Another Scorcher

According to my Weatherbug widget, it's supposed to be another scorcher today. Yay, another day of watching my poor little plants and flowers wither in the sun. I throughly enjoy summer - the long days, ample free time, dinner outdoors... but nothing is more disappointing than seeing glimpses of a beautiful day out your window, and knowing that it is too incredibly hot to go outside. So instead, we sit inside our shadowy, temperature controlled abode doing what we did all winter - trying to keep occupied. Or maybe, trying to keep Jack occupied.

Occasionally we'll venture out into the heat. Like the other weekend when my little brother moved into his first apartment. Since he only lives 1.5 hours away from us we thought it'd be a great opportunity for the boys to see their Marmie, Poppa and Uncles again. Or maybe it was just a great opportunity for us to unload a whole car-ful of things we purged during the move to help Jared get started in his new grown up life. Either way, after church we packed into the car and headed up to the outskirts of Baltimore.

Photo Credit:  Jared Wineberg

After we arrived we realized we didn't bring a stroller. There wouldn't have been room for one anyway, but if you know my family, there are masters of spontaneity. And then there is us, the Coast Guard family, Semper Paratus, always prepared. It makes for an interesting combination. But on this day, always prepared was anything but prepared when the spontaneous ones suggested we explore Inner Harbor. So we decided we'd just carry the kiddos around town. There were 7 of us and 2 of them, so it wouldn't be too difficult.

Jack quickly made friends with Mr. Mark. The tallest in the bunch, his shoulder offered the best views of the harbor. Jack must have also thought he had a very comfortable perch, since he snuggled right up within the first few seconds.

Photo Credit: Jared Wineberg

Now Jack may be heavy, but at least you can shift his weight around or make him walk for a little if you need to. But Jude, this guy falls asleep and then you feel like you're stuck holding him on the same position for as long as your shoulders and back can bear it. And he may be light, but man can he put off the heat. Seriously. Jude has been radiating heat since his early days in utero. I was unusually warm all winter long, back then we'd joke that the baby was my personal space heater.

Photo Credit:  Jared Wineberg

But then he arrived and we realize it's really true! So much so that you almost don't want to hold him, and that's saying a lot from his mother!! There have been many times when I thought he'd soaked through his diaper, only to find out that no, he's just incredibly sweaty that day. And we won't even talk about nursing. Pleh. My love for fall babies has only been solified further these past two months. If I should ever have another baby in the spring or summer, you can probably bet it wasn't intentional. :)

But we made it through Inner Harbor just fine. An extended trip to the top of the World Trade Center definitely helped us through. We took in the views, and the air conditioning, for as long as we could.

Photo Credit: Jared Wineberg

Photo Credit: Jared Wineberg

And then a stop at Chipotle gave us the final boost we needed. I thought my Chipotle cravings were just a pregnancy thing, but nope, they're still around. And Jon gets them too, at the same time as me. It's very convenient. Because, I suppose, the best way to combat the scorching heat, is with hot and spicy food. Especially when you don't have to cook it yourself!