Baby Heath's First 11 days Home

Heath McGavin Greenaway
November 1, 2009
8 lbs, 6 oz
20.5"

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Happy Birthday Elizabeth and Sophia!

Dear Elizabeth and Sophia,

Happy Birthday to two of our favorite little people in the whole world! We wish we could have been there to celebrate with you - and to help eat all those cupcakes! Can't wait to hear all about your fun day.

Here's a picture of the birthday cake you two made for Rowan back in July. Oh how we wish we could make you a sand and seaweed cake topped with seagull feathers and
seashells for your big day. Maybe next year!

xoxo,
Hamish, Ellen, Rowan, and Heath

"He Certainly Has The Potential To Be Pink"

The pediatrician on call was quite impressed with our new little guy's propensity to be pink - and said so in about 4 different ways, "He excels in the skin tone department", "He certainly has the potential to be pink", "Boy, this kid sure is red! And we like to see that!" And so do we! Hooray for pink/red little boys who are both snuggly, cute, and make the most adorable grunts and snorts!

Baby Boy Greenaway was born Sunday night, November 1, at 10:20pm. He weighed in at 8lbs. 6oz. and measured at 21". It was a fairly quick birth and Ellen is resting happily in her now half-empty double room. Here are some pictures of our new little guy - pink or red? You decide.

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Getting Closer

Pickle Party USA

Many of you have already read about Pamela's pickle party in the NW, so I thought I'd show you what was happening that same day in the NE. It took me 7 days, 6 hours, and 45 minutes to finally get my hands on decent pickling cucumbers AND proper dill. You'd think I was trying to track down rainbow colored, chocolate flavored cowboy boots with unicorns embroidered on the tips for my 57 year old father with all the investigating, calling, and tracking down I had to do. But I did prevail! Thank you Berry Patch! It was totally worth the 45 minute drive out to your lovely farm to get just what I needed. Anything to have my grandma Flossie's pickles at the tips of my fingers (and mouth) at any given moment. I have fond memories of chowing down on an entire quart when we'd visit Grandpa and Grandma Nebeker's house during the summers. I'm not even kidding, I had the hardest time pealing myself away from her jars of pickles.....my mouth is watering all over the keyboard as I type my way down memory lane.

And a big thanks goes out to little Miss Chloe Currie for all her help. PARTY!!!

Coerced

Hamish has spent this past month studying and preparing for his Step 2 board exam, which meant not having to go to a hospital or a doctor's office to see patients. It was pretty nice for him I think...as is evident by the bit of facial hair he grew during the past 4 weeks. Can you see it? It was his best attempt yet at having a goatee. Rowan called it "Daddy's Mooooostache" and he'd pull at it and giggle.

Hamish started his anesthesia rotation today - which meant we all had to say goodbye to the mooooooostache. So sad! I made Hamish stand in front of the bathroom door for a "before" and "after" shot. He begrudgingly complied. He was all, "you're not going to blog about this are you?" and I was all, "yep."

Remembering My Mother Susan

It's been two years ago today that my mother passed away. I reread Hamish's remarks from my mother's funeral, and thought I'd share it here. We miss her tremendously, but as Hamish states so well, her legacy lives on.
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"Looking out at all of you, I know that there are many who remember the day Susan was born. I first met Susan on October 20, 2003. I remember it clearly, because it was also the first time I met Ellen. I had just moved to Hawaii and was staying with Sammy, an old friend of my father’s, while I looked for an apartment, a job, and a car. One day, Susan and Ellen stopped by to visit. I introduced myself to both of them, made some small talk, and sat on the couch next to Ellen. Now, everyone knows that there are not many people as verbose as Susan. Well, Sammy was close. For the next two and a half hours, Ellen and I sat next to each other without saying a word as Susan and Sammy chatted and chatted and chatted. When they finally decided to leave, Ellen casually mentioned that she was needing to sell her car. I went to take a look, and even in the dark, I could tell that this was a chick car. 1982 VW Rabbit convertible. But it was cheap. I was unsure about it, but before I could say no, Susan thrust something into my hand and said “Here. Call her.” I looked down to see that she had scribbled Ellen’s phone number on the back of her Pollywog Pottery business card. I took it and Ellen and her mother drove away. Only later did I learn that as they were driving away, Susan said to Ellen, “whatever you do, don’t sell your car to that nice boy Hamish.”

The rest is history. But the fact is, Susan’s boldness is the reason that Ellen didn’t walk out of my life forever. She is the reason that I was blessed with this wonderful son.

Susan always had her heart open for new people. I know that there are some of you out there, who, like me, have only known Susan for a few years. But she had a gift: she could make anyone feel like they were the most important person in her life. She did the small things that made you feel good inside. For me, it was making me a sandwich when I flew somewhere. Actually, it was more like two sandwiches on home-baked bread, a few pears from the orchard, a Tupperware full of cookies and a quart of pickles. She made me feel loved.

For those of you who don’t know, Susan made great pickles, just like grandma Flossie’s. Crunchy and garlicky with the dill and salt in perfect proportion. When Ellen and I moved up to Oregon soon after we were married, canning pickles was one of the first things on the agenda.

We got a ridiculous amount of pickles from the u-pick and Susan and the rest of us spent the day scrubbing, slicing, packing, and boiling pickles. We were talking and laughing and having a great time. As Susan dubbed it, it truly was a “pickle party” with “a plethora of pickles.” A competition soon started to see who could string the most “P” words together. “Packing a precious peck of pickles” and “Perhaps pickle parties perturb people.” It went on for hours. No one was allowed to look at a dictionary. Points were given for obscure “P” words. Susan was the champ. It was classic Susan, always looking for a little mental exercise. When she wasn’t pontificating on pickles, she was always reading something. But for all her verbal prowess, she was still convinced that “romantical” should be a word.

I can’t speak of Susan and how she was as a friend, daughter or sister. That wasn’t how I knew her. I knew her as a mother and family woman. She took me into her family and treated me like a son, like a member of the family. All of Susan’s energy went to making a better life for her kids. Whether it was corn husk dolls or dragon totems, the proceeds of her creations went to her family, on camping trips to cow camp or road trips to the redwoods. Theron and her five children were her life. As her children married and had children of their own, those grandchildren became everything to her. It is heartbreaking to think that many of her grandchildren will not know how it feels to be held in her arms. Susan recognized this and took the time to record her favorite children’s books for her grandchildren that she had never met.

No one could ask for a better grandmother than Susan. No one could ask for a better mother, sister, wife, daughter, or friend. Kirk, Ellen, Pam, Lane, Holly: You’ve lost your mother; a friend and confidant. Nothing can ever replace that. But remember the gift of having an energetic, creative, and tireless mother, and pass on her example to your children. The only way the little ones sitting on your lap and yet to be born will truly know Susan is through your stories and example.

Theron, I can’t even imagine your loss. There will never be another woman as smart, funny, and beautiful as Susan. But you and Susan built a wonderful family together: a strong family that will live on, bolstered by the coming generations.

For the rest of us, we’ve lost a beautiful soul. She lightened our days and brought smiles to our faces. But Susan was taken many years too soon. She had many years of life yet to live. Her death only serves to remind us that our time here is a precious gift. We must cherish it. In her last days, all of us knew that our time with her was drawing to a close. But too often we are not given that warning. I am eternally grateful that I was given the opportunity to thank Susan for all she has done for me and my young family.

Susan’s spirit will endure here on earth through the examples that she set for her friends and family. Through her children, she will impact her grandchildren and the generations that are yet to come. Her legacy will live on."

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To end on a happy note, I found this video deep in the recesses of my computer. This is footage from the actual pickle party Hamish speaks of in his remarks - just at the beginning of Mom's "P- Word" competition. And yes, I do realize I'm being a complete control freak in this video (and I actually had no idea Hamish was taking this little video - but I'm so glad he did!!!)

Martha's Vineyard Continued (belly revealed)

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Rowan's 2nd Birthday

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Things are busy here in the Greenaway household. Summer is definitely in full swing, which means we're not so good at the blogging bit these days. Nevertheless, I thought I could take a few moments to post a few pictures of Rowan's birthday - which celebrated not once, not twice, but THREE times. Whew! This kid is goign to be seriously confused at the next birthday party we go to when he discovers it is not for him. We still have more pictures from our Martha's Vineyard trip with Eric, Doug, Elizabeth, and Sophia. We had an absolute blast with them. More soon. Promise!

Martha's Vineyard 2009

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Here's our first batch of pictures......we're having a blast and will write more soon!

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday to one of the most important people in my life! Do you remember this cake I made you back in 2005 when I lived with you guys in San Francisco? Those were the days! And that was SOME cake if I remember correctly. The girls even helped me bake it. I wish I was there today to celebrate with you.

I think I've had a special place in my heart for my this uncle of mine since the day I was born...how lucky to feel the same way 31 years later!

I love you uncle Eric and HAPPY BIRTHDAY to YOU!

Remembering July 2, 2005

Happy Father's Day!

Introducing..

Abby the whippet!









Abby is a rescue whippet from NYC. Her last few families had a hard time keeping up with her puppy energy (she's one year old now) in the city and gave her up to a rescue group. Lucky us to have found her! Finding young whippet pups is a real rarity, so we definitely scored. She's a very chill hound who's puppy energy really comes through when she's first meeting/greeting someone. Other than that, she hardly seems like a puppy at all. She makes Dewey look like the real spaz in this family (which may not be that hard I guess). Speaking of Dewey, I think we just made his whole life by bringing this beautiful creature into the house. He LOVES her! He'll actually sit there and lick and nibble on her ears...it's almost a little embarrassing to witness. And she's so calm and good with Rowan. Our #1 concern is that this dog be good with kids, and she seems to be just that. Abby just needs a little training and to learn a few manners but she's already catching on - so that's a good sign. Not a nervous bone in her body. We have her for a few weeks before we make our final decision, but seriously, unless this doggie turns into a little monster suddenly, we're totally keeping her! More updates (and pictures) to follow.

Rowan Gives a Razor a Go!

At least until that blasted tractor drove by and distracted him! :)

Family Portrait Silhouettes

Portraits and silhouettes have been pretty hot lately - have you noticed? I feel like they are everywhere, which is fine with me since I LOVE them! I'd been thinking about creating some family portraits for us for quite some time when I came across this clip a few months ago on Martha Stewart. I was convinced I could do it! I got all my fabric from my favorite fabric shop and off I went. Here's the final result. I did not use paint however - I used a really dark sateen fabric I found at Joanne's for the actual silhouette profile (backed with a Heat-n-Bond type material, traced the silhouettes onto the paper and then cut it out). Email me if you're interested in doing this project and I'll help out any way I can. I love the way ours turned out!

The only think is that I'll need to add another profile to the bunch sometime around October 31st.....since I'm PREGNANT! We're still trying to decide if Halloween is a good day to be born on......what do you think?

Homemade Granola Bars

I love a good granola bar and decided that it really shouldn't be too hard to make my own. Not only is it cheaper this way - but you can customize your granola bar's contents to be whatever your little heart desires. I have begun a search for recipes, and was finally able to try a recipe I'd bookmarked weeks ago. I found the recipe for the above pictured bars at JoyfulAbode and really like the way they turned out. Of course I added a few different things than the original recipe called for, like dried cranberries, flax seeds, opted to use whole peanuts, and left out the sunflower seeds, but that's the beauty of making your own granola bars! Add whatever you want! There are two things I'll do differently the next time around - I'll only toast the oats, nuts, etc for 8-9 minutes instead of 10-12, and I won't add quite as much flax seed as I did. A little flax seed goes a long way! I'll be trying more granola bar recipes soon so stay tuned. If you're interested in making your own granola bars, you can find the recipe above at Joful Abode's here - she has great step-by-step photos and instructions. Have fun and let me know how it goes if you try it for yourself!

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Gather your ingredients:

• 2 cups oats
• 3/4 cup wheat germ
• 3/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup peanuts, crushed
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• approximately 8 oz. dried fruit

Camden Maine Trip

Jess, Rowan and I made a quick trip to Maine earlier this month and were lucky enough to stay with Jess's family in Camden the whole time. While this wasn't technically my first time in Maine (I spent an afternoon with my parents in southern Maine back in 2006 on our New England trip) I think it is safe to say it was my first real trip to Maine. That included a personal tour guide from a real Mainer and her really hospitable parents.

As you'll see from the pictures below, we not only had a Camden experience, but one from a toddler's perspective. Our activities were more than a little influenced by the 22 month-old kid running, climbing, and spinning round and round at our sides. I'm happy to report that Camden is one of the more family friendly towns I've ever been to. With it's harbor and it's BOATS! It's PARKS! with SLIDES! It's library with all the children's BOOKS! TRAINS! and the climbable LIGHTHOUSE! Oooooh! And equally as fun was the Camden Harbor Park & Amphitheater right next to the library. That's where Rowan met Esme and her chocolate lab puppy Rosie Pancakes (named by Esme). Too cute! We loved all the charming little shops Camden has lining it's cute downtown, complete with a little stream running below a section of downtown with the DUCKS! and ROCKS! to thrown into the water down below! Rowan was in heaven. Rowan also scored a pair of new BOOTS! and a BALLOON! from Reny's. And when we were back at the Warren's house it was all about ICKY! a.k.a. the beloved family black lab OAKLEY. Oakley and Rowan were buddies right from the start. And when the jumbo leggo set was brought down from the attic, we all heard a squeal of delight spring forth from Rowan's lungs like I had never heard before. Rowan was exceedingly happy and thrilled with his surroundings, and thus, we were all able to enjoy ourselves too.

A big thanks to the Warrens and the Kyles for such a great time. We hope to back again sometime!

WARNING! Several pictures of Rowan lay ahead. Proceed with caution!

Happy Birthday Tara!

Spring Has Sprung

We are so happy to have spring in full swing. I couldn't resist taking a few pictures of the crab apple tree Hamish's mother helped us plant. We planted this tree on August 26th in honor of my mother. This is a tradition we hope to keep every year. I think the tree is happy in it's new spot, don't you?




Here is a picture of the tree right after it was planted back in August. Thank you so much Heather for driving this tree all the way from Connecticut by yourself, and spending the day with us to plant it!!!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today is Dad/Pa's birthday and we wish we were in Oregon so badly to spend this day with him! Rowan wants to send some birthday wishes through the internet to help ease the pain. Plus there is a fun video from our trip out west last month.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! WE LOVE YOU!

Please Join Us

Tomorrow is my mother's birthday. Last year several of us went out and treated ourselves to one of mom's favorite treats on April 14th. Behold the PEANUT BUSTER PARFAIT:


Please join us! Wherever you may be in the world. If you find yourself in a part of the world that doesn't have a Dairy Queen (like poor Sheri and Tyler who are currently on St. Croix island in the carribean......poor poor souls), just throw a little peanut butter together with some chocolate and consider it good. I don't know that any other food combination delighted mom more than chocolate and peanut butter.

So, please join us! Pictures from our trip to follow tomorrow.

Little Gems That Pop Up On Facebook

Hamish, I've got one word for you: HOT!!!

Mexico!!!

Better late than never, right? This is the first of 4 picture sets from our trip to Mexico with Michael and Heather, Hamish's parents.

I Wouldn't Be Here If These Two Hadn't Married Each Other 34 Years Ago Today - Thanks Mom & Dad!

Vinnie and Maria

I proudly introduce to you two new members of our household. Please meet Vinnie and Maria. They are true survivors these two. Each arrived both unexpectedly and unannounced. Vinnie was a gift. A "We're leaving for Australia for 3 months and this amaryllis was out on our porch and is probably dead but give it a shot" kinda gift from Hamish's parents Michael and Heather. We've been watering the poor little guy religiously and full of so much hope when he emerged very suddenly last week. "Go Vinnie Go!" We cheer him on each morning! He seems to be thriving.


Maria was a total surprise to us. Not planned at all. I was chopping up some vegetables for soup one evening, reached into the onion cupboard and came out with what I thought was a large onion, and out came Maria. She entered this world with a full head of hair! Who would have thought Hamish and I could have a little onion with a full head of hair?! Yep, we were pleasantly surprised by this as well. Hamish decided that we needed to give her the best possible start to her life outside of the cupboard, and promptly stuck her in a cup full of water. She is doing very well and enjoys her spot on the kitchen shelf next to Vinnie. They are getting along great and there is harmony in our home so thick you could wrap it up in shiny happy paper. Our hearts are full!

I took this picture last Thursday, January 29 and I'll follow up with some more pictures this Thursday and every Thursday forevermore, just so you can enjoy their progress just as much as I do. Oh, how I do dote!

This is beyond exciting!

Can you believe it? Classic Hound was featured on Etsy Stalker! This is one of the most popular Etsy blogs out there. It's a great place to see featured items from Etsy. Curator Beatrice sifts through all the handmade goodies on Etsy and then features her favorite items and sellers. Would it be too obnoxious of me to say that I think she has great taste? Because she is totally featuring ClassicHound for the next week! Hee Hee! I am very excited. Beatrice interviewed me a few weeks ago, and it was pretty fun. You can read the article here.

She asked me to give her a brief overview of my bio in the world of handmade goods......ummm.....how do you even begin to explain that one when your mother is Susan Nebeker? I did my best describing that I basically had no choice in the matter, I grew up in a handmade household if there ever was one! You can read all about it.

PS - There's a collar giveaway too! ;)

Snowed In At Tom and Sarah's

So it's nearly February, and Albany was hit with yet another snow storm yesterday. I believe we got about 8 more inches of the white stuff, and just when the sidewalks were clearing up. I know we'll be getting a few more storms before and maybe even into March, so here's to focusing on the positive things snow can bring. Like tobogganing! We were visiting the Boston Greenaways a few weekends ago, and woke up to a surprise snow fall and our stay was unexpectedly extended. We had a lot of fun sledding in T&S's backyard - thanks to uncle Tom, Asa, and Hamish who built an incredible slope for us (the pictures really don't do it justice). They spent a good hour shoveling, compacting, and sculpting the snow into the best launch spot ever. They were so detail oriented that they even lugged a few gallons of water out and pour it over the track to give the slope that extra slippery edge. Pretty sweet. We had a great time enjoying the fruits of their labor!

Looks Innocent Enough

Rowan has found a new interest these days. This picture gives you one very important clue as to what it might be. So far it has involved fruitcake, raisins, oatmeal, and sippy cup tips. Any guesses?


Did you find the hidden treasure?



Look closer!



See anything?

Rowan has discovered that his ears make a great hiding place for random objects. I couldn't resist taking this photograph during breakfast the other day. I think the cheerio was in there for a while. Let's hope that we don't discover a sprouting bean in there someday - I've heard of this happening. Can you imagine?

Happy Birthday Uncle Kirk!

Happy Birthday Uncle Kirk! We are big fans of your wit and charm and are sad to be so far away from you. Rowan and I (Ellen) can't wait to see you next month. We hope you have a great day today, because if anyone deserves it, you do!!!

Lots of love,
Hamish, Ellen, and Rowan

PS- Here is one of our favorite pictures of you with Rowan's rascally cousin on your back.

Happy Birthday Phoebe!

Nevermind that Rowan is only wearing one sock and the bed isn't made...we wanted to wish our dear Phoebe a happy birthday! Phoebe is such an attentive cousin to Rowan and is always there to help him smile! She takes such good care of him and doesn't mind THAT MUCH when he splashes her in the tub. We love you Phoebe and hope you had a fun and happy birthday!!!

Here are our favorite pictures of you, Phoebe, from when you were just 4 years old. :)

Love Uncle Hamish, Auntie Ellen, and Ro-Dog!!

Why We Wuv Baby Bear

Rowan only watches a wee bit of programming, but when he does, it's usually Sesame Street. Probably because I grew up with ST, and probably also because ITS FREAKING HILARIOUS! Jim Henson and his crew definitely had the parents in mind when they created many of the Sesame Street skits. I am forever grateful to Eric and Doug for sending me - err - I mean Rowan Sesame Street's Do The Alphabet - where Baby Bear is determined to stop his pwocwastinating and learn the alphabet once and for all. I love it. Rowan does too, so that's an added bonus.

"While The Porridge Cools..." is only but a taste of what Baby Bears talents bring to the table. "Oh no! They'we wwecking my house!" Brilliant.

It's Never Too Late..

...to wish all the devoted readers of this blog a happy new year! One of our goals for 2009 is to keep our blog a bit more updated, because let's face it, we've been slackers!!! One reason I (Ellen) like having our family blog so much is because it's a way to journal the events in our lives. Obviously it's a great way to keep family and friends up to speed on what's happening with the Greenaways, but it's also fun to look back over the year and see what's happened. Since I've never been one to sit down with a pen and a diary (and obviously struggled with sitting down with my laptop throughout 2008 - hello? 23 posts total? pathetic!), I'm making a very public commitment to do better in 2009. I've got some catching up to do, so over the next few weeks I'm going to include pictures and such from events in 2008.

Oh, and I'm also going to start labeling my posts (something I've never bothered to do) and I'm about to create separate "Author" accounts for both Hamish and I, so we can both post under our rightful names. As of right now it says "Hamish and Ellen" despite which one of us actually wrote the post. Also something I've been meaning to do for a LONG time now.

Look at me go! I'm determined to be more organized this year too! Wish me luck...

PS - Thank you Jess for taking this picture of us!