On Family Trees

Greg at work on the "Family Tree"

Babies look remarkably alike and remarkably different.

I spent the past week looking at a lot of old pictures. The professor I'm research assistant for is a scholar of hyperlocal photography--specifically focusing on the work of small-town Mississippi photographer named Pruitt. I also spent a lot of time in the Missouri journalism buildings, looking at the great profile pictures of past professors, deans and distinguished students for the first time. Since Missouri was the first school of journalism, those pictures go back quite a ways.

When I look at those photos, I'm struck how certain looks just seemed to disappear. When you look at pictures of square-jawed guys from the World War II, I wonder--what happened to that look? Maybe it does it exist, but the context has changed so much that they don't seem to. Or is it really gone? Evolved out of us.

Mimi's great creative project for the baby's room has been to create a "family tree" on the wall--the interesting aspect is that all of the pictures are baby pictures. Usually, when you see pictures of people in your family whether your grandparents, great-grandparents or otherwise, it's at a certain stage in their life. Usually surrounding the age when they had children or grandchildren (because that's when the most photographs are taken). But looking at baby pictures is such an interesting exercise. Who knew I had my maternal grandfathers ears? (At least the top part looks the same--see right).

Equally interesting was the search for these pictures--because in some cases no photos exist. My grandmother and grandfather both grew up in farming families in New Brunswick. My grandfather was one of three children, and thus there were two baby photos. My grandmother was one of twelve children, (and thus there were no baby photos).

The process made me think a lot about the people on the wall who will never see it. My grandfather and grandmother on my dad's side were amazing people. So brave. When my dad (the youngest of seven) was only two, they packed up and moved to Chicago, IL because that's where the work was. Leaving Grand Falls, New Brunswick meant leaving all the people they'd ever loved and known for place that must have been scary and a great unknown.

They don't make people like that anymore. Certain kinds of people disappear too. 

My grandfather on my mother's side was a man I never met but would liked to have. My grandmother gets quiet when she describes him--his family had been quite rich prior to the Great Depression and lost most everything. My family describes him is as if he was a man from another era who wasn't quite sure what to do in the middle of the 20th century. I wonder if he felt like the world had moved on from him?

Maybe it's not the people who disappear but the world that moves on without them.

This is far too serious a blog entry. On a lighter note--how about some pictures of the Family Tree!?

Me with the family tree, pointing out my place.
Note the empty spot for Little Miss P.

I really like the idea that our little girl
will get to grow up with this great history
above her.

"I'll know what a kiss is once you hand one to me"

As Mimi and I have been spending our days slaving over the house, preparing it from top to bottom to be beautiful enough for our daughter's discerning eye. We've painted most of the rooms we want to paint and hung pictures and art throughout the house. The boxes have largely disappeared but for holdouts in the guest room and in a yard sale pile.

While we've spent our days on the house, we've spent our evenings with Peter Pan. I'd never read the book myself although like a common millennial I can claim to have watched every Peter Pan movie. We've been reading it aloud to each other. Hearing the story has reminded us of our childhood and how very much like children we still are (and all adults are). While it's been a fun read for us, I think we've both been brushing up on our skills at reading aloud in expectation of doing for a baby very soon.

Last night we read chapter three. As the future father of a daughter, I gathered the morale of the story very quickly. "This is what happens when you let a boy on your bed. Soon you're jumping out the window." I'm glad I'll be able to give our daughter the lede of the story out front. (I also challenge the very gendered statement by Peter than "a girl is worth twenty boys." It seems to assume the men cannot sew, operate with reason, or keeping from jumping out windows. Which is true in my case, but that's not the point.)

I'm looking forward to reading the book to her one day and laughing with her the way Mimi and I laugh reading it. I look forward to explaining the beautiful world we live in and introducing her to all the things I've learned to love.

Until then, here are some pictures from the room. 

Here's the bed in the baby's room (not the final bedspread). Mimi made the curtains herself.
As you can see she already has a sizable number of stuffed animals.

The pack and play. How I remember this from when our friends with a young baby lived with us for a few weeks.
This is a magical device. Mimi had to explain the "Toy Bar" to me though.
I had to ask if that was where the toys went to drink after a long day of being squeaked and chewed on.

Welcome to Columbia

So for those that do not know as of July 11 I will be living in Columbia, MO. I'm on my last visit there before we officially relocate and I've been creating my own little Arcadian Nest for Greg and Little Miss P to move into. I thought I would share some photos. The first one is of the paint colors I am thinking about for Miss P's room. We decided to go with the color on the right (called asparagus). The second is a front view of the house with a fresh cut lawn.

I've met with people on electricity and been trying to round up a washer and dryer while I am here. I hope that we can put things together rather quickly once we start to move furniture and get settled. After this trip I'll be back in DC for a little over a week. I cannot believe how close the move is getting.

Our neighbors are wonderful so far. Yesterday I met several and their children when they were selling lemonade. They gave me some great tips and explained some things about the neighborhood. I visited one neighbor today and hung out with her and her two kids for an hour or so. I love where we are going to live, and I am feeling better about the community--although I'll still miss DC. I also met with a pastor at the local Nazarene church who is going to get some people to help us unload the truck on July 11 and help my parents when they are here on July 3rd. A lot of coordinating.

I met my new Dr. today at the University of Missouri Women and Children's Hospital. It was a great experience. She has two residents as well who shadow her and work with her patients. It is great to be part of the learning process. Miss P was so active today they had a hard time getting her heart beat. I really love that she is so active.

Weddings, Reunions and Pregnancy

I'm in Texas this week again for my friend Stephanie's Wedding and 10 year High School Reunion. Got to see Stephanie, and my second cousins Angie and Ally this weekend in Waco (see photo on right). I wore one of what Greg calls my "loud maternity dresses." I love this dress although I bought it a size too big so I can wear it into the pregnancy. Stephanie has been a friend of mine since my Freshman year at Baylor. The wedding was beautiful and I am very happy for Stephanie and her husband Tyler. Like Greg and I, they both work in journalism--Tyler is a sports reporter for TV and Stephanie is a TV producer. It was great to see them, meet their families and see some old friends from college as well. It felt a little like a mini-reunion. One of my friends from Freshman year at Baylor, Jason and his wife who I also knew through classes, were present at the wedding. We had a good time reminiscing about the organizations we participated in during our first years at Baylor. It was neat to see them and remember the people we knew when we first came to Baylor. Things were so different back then and it is hard to believe all that has happened in the six years since graduation. In addition, Little Miss P and Little Miss Boone got to meet for the first time--or at least their bellies did (my cousin Angie is almost nine months pregnant). One of the funniest things was when the photographer asked us to take a photo with Stephanie and they asked for the eight house party women to gather around her. Stephanie corrected him and said their were actually 10 girls there. This made me smile. I am so excited for Angie and Cameron and cannot wait to see what their little girl.

This week I am catching up with friends in San Antonio and Boerne, many whom I have not seen in more than five years. The reunion is Friday at Little Gretel, a restaurant owned by one of my classmates Veronica. Although many people have still not paid we are hoping to have close to 80 attend the event. I'm honestly just ready for the event--the planning and preparation has gone on forever. Note to Little Miss P--do not run for officer of your senior class if you have no idea what you will be doing or where you will be living when you are 28. Helping with the planning of my high school reunion has made this period of my life a little more complex. How could I have known I would not be living in Boerne, Texas ten years later? How could I have known I would be pregnant and moving to Missouri? I guess I need to give myself a break.

In other news, Greg and I finally closed on our house in Missouri. I'll be heading up there later this month and then we will be moving in mid-July. I'm sad to say goodbye to DC, but excited about new opportunities, and Greg and my life with Little Miss P. Greg's been working on packing books (he's already filled up 10 or so boxes). I've been searching on Craig's List for appliances and furniture and looking for painters, electricians and lawn care people in Missouri. I could go on but I think this might be a blog all in it's self.