8 months of Sammy!

Happy 8 month birthday, dear Sam!

- We're taking bets on when he'll walk as pulls to stand and transfers with ease and a clear lack of depth perception from cart to table to piano to costume bin and no longer wants to bend at the waist.

- He loves things that move and bang (electric gears on the fridge, ladles and pans).

- He practices piano every day for longer than the average 4th grader and plays the keys with egg shakers for increased drama when needed.

- He's a dear, good person and shows it even when covered in boogers and running a fever.

- He seems deeply happy.

- He lights up for his sister.

- He screams like a tortured animal every time we wipe his face.

- He's had boogers for 2 months now.  Boogers like slugs. 

- But he loves the tubby.

- He goes to sleep around 6, wakes to nurse around 10, then sleeps until 7 (just jinxed it).

- He is the snuggliest thing on earth during that 10:00 dream feed.

- He has two teeth (bottom incisors) and the tops are bulging in; he's only bit me once.  

- He never had trouble taking a bottle since he had to do it early before his tongue tie was snipped; he's never minded his breast milk straight from the fridge

- He crawls like a salamander (or a red newt) on his belly.  

- He's in love with his Pop Creature (for good reason).

- It's been months since he peed on either of us while changing a diaper.

- As soon as you put him down on top of a sleep sack to zip him up for bed he turns, almost violently, to suck his right thumb, may or may not whimper for a couple breaths, then rolls onto his belly and passes out.

Cherubic series with conveniently placed bugle:

Figuring out last week how to climb up and get his feet (and elephant) under him.  

Done being sick but still needing some extra coziness this week including potty blankets. 

Thanks, Dr. Wilkinson!

What do you think?  a) Discussing moving in together for the first time,  b) Trying to remember what's in a Croque Monsieur before calling for the garçon, or c) Debating the utility of anthropomorphizing attachment objects?

3-family bike date at the Farmer's Market with no jackets!

Fiona cried because I forgot her helmet so she wore Karen's.  

Another parenting save by Hollands. 

Well, a lot happens in a year!

I could hardly picture what to do with the second seat of this red wagon from my work friends when they gave it to us a year ago.

But now it is fully and happily occupied.

Trusting fellow, eh?

I guess this is his first sand box! 

It was hard to clean up and go inside. 

Which reminds me of a poem we read the night before:

Coming back from a Fall Creek playground adventure. 

Fiona and I went to the ithaca Free Concert Series nights at the Unitarian church to see Kerry and musictogether teacher, Zach play amazing music for kids and their people.  We bowed out, to my minor heartbreak, after the first movement of the Brahms because the quiet spaces between questions like, "Is Kerry watching or playing or both?" and "Is that Zach?... That's Zach!... Is that Zach with the cellooowww?", and "I'm a hiding blue whale; can you see me under the bench?", and "Who sneezed?!", and "Why aren't there any animals in this show?  Where are the animals?" were getting a little thin.  But we wiggled and bounced and danced and talked (loudly) about blowing a flute and plucking a cello and watching and listening to each other.  Fiona was esPECIally impressed with the fanciness of the venue and the way the music notes floated up to the ceiling.  Thank you, thank you, both for bringing beauty to my and toddlers' ears tonight.  It was a gift to both of us.  I have a long history of crying when Kerry plays the piano (16 and 34 were big years for this) and last night was no exception. 

OK, enough, enough.  

Love these three.