Friday the 13th

I didn't realize that today was Friday the Thirteenth, but that would go a long way towards explaining the string of good luck I've had all day...and all the old familiar faces that have turned up after all these years.

The teething babe has been less fussy today. I managed to get almost everything done that I had in mind to do today--laundry, and stocking up on things like watermelon and agua de coco to beat the heatwave that's about to descend on us. Even managed to squeeze in a second walk after the sun set.

It's real serene out there tonight. It was quiet enough that I could smell the distinct scent of everything out there--the perfume of the blooming Asiatic lilies, the smell of lavender drying in the sun, and the weird smell of the Tree of Heaven as I walked underneath it.

The babe's still not sitting up on his own, but in general is doing better with the whole balance thing and spent a good part of the evening sitting on one of his quilts with his legs spread in a V and my hands hovering nearby to catch him if he sways too far to the side and starts to go down. He's been a bit less fussy today, even though he's not real wild about the heat. The back of his head is permanently slick with sweat, and he's got drool all over his hands and most of his face. There's a couple of spots of dried-on butternut squash on his face. His three teeth look comical, but he's a really cute baby in spite of the fact that he smells of sour milk and other baby smells. I love his little sticky head, and as he lay there thrashing in my arms on the inevitable march towards passing out, I couldn't help but think about how much I love his chubby little arms, and sticky hands, and soft twitching limbs. He's such a sweet baby.

Most days I don't get time to do much but breathe. I hardly ever have time to think or reflect on anything. Today was one of those rare days where there were relatively few emergencies, and relative calm, and even a few spare moments such as this to write things down. That's a luxury I rarely have any more, these days, just the very sort of thing no one can ever warn you about before you become a mother.

1. You won't have time to read.
2. You won't have time to write.
3. You won't have time to think about anything coherently.

It's all about the moment...you don't have time to worry about the future, or think about the past. It's all about the here and now.