Stephen and Glori

Thanksgiving and Christmas

2012-01-11T17:50:00.000-08:00

I have some catching up to do! The holidays were really busy between church, Stephen's finals, and

nannying. But we had tons of fun and lots of new memories. At Thanksgiving, Stephen's cousin Parker came to visit. We went to the Botanical gardens, the Arch and the Magic House together. Parker even went to the very top of the Arch! Davy was sad to see him leave, and asks to go to Parker's house frequently.

Drink break at the Magic House

To get into the Christmas mood we had a Gingerbread House party. It was a lot of fun and the kids did surprisingly well decorating. Davy made sure to add door knobs so the gingermen could get through. I learned that hot glue holds houses together a lot better than frosting.

Christmas morning--Davy contemplates his stocking orange and assortment of diggers.

Palling around with cousins. He asked Jason to bury his feet and Jason was very methodical.

Digging for pirate treasure! Davy remembers Jason really well. Last night he prayed for mommy, daddy, underwear, and Jason.

Davy loved hanging out with his cousins. We missed snapping a picture of him and Madeleine, we will have to visit Dallas soon! Thanks for the fun Christmas!

Joy School

2011-11-21T10:46:00.000-08:00

Kids enjoying "rest time"

I have been doing a little Joy School co-op with some friends this year. It is great because every Wednesday I get two hours off. Usually I tell myself I will clean the whole house while they are gone, but I always end up playing Zelda. This week it was at our house and we had a fun Thanksgiving lesson. They made hats and "indian jewelry", and heard a few pilgrim-related stories. Davy wore a shirt for school, but took it off once the door closed as our last friend left.

Davy and Audrey have been super funny together. They just love to argue and have pretty funny conversations. For instance

A: Davy, you are a baby
D: No, I'm a big boy.
A: No, you are a baby and you like baby food.
D: No, I'm a BIG boy!
A: You are a BABY
D: BIG BOY!
(a small amount of violence ensued)

D: I like kitty-cats.
A: No, I like kitty-cats.

D: I like kitty-cats best.

A: No Davy, I like kitty-cats, you don't like kitty-cats.

D: I like kitty-cats.

A: No. AAHHHH!

Davy is pretty smart about arguing with Audrey. He knows that if he just sticks to his line, Audrey usually gets worked up pretty quickly. So he uses a nice, quiet voice and repeats his point until she explodes. It makes for a great car ride.

Cute but completely unrelated picture

Halloween

2011-10-31T18:27:00.000-07:00

Davy loved his halloween costume this year. He wore it for two solid weeks. "Buzz Wightyear to the wescue!" (Thanks Marci!)

This button makes you "fly away!"

Audrey fit into Davy's last year costume so we went to a few events as Buzz and Rex from Toy Story.

Obligatory pumpkin patch visit

Super sleepy but happy to have a pumpkin of his own.

Here he is with his best friend Woody. They went trick or treating two times and made sure to stick together.

2011-10-09T17:29:00.000-07:00

The weather has been really great recently so we have had lots of time to play outside. Here's Davy with his best friend Weston. These two kids play so well together and hang out a lot. We just came in from the park, and Davy spotted Weston playing in his front yard. The two ran to each other across a whole block. (first two photos curtesy of Michelle).

How many kids can you fit on a trike? Two happily...Weston does not look as pleased with the arrangement.

A big part of our life revolves around this candy shop "Lolly Lolly". Our favorite park is right next door and we always try and time our park trips so the candy shop is open (for the kids, of course). They have amazing chocolate toffees. Occasionally the candy shop is closed, which is a hard concept for Davy, and for me.

But most of time we get a fun treat and head back to the park to play.

New Camera!

2011-09-02T17:20:00.000-07:00

We have had a busy month, but I haven't blogged because of our camera's demise. It showed a lens error and after researching online I attempted to fix it. The repair was going okay until a teeny tiny spring sprung away onto the floor. An hour's fruitless search with magnets sealed the deal on a new camera. I have been pretending to be sad about our old camera while happily reading reviews on a new one and it came today.

Davy has a new buddy to play with every day. I nanny Audrey until three and take her sister to and from school. They have been playing pretty well together with lots of cute hugs and giggles although Davy has learned a new phrase "audee bite me time out", which he is needing less and less. Overall he is excited to see her come in the mornings and likes having someone to pal around with.

I just finished a twin sized quilt and pretty happy with it. Davy asks me to wrap him "like a baby" in it.

Train Museum

2011-07-28T18:50:00.000-07:00

We have been doing lots of fun outings recently. We went to the zoo and pet the sting rays. Davy said, "oh, wow!" every time we got near one. And we went to the transportation museum, which has two dozen old trains on tracks where you can climb in and ring the bell. Davy loved looking at each engine, but especially loved the Thomas train track in the learning center. We spent an hour and a half moving trains around, which is basically how we spend 90% of our time at home.

I forgot to post this great picture of Davy and Ralph from our Christmas visit. Davy has grown up so much since then.

I just finished another quilt and am learning a little more each time. Hooray for youtube and their how-to videos. I wish I had picked different colors, but will know for next time.

Haircuts and Third year

2011-07-22T17:15:00.000-07:00

Stephen just started third year (we're over half-way!) with an ob-gyn rotation. He has some wacky stories, but seems to like it okay. His schedule has not been too bad--yet. The day before he started I gave Davy and him new haircuts. I have been cutting Spo's hair for four years with nary a mistake except this one. Half way up the back the razor shield popped off and I shaved a nice 2 inches of baldness into his head. I cut everything else pretty short to cover up, but it was pretty noticeable for a week or two. He was really nice about it and said he had to wear a surgical cap anyways.

Davy loved his haircut because I told him it was a "buzz cut". I also let him interpret that however he wanted. He went from shaggy...(pictured with best bud Weston, or "wetin".)

To Grown-Up-Boy.
Here he is counting, "Two, One!" while convincingly pretending to leap but really just stepping off.

He let this little girl ride on his trike and gave her a flower sans prompting. He's one smart boy.

]

Step 1 Vacation

2011-06-29T19:34:00.000-07:00

We just returned to St. Louis after two mostly glorious months in Arizona and California. We came back to a clean house and a burglarized car. It looks like someone crawled under Stephen's car and sawed off 500 dollars in pipes, but it could have been worse. My car was at a friends house which probably saved it from the same treatment.

However, our trip was fantastic and Step 1 is finally behind us. Stephen was really boring so I spent a great week up in California with Claire and her boys. It was so fun watching Davy and Jason play. Davy learned about the movie cars and has faithfully pointed out merchandise since our visit. We went to the beach together and got some great pictures.

Davy also turned two while we were there. He had a practice session opening gifts with Grandpa a few days before hand so he knew the drill pretty well. He said, "Oh, Wow!" to every gift, even before they are clearly identified. For his present from us I left a trail of buzz-lightyear foot prints through the house leading to a hidden present. He unwrapped the bottom of the buzz and began yelling "Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!" It was fun to see him so excited. He also got a fun "Cars" tricycle from his Grandma Olsen that he plays with constantly.

We had a good time playing with family. He hero-worshipped his older cousin Parker and followed him everywhere. They had a lot of light saber attacks and lots of playing in the pool.

He played a lot with Mom and Dad's cute kitties. He was about fifty percent sweet with them and fifty percent tail-pulling, kitty-squeezing, leg-grabbing terrible.

We also met with Whitni's little girl Aiden. They had a great time playing together. I think Davy got her number.

Grandma Olsen and Davy at Railroad Park

Dad holding Davy and juggling a cat on his foot.

Mom and I in our matching shirts.

Another at Railroad park with a pirate smile from Davy.

Fireworks in the nude.

For our anniversary we stayed two nights at the Westin. Marci was kind enough to watch Davy and so we had two lovely days by the pool eating chocolates. Maybe we can make that an annual thing--or monthly. Thanks for having us to stay in Arizona, we can't wait to come back.

Easter Stitches

2011-05-04T20:08:00.000-07:00

This is Davy at a neighbor's Easter Egg hunt.

He caught on pretty quickly and we had to discreetly toss a few back on the ground for the other kids.

Two days later he tripped on his sandal at the zoo and fell straight into a bench. There was lots of blood and lots of tears (both of us) but he really did remarkably well. He ended up with three stitches, a chipped tooth, and a puffy lip.

I am amazed how quickly he healed. We spent 3 days in a Buzz Lightyear marathon, but by the following Saturday he was ready for Easter Egg Hunt number two.

I was also astonished this week by his secret vocabulary. We were outside our favorite little candy shop and I was explaining that it was closed. He said, "locked!" "keys!" and then tried to fit my car keys into the door. After two weeks of hearing "No" exclusively, this was a nice change. Apparently with enough motivation, he can speak pretty well.

Spring!

2011-04-03T18:20:00.000-07:00

St. Louis is pretty crazy. This was monday....

And Today...

We had a great general conference weekend. ~~Stephen and I~~ Davy played with blocks and had a good time building forts (while reverently listening.) We went to the park three times today: before, between, and after conference. It was so nice to soak up some sun. David is super funny these days. He sat in these flowers and had them kiss him on the cheek.

He also watched conference next to this baby doll. We bought it for the little girl we sometimes watch and Davy loves it. He wrapped it in the blanket and was talking to her. So cute. But he is still a boy so after that he threw it on the ground and sprayed it relentlessly with a spray bottle.

A few more from our fun day at the park.

st. patty's and sewing

2011-03-19T17:20:00.000-07:00

Apparently, St. Patrick's Day is a really big deal here. They had like three parades and everyone on our block got drunk. We abstained from the drinking but did go to a parade. Davy had a good time watching the fire trucks go by and learned to put his hands in the air so the people in the parade would throw him beads. Several times since I have yelled beads at him and he puts his hands up.

We had a nice day at the botanical gardens this week. We spent a lot of time chasing birds and checking out every light post in the place. He saw these sheep again for the first time in six months yelled, "Sheep!" and gave each one a kiss on the nose.

At home he spends a lot of time playing with the farm set on his car blanket.

He also takes my Dr. Pepper out of the box and puts it into the fridge for me. He watches everything Stephen and I do, so we have to be really careful. He knows where we stash the cookies, where we hide his milk while setting it out for bedtime, and if one of us is missing, he knows we are probably in the office checking the computer.

Hand-me Down Suit

2011-03-08T19:12:00.000-08:00

This little suit is 24 years old. Marci was smart enough to save it from Stephen's childhood. It has been so fun to see Davy running around in it.

Davy is picking up words every day now. Despite heavy coaching he will not say hello or good bye, but these are the words he will say: "No mama" buzz (lightyear), cookie, costco, avocado, apple, fish, who! (says the owl), choo! (says the train), clock, and "go, go, go".

We got him a little train set and he spends most of his play time carefully driving his trains around the track. He gets very worried if the trains derail and pushes them at a cautious snail's pace. We are finally venturing out after the long, horrible winter. Davy was delighted to see this frog and I suggested he give it a hug.

He continues to spend an hour or so every day in the kitchen with me. He holds the pan when I sweep and can successfully throw away the crumbs, he empties the washed silverware into the drawer (in a heap), and does the dishes. To counter his good deeds he also throws himself on the floor at the slightest no and likes to motion me to stay where I am while he runs off to do something naughty.

Christmas!

2011-01-04T18:49:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun this year in Arizona. Davy had a great time getting to know the all of his cousins.

He played at the park with Mikey,

Watched Sleeping Beauty with Jason and Brett,

Opened Christmas presents with Parker and Dallin, (he is more thrilled than he looks.)

And watched the Nutcracker with Mimi.

During the beautiful weather he played basketball with Spo.

At Thanksgiving he chased Madeleine around her house as the "Hug-Monster".

We have had a great time hanging out with all the cousins and their parental units.

Zoo and Art Day

2010-10-14T21:40:00.000-07:00

We have had a fun month of outings, the weather is perfect and David has been pretty cooperative. We went to the zoo and for the first time he acknowledged that the animals were there and slightly impressive.

I also spent a morning preparing an "art day" for Daivd. I got paints and posterboard set up, the cd player set up outside, and Davy dressed in old clothes. Perfect-the budding Picasso sat down and painted...for 15 seconds which was long enough for me to snap the picture. Apparently squirrels beat painting in entertainment value.

Also thanks Marci for sending us an air filter. Davy thought a box full of packing peanuts beats painting and squirrels. He insisted I drop a cupful of them slowly onto his face--we did this for 30 minutes.

One final shot of a staticy boy who takes his sliding seriously.

Cold Weather and Cleaning

2010-09-28T19:10:00.000-07:00

Davy continues to help with the house work. He puts away the silverware (dirty or clean), helps me sweeps the floor (demands the broom), and puts the laundry in. We might have to start paying this kid an allowance! Here is a quick video of him doing his chores.

Stephen started taking Davy on his morning run, and now Davy runs to the stroller when he wakes up. It is getting colder so Davy goes encased in wool.

2010-09-12T11:45:00.001-07:00

It is finally cooling off and we can once again go outside without sweating to death. As soon as David wakes up he makes a dash for the door and lets me know it is time to go outside. We have spent a lot of time at the park.

We have also spent some time at the Missouri Botanical Gardens. Their childrens' garden is fantastic--basically a maze of different games and activities. David ran around shrieking with delight.

I have also obtained video proof that I clean the house occasionally. This is one of his favorite post-meal activities.

Walking Man

2010-08-22T18:30:00.001-07:00

Last week David's walking was limited between the couch and the ottomon. This week he walks everywhere we go--in fact he is now too cool for the cart at the grocery store, and too cool to sit in the stroller--now he has to push. It is amazing to see this little verticle man strolling through the house. He has also found that because I am not holding his hand, I do not always follow him like an oversized shadow. He gets between me and the counter and pushes until I back away, then he continues to push as hard as he can until I reach his desired destination. Then he goes back to playing, it is my job to watch him complete tasks, give an occasional cheer or acknowledgment of talent, and occasionally poke him with things.

Also updated the cooking blog!

New Group Blog

2010-08-03T17:23:00.000-07:00

I really want your recipes. In exchange I will share some of mine. This should be pretty casual and pretty easy--If you don't have time to write out the recipe, even just a link and review will be fun.

You can find the new blog at

http://www.cookingshmooking.blogspot.com

I have added one of our current favorite recipes that uses our food processor!

Disclaimer: I cook only through necessity, and extreme hunger is usually the extra ingredient that makes my meals tasty.

2010-08-03T16:27:00.000-07:00

Quick video of our new apartment!

The only downside to our apartment...

A homeless guy is using the backyard tree as a fort and our basement steps as his personal...facilities. We are working on a gentle eviction notice.

One more quick video giving an update on the Davster. He demands to be walked around the house and yard everyday. He is getting a lot steadier each day. I went out today and bought him new shoes, he wore through his little leather ones. I had to go to three different stores before I found shoes that fit. I guess he has unusually fat feet--two of the clerks let me know.

Davy plays this game a lot...and is extremely frustrated if he cannot get the towel/blanket/pillow to cover his head completely. He then throws himself around yelling with delight. He currently has a big bruise on his forhead from playing this game then crawling straight into the wall.

2010-07-22T14:39:00.000-07:00

We went to a downtown water/sculpture park last weekend. David allows us to hold his hands while he walks, but he is very insistent that he leads. We had a good time swimming a little and walking a lot.

Crazy head sculpture-

Hello!

2010-07-08T19:17:00.000-07:00

Just a little hello from David and his bed-head.

June

2010-07-02T18:35:00.001-07:00

Yikes! These past two months have gone by really fast. Davy has picked up some new skills (including high fives, clapping, and "the point") and turned One! We had a very low key celebration which did not end up being the Kodak moment I envisioned. Below are two videos of that slightly traumatic event. Unfortunately I am kind of an idiot and can only post them sideways.

Here is one more video to show we are not completely inept parents.

We have also moved to a new apartment. Davy was especially helpful in reassembling the furniture.

We are loving the extra room and are feeling settled in.

He's a maniac!

2010-05-09T19:04:00.000-07:00

Gone are the days where I could accomplish something while Davy happily played on the floor. He is a man on the move and he is very busy. Here is a basic outline of his day.

First: Flush the toilet.

Next: Play in the Ovaltine

Then: Pull out the toilet paper

Become enraged when not allowed to flush the toilet:

Be cute at the park:

Repeat. (Not pictured) Taking turns fake laughing. Putting gross things in his mouth and then offer them to an adult. Patting everything.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-05T20:52:00.000-07:00

Davy is crawling like a crazy man. We were so excited for this milestone hoping that he could entertain himself for more time on the floor. He can. He can also:

Open the kitchen cupboards and pull everything out
Touch every gross thing in the bathroom--including the toilet brush which he would just love to stick into his mouth (gag).
He can crawl to the drain during bathtime and pull the plug ending his bath anytime he pleases.
Try to climb into the fireplace at least four times a day
Search for Stephen's shoes, pull out the insoles and lick them.
Attempt to pull anything with with an electrical cord while looking over his shoulder to see if I am watching. (Then he smiles impishly and pulls.)

We have had a great time at the park lately and go their once or twice a day.

On...Off!

2010-03-31T03:42:00.000-07:00

Davy has started to play games with us. We love to hear him crack up.

Spring! (alternatively titled: Not quite as super cold!)

2010-03-12T14:07:00.000-08:00

This week we have spent a lot of time in the park. It is amazing to go outside without turning into an ice zombie. Davy and I have pulled out the jogging stroller again and have gone on some runs through the park to the play area. He loves to be in the stoller and he loves to swing!

He is turning into such a little man. We got him a push toy which he refuses to push but likes to sit on. He has no desire to crawl but scoots rolls and slides everywhere. He has developed a new stealth method of moving while he is sitting up. Sometimes I look up and he has managed to make it across the carpet, however I haven't caught him in the act and don't know how he does it.

This is my favorite picture. He looks exactly like an old man smoking a stoagie in bed. Don't worry--it's a cracker.

Black eyes and Messes

2010-02-21T12:37:00.000-08:00

At least once a week I am asked if I am old enough to have a baby, or if David is really my child. Usually this is merely irritating but, this week David fell against a couch and got a blackeye. As we strolled through the grocery store I felt the leers of other shoppers as they thought, "hmph-underage and abusive".

It is finally getting warmer here (yay for mid 40's!) but for a while we had to get pretty bundled up for our walks.

David's activity level has gone way up. He is now into everything and wants to do whatever I am doing. I am no longer allowed to talk on the phone or work in the kitchen without his "assistance". The bottom two pantry shelves are now his.

My favorite moment this week was when the cashier gave him a balloon at Trader Joe's. He stared at it the whole way home. However, when he discovered it was impossible to keep a balloon within his grasp he became very agitated. Every time the balloon floated back up to the ceiling his face crumpled and his hand shot up in frustration. Eventually the balloon had to be taken away so he could calm down.

8 months old!

2010-02-06T14:42:00.000-08:00

David has a deep fear of and facination with the vaccuum. I am not allowed to use it unless I am holding him on my hip. When he is safely perched in the crook of my arm he likes to watch it roar back and forth and has a limitless attention span for that activity. However, his fascinated stare makes him go curiously limp so that he loses all power to hold on to me. This means that vaccuuming is also a weight lifting activity as I hold the "no bones" boy in one arm and roll the vaccuum with the other. My favorite part is that when the vaccuum is turned off (even temporarily), he is perfectly able to hold on and his balance is restored.

Good news is that he now tolerates the carrier--however, I am too short to use it. Davy's head ends up hitting my nose so only Stephen can wear it.

He has a new carpenter's bench that he loves to play with...however some of the fun phrases are a little peculiar, "I see a circle, a circle red and round, I'm going to POUND IT DOWN!" Yikes!

What should you do if your baby is cold and you are too lazy to change his clothes?

Sock-boy!

Indoctrinating him young...

Christmas Break

2010-01-18T21:23:00.000-08:00

We had a lovely time visiting in Scottsdale for Christmas. After three weeks of shirtsleeves it was hard to step off the plane in St. Louis to snow. David was very interested in the cousins Jason and Madeleine--he watched them constantly and is now sad that the cast of the show has been reduced back to Stephen and me. Here he is with Jason who is a very busy boy.

Jason with Grandpa's glasses (my favorite Christmas pic)

David has started to chat with us while he plays or rides in the car. His new little noises make a nice change from his ooohh sound, which usually signals displeasure and increases in frequency and volume if his demands are not met. If we manage to preform the intricate nightly ritual correctly David chats himself to sleep. He makes a pretty good sidekick during the day and it has been fun to see him learn new skills every day.

We miss the calming influence of the backyard chimes.

He is a pretty cheerful little boy and is happy to be back at his post by the window, watching the snow and the neighbors.

Six Months Old!

2009-12-08T19:19:00.000-08:00

David is becoming more and more fun every day. He is getting very good at sitting up which has made everyone happier. He seems content to help me with various chores and to play with whatever is nearest.

We do the laundry together-he rides in the basket up and down the stairs.

Cook together--this big spoon and a top ramen package are his favorite toys right now.

Mailing packages, and babies.
Going to the store.

Tracking the neighbors' activities.

Playing with my shoesHanging with the Dad.

Big thumbs up for sitting up!

Adventures in Cooking

2009-11-14T16:39:00.000-08:00

This week we learned that sleep deprivation and cooking do not mix. On Thursday I thought I would try a new recipe: "pineapple chicken". It was the first time all week I had a dinner fixed before Stevie came home from studying. After congratulating myself on a job well done I turned on the burner for some rice and left the kitchen to tend to the boy. About forty seconds later "CRASH"! The pyrex full of dinner exploded in a sizzling, drippy mess. In my sleepy haze I turned on the wrong burner and caused culinary mayhem. We decided that shards of glass do not make a good garnish--dinner once again became cereal.

Later that night I decided to make some Ovaltine before heading back to bed for the third time. I poured a tall mug of cold milk and set the microwave for 2:30 (the perfect ovaltine setting). When the timer went off I opened the door to find nothing inside and a mug of cold milk still on the counter. Yikes! I put the cold milk into the microwave and two minutes and thirty seconds later pulled out a still chilly mug. Farewell 40$ microwave.

Despite kitchen disasters things are great--the weather has warmed up again and we have spent some fun days at the park:

What is with this crazy weather?

Also, on Halloween we finally figured out how to keep him occupied and happy.

Ladybugs attack!

2009-11-01T21:13:00.000-08:00

For the past several weeks ladybugs have been everywhere and on everything. They adhere to us when we walk outside and sneak into the house--perhaps they are attracted to the green walls. Stephen escorted several out yesterday only to have them cling to the back of his shirt and come back in. This morning I went to kiss him to find a ladybug crawling up his neck! I don't know what happens to ladybugs--but I hope they fly south for the winter.

He doesn't seem to fazed by his close encounter of the speckled kind.

He loves to watch them walk around the windows

This tree was covered with hundreds.

Also, thanks to Claire for the awesome coat jacket, he has just grown into it!

2009-10-21T17:43:00.000-07:00

We had a great time with mom here. We went to the art museum, the botanical gardens, and took some nice walks in the park--all with a small disgruntled baby. David has been in a "nothing you do pleases me" stage, but since we have tried to make him take better naps he has done better. We also took some fun family photos when mom was here and the baby wasn't crabby.

Large stolen borrowed leaf!

Stephen calls this the "baby vogue" picture.

I am not sure what he is worried about in this one.

Fall is here!

2009-10-04T14:22:00.001-07:00

David really enjoys time on the porch so we get all bundled up to go out.
I am not sure if the rolling over milestone counts when it is unintentional. He does not seem to think it is a big deal. We have been going for a lot of walks because the boy demands constant motion. He has finally grown into his baby carrier and seems to like to be chauffeured in it.

Along with rolling over, baby has also developed tree climbing skills. If we turn our backs for just a minute, there he is up in a tree.

Pretty impressive huh.

Busy Days

2009-09-23T20:32:00.000-07:00

Baby and I have been busy playing lately. We play a wide variety of games but most of the time we play the noises game--which means I make as many different sounds as I can possibly think of and he stares at me. Sometimes he condescends to laugh and smile but mostly he just looks. I think he looks like Alex in the first picture. Something about the eyebrows.

The leaves are just beginning to change and the weather with them. That is a great excuse to wear a multitude of cute hats. Surprising--I know!

It seems less shocking when you get used to the idea.

Then it is positively boring.

Just to let you know--our baby is a genius. He spends a lot of his free time reading. His favorite classics include: "The Crinkle Book" and "Ducks". David has taught me the best way to fully appreciate the book is to suck on the corners.

He is also starting to not despise "tummy time". He is getting pretty good at holding up that heavy head.

Even at the end of the day he still has time for big smiles; that is, until bedtime.

recent pics

2009-09-11T17:31:00.000-07:00

David does not always appreciate the cuteness of his sunday outfit.

coos to crisis in 4 seconds or less

2009-08-23T20:30:00.000-07:00

We purchased this neat baby Einstein gym for David on Craig's list. He loves to sit under there and play with the toys that hang down. The gym features a singing sun that flashes with the music. David likes this part immensely for about 4 seconds--then his joy becomes too full and he demands to be removed.

Approx 4 second later:

He is also starting to look more like a boy than a blob and has a few characteristic looks that he gives us. This one is "mildly impressed"

I am pretty sure he is asking, "okay, what tricks are you going to perform for me next?"

Small Green Apartment

2009-08-09T19:07:00.001-07:00

This week officially starts our Med School adventure. Stephen's "white coat" ceremony was last Sunday and he attended his first class Monday. He is starting with anatomy and has found that quote: "bodies are complicated". We will see if he ever comes home from school. The white coat ceremony took place in a neat Cathedral on campus. We were happy that Marci could fly up and stay with us for that weekend.

Meanwhile, hey look--I am two months old!

We have been really happy with our apartment. It is located pretty close to the school and near a couple of cool parks. It is also two different shades of green. The apartment is pretty cozy and we have liked everything about it except the dead mouse behind the fridge.

Blessing

2009-08-03T18:29:00.001-07:00

This last week has been really fun--David has started to look at us and objects dangled in front of him. It is a great achievement to progress from a small blob to a small staring blob. He nows spends his days checkin' stuff out.

(note: our child is not bleeding--it is tie dye.)

We blessed David in Arizona just two days before we moved. It was great to have family at the meeting with us.

He was looking pretty good in a tie and a onesie.

Fun in St. Louis!

2009-07-18T11:23:00.000-07:00

We are all moved in and loving St. Louis!

We live close to downtown and have found there are tons of fun things to do for free. So far we have visited the zoo, the science center, the botanical gardens, and heard free concerts in the park. Our favorite concert featured the "champion whistler" who whistled away under a gazebo in the park with a full band behind him. Unfortunatly, Stephen would not let me challenge him to a whistling showdown.

The Botanical Garden is about a mile from our house and has an amazing japanese garden. It puts the phoenix botanical garden to shame; however, it had the most pathetic prickly pear cacti we have ever seen.

This was my favorite part of the St. Louis history museum. It is a plaque of WWI heroes. It also proves I'm a big nerd.

Here is David all ready for a day of fun--which means sleeping in his carseat.

He put up with the hat for a while...

But eventually decided the hat was not as cute as we thought it was.

David has also started to give us semi-genuine smiles. Since his usual facial expression is either suspicious or mildly disgruntled, the smiles are a nice change--even if they are fake. This is either a smile or an impression of a pirate.

He has also started using stealth to sleep longer.

Our new bedroom is not nearly as dark as our room in mesa, and Stephen likes to sleep in absolute darkness. I made him a sleep mask which has been effective. The look I was going for is "insane fox".

Dad also mentioned he would like a statue for the Secret Garden. We will be sending this one to him shortly.

More photos of the boy

2009-06-26T20:14:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pics from the last two weeks. He is now almost three weeks old and getting bigger all the time!

Mom has the magic touch and can calm him, even when he is "apocolyptic baby".

Sleeping on the rug

getting warm

after bathtime

Presenting David Ethan

2009-06-10T14:16:00.000-07:00

The long expected and long over-due David has finally arrived. He made his debut at 9:15 on June 6th weighing in at 6 pounds and 13 ounces, and measuring 21 inches long.

After 36 hours of persistant resistance, they decided to go in after him. He did really well with the C-section and it turned out to be the safest way for him to arrive. He is a pretty content little boy who loves to eat and sleep all day, and eat and play all night. We are all recovering well and learning how to function without sleep. Here he is just minutes after arrival.

Daddy and David

He loves to be swaddled tight- thanks Alex and Catherine for recommending the swaddler.

Here we are, very ready to leave the hospital after being cooped up for 5 days.

David:

Softie book

2008-06-10T08:20:00.000-07:00

Softies are coming from this charming Japanese book. The instructions are clear and the outfits cute. Makes a great baby gift. If you can avoid making them look possessed. Catherine, I can't wait to see those turtles made!

Photo Walls!

2008-06-09T21:30:00.000-07:00

I love cute photo walls, I have been trying various layouts.

And this one:

New Softie

2008-06-09T21:28:00.000-07:00

New Softie, not so psychotic!

Softies!

2008-04-27T22:15:00.000-07:00

Tail-less-Monkey above (Spo thinks it looks like Hannibal Lector, maybe not a good friend for a child.)

First attempts at making softies from socks. the elephant is ugly. the monkey has no tail. Softies might not be my big talent.

Couch redone

2008-04-27T19:33:00.000-07:00

Before:

After:

After only 100 bucks on fabric, we turned an ugly "western" couch into a crazy cool couch. oh yeah...

Owl practice

2008-04-21T13:04:00.001-07:00

I have been experimenting with softies. I think this will eventually become three dimensional. For now it just hangs on our cloth board.

Patchwork Curtains

2008-04-17T10:02:00.001-07:00

These curtains started as a blanket I was making for my sister's wedding. Three years later, the blanket morphed into kitchen curtains. I was originally working off a pattern, so half is borrowed, half is original. They make much better curtains than blanket. I ended up giving my sister I huge pan.

makes our kitchen a little friendlier

Blogging the crafty life

2008-04-16T15:47:00.001-07:00

Joining the blogging nation and getting crafty! I love reading fabulous sewing and crafting blogs and thought I would join in the fabric fiesta. Can't wait to post pictures of the current projects.