This is Sawyer Pants.

(Full disclosure:  I have made up a song entitled "Sawyer Pants."  It is super silly and I will not tell you what it says.  The lyrics include the word "booger," much to my mother's dismay.)

He likes food, especially bananas and oatmeal.

He likes sleep, definitely all night.

He likes Pablo and Lucy, and with remarkable intensity (and dexterity) likes to bop them on the head in affection.

He likes kicking his arms and legs with delight when Durel walks into the room.

He likes the inchworm/Army crawl thing that he's currently mastering.  He's fast, you guys.  And he is so happy to be moving that he shrieks with delight as he inch-inch-inches his way around the house.

He looks damn good in stripes, which makes my preppy heart happy.

Hope you know that life is good today.

Talk soon,
Heather

it's bananas. no, really.

Christmas is next week, you guys!

I'm done with my shopping (just).  I have wrapped exactly zero presents.  I have not yet sent my cards.  (Stay tuned; they're coming.)

And I have not yet told you the ground-breaking news that Sawyer ate a banana!

Let's just cut to the chase, shall we?

Clockwise from left:  (1) Inquisitive Sawyer. (2) Cute Sawyer, with banana.
(3) Excited Sawyer.  (4) Slimy, banana-scented Sawyer.

With all the dairy allergy stuff, I sort of forgot that Sawyer was, like, nine months old and that it was time to give him FOOD food.  His pediatrician kindly reminded me at his recent well check.  

We hurried home and enjoyed a ripe banana together.  I mean, Mum Mums are SO a month ago.  

Hope you enjoy something new and tropical today.

Talk soon,

Heather

step aside, bill nye

This was not a good weekend for me to be a lazy parent.  

One of Jack's best buddies thoughtfully brought him a science experiment kit this weekend.

He asked me no less than twenty times if we could do the experiment.  He would not be dissuaded.  He was so insistent that I had to play a little negotiation hardball.  (Who knew that law school would come in so handy with a four year old?)

Jack:   Mom!  I want to do my experiment!!
Me:    We can do it in a little while.
Jack:   Mom, how many minutes?
Me:     A few.
Jack:   Mom.  Name how many minutes.
Me:    Forty.
Jack:  THAT'S TOO MANY!
Me:    A hundred.  And if you keep asking, it will go up.
Jack:  [sullen silence]

After that exchange, I actually got him to wait until after nap.  However, in hindsight, this was a Pyrrhic victory because it wasn't after a nap FOR ME.  

It was fun, though.  He was super into it.  When you consider this and the fact that he loves to watch Nova with Durel, I think we may have a budding science guy on our hands.

Maybe Sawyer will be a poet.

Hope you see the potential in people today.

Talk soon,
Heather

the world according to Jack

On coloring:

Mom.  I don't scribble scrabble anymore.  I color in the LINES.

On fruit:

I just like strawberries.  I don't like bananas.  Oh wait!  I like bananas. (Jack, would you like a banana?) No. I only like bananas at school.

On reality:

(Hi, Superman!)
Mom!  I'm not Superman!  I'm Jack.  It's just a shirt.

On maturing:

Yesterday, when I was a BABY, I sucked my thumb.  Now, I'm a big boy.  And I don't suck my thumb.  I quit.

On negotiating:

(Jack, it's bedtime.)
Aw, MAN!  Can I have just ten more minutes?
(You can have five minutes.)
Can I have THREE minutes?
(Sure.)

At Whole Foods:

Mom, I'm thirsty.  I see some drinks over there.  I'll be RIGHT BACK.

Hope someone calls you precocious today.

Talk soon,
Heather

i wanna cry and roll all night

...and party every day.

Sawyer is a whopping four and a half months old.  Crap.  On the 13th, he will be five months old.  How did that happen?

He is now adept at rolling over.  He also weighs 15 pounds.  The combination of these facts means that we are DONE with swaddling.  Done.  

I will miss you, Miracle Blanket.

Despite the fact that I love sleeping on my stomach (and heartily missed it during both of my pregnancies), Sawyer is not currently so inclined.  He also seems to think that night time should be an all you can eat buffet. I disagree.

We are crying it out, people.

It's very serious.

Hope you can stare down someone with your best intentions in mind today.

Talk soon,
Heather

sawyer update

Sawyer is, quite simply, an awesome baby.

Here's proof:

-- He wakes up once a night to feed and goes straight back to sleep.  While I look forward to him sleeping through the night, this is pretty decent of him.

-- He giggles.  That's the best sound in the world.

-- He weighs 14 pounds, 12 ounces.  Not too shabby for a preemie.

-- He farts.  And apparently I'm a six year old boy, because that is HILARIOUS to me.

-- He's still allergic to dairy.  But I don't mind.  The only thing I miss is pizza, and I don't need to be eating pizza anyway.

-- He is about to roll over.  He makes it onto his side and then flails a bit with his legs.  Any day now, that flail will turn into a flip and it'll be a milestone.  Jack has taken it upon himself to work with Sawyer on rolling over.  Being a big brother requires you to step up, you know.

-- He is Batman.  (Oh, and he grasps things!)

I hope you use your super powers today.

Talk soon,
Heather

in the dark of nap

I think it takes an angelic personality to care for babies all day.  (I mean, a poopy diaper is one thing.  But multiple poopy diapers a day?  Times like six babies?  Oy vey.  I repeat, angelic.)

Luckily, Sawyer's teacher has just that personality.  Durel and I think she's completely awesome.

Jack is usually too shy to talk to her, though he can't take his eyes off her.  I suspect Jack thinks she's completely awesome, too.

Sawyer's face lights up at the sound of her voice, and in the dark of nap time, he makes faces at her.

Apparently, the family vote on her awesomeness is unanimous.

Hope someone makes your face light up today.

Talk soon,
Heather

a lyrical genius?

Jack takes music classes at school once a week.  Since he's 4 going on 14, we don't always hear the details of how music class was, but he drops clues that it's going well.

-- Walking around the house, singing, "Hello.  I love you won't you tell me your name?  Hello.  I love you let me jumpintoyourgame."

-- Observing on TV:  "Mom.  That's just an ACOUSTIC guitar."

Apparently his burgeoning music career has also made him listen more critically to the radio when we are in the car.  Specifically, he isn't sure that most songs are named the right, or most logical, thing.

Jack:    Mom, what is this song called?
Me:      Magic.
Jack:    [listens]  It should be called "I Don't Know."

Jack:     Mom, what is this song called?
Me:       Pompeii.
Jack:     [listens]  It should be called "If You Close Your Eyes."





The one song he hasn't bothered to rename, because we are both far too busy singing it, is La La La.  Don't judge.  It's catchy.

(Editor's Note:  The real video is cool, but seeing Sam Smith live is better.  And then David Letterman comes out at the end and is delightfully awkward.)



So, in the wake of becoming a big brother, that's what Jack's been up to lately.

Hope you rock out today.

Talk soon,
Heather

the one with popcorn

We took Jack to his first movie in the theater recently.

Of the three of us, I was by far the most excited.  You would think we were going to, like, a queso festival or a party thrown by Oprah.  I was giddy.

Durel was, as he tends to be, a bit more pragmatic about it.  The movie of choice, Planes, wasn't getting great reviews.  The attendee of honor, Jack, isn't always known for his patience or ability to sit still and be quiet when it's required.  

Still, it was exciting.  

Tickets were purchased.  Photos were taken.  Jack's outfit represented an amalgamation of transportation:  monster truck tee; planes on his shorts, Star Wars moving thingees on his shoes.  And, Francesco Bernoulli in his hand.  

(Come to think of it, Jack may be the Roger Ebert of the family.  He knew that Planes would be so formulaic and modeled after Cars that he just went ahead and brought some Cars propaganda.  You know, since we haven't been to Target to buy the Planes propaganda yet.)

So, how was the movie?  

Um, I liked it.  Dane Cook voices the main character, Dusty Crophopper, who is a crop dusting plane who dreams of being a racer.  (Not really a) Spoiler alert:  He overcomes his fears, is a good guy, and wins the race.  

Durel thought it was a smidge hard to sit through.  Fair enough.  (If Sean Payton had voiced the "coach plane," I bet he would be singing a different tune.  Just saying.)

Jack thought the popcorn was delicious.

Waiting.  For.  Popcorn.

We went to one of those awesome theaters with reclining seats and a full menu.  Jack insisted that he just wanted popcorn.  So, we got him popcorn.

In reality, we got him a bowl of popcorn approximately three times the size of his head.  Gallons of popcorn. A huge mixing bowl of buttery, popcorny goodness.  He dove in.  We almost had to grab him by his ankles to make sure he came out in one piece.  

And he told everyone for the rest of the weekend that he loved going to the movie theater because he liked eating popcorn.

Hope you have a relative victory today.  With butter, maybe.

Talk soon,
Heather

half price books

There is a store in Austin called Half Price Books.  As the name implies, it's a discount bookstore.  They buy books from you; they sell used books, movies, and music, and they also sell new books, stationery and other fun bookstore-type stuff.

I love it, of course.  In my infinite nerddom, I am still a bookstore devotee.  Dude, I don't even have a Kindle.  And I don't care.

Half Price Books has an awesome kid's section, and I hadn't taken Jack there since he was a baby.  So, I hadn't taken him there since he's become 2 going on 22 and learned to select and demand things in stores of all kinds.

After his check up with his awesome ENT last week, we stopped there as a treat.   (Hot of the presses medical update:  From the second set of tubes, one's still in and one's out, as we head full-steam into cold and flu season.  Commence praying for ear health.)  

He loved it.

Though he spent some time with the Thomas books, we didn't get any.  He's not sure he wants to dive into that right now, and I'm kind of glad.  I think Thomas is weird.  If we are going into the Train Zone, I think I vote for Chuggington. Also, the fact that I have actually pondered this and have an opinion, while I have not read the Wall Street Journal in several years, feels unsettling to me.  But, I digress.

We settled on a few new ones by Dr. Seuss:

And a compilation of "three minute stories" from Sesame Street.  They take more than three minutes.  But they're cute.

I'm feeling good about these new additions to our book collection.  What are you reading these days?

Hope you think lots of thinks today.

Talk soon,
Heather

Dizzying Speed

How did we get from this:

to this?

With dizzying speed, that's how.  I mean, wow.

Hope your day is full of flouride,
Heather

BoosterMania

In a parenting move that was probably long overdue, we got Jack a booster seat this weekend.  No more high chair -- it's been moved to the garage.  

No more high chair means several things.  It means we have a lot more room in our kitchen.  High chairs are big.  It means that Jack is using plates, bowls, and utensils at every meal.  The messiness of a meal has some sort of inverse ratio to sitting at a table.  You can't just wipe yogurt all over your face when you sit in a booster seat and eat at the table, right?  I thought not.  That's for *babies*.

I suppose that getting rid of the high chair could make me feel sad -- like it's another milestone that means he's not a baby anymore.  But he so loves eating at the table, that it makes me not think that way.

I mean, look at this face.

Hope there's a toothy grin in your Monday,
Heather

Potty

We just got back from vacation!

For starters, here's what I will say about that:  

(1)  Mojitos are awesome.

(2)  Hemingway was not as fat as people seem to think he was.

(3)  Having a toddler in a cast on a beach vacation is not easy.

(4)  Having a toddler, cast or no cast, on a plane is not easy.

More on those topics later.  For now, a quick image that I took before we left town for sandier pastures.

That is one Little Dude, sitting on his new Ikea potty, in his pajamas, watching Yo Gabba Gabba.

What am I thinking?  Here's what.  I bought this book on potty training.  (I know, but that's how I do things...)  I meant to read it on vacation.  I didn't.  But somewhere in my travels, browsings, and Interwebbings, I saw this nugget:

The first thing to do is get the kiddo comfortable with the potty, in particular, sitting on it.  Even if you start with them sitting on it while fully clothed.

So, there you go.  Boom.  Now I just need to read that book and figure out what to do next.

Diapers and Yo Gabba Gabba until then,

Heather

Ikea

The other weekend, Durel, Jack, and I decided to venture to Ikea.

To many people, going to Ikea is not that big of a deal.  To us, it is.

Why?  Because Ikea is kind of far from our house.  Granted, we're lucky to have one in the Austin area, but it's a bit of a haul.  Also?  Because Ikea is completely and totally overwhelming.  I have a tendency to get all worked up whenever I go.  I decide that I want EVERYTHING in the store, that my whole design aesthetic has shifted to be totally Scandinavian, and that I hate everything in my house.

Oh, and that I'm hungry.

So, we don't go to Ikea that often.  And when we went last weekend, we had a specific goal in mind:  Get Big Boy Stuff for Jack.

How did we do?

Grammy and Jack work on their art.

Jack's fitting tribute to the recently deceased Cy Twombly.

Happily seated at his Big Boy table and chairs.

I think the trip was a huge success.  Also, we acquired that black and white spotted dog that is on the table in the last picture.  Jack will not let the dog out of his sight for one second.  Ladies and Gentlemen, we have our first "lovie."  Stay tuned for more adventure in Lovie Land.

Hope you have a lovie today,
Heather

16 months

I guess it goes without saying that I can't believe Jack will be 16 months old this weekend.  But I just said it anyway.  Because I can't.

I figured it might be time to record some of the habits and cute things of this age.  For posterity and stuff.  You know.

Weight:  22.5 pounds.  He is little!  But, listen, the kid eats like CRAZY.  His teachers can't believe how much he eats.

Our pediatrician's sage advice was this:  "Keep feeding him.  He'll grow."  Have I mentioned that I love our pediatrician?

Words:  Mama, Mommy, Dada, Daddy, Pablo, Lucy, doggie, ball, nana (banana)

Oh, and he also says, "HI!" with great enthusiasm when he enters a room, when someone else enters the room, when we pass someone at the grocery store...  He is a one man welcoming committee.

Walking:  No.  Running is more like it.

Food:  Costco pizza, of course.  But you know, he eats everything.  He had ice cream for the first time yesterday.  Eyes.  Lighting. Up.  He also tried, and liked, Thai panang curry.  Seriously, the kid eats.

Sleep:  He sleeps like a champ.  Twelve hours a night.  He goes to bed without a fuss because he likes bed.  This might be my largest personal victory to date.  And that includes law school.  Law school is easy compared to functioning on sleep deprivation when your baby won't sleep.

Favorite Things:  Balls.  Dogs.  Yo Gabba Gabba.  Being outside.

Least Favorite Things:  Rush hour traffic.  Nose blowing.  When the parent that he wants to hang out with at that moment (gasp) leaves the room.

Best Thing Ever:  Tickle fights.  He giggles and rolls around and it is the best thing ever, for his mama.

Hope you are rich with Costco pizza and tickle fights, like we are,
Heather

Yo.

Yesterday, Jack got his 15 month shots.  Shot day is not fun day, even if they do use Scooby Doo bandaids.

When we got home from the pediatrician, I decided to try something.  I just started DVRing Yo Gabba Gabba, based on the enthusiastic recommendations I've gotten from mama friends.  "Hey," I thought, "it can't hurt, right? I'll see if he likes it."

Um, yeah.

I know that's a horrible picture.  I know he's standing too close to the television.  I also know that he was giggling, dancing, clapping, and babbling in response to what I can only describe as a Dee-lite video for toddlers.

Yo Gabba Gabba = seriously good stuff.  It's so cool that even The Flaming Lips go on it.

Hope today finds you giggling, clapping, and eating your snacks,
Heather

Possum

This weekend, Jack was On The Move.  He can now officially walk.  He realized at some point last week that walking enabled him to move quickly, grab things that were previously out of his reach, and carry a sippy cup while moving from place to place.  In short, he realized that walking is for the win.  Our home may never be the same.

He also displayed a penchant for playing possum.  While I was cooking yesterday afternoon (homemade cauliflower soup, even; healthy and delicious!), Jack "pretended" to be napping on the kitchen floor.  

Standard Napping Position:  On stomach; thumb in mouth.

When he realized I was watching him, he filled me in on the joke.

I'm not really napping, Mom!  Gotcha!

I hope your week is filled with "surprises" as cute as this one.  And no real possums.

Heather

April 2010 v. April 2011

When Jack saw April the first time, he napped a lot.  He wore footie suits, a lot.  He let me prop him up on the sofa and take endless pictures.  And when he got tired, he yawned.  He drank milk only, and slept for up to 20 hours a day.  He was the best thing that had ever happened to us.

This April, Jack drools a lot.  He wears shoes (for the walking) with his polo shirts and khaki shorts (for the ladies).  I don't prop him up anymore; I chase him around.  When he gets tired, he rubs his eyes and gets cranky (just like his mama).  He eats anything and everything, but is particularly fond of pizza (see below) and Nutella on animal crackers (see previous post).  He sleeps at night and at nap time (one nap per day, mind you).  And he's the best thing that ever happened to us.

Here's to the good things.  Have a great weekend.

Heather

My Dog is Named After Picasso

It's true.  Jack's dog is named after Picasso.  His name is Pablo.  Contrary to popular opinion, that's not Neruda or Escobar, but rather, the famous artist.

Why did we name Pablo after Picasso?  It's hard to explain.  He just shares some quirky, European je ne sais quois with his namesake.  I'll leave it at that.

Anyway, given that Picasso is his doggie's namesake and that his Aunt Jenny is a bona fine artiste, Jack decided to take matters into his own hands, literally, with regard to his artistic development.

I'm starting with primary colors.  You know?

I prefer working outside.  Nature is my studio.

I think I prefer the table as my canvas.   Until my grilled cheese comes, that is.

Watercolors and grilled cheese to you,

Heather

Boy's Got Rhythm

Upon Durel's return from Chicago, Jack was presented with his birthday gifts from Bex, his buddy in Chicago.  Bex's parents wanted to provide a little musical spice to Jack's life, so they gifted him with some lovely and colorful kiddie maracas.

Suffice it to say, they are a hit.  I also like the R2D2 t-shirt and flavor savers from dinner in this photo.

Shakey shakey not to breaky,
Heather