November-December 2011

 The Turkey Day / Week before Christmas addition of the Baby Mager update.

Turkey days was much less “hectic” than I had expected with the “family juggling” that had to be done.  Acadia got to see her cousins from both the Myers and Mager sides to include her second cousins from the Mager side. The day also provided the opportunity for Acadia to meet the only other “Mager girl” cousin Ava.  Over the weekend, we also got to visit with Carolyn’s Aunt Faith and Uncle Fritz in Gettysburg and spend some quality time in Fells for Oyster fest at Koopers’ with Carolyn’s sister Christina and her husband Dirk and their 5 yearold son Thomas. A good time was had by all, except for that incident between Thomas and the bartender.

At Thanksgiving Acadia could barely get up two stairs with assistance, but by the end of the first week of December she was climbing an entire flight of stairs with the agility of a paratrooper--wonder where she gets that from.  Carolyn and I have a pool going on when she will start walking.  She can pull herself up by holding onto furniture, pants leg, and unfortunately if I’m wearing shorts, my leg hair.

Fall weather is here and the sun is down by 4:30 so our family walks have been limited to a few morning outings in Patapsco Valley state park, which included a test run of the “Baby Back Pack”.  So that gave me the chance to put in all those good infantry (I’m carrying a house on my back) skills to work.

She is growing and putting on weight so much so that we can actually go three months without a trip to the specialists. Though the next doctor visit will be for genetic testing, which I assume will be some MD going “um mom’s 5’2” and dad’s 5’6” so she may be a little on the small side”… gee thanks doc by the way it hurts when I do this.  On a positive note she has now reached the size where she gives perfect little hugs. 

We didn’t have day care a few Fridays ago which allowed Carolyn and Acadia the chance to come visit me at school.  So I toured the school showing her off to co-workers and kids, which of course triggered every other kid to say “is that your baby?” which opened the door for some classic Mager middle school sarcasm.  Speaking of school I have several pictures of Acadia at school, one of which has gotten several good reactions from co-workers, specifically the ones that know the “Mager scowl” see the picture and judge for yourself.

Along with that ribbing I have gotten the “she’s a daddy’s girl” and “she has you wrapped around her finger” from numerous people. Which has triggered a reactionary need in me to practice saying “no”, “no way”, “hell no”, and “are you F@#$king crazy” for when she is older.

We have a few days before Christmas and a week or so before the big first birthday.  All of which will be the focus of the next update.