Christmas Break

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!

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

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!

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!

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!

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

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.