than Soren, decided to start the group and invite babies (and moms) around the same age, because "we're going to be attending the same functions for the next 18 years." The number of mom-baby pairs ranges from 6-12.

Here are two photos from one of the first gatherings. I shot the group photo, so I'm not in it, but Soren is front and center, and he and I are at right of center of the second photo. Thanks to host Abbie for sharing them from her camera. It will indeed be fun for all our guys (and a few gals, although they're definitely outnumbered) to grow up together.

Also on the parenting topic, I have to give a cheer for Mothering, my favorite magazine addressing this subject. It only arrives every other month, which is not soon enough, and the current issue was delivered to my mailbox yesterday. I discovered Mothering in my midwife's waiting room when an article on choosing a cloth diaper "system" caught my eye, and I treated myself to a three-year subscription. I was thrilled that my first issue arrived in the mail the day after Soren's birth.

Mothering was founded in the mid-1970s and advocates "natural" parenting: home birth, cloth diapering, co-sleeping, breastfeeding, etc. Although our family falls slightly to the right on this left-leaning spectrum, I would much rather read this issue's cover story on why some consider childhood vaccinations not worth the risk (we're vaccinating, albeit on an alternative schedule, FYI) than waste my time with mainstream articles on how to decorate the nursery or photos of celebrities in maternity wear. I pass on my copy to another mama after I've devoured it--usually in 24 hours or less; this issue was no exception.

Check out Mothering.com! You have to purchase an online subscription to read the magazine, but there is a wealth of information in the Community Forums (scroll down to see the topics), and you don't have to register to view the posts and answers.

NOTE: I've updated my New Mama Booklist again, with diaper-free resources and the sleep books we found so helpful.

P.S. I haven't seen any comments for quite a while. I do read them all, and enjoy knowing what you find moving or funny. Keep 'em coming!

Pea-shooter

I've always smiled at the bumper sticker that promotes "Whirled Peas" instead of "World Peace." Now that I am teaching an infant to eat peas, I can guess that a mother thought up the phrase.

Soren is still eating solid foods "recreationally" (is how I think of it), but does enjoy his dinnertime meal, which is when I bring out the peas. Last, or else he won't eat anything else beforehand.

The last weekend in June, Soren discovered he could feed himself from the little pieces of food on his tray. Before that, he was just moving them around. Perhaps this revelation coincided with the perfection of his pincer grip; I'm not sure. So many developmental changes are happening for Soren right now, it's impossible to keep track of them all.

So enjoy this 21-second video clip of Soren in pea heaven, shot July 9. I watched it a couple of times before I noticed that the first pea he eats is breathed out as he goes for pea #2. Watch carefully and you'll see it land at far right. Ha!

Soren's growing so fast -- and sleeping more, finally

I am thrilled to report that Soren broke all nighttime sleeping records last night and was out cold for 11.25 hours!! From 7:15 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. No wake-ups that we could hear from the next room (i.e., no crying -- I'm sure he woke up, but he put himself back to sleep).

Wow. I really didn't believe he had it in him. This gives us such hope for a normal life again!

I'll spare you most of the gory details, but in addition to not nursing him back to sleep if he wakes at night (see July 9 post), for the last two nights we've allowed Soren to practice his self-soothing skills by crying himself to sleep. This is as opposed to one of his parents holding/rocking/walking him until sleep descends. He seems to be ready for this challenge. Last night he made protest noises for only 30 minutes before zonking out for that marathon sleep. (Not that it's all roses -- for the past two days he has been resisting his daytime naps, which actually means cranky crying of a different sort.)

Anyway, this is all making me think that very soon our little baby will be a toddler, like our friend Evie (below, with Soren at my birthday party last month).

Here's another happy photo from our backyard potluck. That's former Adventuress shipmate (i.e., longtime friend) Rosie at left and sis Jill at right.

And after some delicious food, we moved inside for a music jam. Among the talented musicians in attendance were Theresa and Gabriel, singing a Chilean song that Soren rocked out to with his maraca.

Ah, so soon he'll be dancing on his own two feet...and then giving me grief for not letting him sleep till noon on the weekends! They really grow up so fast.

Some of Soren's friends

Splashing with Tayla in the mini swimming pool (a.k.a. dish tub). Tayla is Soren's agemate, only 11 days older, and her mom is one of my best mama friends!

Soren showing Ella his cardboard box "house" for his stuffed animals. Check out Ella's shoeless foot and her adorable ballet-slipper sock! She's a couple of months older than Soren.
Gazing out the window with 3-yr-old Zia, who has been fascinated with Soren since before his birth. Apparently she had the "how are babies made?" discussion with her dad, a doctor, after they saw me at the food co-op in the last month of my pregnancy!

When Zia's mom started reading a story, it was the first time in months that Soren sat still for an entire book reading. He's gradually getting interested in books again, beyond chewing them or flipping the pages.

And, last but not least, Soren has gained three 14-year-old girl friends (this is Sarah), who take turns coming over and playing with him in the role of "Mother's Helper." I'm always at the house as well, but sometimes they take him out for a walk alone. The help is always appreciated, and he loves all of them -- Kaila and Lexie, you, too!

Some of Soren's firsts

First 8-Hour Sleep: Yippeee!!! Last night Soren slept 8 hours without waking for the first time in his life -- which is fairly dramatic even though he is only 10.5 months old, because guess who else has also not gotten to sleep a solid 8 hours in that same time period...?

One week ago we had to transition him from his baby hammock to a crib (OK, a pack 'n' play) because he was wanting to roll over and sleep on his side or belly, and that just doesn't work so well on a concave surface. That newness, coupled with his great mental and physical excitement over learning to walk (see below) meant he was not sleeping soundly at all. A helpful discussion at a mom's support group convinced me we had to make a change in our nighttime routine, and to make a long saga short, last night was the first night I refused to nurse him back to sleep at his first waking, 1.5 hours after he first went to bed. Boy, he was not happy about this turn of events, and wailed and arched his back and scratched my face -- but I held firm and just held and rocked him back to sleep. It took two tries of laying him down in his crib (he woke up the first time, and we had to repeat the whole process), but then he amazed us and slept without a peep from 10:45 p.m. to 6:45 a.m. OK, I didn't sleep soundly the whole time, because I would wake up and wonder why he wasn't waking, but I restrained myself from checking on him. So we'll see what tonight brings... I'm not counting on another 8 hours, but anything more than the 2-4 hour stretches he's been sleeping would be much appreciated!

First Potty: I mentioned in an earlier post that we've started incorporating the practices of "Elimination Communication" (a.k.a. Diaper-Free). If you want to know more, here's a helpful link. Again, to make a long saga short, after some early success in teaching Soren to pee standing up in the "bathtub urinal" (!), we ordered a Baby Bjorn Little Potty chair and a separate toilet-seat reducer of the same brand. The day after the potty chair arrived, he sat and peed in it (see photos here), and the day after that, he sat and pooped in it (this was when he was 9.5 months old). I was super excited about that, but alas, that feat has not been repeated. However, Soren is getting diligent about pooping standing up and then not sitting down until I have changed him, which helps keep the mess to a minimum. Just this week, he peed while sitting on the toilet seat reducer for the first time. The whole experience has put me much more in tune with his elimination schedule and needs, and while Soren still wears diapers most of the day, I am using about half as many disposables as I did before we started "EC." We use more cloth, since it allows him to feel wet, and he also gets quite a bit of bare-bum time, outdoors and on our tile floor. As you can see below, Soren is just as excited about moving toward diaper freedom as I am. (Yes, there's pee in that potty!)
First Strawberry: OK, strawberries are potential allergens, but as Soren has shown no food sensitivities to date, we couldn't come up with a compelling reason not to share the jeweled bounty of our June-bearing strawberry patch. They're heaven bundled into a berry. Soren loves them.

First Steps: Soren's birthday present to me on June 22 was to take his first steps unassisted: about three tottering paces from Jeff's arms to a chair. He occasionally practices steps here and there, but mostly is getting faster and faster at sidestepping as he "cruises" around our house. First he had to hold on to built-in furniture, then he progressed to movable furniture that might slide around, and now he just supports himself on the walls or cabinets, so he can go all the way around a room. Yep, he's pretty pleased with himself.
Too much to tell here: there's also Soren's First Stair Climb, First High Five, First Bubble Blowing...