Where are we now?


View Where are we now? in a larger map Jo, Annie, Miles and I are living in Northport, Alabama and working at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. We've been glad to be in one place for a bit after what appeared to be semi-permanently traveling (in actuality for a period of 2.5 years).We started this blog to catalogue some of the adventures when Jo and I were sequentially conducting our dissertation research in India and Brazil. While we've fallen off the blogging bandwagon somewhat during recent trips to Brazil, we're trying to pick it up again now that we're back in India!


Friday, September 30, 2011

So cute it hurts.....

If anyone knows a cardiologist I think I need one, as this one's giving me a broken heart.


Annie in a bonnet!


Smiley feet!


Monkey butt!


Annie learning Hindi with her first books

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Day of Indulgence

Notes from the traveling desk of Grandma Gail Weaver

Now that Annie has nearly reached the ripe old age of five weeks, it is time to take a day to just relax and indulgence ourselves.

To start the day off, Mommie and Grandma followed along with a video of a Jazzercise routine. It was a specialty Post Pregnancy workout, and Gail pointed that she also was in the post pregnancy category - just plus 30 years! We mostly succeeded in copying the moves we were watching on the TV except the rather annoying habit of the leaders constantly smiling throughout the 50 minute workout.

Next, Mommie cleaned the wax out of her ears by candling them.


What will they think of next?




This involves lighting the far end of a specially-made hollow beeswax candle, and then inserting the unlighted end in your ear. This creates a vacuum and gently draws out excess earwax into the hollow tube of the candle. Grandma misunderstood the process and kept telling her it might not be wise to insert a lighted candle into her ear!

Then it was out into the world for the next event on the day of pampering schedule. Dad, Mom, and Grandma hired a driver and went to an upscale shopping mall.


We have a headless baby! Who left the baby's head at home....

The first stop was for a "fish spa" treatment. This consists of sitting on the edge of a pool and lowering your feet into the water where hundreds of strange minnow-like fish nibble on your feet and toes for 15 minutes.


Grandma wasn't so sure at first


Jo couldn't decide if it was painful, or uproariously funny


I think she settled on the latter



Those fish sure like Gail's feet


Too much fun, Jo and Gail


Dave tries to convince Annie this is fun


She was finally convinced


Dave's feet are no match for the fish

After this sometimes slightly painful, most ticklish experience. the attendants vigorously rub your feet with a rough file to remove the calluses, followed by applying cream and thoroughly massaging your feet, including cracking the joints of your toes. After all three of us had the treatment, we had feet almost as smooth as Annie's.


Blissed out

We finished out the day by eating a nice dinner at an Asian restaurant at the mall. Annie enjoyed the modern decor of the restaurant, posing for photographs while looking through the front window of the restaurant that was painted to look like television sets.





Due the remarkable three-person tag team led by David with Annie in the chest carrier, Jo acting as purveyor of food for the baby, and Grandma providing back-up holding duties, all four of us had a very fun and rejuvenating day.


Annie asleep on bench


Annie in mirror

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Happy Daughter's Day!

Apparently it's Daughter's Day according to the newspaper! Well, that's cause for celebration in my book, so here's some photos celebrating the cutest (and Jo would say most intelligent, capable, and articulate so as not to overemphasize the importance of beauty) daughter in the world.


Annie with Grandma's quilt


Fussy baby! (Likes the bath, hates the cold)


Annie wearing her IU fan outfit


Life is good ( Grandma's shirt says it all!)


Sleepy time for Annie and jet-lagged Grandma



Sleepy time with Mommy and Annie (Annie can be seen wearing the cutest outfit that Suzy and Paul sent!!!)



Awake time in her new orange diaper! (She's ready for the construction buisness, or hunting, whichever comes first)



Sleepy time with Annie and her new friend Piglet the rattle



Awake still-life with pretty color coordinated new yellow diaper & outfit

Friday, September 23, 2011

Grandma arrives!

Well, Grandma Gail wins the prize for the first relative to hold Annie! (Don't worry there will be special runner-up prizes for those that come to pick us up in Newark at 4 am in just two months!)



There's not a whole lot to report after the first day, except of course for hours of cuddling.




And just staring at our little June Bug



And I mean hours



Not that it ever gets old...



And I mean ever.




Then there was Christmas in September


With so many cute clothes and sweet baby gifts we'll have to rent a container ship home...


Grandma isn't so sure about the children's book that Quinn thoughtfully sent "Go the f*ck to sleep"




And all this in 24 hours!


(Note: all pictures in this post were taken with the great new camera that Gail brought, courtesy of M&P)

Monday, September 19, 2011

Fall is almost here...



Well, it might 90 out but at least the humidity is starting to dissipate. And that means....it's time to enjoy our nice patio and let Annie soak in the discordant sounds of the banjo and fiddle!

Oh will our neighbors be ready for me to head back to hit the road!

We've got a tub

Of love that is....


Blackmail...parents can be so cruel with their affection

It's official, we went in for Annie's one month checkup today and upon the much anticipated weighing in found out that she's gained a kilo in 18 days!!! So she's broken the infamous "10 pound" mark, which is apparently special to pediatricians) and is now a whopping 4.6 kilos.

While I was a little concerned that Annie might need to lay off all those doughnuts (just kidding about the donuts, she's on a strict diet of pop tarts) the doctor said she was doing great and as she was born a little early and on the smaller side was just catching up.

The one funny thing that happened at the doctor's appointment was when they measured the circumference of her head. The nurse had written down the measurement in the wrong column, and the doctor did a double take, and was like "there's no way her head is that big" and called in the nurse for a re-do. It turns out that even though this photo makes her head look unflatteringly misshapen (thanks Dad for orchestrating that on purpose)her head is not only the normal size, but just perfect like the rest of her!

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Happy Birthday Annie!

Well, one month that is, but that's still pretty exciting. Hard to believe it, but our little girl is getting so big. As I speak, she's already "gone native" (literally) and is in the field with Jo doing an interview, well Jo is at least...hopefully.

Our first month at home together has been filled with many many wonderful moments, as well as a few trying ones--like yesterday, when all she wanted to do was be held, or would cry, easy, she's a sweety, so just hold her!

We've stayed mostly in the quiet confines of our apartment. But we have ventured out a few times with Annie for walks in the local park. Ventured out I think is definitely the right wording as she isn't completely thrilled with the carrying device (pictured below) and we have to get her into it, and out the door while she's still asleep!


Quick RUN(!) while she's still asleep


But when we do, it's so friggin cute it hurts


The Bjorn, whose makers should get together with Ikea (for cute naming purposes that is)



Taking a walk with Annie

In addition to all the fun around the house Jo (and I) have been getting back to work. With Annie it requires some pretty crafty multitasking....

Jo goes back to work (A+ for multitasking)

Of course there are just oodles of sweet times...


Sweet times

and some plain funny ones as well!



Happy Birthday Annie, here's to embarrassing but very loving parents!

Friday, September 16, 2011

Back to Nanda Devi

As we've been getting settled in with Annie, there hasn't been a lot of time to blog about recent events. Unbelievably, I received multiple emails today that the blog is getting "old and moldy" to quote one disgruntled reader. Well, no more. As I gear up for some more posts and pics about Annie, which to be honest is probably the only reason any of you check this blog, I'll post some pics from a trip that I never got around to blogging about in May---back to Nanda Devi.



Nanda Devi

Many know that I did my Master's thesis research in the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve up in the Garwhal Himalaya. I'll post a little more about that research, and the primary motivation for returning in a subsequent post. But for now, a few pics from a trek I did while up there with two of my friends Laura and Hillary.


Laura and Hillary outside Tolma village

The trek was one I've done several times before; although I'd jump at the opportunity to do it any day of the week.



Beautiful vistas along the hike


Beautiful close up views as well



Cold mornings


Cold mornings




Morning views I missed oh so much


Part of one of the most amazing views I have ever seen


Made only better---as always--- by the banjo


The alpine glow at dusk is like fire on the mountains


Night time views are just as magical



Yes, I'm wearing the exact same outfit as five years ago. Yes, I've changed my clothes since then.