Songs and Skies: ...And now it's fall

September seemed new to me this year, and I finally figured out why. This is the first September I've fully participated in since 2011. I was still limping along through life in Sept. 2012, and I was recovering from my early labor scare in Sept. 2013. What I've realized/remembered this year: September can be a lovely month!

I've enjoyed sharing the fruits of the late summer/early fall harvest with Alain. Peaches and corn were favorites; now we've moved on to apples. He has two little teeth, and is learning how to use them. We're still taking it slow with new foods. He had another allergic reaction when we gave him bread for the first time a few weeks ago : / We're not sure if he's allergic to wheat, or yeast, or if there were traces of sesame or nuts in the bread that he might have reacted to. We're going to take him to an allergist next month. In the meantime, we'll cautiously introduce a few more new foods (he still hasn't had eggs or dairy) over the next few weeks, and keep the Benadryl (and Epi-pen) handy.

I'm enjoying my teaching gig; it's nice to use my brain in a different way. I like my little class (just 17 students, mostly freshmen). Some days it feels hard to find time to prepare for my lectures and grade assignments, but I'm keeping up. The bear is doing well with daycare. He still cries when I leave him, but not for long. His love for socializing wins out eventually ; )

We got to spend some bonus time on the Vineyard this month. We went back for a service at the lighthouse where Julian's memorial stone is. It was nice to visit the site alongside other families who were remembering their little ones. So sad to think of all of the babies and children who are missed so badly, but nice that they can be memorialized in such a special place.

No time to write more now, but hopefully I can come back soon to add some photos!