It's a Big World Out There

This past weekend was a wild weekend.

Calder is especially intrigued by his
new doctor doggy from his cousins.
Note that Q has entirely tired himself out
while A handles the gift giving.

After almost a full year, Calder finally got to meet his cousins, his Aunt A and Uncle B (on Kraemer’s side). Children are not allowed in the NICU, even siblings. In usual Taryn fashion, I have no photos or videos of this introduction, although it was really very sweet. Calder could not touch his cousins, per doctor’s orders, but he sure got a kick out of watching them from afar. His cousin Q is a total happy man, lots of energy, very silly and playful, and Calder was fascinated. If his legs worked a little differently, he would have joined him in a heartbeat. I think he felt he was looking into his future. His cousin A is eight going on 18, composed, mature and sweet. She read to him, and whereas I might speed through a book, worried that Calder won’t have the patience to make it through to the end, A peacefully, steadily read him an entire book that had more than four words, while Calder was (mostly) mesmerized.

Air and Space Museum. With arguably little space.

While the troop was here, we decided to take the doctor up on his clearance and venture out. We meandered from our home on the Hill down past the Capitol Building and Library of Congress, and then took a detour into the Botanical Gardens as we made our way to the Air and Space Museum. We have been in isolation for so long, so being OUT for the first time with Calder, the sheer number of people in the world boggled my mind. In the gardens, a woman who I can only imagine was quite taken by Calder’s cuteness reached into his stroller and almost had his legs before Kraemer took a sharp right turn, making as we were getting out of *their* way as we crossed paths on a skinny bridge. We both gave the woman our biggest smiles. “No hard feelings,” I try to convey. At Air and Space the crowds were so immense that I nearly hyperventilated. Not really, okay, but I do believe that after wedging myself and Calder (on my chest at this point) through the security at the doors I stood in the middle of the vast lobby area and just stood there for at least six minutes taking it all in before moving again.

We made it through the museum in one piece, Calder mostly staying quiet and to himself. We weren’t quite as lucky at the Mexican restaurant we headed to for dinner. With Calder in my lap swatting incessantly at the table edge, I decided it would be prudent to wipe down the edge with a wipe and some hand-san; I was awestruck by the visible color difference. While I tried containing his arms and munching on some chips, one of the servers walked by and quick as a flash pinched his cheek. Whoa! This one I was completely unprepared for and just sorta sat there dumbfounded. 

In the midst of all these adventures, we had his two bottom front teeth break the surface of the gums. We’ve been saying for weeks now that he is probably teething, the way he has been gnawing on things with a little more fervor than usual, and it was nice to finally be right. J

And finally, I did not forget to document the great departure (okay, full disclosure for the record, I asked Neima to document it while I was at work.) We got on quite well with our O2 man, but he was happy to say goodbye, too!

bye bye!