Playing in the rain

It's been cold and rainy in Berkeley lately but there have been some breaks in the storms that we have been taking advantage of. Getting out of the house with our busy busy toddler is a must. Here are a couple of videos of playing in the rain on Dec 12th.

Turkey, Cookies and Cousins!

This Thanksgiving we went to Portland and found some snow to play in and turkey to eat! We had a wonderful time with the Plumb, Witort and Schnell families full of laughing, eating and marveling at my new (super) mature nieces and nephew. They were all so gracious and inclusive of their baby cousin Reed. Thanks guys! Here are many more pictures of our great trip.

[Reed's first time at the big kids table (special appearance by Grandma Sherry and cookie making supplies]

[A perfect snow day!]

November (16 mos) Videos

[Trying out his new piano from Grandma and Grandpa. I had to stay out of sight or else the video camera would trump the piano]

[First time (since he was 3 weeks old with cousins Peter and Sonia) on the Tilden steam trains. As you can see, he was completely captivated.]

[On of his favorite things to do is help around the house these days]

Trick or Treat

Spent Halloween evening at Edmund's house in Rockridge where the whole neighborhood goes all out for Halloween. We enjoyed walking around looking at the elaborate decorations and creative costumes and dining with our close friends. Reed seemed particularly interested in the monster size hairy spiders around every corner. Many more pics here

[edmund = bee, reed = turtle, kai = polar bear

p.s. hopefully I will get around to writing a much overdue update on all the new developments in our lives with our little toddler, but not tonight...too tired. xxoo

On gaurd... crayons!

[The other day at the Berkeley Marina with our friend Belen from MN. This game kept him exctied for quite some time.]

We also just introduced crayons and paper and although he seems equally as interested in eating them, they were a pretty big hit!]

First Steps

The latest excitement around our house...Reed is starting to walk without help from us! One step at a time....

[At 14 months Reed takes his first few steps together]

Taking a break

For several months now Reed has been folding over and putting his head on the floor when he wants to take a break. He does it when is frustrated, sad or tired. We have seen it when when momma or papi takes something away from him that he shouldn't have, when a toy gets taken away from him by his friend Maya, when he wants to shut out busyness around him or when he is tired. I hadn't thought to get a video of it because it is just part of everyday life but my sister-in-law commented how adorable it was and said we might forget about it if we didn't capture it, so here it is. This is an example of Reed simply being tired but you can get the idea.

[Almost 14 months]

Standing at 13.5 months

Reed has made some significant improvements in the balancing and standing department today, take a look. What are people's guesses for when he takes a step? Tomorrow? Next week?

Yesterday was sunny and warm so we brought out our simple version of a backyard pool and Reed loved it.

13 months and busy lives

[Reed and Mama hanging out at my 2nd favorite lake in the world Lake Harriet
(Crooked Lake is #1)]

Oh my have we been busy but there is so much to tell you all about our sweet little boy. I can't believe it's been over a month since my last post....

The summer was filled with visits to see family and friends both in Portland (see previous post) and Minneapolis. While in Mpls we saw my mom and dad's side of the family including a visits with: the Tukeys (both Minn and Calf Tukeys), Sr. Margurite & Sr. Joanne, the Starrs, the Waltons (including quality time at the Crooked Lake cabin), K's best high school & college friends, K's friend Kate and her two little boys. We spent time doing all the things that make MN so great in the summer...hanging out at the lakes (especially one of K's favorites: Lake Harriet), boat riding, water skiing, sitting outside drinking good wine in a tank top until 11pm, eating corn on the cob practically every night, catching a thunder storm, and much more (many more pictures here)

[K's Nana and Bompa with the four great-grand children (L to R - Teagan, Ethan, Reed, Cal)

[Eating at the cabin]

[First time trying corn ON the cob]

[Wonderful time with Srs. Margurite and Joanne]

While in MN Reed decided to wean which was great timing for both of us and not at all difficult or painful. Although I sometimes miss our early morning nursing, for the most part I love that he drinks cow's milk and that both bed time and morning time can happen with either parent.

Other new developments...
Reed is walking along furniture with much more confidence. He doesn't seem too interested in letting go or trying to balance on his own yet, but he is very interested in standing against something. His scoot across the floor is efficient and gets him where he wants to go in no time.

He is talking a lot more, saying (we think) bam ba (Samba), ma ma (Mama), mih (milk) and da da for B. Another sound he is making is something like a combination of a baby terradactyl and a lion growl. He uses it when he is frustrated or bored and he seems to save it special for B or I. This may be in part, because he is showing more signs of being shy around others. He is still pretty social, flirting with anyone while in the safety of one of our arms, but if he doesn't know you, he may take a while to warm up these days.

His demeanor is still calm, patient, and easy going, for which we continue to thank our stars! He and Maya are very sweet together and they now see each other 4 days/ week in the care of our sweet nanny Carmen. Maya is starting to walk and talk a lot more and you can tell that Reed is watching her like a hawk, but still mostly observing.

His favorite activities these days are banging things together and making musical sounds. He loves drums, guitars, and wooden hammers on the table, dancing to music in our arms (we have almost nightly dance parties), eating by himself, playing hide-and-seek and peek-a-boo. He is not so interested in reading yet, but we assume this will come, he's just too busy and distracted to slow down and look through a book. Our reading sessions usually look like, I read, he crawls around and checks in with me about every 2-3 pages. As for books, his favorite thing seems to be slam the book shut, try to grab it and throw it. Speaking of throwing, he is really into balls and throwing right now too.

Here are a few recent shots of Reed, Maya and our wonderful nanny Carmen at our house.

Reed turns one!

It's hard to believe that one year ago we had just come home from the hospital with our new little boy. Having Reed has completely changed and enhanced our lives. We are still learning a lot about parenting and probably will always be students in this field as each day brings something new to learn. Every day we count our blessings for this curious, healthy and full of joy little soul in our lives. Happy birthday Reed, what a year it's been!

Here is a slide show of Reed's first year. Enjoy!

4 Birthdays and a beach!

Saturday July 4th we went to our friend Carter's mom's place in Stinson Beach and then on Sunday we had a combined celebration of all the June/July birthdays (Maya 6/25, Edmund 6/29, Kai 7/6, Reed 7/17) . Here are some pictures and videos of the party. The cake wasn't nearly as big a hit as the push cart! In fact Reed took his first continuous steps while holding onto this push cart.




We will be spending Reed's actual birthday in Portland amongst family. Pictures to come....

June videos

[Nothing beats a delicious summer plumb]

[1st challenge: fitting through the legs]

[2nd challenge: catching papi]

Father's Day and more....

[Happy Father's Day!]

Everyone says it...but it's true time is flying by! It is hard to believe it's been over 2 weeks since our last post.....

We celebrated B's first Father's Day last weekend up at the Russian River house with Jon, Helen and Elliott click here for pictures of our river and wine tasting weekend. It was fun to reflect on B's first year as a dad in a place that brings out the kids in all of us. Much has happened since our last post so here's the latest Reed (and family) update in no particular order....

[Having lunch outside in the backyard on a beautiful June day]

Reed is moving all around, still not walking and we're not rushing that in the least. He moves just fine with his monkey crawl. He is starting to follow me around the house often getting a hold of my pant leg and cracking him self up. He follows me to the bathroom, the front door, but his favorite is to be right under foot while I'm in the kitchen. He is sleeping in longer so we don't typically have weekday mornings together the three of us anymore, but we have been having some really sweet time together when B gets home and on weekend mornings. I am always home before B so I get the first sweet welcome with plenty of cuddles and flapping his arms in excitement. When B walks in the back door Reed gets so excited to see him he can't control himself, he starts laughing usually crawls right for him.

[Hide-and-seek is one of Reed's new favorite games. B was calling Reed's name from hiding under the blanket, here is what happens when Reed catches on and goes looking for papi]

Other things that I don't want to forget so I will write about....
Kisses - He has started to give big wet open mouthed kisses when asked. The most common time to be blessed with one of these juicy kisses is in the morning in bed just after nursing or anytime he is playful yet feeling cozy.

Nursing - I am still nursing in the mornings and evenings on the days I work and more on the days I don't but no longer pumping at work (think God). This seems to be working out great for both of us and I suppose we will continue at this pace until it stops working for one of us.

Biking - Definitely my preferred means of transportation with Reed these days. He is starting to really like the front bike carrier.

Talking - He is saying a few new two syllable sounds. For example sometimes I will hear the classic bah bah but lately I have heard a lot of ma ma, nah nah and dah dahs too.

Eating - Practically everything except honey, still a super good appetite and willing to try anything once but he is starting to have his favorites. Some favs include: anything covered in plain yogurt, cottage cheese, blueberries, oatmeal, cheese, chicken, cauliflower, noodles and marinara, oranges.

Tan lines - I noticed the other day that Reed has a little tan line in the crease of his chubby feet and wrists. So cute!

[Reading stories at bedtime while babysitting Maya]

Other news in our lives....
I am wrapping up my first year at my job. I will take July 1 - Aug 10th off and during that time we are planning two family vacations (to Portland and Hood River, OR and Minneapolis and Deerwood, MN). This year has been so wonderfully challenging and rewarding. Although it has been a ton of work, I still feel like it is a great job for me. Billy and I have treasured our time home with Reed and we have also loved seeing how happy he is with Carmen (our nanny) and Maya. We'll start back up with Carmen and Maya in August!

Finally, We are starting to get more serious about a house addition off the back of the house and have been working on drawings and plans. Next step is to involve our architect friend to get his input. If we decide to go ahead we are looking at breaking ground this fall. We'll keep you posted....

That's our update for now. Hope you all are doing well!
love, k, b, and r

Dog Door

[One of the biggest attractions in the house]

Hiking & Biking

We had a great adventure yesterday hiking in the tall trees of Mt. Tamalpais. Many of you know this is the same mountain that B and I got married on in May 2006. I carried Reed on my back and B carried everything else for the day. We hiked with our dear friends Molly, John and Maya and the kiddos were on their best behavior for the entire hike! The destination was the a secluded cabin/lodge where a bunch of our friends were staying over night. Here are a bunch of pictures that tell a much more vivid story than I could write.

Today we also tried out a borrowed bike seat and helmet from a friend of B's. Reed seemed pretty happy in this new set up. Check out the videos of our family bike ride.

Whole new way to eat!

[Reed demonstrates the joy and pride of feeding himself]
10.5 months

Sun Chasers

Last weekend we went on another fabulous hike with the kids. We were at high enough elevation that we made it above the clouds and fog and found the only sunshine in the bay area that day. Click here for more pictures of the day.

[First time in the backpack carrier]

[Peek-a-boo, solution some pretty intense sun and no desire to wear a sun hat]

I heart chords!!

What is it with chords and babies? There can be 1000 toys, books, and even kitchen utensils in front of Reed but he heads strait to the outlets and chords in the house. He seems to have a mental map of where all the things are in the house that are "off limits". We have done our best to hide chords behind locked doors or up higher than he can reach, but as soon as that door opens he makes a beeline for them.

[A moving chord attached to the vacuum, even better!]

[A few weeks ago I caught the kids trying to get into our office armoire, Maya was especially interested to see what's inside]

Reed & Maya (10 months)!

You have all heard me say that our dear friends Molly and John live down the street and that their daughter Maya is just 3 weeks older than Reed. Well, this set up couldn't be any better. They kids love each other and get so excited to see one another. We have been swapping baby sitting a lot lately because they enjoy each other so much and practically entertain each other with no help from the parents. Here is a glimpse into the lives of Reed & Maya together!

[Maya hug-turned-body slam in St. Malo]

[Sandbox friends]

A perfect Mother's Day

I had a wonderful first Mother's Day! We saw great friends, ate great food, played in the yard and sandbox, relaxed in the hammock and reflected on our lives one year ago when I was anticipating being a mother to Reed Wilder but did not yet know what that meant. Pictures here

Adding "mother" to my identity was instant. It happened during his birth in one flash moment when our midwife said "reach down and grab your baby." Now, to my great joy, I will never not be a mother again.

At almost 10 months, Reed is a funny, sweet, agreeable, adaptable, silly, kind and curious little boy. The basics are that he is still eating as well as ever, sleeping most nights through the night, crawling all around using the famous monkey crawl from his older cousin Eli, starting to truly play with Samba, and overall a busy busy baby. He is starting to really enjoy books that we read together, and prefers to be outside with his hands in the grass, dirt or sand more than anything.

Still very comfortable with many other people, he is starting to show just the tiniest bit of stranger anxiety and can get shy in public. It is now clear that he saves his best silly behavior and cuddles for B and I. This, as you can imagine succeeds in absolutely melting our hearts making us crack up with laughter numerous times a day.

Billy's mom says that Mother's Day is a very proud day for her and now I understand what she means. I am eternally grateful to have the wonderful mother that I do, and to have learned so much from her. I am also blessed to have so many other amazing mothers in my life (Nana, Sherry, Jenny, Jenna, Helen, KJ, Carmen, Molly, Elizabeth, Miyo, Kate (x2), Kir, Karen (x3), Kris, Shelly, Angela, and more). Some wiser and more experienced and some newer to the role like myself. I take little bits of knowledge and support from each of you and honor you today.

Happy Mother's Day!!

Party move!

[Calling all my peeps to come party!]

8 friends, 4 kids, 1 amazing weekend

We took our annual trip to Oceanside, CA to stay at our dear friends Karen's parents house on the beach. Here is a link to the pictures. This is our third year vacationing at St. Malo and it was fun to reflect on the many changes in those three years. This year there were 4 babies Reed (9.5 months) Maya (10 months), Carter (17 months) and Alita (20 months) and 8 adults.

We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends with kids all near the same age. During the weekend we enjoyed many wonderful meals, volleyball and tennis matches, bike rides and long overdue conversations with our friends. The kids provided non-stop entertainment and laughter as well. This trip was especially noteworthy because Reed became a lot more vocal and he learned to crawl forward!

[Reed's first crawl caught on video]

[Nightly bath time with his best friend Maya]

[All four kiddos in the bath after a fun and very sandy day]

Peek-a-boo

[peek-a-boo has reached a whole new level of fun now that he is so much more interactive...
Reed's almost 9 months in this video]

Easter

Reed celebrated his first Easter with the Witorts and the Plumbs in beautiful sunny Berkeley. Some of the activities included: half-ball games, egg-cracking, mountain biking, family dinners, and rock band! Reed had a wonderful time with all the family as did his parents.
More pictures here

[The brown bear cousin club: Tessa (10), Hannah (7), Reed (almost 9 months)

[Reed's first egg-cracking contest, first competitor: cousin Elliott who went on to win the championship!]

[Hanging at the park with Grandma Sherry and Hannah]

On the verge...

This is as close as I've seen to Reed trying to crawl. He is moving backwards and sideways quite well so moving forward is bound to happen soon.

[April 7]

When Reed was younger and Billy first went back to work, we tried to do a video chat as often as possible. Since then, we have not found the time in each day (or I am working too) so they have fallen off the radar. Yesterday we resurrected the tradition and I caught it on video. Reed was soooooo excited to see his Papi on that funny white thing mom uses a lot (i.e. laptop)

[April 7]

Miles of smiles & house update

[Chewing on a teething biscuit feels good]

[Actually this piece of grass tastes good too]

[I love hanging outside on sunny Berkeley days]

[Especially with my mama and papi (behind the camera)]

For more smiley pictures and other recent adventures go to Reed's smugmug page

[Here's a pretty recent picture of our house]

For more pictures of the house face-lift go to this house smugmug page

Practicing new sounds (8.5 mos)

It is so fun learning more and more about our little guy. We have always known that he is very social but at the same time laid back and kind of quiet. Aside from his hysterical laughter he has yet to make many other sounds, especially loud ones. However.....just a few days ago we noticed him making a very quiet puh or buh sound...almost a whisper.
Now these very sweet and whisper-like sounds, which to us seem like he is practicing before he tries them for real, are a regular activity. This morning he was off to a great start with his buhs and puhs and luckily I got the camera in time to catch some of these sweet practice sounds on tape. You have to really listen for them and watch him put his lips together to make the sounds because it's a little hard to hear.

Other fun new things....He has followed the lead of his girlfriend Maya and now likes to hold a spoon in his own hand while we are feeding him. He still accepts foods like a baby bird with a huge wide opening mouth but sometimes his own spoon is in the way so you have to wait until he gets it out of the way for us to pop in the food. Since my last post he has tried spaghetti with red sauce (even with a tiny bite of meat), lentils and rice, cheese and hummus. All seem to go over very well. In fact so far, there is nothing that this kid doesn't like.

[Papi is soooo funny]

8 Months old!

No longer a little baby, Reed is an engaged, inquisitive, loving little boy. He is making so many new sounds, and through sounds and actions, clearly trying to communicate with us. Slapping the table during meals is a sure sign that he wants more of whatever we are feeding him and looking away, or dropping food on the floor for an eagerly awaiting Samba tells us he is done. He still rubs his eyes or mouths my face when tired.

He's moving around (albeit backwards scooting) but you can tell this guy is discovering he has places to go.

He's eating many new things and so far he seems to like all of it. He eats three meals a day and nurses or takes a bottle between each meal and in the morning and night. Some of the food on his menu these days includes:tofu, butternut squash, beets, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, egg yolks, pears, apples, bananas, prunes, cereals, pureed soups like potato leek and carrot ginger, mango and of course his favorite food...avocado. Here is a video of his first whole banana...

Three nights ago he slept through the night from 8pm to 7am with one dream feed at 10:30 where I woke him just to tank him up. Last night he was back to his more typical routine with a few wake ups in the middle of the night for a pacifier and awake by 6am. Some mornings he wakes up in pretty good spirits and just kind of talks to himself, other mornings he is determined to eat.

In other family news...Kris started her job in Feb and all is well. Reed is with our nanny Carmen and his friend Maya 2 days/week, with Billy 1 day/week and with me the other 2 days. B is working on a new patent for his work and enjoying some new challenges. The house is an ever present project but we find ways to enjoy that too (recent pics here). We are busier, but having more fun in our lives than ever! Until next time....
love - k, b, r

Two bottom teeth

Just wanted to update all of our out-of-town family and friends that Reed now has two bottom teeth poking through! So far not too much change in his disposition or sleep and he doesn't seem to be in too much pain but we'll wait and see. He is still putting anything and everything in his mouth these days and he is starting to try to chew up little bits of food. We introduced him to yogurt the other day and he loved it (especially with a little pears mixed in). It is too hard to get a picture of the teeth but here he is with a full yogurt face.

7 months old!!

Billy and I were just saying how it is hard to remember Reed before he was this engaged and a alert little smile machine. He is looking so much older every day and developing more and more his own personality. Still the sweetest and mellowest kid as ever but with a wonderful new awareness of his surroundings. Some of the things that make Reed great at 7 months

Full mouth kisses - it is not hard to feel loved by this kiddo with his slobbery open mouthed kisses and sucking on my face

Tongue smiles - for the last few weeks he has been smiling non-stop with his tongue sticking out. Very cute.

Grabbing cheerios - he is not quite able to get them in his mouth, but he is determined to grab them off the table and at least put his fist in his mouth. Now he just has to work on opening his fist.

New hair - He is starting to grow more permanent looking hair. It's a lighter brown then his birth hair so we'll see if it gets darker like B's.

Story time - B has been reading him a bedtime story or two for several months now, but it seems to me that just around his 7 month birthday he started to really get into them and settle into story time. It is a very special time for the two of them.

Bouncing - No matter if he's on your lap, on the floor being held, or in his command center Reed is bouncing all the time. He used to stand with you holding him and his legs were perfectly straight. However, now since he discovered he can control his own bounce, his knees are always bent awaiting the next chance.

Sleeping - It's pretty consistent now around 7 he'll go to sleep and then we'll wake him for a feed before we go to bed, then back down again until 6am or so with a middle of the night wake-up. Sometimes he's up a little earlier but we'll just lay in bed together and enjoy the wee hours of the morning with a smiling boy sitting on the bed.

Sitting - Without much support now he can stay seated for a while. He'll come crashing down if he wants something far in front of him or if he looks up at the ceiling or mom and pop sometimes...

Talking in the crib - Recently he has been waking up and talking to himself in bed. It's sweet to hear him make cheerful noises while slowly waking up.

Every day is different and brings a new change, development or adventure into our lives. We are so grateful for our healthy, and very happy 7 month old!

Family, Friends and Wind chills

[All bundled up in cold Minnesota]

Reed and I just got back from his first visit to Minnesota to meet several people for the first time and to bond with grandparents again (more pictures). While there, he celebrated his 7 month birthday, saw his first snow, felt his first below freezing wind chills, ate his first finger food, and after all that stimulation each day, slept like a champ.

Once he had tried a few it was clear that he liked the puff like cheerios. He grabs them, holds them tight in his palm and understands that they go in his mouth. But, when he brings them to his mouth he forgets to open his fist which makes it very difficult to get in his mouth. I caught a short video of one of his first encounters with this new food below.

[Eating his first puff (like cheerio)]

[First finger food]

The trip out was good, he was either in good spirits, charming up all the nearby passengers or he was sleeping on me. He adjusted to his temporary home without a problem. He was especially excited by the overhead lights, the ceiling fans, nana's glasses and papa's beard.

[Playing with Nana]

He was a wonderfully easy going kid and smiled all the time - not unusual. He was comfortable in everybody's arms from his 6 year old cousin Eli to his 92 year old great aunt Margurite (and even some friendly strangers who held him on the plane so I could go to the bathroom). I did my best to keep him on California time and it worked, he slept better than he ever has before.

[Visiting and playing with his great-great aunts Joanne and Margurite Turgeon]

6.5 month videos!

Here are a couple of the top videos from the last few weeks. Life is getting busier and busier so I'm looking forward to using this blog as a reason to sit down and look through pictures and videos. Hope you enjoy!

[Reed and Maya are just starting to acknowledge and become interested in each other. Here is a video from the other night]

[Cracking up at his papi slowly coming in for tummy kisses]

The evolution of the bouncy seat

[3 months]

[4 months]

[6 months]

Reading cues

Reed has certain cues letting me know what he wants. The best and most reliable one is mouthing me and sucking on my face when he is tired. Without fail if he attempts to eat my cheek, chin or nose, no matter when his most recent nap, the guy is tired and responds well to going down.

Another current sign of being tired is a new sound he is making. It's a fussy sound but keeping his mouth shut and just letting the sound out through his closed lips so it kind of comes out like a brmmmm. You might have to hear it to understand.

He is starting recognize the routine of getting his baby food ready....Ok, I sit in this green chair, mom or dad open the big silver thing (fridge), pick up little jar, open a drawer, get out the thing that I like to chew on (spoon), stir the stuff in little jar, come sit next to me, and then if I open my mouth really wide, I get to eat the yummy stuff in the jar! He seems to start getting excited (i.e. his fake cough /fuss) almost immediately after he sits in the chair.

I'll work on getting a video of him eating my face when he's tired or anticipating food...it's priceless.

Baby dance party, going to the movies and prunes!

Last weekend we went to Stinson beach with 5 other couples and 5 other babies. All the babies are 1.5 years or younger and three of them (including Reed) are within 1 month of each other. We had a blast hanging on the beach, cooking and playing with babies together. We forgot to bring our good camera but here are a few pics of a baby photo shoot and a video of baby dance party.

[All the babies except for the oldest Alita (1.5 years) from L to R - Teo, Maya, Reed, Beck, Lucy]

[John and Molly demonstrating life with triplets]

[Maya goes in for a kiss and Teo wonders when it's his turn?]


[Dance party- babies L to R Beck (with mom Jen), Alita (with mom Kir), Lucy (with dad Tony), Reed (with "auntie" Shelley)]

Last night we went to a movie with Reed, Paul and Sherry who are recently back in town for a few months. Reed was happy and playful in his grandma's arms and then after a quick feed, fell fast asleep. He remained asleep the whole car ride home and after we put his car seat in his room. Around 10pm he started to wake up so I fed him and B got some great cuddle time with him in his tired state. We put him down in his crib and within minutes he was asleep and stayed asleep until 6am! Every parent says not to count on this sleep pattern for long, but we'll take whatever we can get!

[Nice to have grandma Sherry back!]

With all the new foods we have been trying over the last few weeks, poor kid is a little constipated. He strains, grunts, and tightens his muscles to pass a stool. According to the doctor this is pretty normal and as a remedy we are giving him prunes and pears. Just like all the other foods he has tried, he inhales these new fruits so we are hoping he will be regular again real soon.

[Classic one-arm-back position while he eats his dinner]

We celebrated cousin Elliott's 3rd b-day last Monday and for his presents got him some plants and a watering can to get his new garden going. For Christmas Billy built them a planter box and Elliott was very excited to start a garden of things he can eat and watch grow. Now that grandma Sherry is back in town, it's the perfect time to get that started! Pictures to come....

Finally, I am on a short hiatus from job due to complications with administering the grant that will pay for my salary. This means I am not working until Feb 23 and am home with Reed (again). I liked the week and half I worked and look forward to going back, but I love being home with Reed in the meantime. In addition to playing, dancing, reading, talking, singing and cuddling (all of which we do a lot these days), I am learning to knit while he naps and I love it!

signing off...

Changes all around!

On this eve of one of the greatest changes in my life time, the inauguration of President Obama, I am thrilled to share some of our own little (and not so little) changes at home.

Reed turned 6 months old last week. Everyone says it but time is truly flying by and it is hard to believe it has been a half a year since he was born. He is incredibly healthy and still the happiest kiddo we know. Since my last update there have been many new developments and learning for him and for us. In fact, so many new things are happening these days that I fear I will not be able to recall them all! But here's my best attempt.....

[Yesterday in Point Reyes with friends, more pictures here]

Beyond breast milk - I reported that he was eating brown rice cereal as of a few weeks ago. Now, included in his line up of new tastes are: bananas, sweet potatoes, carrots and avocado. Next, we are looking forward to introducing pears, apples, and peas. Feeding him is so much fun now. Every morning we sit him in his bumbo seat (he's still a little too small for the high chair) and awaits that days new tasting adventure. After the initial shock of the new texture, taste and cool temperature of the food, he starts to inhale it and let's it be known that he is not happy when he has finished. He sits with his arms back like he's ready to take flight and so far has only attempted to grab at the spoon a few times, which is surprising because he is grabbing for everything else.

[Sunset nursing on Mt. Tam]

Exploration by mouth - Everything goes in the mouth! It's a little hard to know what to do when he attempts to put yucky but harmless things in his mouth. We are leaning toward allowing as much exposure to safe objects (inside and out) to encourage him to make his own discoveries. The other day we had him at the park on a beautifully warm January day and he discovered grass for the first time. He quickly learned that pulling the ground up to his mouth took strength and effort that he did not yet possess , so instead he leaned down toward his toes and proceeded to mouth the grass. Of course I watched him closely, and seeing as how there were no sharp or chokeable items in his reach, I simply watched him explore. Billy noticed the other day that he is starting to discern by mouth what he likes to chew or taste versus what he is simpling exploring.
leaf = explore, spit out
mama's chin = chew
Samba's furry head - explore, maybe lick a little
plastic musical instrument = chew
sand = explore, spit out
stuffed animals = chew
etc...

[Discovering grass]

[and dirt...]

Sense of balance - One of his latest tricks is to sit up on his own for more than a few seconds. Although he is not able to sit up AND play with an object (too hard to focus on doing both), the other day I watched him sitting. However, this time when he started to tip over like usual, he reached his left arm out and caught himself. He seemed very proud of himself but as soon as he saw me smiling at him he lost his concentration and over he tumbled

[Practicing sitting in his new favorite spot in the house]

Indestructible - Ok, that's a little too strong of a word, but this kid is tough and has been proving it by easily shaking possibly painful or scary things off without a problem. Last night he got a mouth full of water in our family bath. He coughed, teared up, quivered his lip a little then took a deep breath and started immediately smiling again. As I said, he tips over all the time and sometimes he crashes upon impact, but he is yet to say ouch. He has been whopped in the face numerous times by Samba's tail or flailing paw and laughs at that too.


On the move - No, he's not yet crawling, thank God, but he is scooting around in a circle. I can put him down on his stomach in one place facing one direction and within a few minutes he will have turned around 160 degrees or flipped over to his back. He is also not to be trusted on the changing table by himself anymore. On more than one occasion he has nearly flipped from back to front although I have yet to see it completely.

Own room - Until recently he has been sleeping (both naps and night) in a hammock thing next to our bed. A few weeks ago we began napping him in his own room; and last week started putting him in his crib at night too. At the same time, we decided to wean him off his middle of the night feed (usually around 3am). Billy slept in Reed's room one night and then the subsequent nights he took the job of going into his room and comforting him, giving him his pacifier, singing or whatever it took to help him get through the night without eating. I'm happy to say that after a few nights of minimal crying he now sleeps much better and much longer. Last night he slept from 8pm to 5:45am without waking up - definitely a record!

Friends for life - Reed thinks the funniest thing on earth is our dog Samba. He screams in delight when she enters the room or when they share floor time together. He has taken to fake coughing to get her attention and can be entertained for hours. Samba does not seem to get the same amount of joy out of her new friend, but she is patient and kind to him and clearly enjoys the attention she receives from us as a result.

[Typical scene these days]