We got issues

Issue #1: Starvin' Marvin turns into Messy Marvin


Resolution: Long-sleeved waterproof bib
(Mama wants to know if this comes in a full-body version as well, maybe with a hood)


Issue #2: Baby on the move



Resolution: My own gated community
(Bye bye guest bedroom...I'm taking over the house one room at a time)


Issue #3: Extraordinary and unrelenting cuteness



Resolution: None necessary
(I am available as an accessory to improve your own cuteness. See examples below.)

It's an art form

I'm perfecting my tantrum-throwing technique. Below, you can see a step-by-step illustration of "Throwing a Fit 101". I can now go through all five steps in under 20 seconds. Yes, I'm that good.

Step 1: Realize Mama took your toy away from you
Step 2: Throw head back in a howling rage
Step 3: Look at Mama as if you can't believe she could ever be so cruel
Step 4: Get toy back from Mama
Step 5: Life is good

Not finger lickin' good

Today at lunch, we learned two things: I love pastina, and pastina is not a good finger food. Not only is it difficult for me to get into my mouth (even when it's mixed up with squash), but it's hard to clean up off the floor, my high chair, the table, my ears, and the back of my head (don't ask). Even Cowboy the vacuum dog had a hard time with it! From now on, I eat it with a spoon.

Lists

(I'm copying Jammy's idea)

As of August 2008, here are some Things I Like:

• Belly-crawling everywhere, very quickly
  
• Pulling myself up on anything I can reach
• Finger-walking
• Bringing a toy with me whenever I belly-crawl around the house
• Collecting as much Cowboy fur on my clothes as possible
• Pulling on Cowboy's paws and ears
• Sticking my fingers in Cowboy's mouth
• Putting everything in my mouth
• Shoes (Mama & Daddy's -- specifically, chewing on them)
• Electrical cords
• Phones & remote controls
  
• Taking books off shelves
• Ripping pages out of books
• Banging things together
• Pushing over towers of blocks that Mama builds
• Eating with my fingers
• Hamstering my food (filling up my cheeks)
• Smearing my food all over my face
• Throwing food on the floor for Cowboy to eat
• Flipping over or chewing on my place mat
• Chewing on my bib
  
• Chewing on my bath toys
• Naps
• Screeching loudly for fun
• Making Mama say "Ow!" by pulling her hair or face, or trying to chew on her finger with my new teeth

And of course, some Things I Don't Like:

• Having anything taken away from me (HATE this)
  
• Being left alone for too long
• Being held for too long (I want to see you, not touch you)
  
• Being contained in one place (pack-n-play, rocker, activity center, Mama or Daddy's lap during a plane ride)
  
• Getting dressed after my bath
• Not being allowed to belly-crawl wherever I want to go
  
• Being late for or missing a nap
• People being too loud or making sudden movements around me, especially when I'm tired
  

Speak softly and carry a big dog

Too close for comfort

Slow down

Mama thinks I'm growing up too fast, but I disagree. After all, it's not like I'm asking for the keys to the car, right? But I am very busy learning new things and asserting my independence.

As I mentioned earlier, I'm cutting a tooth. In fact, I might be cutting two teeth at the same time! But Mama can't tell because I'm not letting her take a close look. It's my own little secret.

I'm also starting to get up on my hands and knees and rock back and forth. I haven't actually crawled yet, but I'm thinking about it. Right now, I can get where I'm going by scooting on my belly, but this crawling thing might be worth looking into. Especially now that I have a big blister on my foot from pushing myself around on my belly.

I love to finger walk. I walk all over the house with Mama or Daddy's help. I pick my feet up really high, kinda like Cowboy does when Mama makes him wear booties.

And food. Oh boy, food! I love it. I'll eat pretty much anything, and I've just started picking up finger foods to feed myself. I'm pretty good with pieces of cooked sweet potato, little bits of bananas (it's easier when Mama coats them in crushed cereal), and pieces of tofu. Mama also got me some sweet potato cereal puffs that I really like -- they are easy to pick up and they dissolve in my mouth.

I talk a lot more, and I've discovered new sounds that I like. I like to suck my breath in and out really fast, either through my mouth (puffing up my cheeks) or through my nose. I also like to take big gasping wheezes, usually followed by a screech or giggle-cough. When I want you, I look at you and say, "EH!" until you pay attention to me.

I've grown out of my infant car seat and am now cruising around in my big boy convertible car seat. It's so much more comfortable, and I look so grown up in it (I can see myself in my monkey mirror). Mama told me to get comfortable, because she plans to keep me strapped into the car seat until I'm in high school.

So with my new mobility, vocalizations, incoming teeth and self-feeding mastery, I'd say I'm pretty close to getting a place of my own.

Castle Pines, baby

My Uncle Brendan works at the Castle Pines Golf Club in Colorado. He got me this great outfit with the Castle Pines logo (two hummingbirds) and I'm so handsome in it that I just had to share a few pictures with you. I'm thinking that Castle Pines might need a baby model to show off their gear.



Pictures: Castle Pines baby

Just when you thought bath time was fun...

This made Mama laugh, but I don't think it's funny. Being only 9 months old, my sense of humor has not matured quite enough to appreciate satire. Jonathan Swift I am not...yet.

Mama wouldn't let me read the article that goes with the picture because it's got something she calls "mature language" in it. She knows that if I encounter this type of language, I will select my very first word from it. Although, I see a word up there in the picture that's really intriguing... Anyway, if you'd like to read the article, you'll have to click here.

And for those whose sense of humor is as jejune as mine, it's a spoof, OK? It's not serious. It's make-believe. Like unicorns and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the idea that the world existed before I was born.

Welcome to the Dahl-house

Today, Oliver and I went to Dahl playground to hang out. We (OK, I) did a relatively poor job of sharing toys while on the blanket in the grass, and then we had a great time playing in the wading pool. The water was cold at first, so I curled my toes up and tried to avoid getting my feet wet. But then Mama finger-walked me around the pool and I was so distracted by how much fun I was having that I didn't even notice the cold water. After we walked around a bit to say hello to the other kids, I sat down next to Oliver so we could splash. He's much better at splashing than I am. I pat the surface of the water, but he makes big huge splashes and gets water everywhere! I'm going to have to practice that in the bathtub at home. Here are two pictures of our excursion, and Mama's posted the rest (plus a video) to flickr.



Pictures: OZ-fest at Dahl

Busy baby

I've been pretty busy the last week or so! After going to Sun Mountain Lodge for Daddy's company get-away (where I had my first fall and got my first fat lip/rug burn combo), we all headed down to Texas to go to a wedding and visit friends. I was very good on the plane trips (2 flights each way), even though it was way past my bedtime on the way home -- we didn't get home until midnight! But I only complained a little bit and I slept as much as I could on Mama's lap.

Texas was a lot of fun! And it was really hot. It was 104 degrees while we were there, but luckily I had my cool stroller with me so I didn't get too over-heated. I felt bad for Mama, because she had to wear a full length bridesmaid dress and have her hair and make-up styled to the nines (I almost didn't recognize her) for the wedding. But she looked nice all fancied up, and we all had a good time.

Because I'm so handsome, a nice lady wanted to hold me during the wedding ceremony. It was funny when Mama walked down the aisle, because at first she only saw Daddy, without me. You could see the look on her face, "I'm gone for 10 minutes and he's already lost him." But I was in the pew in front of Daddy, playing with the nice lady's fan.

Mama's friends (who got married) live in New Braunfels, and we drove past the Schlitterbahn Waterpark. Apparently it looked like a lot of fun to Mama and Daddy. They want to go back when I'm old enough to think that it looks like fun too. Right now, I just think it looks like a whole lot of bathing in a giant cold tub filled with strangers and scary slides.

In addition to the wedding, we went to see the Alamo and walk along the Riverwalk in San Antonio. The Riverwalk isn't very stroller-friendly, so Daddy had to carry me up and down lots of stairs. That was nice of him.

Then we drove to Austin to see Mama and Daddy's friends Mark and Rebecca. They used to live in Seattle and they have a baby boy Luke who is 4 months younger than I am. He's my newest friend, and he even has a friend named Oliver like I do! We had a lot of fun staring at each other and grabbing for each other's legs, hands and toys. We babbled to each other in our secret baby talk and made plans to hang out when we're older and can properly appreciate the pool and entertainment room. It's going to be so great when we're 15 years old.

The flight home felt a lot longer than the flight out there, because we didn't even get on the first plane until after my bedtime. I was so tired and cranky, especially considering my new development: my first tooth! Yep, I waited until an out-of-town trip to cut my first one. I figured that I'd already be all out of sorts because of the time change and inconsistent schedule, so I may as well throw in a bit of tooth-cutting cranky drooliness to top it off.

I like to play with my little tooth with my tongue and fingers, and Mama keeps giving me a worried look whenever I nurse. I wonder why.

Here are some pictures from my trip. Mama will add more to flickr eventually.

BH(2) = BigHead BabyHill

I got this great fuzzy sheepdog hat as a baby shower present from Dave and Dawn, but it was too big for me to wear this past winter. Now that my head is growing exponentially, Mama decided to see if it fits. She couldn't imagine that it would fit me because it was so ginormous last winter, but it turns out that I can barely squeeze it on! So even though it's not exactly seasonally-appropriate in this 85 degree weather, I wore my sheepdog hat today. Cowboy wore it too, but I think it looks better on me.