Um, yeah. Papers not done. I did OPEN and turn ON my iBook, and then, like, the baby needed something and there was a parade, and then a cookout uplake, and I never even closed the screen until we left. So, yeah. Papers not done. Sigh.

It was good, though, to go back for almost a week — Dave and I went up on Saturday, and we were supposed to get out of here by noon, and almost made it, but his mom called and wanted us to swing by to give me abirthday present. ($15 giftcard to borders. Totally okay.)  Just as we were about to leave, his sister called and was on her way down, and had more pink crocheted stuff for Ingrid, so we waited through that, and when all was said and done, we spent 2 hours at his mom’s, and got to the lake after 3, when it promptly started to pour. Sigh.  By 6:30 or so, it had stopped, and I’m sort of ferociious about getting IN the lake now that I don’t live there and don’t have access, so we went down and I dunked myself in, but it was fairly boring without anyone to swim with, and freezing cold, too. Dave and I dipped Ingrid’s toes in the water, the closest thing to a baptism she’ll get, and the first dip she recoiled in terror, but the second one, she kicked a bit, and seemed to like it, so yay!

My parents were doing a pageant on the coast that night, so didn’t arrive back until after we were in bed, and brought with them 15 fresh-from-the-boat lobster for my birthday dinner.  there was also chocolate cake, and my aunt and cousins were there, and there were also leftovers enough for 2 days of lobster rolls.  Dave left that night, as he had to work the next day, and I stayed until THursday, when my folks were on their way to a wedding on Cape Cod, and dropped me off. We attended the small town parade, and Ingrid was swarmed by people who’d known me since I was a baby, and at one point, we had five cameras pointed at us. I sympathize with Britney. I’m only half kidding. Ingrid also had her first studio sitting, which resulted in almost 20 minutes straight of cheerful baby, which is a record. I’m glad it happened in front of the camera, and not like, when i was sleeping. She is a beauty.  ANd, you know, strong and smart and funny and stuff.

This one is unedited.  . . .

And this one I frigged around with high contrast and blurred layers and stuff. Davedoesn’t get the naked baby thing. I, personally, ADORE it.

My birthday was okay, lobster and cake and all, and my parents gaveme a check, which I used part of to treat myself to iLife06 and Photoshop Elements 4, but the combination of bad timing and me not working/money angst/etc meant that I didn’t get a present from Dave, which has really, really bothered me, and I’ve tried to say "this really bothers me" but it didn’t really get through until I started crying about it lastnight.  It’s not that I want(ed) someTHING, it’s just this thing where, if Dave felt like he could spend $200 on something that’s not-a-bill right now, he’d be fine, but he couldn’t figure out what to do without a huge pile of cash. This being my first birthday as a mom (or any holiday, since i missed mother’s day by five days) it really, really stung inthat "OMG, I am no longer important as ME, for I am Just Ingrid’s Mom" but to Dave, it was "I wish I had petty cash, but since I don’t, happy birthday anyway" and meeting in the middle is what didn’t happen. Anyway. I’m mentioning it because it’snot so much about dave, but about my first really emotional reaction to feeling like less of a gretchen, or whatever, as a result of BEING Ingrid’s mom. If that makes sense.

We were glad tocome home, though, and Dave was glad to see us.  This weekend we’ve hung out here — today Amy and her family were passing through, so she FINALLY got to hold Ingrid (I’m not kidding — after all of her help with the birth and everything? She never got to hold her. She was taking pictures and helping me with breastfeeding and escoritng my parents and sister through the hospital, and eating barbeque chips, and in all of the excitement, she was halfway to Portland before she realized SHE’D never gotten to sit down and hold Ingrid. Isn’t that awful?!) and even gave her a bath (yay!) before I joined her and her family at the Pancoe pool.  Dave stayed with Ingrid, and washed diapers,and hung them on the line to dry with Ingrid in a sling, and I just hung out in the pool. It was packed, so it’s not like I ‘went swimming,’ but it was nice to get wet and cool off.  They headed home after anhour or so, and I walked home, and Ingrid had just gotten hungry, so the 2oz of breastmilk I’d pumped to leave for my pool adventure are STILL available. Which means I have some evening of free time coming in the next few days, and I’m positively giddy at the thought. Who do I call? What do we do? Can I round up some people for sushi? Or do I want to go to a movie all by myself? I HAVE NO IDEA!

Oh well. Tomorrow is IUD-Day, and the next day my software arrives (geeeeeeek) and that’s about the most exciting thing going on this week. Yeehaw.