A new baby first!

Pic of the day: You can't possibly get any cuter than this.

Last weekend Matt and I hung out with our friends Beth and David who have two amazingly wonderful kids and...a POOL!! I didn't have a suit so B. was cool enough to lend me an old one of hers because I was so excited at the concept of Miles' first time swimming. Matt got some video and we think he really liked it!!

Visit our Bradshaw channel and you be the judge: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpo4NurF5RA

Thanks to the Kolbs for being such gracious hosts. Maddy, I can't wait to play mailbox again sometime soon. Will, I'm looking forward to your scaring my kid again with your tremendous voice.

Sometimes I wonder...

The Fisher Price Starlight Papasan Cradle Swing

...if these toys are really more for Miles or us.

This thing is so p-i-m-p. It has a daytime music/lightshow setting as well as a nighttime one. It plays 16 different songs plus something that sounds like windchimes. You can, at the simple press of a button, turn it from swinging side to side to back and forth and the "disco ball" (as Matt calls it) is so cool I want to crawl into the crazy thing myself!

Baby adores this thing. I lay him down, put a blanket in his lap, his thumb goes into his mouth, his eyes look up at the rotating mobile and he's a happy little camper. Plus, with an AC adaptor I never have to worry about wearing out the batteries. Like most toys we buy him it ain't cheap but this Cadillac of baby swings is well worth every penny. All it needs is some spinning rims and it would truly be complete.

Mortality

Miles & Papaw earlier this spring
I just found out yesterday that my last surviving grandparent, my Papaw, has lung cancer. It is not so advanced that he'll be on his death bed within the next couple of weeks but there is no turning back. All I keep thinking is how much he has done for me ever since I was a little girl and how crazy he was about "the princess" (I was first-born and the only girl out of all my cousins). I got spoiled rotten and not only did I know it, I relished it. I love my Papaw just as much as he loves me.
Over the years I've become selfish with the whole "growing up, moving out, getting married, having a kid, losing touch" crap and feel regretful I haven't spent as much time with him as I should since becoming an adult. When someone in my family becomes terminally ill it takes precedent over anything else in my life and I spend maybe a bit too much time in reflection of my life experiences with them. Such as, when I was 20 and full of piss and vinegar I suddenly moved out of my parents' place. I didn't have a car so I went to my Papaw and asked if he'd co-sign on a lease with me. He did better than that - he took money out against one of his own CD's to BUY the damn thing and I got to decide how low my monthly payments would be. It was one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done to help me spread my wings and pursue my own life.
The thing that bugs me is that Papaw is my mom's father and I have two other aunts to be concerned about. One of them is a 50 year old child who blows all her disability money at the casinos, the other made SUCH a scene at my Mamaw's funeral that I literally had to take her into another room to calm her down. I'm afraid they will either make this into a circus or make it about themselves - or both. My aunts have good qualities, after all they both came to my Grandmother's funeral in April, but they are loose cannons. I guess what I'm really looking for is some advice. I know some of you readers have lost people you care deeply about and I'm certain my heartache doesn't even compare to yours. Any words of comfort or advice on how to deal with the inevitability of death? I've already cried once today and am not sure how long I will feel this way. I am being faced with the realization that I am getting older and losing my family. It's not pleasant at all.

Happy (belated) 4th!!

With love, to all our friends and family.

- the Bradshaws

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDA9NbPAK8o

Inspiration

Heartfelt thanks go out to one of my oldest and dearest friends who has known me since the ripe age of 15 years for providing me with the motivation to carry out what I did last weekend. Graf, I hope you're proud of me. Those of you reading this blog who know my DJ friend also may know he has one tattoo on the inside of each ankle dedicated to both of his daughters. It is with this very concept in mind I say - ladies and gents, you are looking at my newest and proudest piece of body artwork - the Miles tattoo. (This was taken the morning after. It's not red at all now and mostly healed.)

When I was pregnant I had a special song I used to sing to my baby and it was Cherish by Madonna. Granted, the lyrics are more romantic in nature but the chorus is what has always stood out to me: "Give me faith, give me joy. My boy, I will always cherish you." I have considered tattooing the word "Cherish" underneath Miles' name and birthdate ever since my first trimester but hesitated after meeting my artist at No Regrets Studio on Madison. I discovered that the lettering I wanted would take up slightly more room than I had previously anticipated so decided to wait and give the idea a bit more thought before being stuck with it for the rest of my life. Other than this slight angst I am very pleased at the rate this new ink is healing and am quite excited over my gumption to get the job done. It has been more than 10 years since my last tat and I wasn't sure I could muster the courage of a repeat performance. However, I sat tight with my Dr Pepper for the brief 10 minutes of work and chatted with my artist to distract myself from the irritating sting of the process.

This is my fourth, but not final, piece and it is located on my inner left ankle just about an inch above my anklebone. It makes me smile every time I look down to check on the healing progress and my hope is that someday my son will think this decision at least remotely "cool". If not I will, for lack of a better word, cherish this commemoration of his birth until the day my spirit no longer inhabits this planet.