Memorial Day

Long weekends are so nice, especially when they surprise you.  Now that I'm staying home with Sawyer full-time, I hardly keep track of what day it is, let alone if there is a holiday coming up.  So when Jonathan came home and announced, "I've got a 3-day weekend!" I was elated.

First of all, I should mention that every 2-3 weeks, Sawyer hits some kind of developmental/growth spurt.  It usually lasts 1-3 days.  During this time, he eats a lot.  A LOT!  When he eats a lot he gets really bad acid reflux.  Sometime his burps sound like...well like this.  This is evidently irritating to the poor boy, so he gets really cranky.  And when he can't get the burp out, he sometimes cries inconsolably.  This weekend was one of these spurts.  Poor baby.  So, Sawyer was a bit of a handful.  Good thing Jonathan and I were there to tag team him.  

On the up side, along with these spurts comes exciting new developments in what Sawyer can do.  Last time this happened, he started to grab things with his hands (he's still not very good at it, or maybe he's just lazy.) This time, a miracle: Sawyer is on the brink of sleeping through the night.  Last night, he slept 7 hours straight and would have slept longer if I hadn't stupidly woken him up out of worry. What was I THINKING?!  Ahhh...Sleep Sawyer, sleep.

Ok...so this weekend:

On Saturday we took a walk through the city.  A long walk.  Although our bodies were regretting the decision to walk instead of take the subway, it was fun because we sojourned through neighborhoods old and new, posh and...otherwise.  Jonathan also carried Sawyer in a front pack so he could look around at the buildings and the many passers-by.  Sawyer becomes wide-eyed and entranced by the city--and sometimes goes cross-eyed. 

Where were we going?  Well, you know Jonathan and me, we rarely do anything that doesn't involve food.  Our destination was Momofuku Noodle Bar, and, oh, those pork buns made our exertion and exhaustion worth it.  We arrived right as the restaurant was opening for dinner service.  The people poured in, always a good sign.  We sat Sawyer on my knee and went on to eat some of the most delicious food I've had in awhile:  Spanish Mackerel appetizer, Pork buns, Kimchi, and Ramen...yum.

The pork buns were soft and sweet and savory.  They were served with cucumbers which made them taste fresh and healthy.  Tricky chef.

We also attempted to take Sawyer swimming on Saturday. He was all decked out in his swimming gear, but sadly the pool was still too cold for him to go in...bummer.  

Sawyer decked out for the ill-fated trip to the pool.  

Front Pack Adventures!

On Monday, Memorial Day, Jonathan really wanted to go to his old Alma Mater, West Point, to visit the graves of some of his friends and classmates.  Jonathan's West Point class has suffered the most deaths of any USMA class since WWII.  

West Point really is a magical place.  It's a place that feels timeless. A place where generation upon generation of cadets are connected by tradition, honor, and valor.  I never appreciated West Point when Jonathan was a cadet there, because I saw it as a wedge between us. But now that I've been back a number of times, I feel sad that I didn't understand Jonathan's sacrifice when he gave up the academy to marry me.  Neither of us regret the decision, of course, but I feel sad that Jonathan didn't get to finish what he started there.  What is clear to me, is that West Point will always be a really important part of who Jonathan is, and for that reason, I've come to love it too.

West Point graduates have the honor of being interred in its sleepy, peaceful, and beautiful graveyard.  Although not everyone decides to be buried there, several of Jonathan's friends have been laid to rest beneath the shade of the graveyard's giant leafy trees.  So have other famous Americans:  General Custer, Daniel Butterfield, George Goethals, Sylvanus Thayer, and more.  

This is was the first Memorial Day that I actually took some time to remember those men and women who have fought in the name of our country.  It's difficult to think that peace is often brought about by war, but since it often is, I'm grateful for the brave people who have died in the MiddleEast, especially Jonathan's friends.

Sawyer's nap in the beautifully manicured West Point grass.