Dessert/Convo/Signing

I went to Ian's eighth birthday dinner/party tonight, right next door. We had two kinds of shrimp and soba and veggies.

But, I'm a little embarrassed to say, I went completely nuts when I had some chocolate cupcake and some vanilla ice cream. I think should eat this stuff every meal, every day! I don't ever remember enjoying something as much as I did our dessert tonight!

Mom says the chocolate has caffeine in it, whatever that is. She says it's in the coffee she and daddy drink every day (like it's going out of style or something), so I don't see what the big deal is. But, they wouldn't give me any more cupcake after a point. Oh well, maybe I'll see something like that again some day. I hope so!

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Today I had something my dad calls a "conversation" with him. I sat in me comfy car seat in the back of the van, while he drove. He would say "Bye Bye," so naturally I said "Bye Bye" back to him. Then, for whatever reason (I don't know), he would say "Uh Oh," so I said "Uh Oh." Then he said "No No," so I said "No No." This game went on and on as we drove around town. I didn't get tired of it at all. And it's the first time I have played for so long with him. He says these are my first words. Maybe. I think he remembers that I said "Up!" when I was just a kid, about 6 months old. But for some reason I think he doesn't think that counts any more.

I heard somewhere that kids like me, once we start talking, learn as many as ten words a day from the time we start talking until we are three or so years old. Bring it! I've got lots to say, and this mute thing I've got going on isn't really working for me.

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Mom has been doing what she calls "signing" with me: "milk," "more." Today I decided to sign something very close to "more" to her. She loved it! This is easier than talking right now, so maybe I'll say more with my hands until my mouth works better.

14 months now

Wow! I have not written for the longest time. Over three months. Sorry about that.

A lot has happened since August. Mom, Dad and I drove across country, and now we are settling into our new house here in Decatur, GA (near Atlanta).

I took my first steps in Fredericksburg, TX. I had my first birthday with my grandparents in Ruston, LA. Loads of fun! Alvin and Kathy and Hannah came to visit. And I charmed friends and family all across the country (CA, AZ, NM, TX, LA, AR, TN, KY, OH, IN, PA, NY, VT, NH, MA, RI, CT, NJ, DE, MD, VA, NC, SC, and GA).

Here in Decatur, I love playing with my cousins Ian and Madeleine. I love to play in the yard, in the community garden, around town in parks and playgrounds, and in my house with mom and dad. They have taught me that certain things are "hot", like the radiators and the fireplace, and that other things are "no", like the knobs on the stove and the stairs up and down.

Dad seems to get excited when I "go and get the Mother Goose book, bring it back over here to me, and crawl up on the bed with me and we'll read it together." Of course I understand what he says, and I can do exactly what he asked me to. Or if he says get Playtime Peekaboo or The Numbers Book, I will get those instead (yes, always the right one, every time). What's the big deal? I don't think I know anybody who can't do this! I'm fourteen months and a week old, now. I'm a big boy!

I want to talk with Mom and Dad, and they love to talk to me, but I can't make any real words come out yet. They think it won't be long now; I think they're right.

I like giving hugs now. That's new for me, but it's a lot of fun. And I keep hearing this word 'haircut' come up, almost every day. I've never had one, but it sounds like I will be getting one soon.

Goodnight!

First Trip to the ER

Tonight mom and dad took me to the Emergency Room here in Santa Barbara. My finger was very swollen and had a big white/yellow bubble on it. After two hours, the doctor came in and lanced it. I cried and cried, but it felt a little better when the pressure was gone. The worst part was, I was asleep when they woke me up for the procedure. They could have just let me sleep and I would have been much happier.

It is after midnight now, and mommy and daddy look really tired, but I appreciate their taking care of me. They told me they were very proud of me and the way I behaved during our time in the hospital. I am home now and down for a good night's sleep.

Happy Birthday, Honey! (aka grandmother)

Watermelon

Standing and Crawling

Enjoying the Marin Hills on a Smoky Day

July 6, 2008, in San Rafael, CA, above the end of Knight Drive.

Learning to Crawl

Yesterday, after a month of creeping (sliding my stomach across the floor) I finally figured out that I can use my knees to propel myself. Mommy and daddy call this crawling, and I like it much better; I can go farther and faster, and I no longer get my belly as dirty.

Booster Seat

I love my new booster seat. It attaches to the back of a chair, and a seat belt keeps me in it. The only thing it lacks is some way to make the chair itself secure. This morning I pushed with my feet against the kitchen table, and my whole chair fell backwards and hit the floor, with me in it. I am not sure what my head it, but it was probably the chair back; anyway it hurt a lot, and I cried for about 10 minutes. I feel better now. Time for a nap, but 'ouch'.

Standing

Yesterday, I pulled myself up to standing, holding onto the side of my crib. Since then, I have done it over and over and over. I am almost there... Walking can not be far behind.

My Headshots

I am sorry to say, but I am the most handsome person my parents Maria and Joel have ever seen. Would you not agree?

Mom and Dad

More photos from Laura Voight's shoot with us in the Presidio in May. For all of them, see SmugMug.com

I Love Peas

I had peas for the first time today. Yum!

In the Presidio

Mommy and Daddy and I went to San Francisco where Laura Voight took some beautiful photos of us.

8 months - May 19, 2008

Playing piano on my 2/3 birthday.

Griffin

Griffin and his mom Jennifer came over this weekend.  He is one of my Marin Momma buddies.  I watch him stand up and it makes me want to try to stand up too.

Yoga

I have started some yoga poses, and they seem to come naturally to me.

Play Date

Katherine came over today for a play date while mom and dad packed things up for our move. She's a pro, because she has two younger sisters and has been babysitting a long time.

My First Indy 500

I'm sad Danica Patrick got wrecked out of the race by someone else's idiot mistake...

My First Press Coverage

Dad's alumni magazine from Dartmouth arrived in the mail today. (Hi there, all you 86's, and others! Please leave a comment on this page if you would like to introduce yourself or say 'hi' to dad.) Here is the item they ran; you can click on it to make it larger and easier to read:

Sitting Up

This morning I went with my mom and dad to the Half Day Cafe in Kentfield. And for the first time they put me in this thing they called a 'high chair'. They stuffed the Ergo sling behind my back so I would not slump backwards, and they drew the chair right up to the edge of their table. For most of an hour I sat with them as they had their late breakfast. (It looked like they enjoyed it a lot, but I did not get a taste.)

It was great to sit and chat with them for so long. I felt like I am no longer just a little baby that lies around. I can push myself around on the floor, sometimes with my arms, sometimes with my knees and feet. (Mom and dad think I can do three or four yoga poses, whatever that means.) I can spin around when I am on the hardwood, and I can really move around when I am up on the bed. I even got so close to the edge that I fell off onto the rug on the floor earlier this week. Ouch! That made me cry for a while. But I am OK now.

I can sit up now, too, but I need to be on a soft surface or have a big person close by. I do not always stay upright. I still tend to fall over to the side or backwards, so my head needs to not hit anything hard or dangerous. I think that before too much longer I will be able to sit up without any help.

I like my body and all the things I can do with it!

Visits

Last week I got to play with my cousins Ian and Madeleine.

We kept track of our activities on the blackboard.

Madeleine spent a lot of great time with me.

We had a picnic on a warm evening.

And I got to see my buddy Mikaela again.

Also last week I got my first ever sunburn; it did not hurt too much.

I Like My Dad

I like to be with my Daddy...



Even when I am feeling a little bit under the weather.

Santa Barbara

I like lying on a quilt in the grass next to my granddaddy's redwood tree. The sun is shining and I see a pair of sea gulls. Last night I decided, on a whim, to wake up close to midnight when we drove up to the house here, and I chatted and smiled at everybody for a long time. I didn't feel like sleeping at all. From the back seat of the car yesterday evening on our way here, I saw the full moon rising above the hills on my right as the sun set into the ocean beyond the fields to my left (my seat faces backwards, remember), with nothing but black-to-blue-to-purple-to-orange sky in between. It's so beautiful here where I live!

PS, my first tooth is coming in, and my gum hurts sometimes.

6 month milestones

Attention world! I can roll over, eat food, and I have my first tooth emerging (bottom left, if you care to know). I am pretty excited about it all - except the tooth - which doesn't feel so great. Mom and dad say I'll get a whole bunch of them and then be able to chew on some yummy stuff. Right now mom mashes everything up into a runny paste. I am already a big fan of sweet potatoes, avocados, and rice cereal. The rolling over thing is pretty cool too. I love to hang out on my tummy and play with my toys, pull mom's hair, or play with dad's beard. Now that I spend so much time on my tummy the flat spot on the back of my head is becoming round. Phew! I didn't want to go around my whole life with a flat spot!

Happy 6-month Birthday!

Dear Rocket,
This is the view from clear around on the other side of the sun. Your first time here, so I'm not surprised you are a little disoriented. Don't worry. I've been here before, and I will stay with you and show you around.
Love,
Dad

My Friend Mikaela

I have known Mikaela my whole life!
She came to my birthday party.
She came to our SuperBowl Party.
And she sat with me in the sun during our Second Sunday Brunch in March.
She is one of my very best friends!

They Call Me Diaper Head

There are some days it just makes sense to wear a diaper on my head. Mommy and Daddy tell me they don't use the cloth diapers on me; that about three weeks trying them was enough. So they kept a few to use as 'cloth-ies'. I sleep on one as a pillow, and they make good bibs too.

Visiting Fairfax

Today I visited the spot where my parents got married. It was the first time I had ever seen the place. They got married at 21 Crest Road, in Fairfax, CA.
My folks seemed to get a kick out of going back to this spot. I don't really see what the big deal is, but then I wasn't there.
The view was beautiful from up there.
Swinging on the swing with mom. My granddaddy fixed the swing's seat so it would work again.

I look like my daddy!

Me, age 5 months, March 2008.




My dad Joel, age 5 months, April 1965

I Like Jumping!

Chowing down at Susan's

Mom and I had a great morning hanging out with Auntie Susan (she's the one that took this picture). We went to the De Young museum to see the Louise Nevelson exhibit (I am so cultured!) then back to Susan's house in Cole Valley for a delicious take-out lunch from mom's favorite restaurant - Sunflower. I am not really eating food yet cause I am only 4 and 1/2 months old - but I am paying close attention to all the steps involved - it looks really complicated with all the chopping and cooking and chewing and then cleaning up afterwards. Mom assures me that food is great stuff and that it won't be long before I am learning to use chopsticks just like my Ye-Ye.

Living the Good Life

At home with mom. We have such a good time together! She talks to me and sings to me, and I have just discovered how much fun it is to talk to her. I have managed to make sentences that last a minute or more, but I haven't yet figured out how to talk and not drool at the same time. She tells me that I can learn that later.

I love my play mat. I can spend half an hour or more exploring the dangling stuffed animals and the scrunchies that make a funny noise. Thanks uncle Alvin and aunt Kathy!

Today, January 19, was my four month birthday! My granddaddy (whose name is Honey Bear) left me a nice message on the answering machine, and my grandmother (whose name is Honey) sang me my favorite song: I love you, a bushel and a peck, a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck, a hug around the neck, a hug around the neck and a bushel and a heap, a bushel and a heap and I'm talking in my sleep about you, about you!

My Visit to the Dojo

I went to Aikido of Marin (Fairfax, CA) last Saturday to visit when Vianey Villela from City Aikido in San Francisco came to train in the kids class.

I have been to the dojo before, though. When mommy and daddy brought me home from the hospital three days after I was born, we stopped by Aikido of Marin. Richard Moon was teaching his annual seminar, and the whole class gathered round to see me and to welcome me into the world. I went to the dojo even before I went home.

I like the dojo, all the people tumbling and rolling. I like it almost as much as I like the rocket blanket mommy made for me.