Not our favorite week (but that salmon...!)

I have probably taken hundreds of pictures of Seth and Finley snuggled up in bed when I leave for work. Usually the flash doesn't wake them up. Yesterday morning, for some reason, it did. Seth is going to kill me for sharing this photo, but I can't stop laughing about it. My two (angry) peas in a pod. Neither of them cares for mornings.

We've had kind of a hard slog of a week or so. I'm massively overwhelmed doing three jobs during the summer transition at work while still trying to make it home in time to have dinner with Seth and Finley (and traffic gets worse every week, it seems). Yesterday evening I had two of my attorneys follow me out to the parking garage to brief me on cases, which I signed off on as I was literally driving away- and then took work calls all the way home. I'm resigned to the fact that this will continue until I start the new job at the Pentagon without any break at all: my last day at USALSA is the July 14th and I report to the Pentagon on the 15th. So I've been running around like a crazy person, and the night shift with Finley just adds to the fun.

Seth, too, is in limbo with his summer duties, waiting on decisions as to whether he is to do applied work or spend time in the lab, and how a thesis fits in. West Point has yet to make up its mind about his summer on-the-job training there, and in the meantime he's traveling to track meets and training hard in hopes of breaking records at IPC Nationals at the end of this month. And I remain grateful- although I know I don't tell him enough- that he continues to do the heavy lifting on the parenting front during the week (at least during daylight hours). I know only too well how hard it is to get anything done/ get out the door with the little tornado on your hands, and he does it every day. Not to mention picking her up in Bethesda evening traffic. There's no way I could do it all myself, a fact of which I am reminded daily.

On top of the madhouse that is our current existence, Finley developed an awful diaper rash at the end of last week and seems to be simultaneously teething and having a growth spurt. Which adds up to a miserable, sleepless little monster and helpless, also sleepless parents.

Our week did have some bright spots. Finley still got her Ana & Ata day (and a bundled-up walk since deadbeat Mom didn't bring long pants on an unseasonably chilly day. There IS a  baby in there!) And we went kayaking with our interns one morning for work. Seth came down and joined us, and caught a big largemouth bass.

It was not our favorite weekend, which I guess happens sometimes. A rash-stricken Finley got baking soda baths and spent hours napping while wrapped in a towel. (This photo is of a borderline hostage situation during which she refused to nap unless she was sleeping on my chest and I was sitting perfectly still.) And Seth spent most of Sunday trying to fix a broken lawnmower. As a result of both, we didn't make much headway on our to-do lists, which threw a wrench into an already-packed summer schedule. Not to mention, we hate being housebound.

We did manage a nice brunch at Founding Farmers (one of my favorites), though, after I snuck out for a beautiful trail 10k on Saturday morning. And we took Finley by the Veterans' Appreciation BBQ at the Izaak Walton League, where she got to try out the pink ear protection her Daddy bought her before she was born. She was (obviously) the belle of the ball.

By Sunday afternoon we had scrapped plans for an adventure and decided to enjoy just hanging out at home. Finley made a remarkable recovery in time for our Seth-grilled dinner (I love it when he goes to Whole Foods. We eat like kings!) She's been a good eater since we started introducing solid foods, but I've so far been careful to follow this chart. And then this happened:

That's right. She apparently likes salmon. So long as it's sustainably caught and the king variety. Only the best for Finley...

At any rate, here's to a hopefully less-chaotic week. At least we've seen some relief on the teething front: we finally have a pearly white poking through!

Two photos of the week: Finley's 7 month picture...

...and her first taste of peanut butter. Which is totally OK with her pediatrician, and which she carefully considered before deciding she liked it. Although not as much as mangoes, her current favorite. (Of course- the fruit that requires surgical expertise to prepare. I texted Daniel frantically for advice after I almost lost a finger trying to de-pit the first one.)