it's friday, er, saturday? crap.

...and what better time to post from last weekend, than this weekend? actually, i've been trying to get this post done all week, and on two separate occasions the pics wouldn't load correctly. i even tried unplugging my internet, blowing into the connector port, and banging on the side of my laptop, but nothing helped. i guess something did the trick (the sacrifice to the internet gods on weds, perhaps?) because here they all are, just in time!

note: after i wrote that and started over again with this post, i found i was still having issues, so now this is even later than before. not my fault, i swear. without further words in french...

we heard from mems and teed that our friends bud and judy were going to be visiting them over the weekend. judy has met beatrix before, but buddy had yet to have the honor. well, we promptly invited ourselves over, knowing that mems and teed would never block a visit from the beebs. and since she can't do ANYTHING for herself (it's been three months already, quit being lazy!), we got to go along too.

we drove up saturday morning, strategically planning the roughly two-hour car ride around bebe's feeding/nap schedule. there was little or no traffic and beebs was a champ the whole way. as soon as we pulled up, we were met by teed. mems was out, and seeing an opportunity for some one on one time, teed seized the moment and rushed the car. we didn't even have time to get her out of her car seat. he sat beside her and chatted, and since she had just woken up, she was her charming little self. once we got inside, teed grabbed her for real. it's never enough to just talk to bebe. she's an interactive exhibit, you need to pick her up, hold her...

i've just warned him about her explosive diarrhea.

this kid? really?

well, she didn't just stand up on her own...

but better out than in, right kiddo?

for the rest of saturday we hung out with mems and teed. buddy got there a little after us, and judy got there by early evening. there was a little time with beebs, and boy did she flirt up a storm with buddy. it was shameless, and who could blame her? but it was her bed time, and like the good girl that she is, off she went to bed.

the next morning, after daddy had bragged all night about bebe's ability to sleep in on the weekends (it's true, she's up early during the week and sleeps late on sat. and sun. how does she know?), she was up bright and early on sunday. beatrix is usually at her best first thing in the morning, so it's hard to complain about having to get up with her. plus you get to see cool sunrises:

we walked around the house and played on the floor. she's convinced that if she just pulls a little harder, she can get the wings off that parrot. the monkey, however, has proven quite limber. she may have to eat him whole. and don't even ask about the giraffe.

after everyone was up, it was time for mems to get some qt with bb.

"bebe, you're just too cute!"

i'm sorry mems. it's a curse, a burden, really. what'll i do?

where the hell did everybody go? and why, for the love, am i in this thing again?!?

first i have to sit down here, and then all you toss me is this giraffe?

seriously? i cannot believe this.

well pal, it's just you and me. and my gums.

doo da doo, la la la, hmm mmm mmm...

he-hey, ramona! what's up, dawg?

that's what i'm talking about- a little company! a little solidarity!

i can't believe i'm alone again. she'd rather lick her butt somewhere than hang out with me. maybe i drool too much...

little help, here? i think i pooped my pants. i know how excited you guys get when this happens, so i just thought i'd let you know...

after some lunch, a nap, and a fresh diaper, we were off for a walk in the woods. this of course required strapping bebe into her car seat for a short car ride. she's not so hot about getting into her seat, but once she's in there, she'e pretty mellow.

just me and little mouse and the open road

it's a big world out there, and we've only begun to explore.

who knows what adventures await us?

how will we be tested, and will we rise to the occasion?

what will we...

are we there yet?

and here we are:

not a cloud in the sky, and the air was crisp and clean. the rare and elusive orange-capped beeb makes an appearance.

this was my view for a good part of the walk. then i passed this slow moving ambler and left her in the dust. i win!

ha ha! see ya suckers! meet ya back at the car! ha ha ha...

time to distract beatrix while we cinch her into her car seat. mommy's always saying "tighter. tighter. TIGHTER." are her eyes supposed to bulge out like that?

oops. i think she's on to us.

she's definitely on to us. stop looking at me like that, bebe. it's for your own protection!

really?

you're only doing it because you love me so much?

man, you guys are the best! maybe this isn't so bad after all!

yeah, i can do this. this is totally fine.

i can't believe i let them do this to me.

this sucks.

after the walk, we stopped by to see our friends, don and ingrid.

ingie, i will smile and be super cute if you get me out of this seat. you like spit bubbles? i'll even throw in some spit bubbles. whadda' ya say?

once out of her car seat (and fed) beatrix was her charming self.

you can't tell from these pics, but don and ingrid are actually quite happy people. i think they're discussing politics with mommy and mems. that's daddy's cue to go someplace far away in his mind...

and speaking of going far away, it was time to head back to the big city. and yes, that meant more car seat for bebe marie. her lack of a substantial bottom sure is convenient. if she had one, it'd be asleep from all that sitting.

she spends a lot of time asleep on these road trips, but sometimes she stays awake, and it's fun to watch her studying the light all around her. she gurgles and barks and screeches and blinks her big eyes at the world...