Hello, bee!

We've been reading to David since he was born, and even before that had started amassing a book collection for him through gifts, hand-me-downs, and our own shopping sprees. My mom recently discovered a new favorite on his bookshelf, a book that, to be honest, we had constantly overlooked in favor of more "interesting" selections. This little book is simple enough, and might seem quite boring really when viewed through an unsuspecting adult's eyes. You can read it in mere seconds. But, to David, this gem inspires a brand of excitement that is priceless.

When he looks at the hypnotic eyes of the characters and bright colors on the pages, he cannot contain his enthusiam. He looks eagerly from page to page, and his own eyes widen as he checks out those of Frog, Dog, Bat, Cat, Snail, and Whale. We probably spent a half hour the other morning flipping its pages, an eternity in baby-time. He honestly gets so excited looking at it that you almost have to take it away from him to calm him down. He even ignored the horrors of tummy time when that particular book was set in front of him. It makes me so happy to see him enjoy something so much. Especially a book, since I love them so much myself.

Of course, this discovery led to our desire to find more books that could elicit the same enthusiasm. So, we headed to Barnes and Noble on Saturday and got a few more that are good candidates, but have yet to have the same effect. Who knows what the next big hit will be, but we'll keep trying to find it. Until then, we'll continue to enjoy Hello Bee, Hello Me!

Right here. Right now.

Some of the trauma induced by my return to work has worn off (some, not all), so I'm a little more able to enjoy my time with David as opposed to wistfully longing for the hourless days of my maternity leave. Which I did for a good long week. I have now come to accept that those days are over and will never be again, but there will still be joyful (and even more wonderful) days ahead for the three of us.

Returning to work is really like a grieving process. A veteran mom recently helped me realize this. Doing so has helped me to move on with my life. And longing for what is past does no one any good. Time to live in the here and now.

{big sigh}

That being said, so much has changed for our little David lately. I thought I would list a few of them today.

1. He is unable to resist the urge to put his hands in his mouth. Usually, both hands at the same time which doesn't always work out so well. He is not really sure what to do with them once he gets them there, not really sucking his thumb per se, but they are providing welcome entertainment just the same.
   
2. He now wears many of the ADORABLE 3-month sized outfits that he received as shower gifts. Every morning is like Christmas! (for me, I guess)


3. His hair (the new crop) is the most beautiful shade of reddish-blond and is growing like a weed. I love how fluffy it is after a bath. Although I prefer it sticking up, his dad insists on smoothing it down. At an angle. Cory has also informed me that he will be in charge of all matters regarding David's hair. Ohhh kaaaayyy. :)
   
4. He is a sucker for a scalp massage. We have discovered this during bathtime. Absolutely loves hair to have his hair washed.


5. He has such an independent spirit. I have looked in his crib in the early morning hours and, at times, found an alert little baby looking around the room quietly. It warms my heart when his face lights up at the sight of me, but he was doing just fine by himself. Don't get me wrong, I want him to love and crave my company, but he also needs to enjoy his own.


6. Tummy time has become substantially less dramatic. He still gets mad eventually, but we now manage to get some great exercise in before the inevitable meltdown occurs. Yesterday he gave me some priceless looks. I think he will break some of these out for an encore in a few years when I ask him to clean his room.
   

Happy Sunday, everyone. Now, back out to the patio to enjoy the day outside with my family.

The Broadripple Art Fair revisited

Before you have children, everyone tells you how much your life will change. Of course you believe them, because how could such a monumental event not manage to dusrupt daily life as you know it? I admit, I found that proverbial warning supremely annoying to hear throughout my pregnancy, but I don't think I truly understood what people meant until our excursion Saturday at the Broadripple Art Fair.

Everything about this experience, one which we have had annually for a number of years, was different. Except for one: we had an absolute ball.

At first it was a bit rough. David isn't a huge fan of bright light, but in time he settled down and adjusted to the outdoor environment. We perused a few booths, ate some lunch (red beans and rice, rib tips, chips and guacomole - mmmmm), fed our little man, fretted a bit over the rain looming on the horizon, then hit the booths again. Always before, I couldn't wait to find something special for myself or Cory. This year, I bet you can guess who we were shopping for.

Our great find of the day: David's new handmade wooden zoo train. The artist had various other trains as well as trucks, planes, and Noah's ark playsets, all skillfully made out of colorful woods. The artist told us that she and her husband created these pieces from the ground up, even milling the wood themselves. No stains were used, all of the colors are natural. As we ogled her wares, she told us that she had been at the Broadripple Art Fair every year for the past several. We couldn't recall seeing her creations, and found it incredible that we hadn't noticed them. It soon dawned on us that we weren't exactly in the market for wooden toys last year. Of course we hadn't noticed. Like I said, things have changed.

We were a bit disappointed that some of our favorite vendors were absent, and we couldn't imagine why. In fact, every booth that I purchased things from last year was missing. Unbelievable. We always saya that as soon as we start to like an appetizer at a favorite restaurant, they discontinue it. I guess that goes for artists at the art fair, too.

When rain loomed ominously on the radar, Cory and I didn't worry about getting wet ourselves. The only priority was to keep David dry. And his train, of course.

Can't wait til next year!

My first Mother's Day

Had an enjoyable and restful day yesterday, despite the fact that I spent the least amount of time with David since the day he was born (or, if you want to get really technical, since he was conceived...) I didn't really want to be away from him that much, just had to be in order to get things done to prepare us for the week ahead...

I guess he decided to mark my first Mother's Day with a milestone of his own. We put him to bed Saturday night at about 9:30 pm without event. I awoke at 2 am to silence, poked my head in his room to the sight of him snoozing away in his crib, then returned to bed myself to await his inevitable (or so I thought) middle-of-the-night awakening to nurse. This event never happened. I woke up at 6:50 am to the sound of his fussing through the monitor. He had gone an astonishing 9+ hours without eating. Wow, we broke all the records here. Needless to say, we were very happy to see one another. :)

We relaxed around the house in the morning after I opened my cards and present (some comfy Merrell sandals for walking and hiking - thank you Cory.... err.... I mean, thank you David). We practiced pumping and bottle-feeding throughout the day, to which David adapted very well. He had no problem at all taking 3+ bottles in a row. I went to Archiver's (my fave scrapbook store) to buy some supplies for his album, then hit Target to stock up on groceries for the week and baby supplies for Grandma's. All told, I went almost 4 hours away from home. Cory did a splendid job of holding down the fort, and I think he really enjoyed it, too. Still, I couldn't have been happier than I was at the end of the day to return to the place that I love the most: home with my guys. And the turkey burger with fries and grilled veggies that I ordered for my special dinner, expertly prepared by Cory, didn't hurt my enjoyment of the evening, either.

One last update. David had his two-month appointment today, weighing in at 12 lbs 1 oz, and 23 inches long. Plus, his brain grew 3/4" in circumference. Yowza! He also got his first round of shots, to which he loudly protested. We were warned it could be an uncomfortable 24 hours or so for all of us, so we'll see what personality emerges when he gets up from his nap. Hopefully the tylenol I gave him shortly after the appointment works its magic and wards off the pain that is probably inevitable.

Happy Monday!

Our best day yet

Yesterday, David and I enjoyed what might have been our happiest day yet. He was in the best of moods, with barely a crying jag. He grinned and smiled and chuckled all day long, even in his sleep. He was content to sit in his swing or punkin seat and just watch me go about my business: planting flowers, cleaning house, you name it. What a great day... it tempted me to re-create the same meal plan daily for the foreseeable future. I always blame his fussiness and/or gasiness on what I have eaten, so I might as well blame his good moods on my diet as well. Maybe it was that Drumstick I had as an afternoon snack (instead of my usual light yogurt). He even laughed while he watched me eat it. Mmmm, good.

Perhaps it was his stellar mood, but we also discovered a new vista from which David likes to view the living room. You know the spot on our couch where I have sat a bit too often, which now sags and sucks you in as if it were made of quicksand? Well, it functions wonderfully as a baby seat (supervised, of course). He fits perfectly between the cushions, and the crease in the backrest helps hold him and his top-heavy head upright. I discovered this by accident after sitting him down there so I could tidy up the room. He just sat there wide-eyed, looking about as if to say, "this is the life". Later, when I put him there again, he promptly fell asleep. Once the couch began its customary sucking-in of its tenant (it doesn't discriminate against babies apparently), I moved him to his swing for a long snooze.

And speaking of swings, I picked up a travel variety at Target the other day to test for use at Grandma's house and weekend getaways. In a mere few days, this little gem has become a life-saver around here! He swings in the kitchen, in the bathroom, in the garage, on the patio. Although it does not mesmerize him like the big swing that Lisa loaned me (no fancy mobile or music or side-to-side motion on the new one), it still does the job. It just gives him enough motion to keep him calm. He's a little too high maintenance for the bouncy seat, but this swing sure does the trick. Good thing it's portable!

I'm off to put some new photos on Picasa. Happy Thursday!

Our life right now in pictures

Thought I'd share some fun thoughts and pics from our last few days...

David has started to really enjoy books. Or at least listening to the person reading that book to him. Here he is with Jack (reading a book that Ben gave to him for Easter). Clearly, they are both enjoying themselves.

His tongue has taken on a life of its own these days, both in happy and distressed times. (The latter is apparently the case below). He sticks it out for all sorts of occasions. The kid's got to express himself somehow, I guess.

My skinny little newborn has sure started to beef up. We've noticed adorable little rolls of plumpness crop up everywhere on his body, even his wrists. He graduated almost overnight from newborn sized clothes to the next one up, and is officially wearing size 1 diapers as of yesterday.

Cory doesn't think so, but David clearly looks exactly like him. Case in point:

David loves bath time. Loves it! He actually cried tonight when we took him out, and I think it was because he was mad that the fun was over.

Well, there you have it. Thought I'd share these moments now before things change again. Have a great week!