Lilah Goes Camping!

This weekend was Lilah's first camping trip to Bull Run Regional Park. We left Saturday early afternoon to spend about 24 hours in amazingly quiet wilderness right outside of Manassas, Virginia.

After setting up our tents and some snacking, Lilah, Hunter, Jason and quite a few friends headed out for a mile or so hike through beautiful woods next to a flowing steam. Lilah fell asleep about 15 minutes into the hike, missing Hunter's first foray into water ever, but hopefully not his last. She slept for most of the hike out, waking up to enjoy the last bit of it where she admired the green and listened to the sweet song of the local birds.

Jason and I were a bit worried about how she would do as dusk set, but always a trooper, she did amazing and smiled and giggled into the dark as we made smores and climbed into our tents (with Beth and Darryl's "E" close by in case of emergency sleeping needs).

Sleeping well into the night, Lilah awoke at dawn to a cool morning breeze happy as could be and played in our tent for a while until the rest of our traveling group woke up.

After quite a bit of coffee (for me, not for her!) we headed off to the playground at he campsite, where after realizing it was for children 5-8 we proceeded to spend time playing like big kids and showing Lilah the ropes.

She passed out in the car on the way back and then took a three hour nap after getting all cleaned up in a bath after we arrived home.


Jason and I agreed that we could not have asked for a better first camping experience for Lilah and we look forward to many more in years to come!

Sitting, crawling and other fun things...

As you know Lilah has been sitting on her own for some time now, but lately she has gotten even more handy. She can now move from sitting to crawling position, to getting herself all way across the floor crawling (OK well backwards but it's still movement). She is pulling herself up to a standing position and can walk if we hold onto her hands.





All this to explain how very very soon our lives are going to change when she can start to get around on her own. She is going to be gone! (well at least running around and around the house) and I am going to have to find some other way to keep the amazing arms I have developed as a result of carrying her around.

As a quick update, last weekend Lilah has her first non family or friend babysitter - for seven hours no less. She did great and was asleep, although only for a brief time, when I got home. She seems to have no ill effects and Jason and I will have to try a babysitter again this time maybe actually going out together (last time was two different parties).

Tomorrow is her nine month pediatrician appointment where she gets poked, weighed, measured, etc. I can't wait to see what they say about her teeth that are soooooo close to coming out. I will make sure to report back fully.



Lastly, a shout out to a new baby on the block - Jacob Inerfeld Zedeck, born June 25 12:12am and weighing in at 6lbs 2oz. Congrats to parents Dana and Paul! As I always say to folks "Babies are the best, I highly recommend getting yourself one."

Father's Day, No Water and a Bear (oh my!)

I am back in writing form this week, with a bit more sleep and some time at home this past weekend. As promised posts and posts ago, here are two photos from Lilah's eight month shoot with the Bear.

As you can see she is supporting herself quite well and is taking on a personality of her own.

This past weekend was a relaxing one for the Boig family. We worked outside at every opportunity due to the good weather. Lilah helped Jason and I in the garden by keeping the dogs (Mookie was visiting) entertained as well as "chatting" up a storm.

She also learned about different types of dirt! Sitting on the outside table she started to stick her hand in the many flower and herb pots we have - some that were filled with mud, some with dirt and some almost sand like. She had a blast going from one pot to another feeling the different textures and rolling the dirt around in her hand. At least there can never be any question she is my daughter!

Milestone wise, she pulled herself to a standing position in her crib on Saturday night - to the cheers of both Jason and I who were VERY glad we had already lowered the crib. Saturday night also brought Lilah's first experience with eating crabs (well she didn't eat them, but she had fun watching us crack them!).

On Father's Day, Sunday, we went out to dinner with Gayle, Erik and Jordan. Jordan and Lilah got to sit next to each other in matching high chairs. Good thing they haven't learned to tip each other over yet!

Unfortunately, last night also brought a water main break in County we live in. So for the next few days we are going to be doing lots of water boiling. Luckily, we have a few bottles of spring water stashed for a rainy day as the stores seem to have run our quickly.

Speaking of which - off to boil bottles for tomorrow - good evening to all!

A picture is worth.....

Too tired to write anything of substance here are some photos from Lilah's six month shoot to tied you over. It's so good to be home.....

And the Chimes Ring On

In writing this blog over the past year, I have always tried to keep it light, highlighting the good and fun times in our lives.

Unfortunately, I didn't wake up today in either a light or very fun mood. I am sorry to post that my Uncle Bennett lost his very long fight with cancer yesterday afternoon.

If you remember from last summer (and the photo on the left) Bennett (and my Aunt Diane) came to stay with us last summer for six weeks as he was entering into a bone marrow transplant trial at the National Institutes of Health.

While undergoing two transplants, chemo and scans upon scans, Bennett got out as often as he could to see more of DC, its culture and it's beauty than I have in all the years that I have lived here. Very rarely would a day would go by that we wouldn't come back to about some amazing adventure into the city into some area I had never explored - or passed on a daily basis and never stopped to admired.

And the food. From the day Bennett stepped foot into our kitchen, until he left to start his first transplant, we would come home from work to four and five course meals. Always, healthy and fantastic. He even got Jason to eat beets!

At some point in the course of their stay with us, Bennett and Diane bought us these chimes. Explaining their good karma, we immediately hung them by our garden - to be quickly knocked over on several times by Jason and Hunter. So shortly before Lilah's birth we moved them to this spot on the deck.

This spot found itself to be the perfect spot. In any slight breeze we can hear the chimes ring from anywhere in the house and it is a lovely ring. The chimes are also the one thing that can make Lilah smile when all else fails - she loves their tone and how they move in the air.

Each time they rang I would think about Bennett and hope he was having a good day. This morning when they rang I just sat there and thought about how everyone in some way touches everyone they meet. Bennett touched our lives when we were least expecting it, but in a way we will always remember.