Sometimes

It's just one of those days.

Ocho

  Sweet P is 8 months old.  Good grief.  We'll be having a first birthday before I know it.  Currently, P has not gained any weight in the past month.  She has grown an inch.  She is now 17.5 lbs and 28 inches long.  

  It would seem that a milestone is reached almost daily at this age.  Therefore, I am keeping busy because my baby is busy!  Dear Baby, this is what you've been up to:

• Waving "Hi" to 85% of the people you meet.  By the way, you have still not met a stranger.
• Wave Bye to 5% of the people you meet.
• "Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da!"
• You eat EVERYTHING I give you and have since you were 4 months old.  Thank you for loving food as I do.  It makes meal times pleasant.  You had your first peach yesterday.  I sat you on grand dad's porch at the river, and you bit into that little Fredericksburg peach with all your mite.  You cried later when you saw me eat one.
• Pulls to a stand.
• Pulls every bow out of your hair.  I'm ready for this little phase to pass.
• Pets  grabs wads of Chino & Julio's fur.  They sure are patient with you.
• Seriously considering this crawling business.  You can scoot backwards, turn your self all the way around in a sitting position, and assume the crawling position.  From here, you think, and think, and think about possibly moving forward, but you ultimately belly flop and frustratingly reach for whatever it is you wanted to crawl towards.
• Smiles sooooo big when you see Da Da Da Da Da Da.
• Most people comment on your eyes, how alert you are, and how well behaved you act at restaurants and such.  Almost always you're an angel, but you can raise hell when you wanna.  Naturally, might I add.
• You play keep away with me and your pacifier.
• When eating meals, you reach palm up for me to plant a kiss.  I love kissing that little hand!

  You are loved.  And because you exist, I know Daddy and I are loved, too. 

The Mayfields & Mumfords

   Ed celebrated a birthday.  Every May, I quietly rejoice that of all the random coincidences of the world, two unlikely people got together, and as a result, forever blessed this Earth with on of the most kind, gentle, intelligent and beautiful old souls I have ever met.  Happy Birthday, ECM.

  For Ed's birthday, I bought us tickets to a concert in Austin, TX.  I could never describe just how much I love this city.  In my early college years, I would road trip from San Antonio alone and park in down town Austin.  From here, I would proceed to wander the streets and let my mind do the same.  It sounds silly, but if my soul was a destination on a map, it would read, "Austin, TX".


  After bargaining with the Priceline Negotiator, we secured reservations for the night at the Mansion at Judges Hill. It drives Ed crazy that I gamble with negotiating where we will stay, but it's part of the adventure, I say!  Never do I bid more than a said amount, and as a result, we get to stay at some pretty cool places that we might otherwise not.  The hotel is dog friendly and scores an A+ in my book for being clean, abnormally quiet given its location between the UT campus and the Capital, AND serving fresh snicker doodle cookies upon checking in.  I would recommend this lovely hotel to anyone!


  Before the concert and after an interesting cab ride with a driver who probably left cursing the "infidels!", We ate a seafood dinner at Trulucks.  Y'all, I am by no means a salad eater.  I try to trick myself into eating one every now and then, but it is of no use.  I just don't care for them.  OH MY!  I couldn't put the fork in my mouth fast enough from the Sonoma Greens salad.  It is so simple, mixed greens, whole olives, chopped pecans, feta cheese, and a very light dressing that had a honey after taste.  My body practically went into shock telling me, "Shalayne, meet vegetables, vegetables, Shalayne."  YUMMMMM.  


  After my life changing vegetable experience, we walked down the street to La Zona Rosa for the grand event:

MUMFORD & SONS

A few photos:

Margherita Pizza in Fredericksburg, TX

Ed sketching my portrait.  I can't decide if it is sweet or not that he draws me looking like an Edvard Munch reject.

He loves guns

Just your everyday, average mutt chillin' in a sidecar.

I love you

In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die
Where you invest your love, you invest your life
In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die

Where you invest your love, you invest your life

                                              

                                             "Awake My Soul"

                                             Mumford & Sons

Baby in a Box

It's here!  My Baby in a Box finally arrived!

My Favorite Least Favorite Season

  It's my favorite least favorite season, SUMMER!  I hate hot and sun, but sure do love my time off from work!  Three glorious months to do as I please.  I'm gonna:

•  Play with that baby girl and hold her as much as possible.
• Spend some much needed quality time with ECM
• Channel my inner hipster at the Mumford & Sons concert in Austin, TX.  So dang excited.  Haven't been to a show in FOREVER.
•  Actually finish reading the Great Gatsby
• Swim in the Devils and achieve something that resembles a tan.
• Establish and make official the "Sutton County Society of Free Thinkers."  Common interests of members include: Writing, star gazing from an old lawn chair in the middle of a parking lot, current events, philosophy, brain storming, eating copious amounts of BBQ, Corona con lima , and issues specific to our beloved West Texas.  So far, it's just ECM, myself, and the editor of our local newspaper.  (Andi Allen, I am extending a special invitation to you! :) )
• Brush up on my non existing German
• Attend a German wedding, visit a German farm and Amsterdam!  I want to ride bikes in the country side and drink a big ole' beer.  But not at the same time.
• Let Ed cook more red meat for me.  Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!  He's been feeding me blue cheese stuffed fillet mignon and rib eyes smothered with home made chipotle butter.  After 26 long years, I have found an appreciation for the cow.  Ed is mean on the grill!
• Research art ideas that are running around in my head.  One day, I'd like to make the jump from "some one who wants to be an artist" to legit artist.  Perhaps there is room in the art world for someone who wants to explore a connection of temperature on the days of man made catastrophic events, and those who are responsible, and their physiological response during such actions.  I'm pretty sure that is one giant run on sentence. 
• Eat a tomato from our first garden.
• Swim with Sweet P in Aunt Renee's pool.
• Take P for a walk down 4th Ave. in Mineral Wells, TX.
• Make the most out of every moment I have with all the wonderful people in my life.

Love,
Shalayne

I Can Feed My Own Dang Self

Authors Note:  I do feed my daughter more than 2 Cheerios.  She just prefers to wear the majority of them at this point: