Get well soon Nana!

June 10, 2009 in family | Tags: , , , | 3 comments

This post is a special long-distance hug to Nana, whose sickness this week has prevented her from coming to Raleigh this week like she planned. I realize how difficult life can be for grandparents when illness gets in the way of time with a grandbaby.

Katie and understand that Nana must be really ill; it probably took a lot of self-control and a CDC injunction to keep her off of I-85 North. Maybe the pictures below can be some sort of consolation in lieu of quality Jackie time.

Get well soon Nana

Get well soon Nana!

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Jackie loves the song "French Navy" by Camera Obscura

Jackie loves the song "French Navy" by Camera Obscura.

Green beans? Yecch.

Green beans? Yecch.

Green bean are nasty

Green beans = nasty

Strawberry mustache?

Strawberry mustache? I know...it's kinda weird.

Jackie, doing her best Dick Jones imitation

Jackie with Mom in the pool -- the baby is doing her best Dick Jones imitation.

Jackie and Dad tasting pool toys

Jackie and Dad tasting pool toys

Jackie and Dad lounging

Jackie and Dad lounging

2009 Tour d’Coop

May 16, 2009 in event | Tags: , , , | 1 comment

There’s good news and bad news. The bad news first: Jackie and I did not make the trip to Tennessee this weekend for Sarah & Eric’s wedding. Katie went, but we felt the ten-hour trip with one day between travel days would just be too much for the little one.

The good news is that Jackie and I were able to make the fourth annual Tour d’Coop, which showcased more than 20 different urban chicken coops inside (hen-side) Raleigh’s I-440 beltline. Six of the coops are within a one-mile radius of our house, so Jackie and I set out on foot/stroller to check them out.

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I’ve had an interest in having chickens of our own for a couple of years now, and it was great to see the diversity of fowl-friendly accommodations so close to home. Like any type of pet, the chickens and their dwellings reflect the people who own them. Some coops were elaborate, even to the point that they matched the architectural detail of the adjacent houses. Other coops were simpler and less ornate. Every chicken owner we met today had a simple process for feeding, egg-gathering, and composting. The really interesting part was the small backyard footprint that each coop required — some had three or four chickens in less than 100 square feet.

Today’s tour convinced me that as long as there’s no co-mingling with Baxter and Robah, chickens would be a great addition to our family. I hope to start working on our coop sometime in the next year. On the other hand, Katie has already reminded me of the other changes we want to make to this house. For some reason, she seems to think that home-improvement endeavors might be higher on the list of priorities. Katie’s flan was killer; I think the only way to make it better would be to start with home-laid eggs.

Man, what a flan

May 16, 2009 in home | Tags: , , | 1 comment

Just a quick pat on the back to Katie, who whipped up a homemade flan for Family Supper Club a couple of weeks ago. I’ve never tasted a better custard in any form. She may be a working mom with a lot going on, but she still has the skill set and energy to crank out good eats!

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What goes down sometimes comes back up

May 10, 2009 in family, home | Tags: , , , | 1 comment

Over the past couple of weeks, Katie has convinced me that Jackie is ready for a little variety in her diet. The nursing and bottles of breast milk are still going very well (from this spectator’s perspective), but Jackie seems to want a little more to eat than her five feedings a day can provide. On top of that, she is mesmerized when she watches Katie and me eat or drink.

Her interest and growing hunger prompted us to try giving her rice cereal mixed with milk. The verdict is still out, but I’m pretty sure she won’t list rice cereal as her favorite food in the official Carolina Women’s Soccer media guide 18 years from now.

Here’s some video evidence that what goes down sometimes comes up (director’s note: the point of highest drama occurs at the very end).

Four generations = a house full of women

May 7, 2009 in family, home | Tags: , , , , | 1 comment

I’ve added some pictures we took while Katie’s grandmother, mother, and sister were in Raleigh.

Katie’s grandmother, mother, and sister visited us in April, and I think the baby was held and adored continuously, every hour of every day, until they left Raleigh. This kind of doting is not uncommon when Nana Burns is on premises, but to see the four generations of Burns/Jeffcoats women oohing and aahing in unison was something to behold.

At one point, Katie, Mawmaw, Holly and Janet had a conversation that lasted several minutes, but they never once made eye contact with each other. Each woman’s gaze converged at the same focal point — their eyes were fixated on Jackie the entire time they were talking.

Holly and Mawmaw drove all the way from Louisiana to spend time with us. Judging by her interaction with Jackie, it’s obvious that Holly will make a great mother herself one of these days. As for Mawmaw, we knew she would be able to make the long trip from Simsboro, but we didn’t expect her to be so spry when climbing up and down the 18 steps in our staircase.

She didn’t come out and say it (or anything else for that matter), but I know that Jackie loved meeting her great grandmother and her aunt. Thanks for making the trip!

Katie’s father also drove to Raleigh, and we enjoyed our time with him. He earned a gold star and a steak dinner for removing ivy from the sides of our house on the day after his birthday. Thanks Ben!

Cracklin’ Rose gets on board

April 17, 2009 in family | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

A lot has happened in the last few weeks — a wonderful weekend with Nana, a trip to Boone, Katie’s birthday, new music (albums from Neko Case & DOOM, select tracks from new Junior Boys and Dan Deacon), and hectic work days/nights — but nothing has been a bigger deal in little Jackie’s world than spending her first weeks with Ms. Rose.

When Katie and I go to work every day, Jackie goes to stay with Ms. Rose. I don’t know what Jackie does while she’s there, but I know she always smiles at Ms. Rose when I drop her off, and she’s always exhausted when Katie picks her up. Perhaps the two other children under Ms. Rose’s care, who are both around 13 months old, are putting innocent pressure on the little one to keep up. Regardless, we get the sense that Ms. Rose is a very positive influence…so far, so good.

Here’s some assorted video that covers the following topics:

  • Mom’s last day at home before returning to work
  • A taste test gone wrong
  • Straight rollin’ — to the left, to the left, to the right, to the right
  • The first of many, many Daddy-Daughter Days

I never knew that a big human could love a little human so daggone much.

Uncle Steve visits Raleigh

April 3, 2009 in Uncategorized | 1 comment

It sure was good to have Steve Saville in Raleigh a couple of weeks ago. He caught a commuter flight from Orlando, where his latest project was based, to RDU that Saturday. Midday Sunday he hopped back in his rental Mazda crossover and headed for the airport.

Highlights of his visit included a second-round tourney win over LSU for Carolina, Jackie’s first encounter with a redheaded person, surf and turf that Katie prepared, and a couple of vintage Negativland tracks (for old time’s sake).

Katie and I have decided that Jackie’s first plane trip will involve heading to the Rockies this fall. We really appreciate Ali’s visit back in January and Steve’s visit in March.

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One week left before “the departure”

March 22, 2009 in family, home | Tags: , | 1 comment

The little one is doing very well at the three-month mark. She weighs about 14-and-a-half pounds now and we can fill a large box with the baby clothes she’s already outgrown. She has begun to roll over on her play mat, where she enjoys grabbing anything she can wrap those long fingers around. She continues to coo, squeal, and mimic her parents’ words. Oh, and she and I had a delightful Saturday-morning dance party yesterday.

I often wonder how it feels to be a baby. Even though she is often smiley and seemingly happy, I get the sense that all this growing is fairly painful. All the movement and cause-and-effect knowledge we take for granted as adults must be difficult learning experiences for an infant. On the other hand, I bet Jackie gets a lot of joy and satisfaction from the discoveries she makes as she gains control of her body.

We’ve had a wonderful weekend (basketball and otherwise) that included a visit from Steve Saville (more on that later). The Jones family here realizes that we have to cherish today, tomorrow and the rest of next week because things are about to change.

One week from tomorrow, Katie will return to work and Jackie will start spending her days under the care of Ms. Rose. This reality is beginning to set in for Katie, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy for her to drive away from that baby when the time comes. Ms. Rose is very well-qualified, and her references (we spoke to seven), gave her child care services rave reviews. Leaving Jackie will be hard…I just hope Katie can find comfort in leaving our daughter in such good hands.

Here’s some video Katie took last week.

Robah’s badge of honor + frisbee session

March 19, 2009 in family, home | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

This post is really going to disappoint the grandparents, but sometimes a man has to give some credit to the lowest-on-the-totem-pole members of his family. The dogs have earned the recognition — especially Robah.

One drizzly day last week, the three of us were strolling down White Oak Road when a lab-like dog that was about Robah’s size sprinted toward us. I had my ear buds in and my rain jacket hood on, so I didn’t realize the dog was approaching so quickly until he was ten feet from us. Robah, who always walks on my right side (Baxter always holds down our left flank), was ready and waiting. I looked to my right just in time to see Robah lunge, teeth showing and spine hair raised, and attack the dog that seemed to be attacking us. The aggressive assailant pooch was instantly reduced to a defeated, whimpering stray.

Moments after Robah came down on his head and snapped at his neck, the stray dog ran back from whence he came. Before we continued down the street, I looked at Baxter. He seemed just as surprised as me that sweet, easy-going Robah had earned a badge of honor in such intimidating fashion.

About a week ago, I recorded and edited a frisbee session. I know the grandparents (except possibly my Dad) will find this dull, but worry not — I’ll get back to baby footage soon.

Notes:

1. The video looks much better if you press play and then click the HQ button in the YouTube control bar. This action displays the high quality version.

2. The soundtrack consists of songs by The Field and Guided by Voices.

Quick update – first signs of teething

March 18, 2009 in family, home, music | Tags: , , , , | 3 comments

Jackie is approaching three months, and one of the latest developments is her new-found fondness for chewing. I can’t wait to leave indie rock, electro, Russian classical, non-gangster hip-hop, jazz, slowcore, post-punk, or shoegaze credits under her pillow on behalf of the Tooth/Tune Fairy. Here’s a video of her teething a little, playing a little, and being her adorable little self.

Image from Raleigh

Urban dirt-biking

I took this post-apocalyptic picture outside Jones Barber Shop in Raleigh last year.

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