13 Months of Keeping it Real

Hi everybody - hope all is well with you. I'm doing great - turned 13 months on Saturday and keeping everyone on their toes. I've been doing lots of walking (with support) and am crawling all over the place. I have really made an effort to learn how to climb up stairs. It's a lot of fun watching the panicked look wash over Mom and Dad's face as I dive headfirst off the landing or try to do a backflip off the stairs. Don't worry - it's only threee stairs high. Although, twice this week I did climb up the entire staircase to the upstairs all by myself. I was pretty proud of myself; Mom and Dad were excited, too. Coming down stairs - well, I'm still trying to figure that out. I've also discovered noses this week; not my own - other people's. I like honking and pulling on them. I've tried really hard, but so far have been unable to tear one completely off someone's face. I'll keep working at it.

My vastly improving mobility skills have made taking my monthly pictures increasingly more difficult for Mom and Dad, which is all part of the fun. I won't sit still for second, as I dart all across the bed, constantly roll over, and hide underneath blankets just they are trying to take a picture. Hey...my shirt says Sweet Pea, so it must be ok.


I've been eating like a plague of locusts. I love, love, love chicken. I like pasta, potatos and carrots and eat that happily, but when I see that chicken come off the stove, I stop everything, point and demand me some chicken. I was a little cautious at first, but now I just can't stop drinking milk, either. Love me some moo-juice. I had brown rice for the first time earlier this week; it's a little hard to eat with your hands, but I manage. I like it. I also had papaya for the first time with lunch today and enjoyed that, too.



A little known secret is when mom goes away, dad switches out the iPods, turns up the volume and we rock out. Once mom walks out the door, Dad brings an end to the Jack Johnson or other music of that ilk and puts in some good, hard rock. Needless to say, he was pretty happy and proud to find me rocking out to Motley Crue this weekend.

Keep Your Eye on the Money:



Home Sweet Home:




How does this happen? More importantly, why did Mom and Dad think it was more important to take pictures than to help me out? One moment, I'm sitting there playing, minding my own businesss, then all of a sudden there I am stuck underneath my exersaucer - and Mom and Dad just sit there laughing and giggling. "Get the camera, Get the camera" they say. How about helping out a brother in need?





Man, what I have to put up with. Talk to you later.

Donuts and Waterfalls

Any day that begins with a stop at Mel-O-Glaze bakery then waterfalls at Minnehaha Park is a pretty good day; which is how our Saturday began. We walked around for about an hour and had a good time just chilling and enjoying the outdoors. I enjoyed my time out with the common man. Sunday, I helped Mom and Dad in the garden - instructing where plants should go; I even played in Dad's cactus dirt a little. Just a tip...dirt doesn't taste very good.

This week, I've began broadening my sources of dairy. Saturday, I had yogurt for the first time and Sunday began drinking milk from my sippy cup. I've located where all of the Biter Biscuits and Crunchin' Grahams are stored...and every time I'm in the kitchen I point to the cupboard and grunt, notifying everyone of what I want. I really like to opening and closing doors. Sometimes, I just like to lay there and swing the door open, the swing it closed, and then open it and do it over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. It's a lot of fun and makes me laugh.

Saturday, I began brushing my teeth for the first time...all seven of them. It tickles a little bit but is kind of fun.

Movin' and Groovin'

I've been busy this week, let me tell you. I am getting really good at pulling myself up and moving around. I am crawling up stairs and exploring more than ever. I also crawl almost entirely on all fours now; as opposed to the army crawl (pulling myself with my arms). Wow -it's so much easier when I use my legs instead of just drag them behind me. All that work gets me hungry. I am eating like a horse: breakfast is a combination of kiwi, bananas, mangos, and nectarines, for lunch I have potatos and carrots, and dinner an entire chicken strip with potatos and sweet potatos, and protein porridge (still no Chardonnay or Savingnon Blanc). Oh yeah, I'm basically self-sufficient. I'm eating entirely finger foods now, can feed myself with a spoon when necessary and can drink from a sippy cup all by myself.

Other big news is that I no longer drink any formula. Yep - I've kicked the bottle and I'm off the sauce. I'm trying out nectarines this week. So far I seem to like them. I still prefer snacks like Organic Crunchin' Grahms and Biter Biscuits, but mom and dad seem to think I need more than biscuits to eat.

One of my new toys is a walker. I can pull myself up and walk up an down the hallway. It is a lot of fun. In fact, I tend to point it out and demand to play with my walker whenever I see it. When I'm bored with what Mom and Dad are doing in the kitchen, I have a tendency to crawl away on my own from the kitchen to my play room, find the walker and start walking.

Here is a video of all sorts of new fun...pulling myself up, squaking, crawling on all fours, and using my walker:

Here is a video of me feeding myself...

Me and Iron Mike

Wow - what a weekend! Football and wines world collide as I met Iron Mike Ditka this weekend. Hard to believe he flew in from Chicago, just to wish me a Happy Birthday (yeah, he's a little late, but I'll cut him some slack...this time).

He was autographing bottles of his new wine label. Dad waited in line in the rain for about 30 minutes to get "da Coach" to sign a bottle of Pinot Noir and Merlot. I waited patientally inside the whole time just watching people. Mom and I spent the entire 30 minutes about 10 feet away from Coach Ditka. I did happen to notice that his Super Bowl ring was huge. I just observed, but once the time came for my picture to be taken, I had had enough and started to let everyone know it. As soon as I got right up next to Mike I started to scream and kick. I had waited long enough. Anyway...Dad got his wine, autographs, and pictures so I'm happy for him.

Anyway, it was great to see the best NFL coach ever; plus when you live in Minnesota, you're not going to have many chances to see a Super Bowl champion.

A Year Later...

Hi Everyone. Thanks for a great birthday. I had a lot of fun and got a lot of great presents. I am still trying to figure out cake, though.

I was really excited until I put my hands in the frosting. Hey, I'm classy guy and don't like to get my hands dirty. That's just gross.


After a couple of attemps to clean my hands, just resulted in smearling the frosting all over my face, I let mom and dad know that I don't like messy cake.

Mom and Dad got me my own dog. It is just like the one from daycare, except it's blue. I like to snuggle up and give him a hug.

So, I was eating my noodes this evening, reflecting on my first year. Man, I accomplished a lot: I've almost quadrupled in mass, grown a full head of hair, tried over 20 different kinds of foods, sprouted 7 teeth, lifted my head, rolled over, crawled, sat up, pulled myself up and now am about to stand. I laugh, I sing, I can use sign language and bring countless hours of entertainment to those around me.

Hard to believe, I went from this,

...to this in just 1 year.

I've been working a lot at trying to stand up lately. I like to climb on couches, end tables, waste baskets, and over dad. This past weekend, I figured out how to climb up the stairs. I can crawl like a little bullet...I like to follow dad down the hallway. Usually, I army crawl...laying down on my stomach and pulling myself with my arms. Monday, I started crawling on all fours (sometimes) - I can move a little easier, but it's kind of akward at times, so I sometimes resort back to the army crawl. No new foods lately, but I have been eating more and more finger foods...which means feeding myself. Man, I love Organic Crunchin' Grahms and Biter Biscuits. I also finally decided to let mom and dad know that I can, in fact, drink water from my cup all by myself. Yeah...I've been doing at daycare for awhile, but lost my patience waiting for Mom and Dad and just started drinking on my own.

Laundry Baskets

So, this is some of the crap that I have to go through each week. At some point on the weekend, I am held against my will in some sort of fortress confining my movement; basically imprisoned for a crime I didn't commit.




Notice how I try to break free from my illegal detaining...and each time, "the man" is there to hold me back. Always trying to keep a brother down...

I tried kiwi on Monday for the first time and liked it. Remember how I said I liked my new finger foods: boiled carrots and potatos? Well, not so much any more. In fact, I am pretty adamentally opposed to them now.

A Busy Bee

Man, it's been a long time since I rapped at ya'. I have just been so busy; so much has been going on - daycare, new foods and general helping out around the house.

Daycare continues to go great. Sadly, my 2 1/2 month reign as "Baby of the Month" came to end, but other than that it's been a lot of fun. I have a great time at daycare - I really enjoy my classmates and teachers. Last week, I had my first parent-teacher conferences and passed with flying colors. My best friend and I giggle and talk to each other all day. As you can see, I have become quite the artiste. Every day, the first thing I do is find a giant stuffed dog which I hug and play with all day long. I love it so much that the teacher's brought in a second dog so the other kids could have one to play with.

My favorite activity at daycare are the buggy rides. Most afternoons, five friends and I get strapped into a stroller and we go on rides up and down hallway. Now that spring is finally here, sometimes we go outside. Two weeks ago, dad came to pick me up just before the buggy left so I missed the ride. I was not very happy and let everyone know. The next day when I saw the buggy go by, I made a bee-line straight to the door and made sure I got on the ride. We've been going on buggy rides almost daily. Of course, now dad comes when I'm on the buggy ride which really cramps my style. I just give him the "Why are you here, now?" look while he unbuckles me. I'm looking forward to a fun summer of projects and buggy rides.

At home, I've been redecorating and teaching sign language. In the past week, I have gone from figuring out how to pull myself up to becoming very good at it. I pull myself up in my crib and turn on my soother, I pull myself up to try to look out the window - I can do all sorts of things. Perhaps, what I like best is crawling across the living room floor, pull myself up to an end table and one by one, throw the magazines onto the floor. I just think the magazines look better there then stacked on an end table. What do my parents know about decorating? I'm sure they appreciate my insight. I've also finally had a breakthrough with sign langauge. For weeks, I have been waving both hands at my parents while they feed me - but they kept thinking I was just waving at them. Actually, I was giving them the sign for "All done". So for weeks, I've been telling them I was full, but they would just give some ridiculous grin, wave at me, and then shove more food in my mouth. Well finally, they figured it out and now know I don't need any more food.

It's been a banner week in the food department as well. While I still voice concern that my parents might forget to feed me, they have actually done a great job lately introducing me to new foods. My pallet is so much more sophisticated than it was a week ago. Last Saturday, I had chicken (top picture), my first meat, which went great with my pasta and vegetables. On Wendesday, I began a new snack - "Organic Crunchin' Grahms" which I immediately liked. Friday, I started eating Kix corn puffs. While love me some Cheerios, it's good to have a little cereal variety. Then to top things off, Saturday, I began eating pureed grapes (bottom picture) which were also quite good. In addition to the new foods, I have begun spicing up some old favorites too. I've got a new protein porridge: brown rice and pinto beans. My Saturday snack was a frozen cantelope, mango, and grape slushy. I've also got some new finger delicasies: banana mash and and potato wedges (mmm...boiled potatos...yum, yum)







This weekend, wow - I've been busy. Saturday, I slept in until 6:15. Later, I took a 3 hour nap and it's a good thing I did. I spent Saturday helping mom make a chocolate trifle dessert while listening to multiple podcasts of NPR's "Splendid Table". It's a good thing to because now I know what to do if I have sea urchin eggs laying around in my refridgerator. Later, I learned that if a crappy friend gives me crappy homemade wine, I can make crappy homemade vinegar. I'd like to call into "Stump the Cook" and hear what Lynn would do with pureed carrots, Cheerios, formula, protein porridge, and Organic Crunchin Grahms. Sunday, I went to Home Depot with mom and dad bought some hostas and grass sod. We went home and I supervised them as they planted. Oh yes, I did lots of yelling. Mom and dad found out that I am quite the task master and have no tolerance for slacking or not having their undivided attention. Say what they will, but the backyard looks good. and clearly, it is due to my vision and leadership.

Wow, that's a lot. I believe I have fixed the comments section too. It's been quite a week and I am looking forward to going back to daycare where I can get a little rest a break from Mom and Dad.