Quick Trip to Indy

Ten days before Easter, DFW-IND came up on the AA NetsAAver email. I couldn't pass it up, because as you know, I long for my Indiana home. If you've used a NetsAAver before, you know you have to fly on Friday or Saturday and return Monday or Tuesday. S had something at work that he HAD to do on Monday, so we was out for the trip. But, me and the boy, we bought us some tickets and we flew to Indy for a quick Easter weekend.

LM was VERY interested in Gibson

Palming his head...

Once again, the boy was having teething troubles, and ran a small fever. This led me to rush him to an after hours clinic to see if something was wrong. The strange doctor who was there said he had an ear infection and prescribed the wrong dosage of medicine. (I cannot stress enough how strange this doctor really was...really. Strange-ola.) And when we visited LM's pediatrician here in Dallas when we returned, no ear infection at all. So perhaps it was just teething and perhaps mama overreacted just because she was out of town.

Gouging his eyes out...

...not really...no babies were harmed in the taking of this photo.

We do much less when we go to Indy these days re: running around to events and even getting around to see people. We have to go on the boy's schedule, and once we do that we do good to see the grandparents and aunts and uncles. Luckily, there were a couple of family get-togethers over the weekend, which always helps things. We can see many people in one place!

The first big one was my niece Veda's 10th birthday. Whoa. How on earth can that girl be 10? Really! I remember distinctly the day she was born. We were adding a porch onto the front of our old house, and the roof was tarped. We experienced gale force winds and torrential rain that night which left us to awaken to water sheeting down into the house via the living room front wall. So, when Steve called us in the wee hours of the morning to announce his first child's birth, he was expecting to wake us up. No sir, we were awake, collecting water as fast as we could! Nonetheless, it was SUCH exciting news, and we were glad to hear it!

LM wanted to help open presents.

For the paper, of course.

Lots of little boys...

Grandpa Craig with the two littlest boys.

Now she's in the double digits. Amazing. Time flies. I remember going to Indy to meet her when she was about three weeks old. I remember just sitting there staring at her for hours. I watched her the better part of one day so Terri could get some sleep, and I remember how she, at three weeks, instinctively knew when her parents arrived and seemed so relieved they had come to pick her up. I also remember distinctly watching her move a toy from one hand to the other during tummy time when she was four months old. She has always been advanced. ;-) Now, I love to watch her play soccer and be a great big sister. She's a special girl, like all my nieces and nephews are to me, and I was glad to be home for her birthday!

Uncle Bob and the boy.

Uncle Rick and Gibson

LM likes Bevi.

And Bevi is partial to little boys, (having one herself, not so little anymore)

so it all works out quite well.

On Sunday, we went to church, where we got to see Aunt Sally and Uncle Kenny and my cousin Robin and her sweet family. Then, we went to an Easter gathering at Unk's house, which was also a wonderful time to catch up with family. LM had the opportunity to learn to go up a step there, as their office is one level lower than the rest of the main floor. He practiced and practiced until he got it! That video is in the nine month post (here).

Never too big for a Daddy hug.

LM had lots of little mamas at Easter.

He liked the attention.

Like all the rest of Nana's grandchildren, LM made good use of the plasticware cabinet.

Poor kid. Mama removed his pants and didn't put them back on.

"Walking" with Nana

LM turned nine months while we were up there, and Nana has given him a book each month on his birthday. We opened it at her house this time. The book was nice, but also the little guy loved the paper.

Nana also got the boy an Easter basket that he opened while we were there. He really liked checking it all out.

Again, paper. I see a pattern, here.

While at Grandpa's house LM enjoyed playing with the bin of toys. Grandpa Craig and Grandma Torchy also gave the boy an Easter card with some cold hard cash in it. He was asleep when he received it in Indy, so I had him open it when we got home.

He also napped on Grandpa.

And we had a meal sans highchair, which got sort of interesting.

Yes, I do have to open my mouth when I put it in his mouth.

I'm incapable of doing it any other way.

Grandpa played Little Marini too!

Checking out the Easter card!

Good card!

Good cash!

You can tell I had my "real" camera at home - better quality photos. In fact, now that I can't always take my nice camera with me, I am seriously contemplating upgrading the "purse" camera to something a little nicer. There were so many photos I took on this trip that were too blurry for words. Oh well, we have the memories! And that is great. We had a great time!

See you soon.

9 months old

On April 23rd, Little Man clocked in another month. He is now NINE months old. Here are some of the highlights from last month.

Eight months on Nana's quilt

During the last month, LM learned to sit himself up from a laying down position. This is a skill he is very glad to have, as he has never really enjoyed "tummy" time and now, when put in tummy time position, can just take himself right out of it. It also means he regularly hangs out in his crib sitting up. We had to immediately move the mattress down to the bottom level, as it took about three seconds for him to go from sitting to climbing the rungs.

Slumberbugs. A Saturday morning routine.

Our little guy had his second tooth come in this past month. It was the second middle bottom tooth, joining the first tooth there on the bottom of his mouth. He has started teething in earnest again as well, and will have some top teeth any day now, I think.

We have started practicing drinking out of a sippy cup. At first, all he wanted to do was chew on the spout. But now he gets that he can get a drink out of it and likes to do so.

And, probably the biggest milestone, LM started CRAWLING this past month. It is amazing how one day they aren't really crawling (he was mobile, but slow - scooting from here to there) and then BAM the next day, they are crawling EVERYWHERE! He first started with what I called the "Hunchback" crawl, where he sort of dragged one foot behind him as he went forward. Then he straightened that up and went about his business on all fours. He loves being mobile and being able to check things out. Mama on the other hand is exhausted with all the up and down and "eagle eye" lookout she now has to do. This parenting is for the young, and sister, I'm not young enough. But I'm enjoying it nonetheless.

Early Hunchback crawl

Now that he sits up and plays more independently, I have been able to plop him down on the kitchen floor when we get home in the evening and entertain him with pots and pans, plastic bins, utensils, etc. I pick something new every few days, and it keeps him entertained while I unpack his bag and get him ready for the next day. On occasion, it even keeps him entertained long enough for me to - GASP - make some dinner!

Crawling up a stair at Unk and Bevi's at Easter

And, as I mentioned earlier, he is also pulling up quite a bit. He's not "cruising" yet - trying to move while standing up - but he pulls himself up to standing with regularity. One of his favorite places to do this is on the open dishwasher door. It's just his size. I purchased him a couple of "standing" toys that he likes to play with too. And, we've cleaned out all the tiny baby toys - the bouncy seat, swing, exersaucer, playmat. Of course, there's new brightly colored plastic things to replace these items and we're starting to collect those now.

Standing in his room.

He loves his daddy.

As of his 9 month appointment, he has slimmed down in baby terms. He didn't lose weight, of course, but his weight is much lower percentage-wise than his height. Previously they were equal. He was 19 lbs, 15 oz (55%) and 28 5/8 inches long (75%). His head grew in percentage terms - 18 inches around which meant a 75% reading. Maybe he'll have a Craig head after all...

Raiding the pantry...

...proud of his find.

He is "talking" even more. Regular phrases are "lehderlehderlehder" "bla bla bla" "da da da da da" or just "da". Also, "ah" "ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" "mmmmmmmmmmm" "mmmmaammmmm" and a host of other consonant and vowel noises. He has also really learned to scream if he's not interested in what you have to offer, and to shake his head NO when he's not inclined to do what you wish.

Our Little Man still gives great hugs, amazing smiles and infectious laughs. He makes my heart melt when I pick him up from school and he smiles so big and can't wait to get his hands on me. He's so, so sweet. We are truly blessed.

Nine months on Nana's quilt.

See you soon.