My last few days, and a hilarious burrito episode.

It occurred to me sometime last week that I only had a couple days of maternity leave (and this) left.

I admit I got a little panicky. Not only was I starting to suffer from serious nostalgia at the realization that this was last time I would have a baby this small to snuggle, there was also so much I had planned to do that I hadn't done! I had spent plenty of time cooking and cleaning and doing laundry, to be sure, but I hadn't gotten everything prepped and sorted for the move like I had intended. I had steam cleaned the couch an estimated 235 times, but I had not scrubbed the baseboards. I hadn't taken Ford hiking or to the beach, or found DC's best veggie burger, or done anything else on my "tourist" bucket list. And I definitely had not taken enough naps.   

 
But I still had time! It would take some scrambling, but I knew I could squeeze some of it in. We started with a nap in the hammock,

followed by a hike to Fort DeRussy (Ford was not a very animated hiking companion).

We went in search of that veggie burger, and determined that the best one really is at Redwood in Bethesda. Although this lentil burger at Sticky Fingers, a vegan bakery in Columbia Heights, was pretty good.

We explored the National Cathedral, which I had always wanted to do (Ford slept through that too), and had lunch downtown with friends.

We really nailed our last few days, and by the time the weekend rolled around it was Finley's turn for Mom time. She really just wanted to go to the pool, and Seth was happy to take Ford to pick up his Father's Day present (an absurdly expensive new hunting bow) while I was on waterwing duty.

Swimming, as my Mom always says, makes a girl hungry, though, so we went in search of some guacamole afterwards. Which Finley ate while waiting on our order.

And then she ate her entire quesadilla.

And then, when we got home, she helped herself to Seth's burrito while I set the table. Which was hilarious- and a little terrifying.

For Seth's first Father's Day with twoundertwo, Ford and I picked up brunch

while these two (following a 2am wakeup by Finley the Terrorist) slept in. We celebrated with mimosas and the aforementioned expensive bow before a frenzied evening of airport runs, rental cars, and packing 18 million bags for "back to work" day (because everything at the Pentagon is a giant pain in the ass.)

Jayne is here now, a total godsend, holding down the fort for my first couple weeks back at work. I could not be more grateful, as the loving presence of Grandma definitely helped minimize the tears as I handed off my baby and drove to the Pentagon without a carseat in the car for the first time in months. (Although even SuperGrandma could not minimize the subsequent tears upon realizing that my Pentagon access had somehow expired during my absence, both computer accounts had been wiped, I didn't have the code to the lactation room where I could pump [since I work in a cubicle], and I would be spending the next several days lugging a breastpump around the building trying to get in, once even having to wait in line to be searched behind a number of tour groups.) (Which was kind of hilarious, since we were in line so long they actually offered me a boxed lunch.) (I should have said yes.)

 

The photos of the week were obviously Finley's burrito series above, but I also liked this one, of Seth and Ford passed out on the couch before the arrival of reinforcements. This is what Friday night fun looks like these days.

And this is Ford looking like such a big guy! We're all working on finding our new normal these days, and I hate only getting a couple hours a day to split between he and Finley. Evenings at our house are a certifiable circus, but we're trying hard to enjoy every minute...