Sneak Preview: My "Sitting Up" Photos

Once again, Rita Lawrence of Bitsy Baby Photography captured gorgeous pics of Austin.  Austin was teething and very cranky on picture day.  In spite of that, Rita worked her magic.  We are so appreciative of Rita's talent, and so blessed that she shares it with us.  Enjoy this sneak preview.  The gallery of photos will be available in another week.
 

When I Grow Up

The Open Road

Crib Notes - Week 35

I got to spend Saturday with Daddy while Mommy went to her photography class.  Daddy and I had a great guys day out.  Daddy gets a little more stressed than Mommy when I'm fussy, so I made sure to be really, really good for him.  I took really good naps and ate really well.  He took me on a stroller ride so we could pick up his drycleaning.  We played the "thank you" game where I had Daddy things over and over and over.  I was glad to spend time with Daddy because once Mommy got home, we took Daddy to the airport.

Daddy had to go to Brussels this week for a NATO conference.  I love spending time with Mommy, but we sure do miss Daddy.  Mommy doesn't have any work for me to play with in the mornings.

I started eating my spinach so I can be strong like Daddy. Daddy is the strongest person I know. I like my spinach...at least when it's mixed with pears and peas!  I don't like the spinach Mommy bought that is just mixed with potatoes.  Yuck.  And I don't like that canned chicken and sweet potatoes either!

I got to go to Uncle Don's birthday party this week.  Mommy let me stay up past my bedtime so I could entertain Don, Faith, and Melissa, but she made me go to sleep before everyone else arrived.  I didn't mean to go to sleep.  I wanted to stay up so everyone else could dote on me, but I guess I must have gone to sleep.  I remember Mommy rocking me in the bedroom with the party sounds in the next room, and then I woke up in my own bed.  I'm not sure how that happened!

I just realized last week how exciting it is when Mommy picks me up from daycare!  I was always glad to see her, but it's different now that I'm older.  Mommy came in last week, and I was sitting up in my highchair.  I can sit there all by myself now that I'm so big and strong.  She didn't see me, but I saw her.  I threw my arms out and squealed.  I was so happy!  And this week, I was hiding in the corner (Mrs. Fran sits me up surrounded by pillows so I don't hurt myself) when I saw Mommy come in.  I screamed and giggled and talked to her.  I got so excited I nearly fell over.  She scooped me up and then sat me back down while she was talking to Mrs. Fran.  I didn't get nearly enough Mommy hugs, so I grabbed her sleeve and pulled until she put me in her lap.  Ahhhh, much better.

Crib Notes - Week 34

Wow.  For some reason, it is still light when I go to bed this week.  Daddy said we had a time change, but that's kinda silly.  Time always changes.  Time is different every minute.  I've tried to stay up until it's dark, but I play too hard at Mrs. Fran's.

It is getting warm!  I love warm weather.  Mommy and I get to go out in the stroller and take Nemo for walks.  We walked for nearly an hour this weekend, and I loved it.  I talked to Mommy about all the things we were seeing and helped her keep an eye on Nemo.  While Mommy and I were taking a walk, Daddy got to take a ride on his vroom vroom.

I love sitting up in my stroller because I can see everything!  Do you know how much there is to see at the mall?  I helped Daddy shop for ties.  When Daddy wasn't looking, I tried to pull all the ties I could reach into the stroller.  When Mommy came to find us, I was happily munching on a tie clip that I pilfered from one of the ties.  Apparently, chewing on pilfered tie clips is frowned upon in this establishment.  Mommy has a lot of rules.

Mommy fixed me up my very own place to play so I didn't fall over and didn't need her sitting right beside me.  It worked really great until Daddy needed to do laundry!

Mommy gets to go see Mrs. Rita this weekend to learn how to take better pictures.  Hopefully, Mrs. Rita will teach her how to take fewer pictures!  I can't believe Mommy is going to see Mrs. Rita without me, but she says I get to go see her in another week to get more pictures made!

Maternal Musings

Dear Mom,

I wanted to send you a very belated apology for falling and cutting my chin open at the pool when I was a toddler.  I can only now begin to understand how your heart must have shattered into a thousand tiny shards, and I'm so sorry for causing you that pain.  I haven't yet figured out how to protect Austin from ever getting hurt, but I'm working on it.  I'm not sure I could handle it.

I love you,

Whitney

When I Grow Up

Super Austin!

Crib Notes - Week 33

Have you ever had a cookie that was so good that it melted in your hand?  No, not in your mouth, in your hand and on your face and on your bib and on your lap and...  If not, you are missing out!  Go to the store right now and get a box of teething biscuits!

I'm working on getting strong.  Daddy keeps encouraging me to stand up, and I can do it, too.  It's just not easy to predict when I'll choose to sit down.  Or which direction I'll fall when I start to sit down.  Daddy says I have to keep up with Kayla.  She was born a few days before me and has been standing up for a month or so.  Show off!

I love playing with my blocks.  Now that I can sit up like a big boy, I can have so much fun sitting in the floor with Mommy.  We play blocks.  Mommy tries to read while I try to chew on the book.  I play with my puppy - the stuffed one.  When I'm on the changing table, I play with Mr. Giggles and my soft gorilla.  If Mommy sits me up, I love to grab for the bottle of lotion.  And I love to play with my hangers!

I'm starting to help out around here.  Daddy goes to work every day, and I always help him.  Daddy keeps his work in his front shirt pocket.  He says he needs his work to get into the building and get on the metro.  I don't know what that means, but every morning when he picks me up, I get his work out.  I know he appreciates the help.  I LOVE Daddy's work.  Daddy's work is fun.  I hope he enjoys it half as much as I do!

I also help Mommy out.  Mommy has this plant with way too many leaves on it.  I work very hard to help de-leaf that plant.  Every time we go by the plant, I try to grab a leaf.  Mommy really appreciates it, I'm sure.

I also helped Daddy to take a nap one afternoon.  He thought he was doing it for me, but I knew he needed some rest.  All I had to do was lay really still and pretend to be asleep.

Night Night, Mommy

Austin had one of those no-thanks-I'll-do-it-myself-Mommy kind of nights.  He just wouldn't fall asleep while I was rocking him.  He was very calm and content...but awake.  I put him in the crib.  He looked at me and sighed.  A few minutes later I watched him (on the monitor) roll over onto his left side and go to sleep.  I'm so thankful that he can put himself to sleep, but I treasure those quiet moments at night watching him sleep in my arms.  And I find it bittersweet that my little boy is big and coordinated enough to sleep on his side.

Maternal Musings

The top 3 topics of conversation for new parents in no particular order are sleeping, eating, and pooping,

Over Rover