Baby Musings II

When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I think about is paper. I love it! I love to rip it, I love to wave it in the air and up and down, and I especially love to bite it. My mom hates it when I play with paper because I get so excited that I start sucking and chewing on it. Which, why wouldn't I? It is so fun when you suck on it so much that the paper gets all soggy and start to stick to one another. I love the way disintegrating paper feels and tastes in my mouth! Yum yum YUM!! She's always rushing over and pulling paper out of my hands and then digging spitwads out of my mouth. The thing she doesn't realize is that she can't stop me. There's paper everywhere! Those lower level bookshelves are my fave. All those paperbacks...it's like paradise! And then sometimes, a piece of mail drops to the floor and I'm all over it. I have ears that know exactly what falling paper sounds like. The best is when my mom leaves her purse on the floor and she hasn't zipped it up.  There are reciepts oozing out if it and begging to be played with. She always gets so flustered that I keep finding paper, it is a war she'll never win!

When I'm not thinking about paper, I'm thinking about walking. I'm only thinking about it, not really doing it. I don't really get the point of it, actually. I'm a pretty quick crawler and I walk along the walls like nobody's business. I pretty much do laps around the kitchen and family room all day. It is way funner than those silly toys Mom always tries to get me to play with. And, cruising is how I troll for paper. See, sometimes paper slips under the sofa or under the counter and sometimes a book isn't quite pushed in all the way on a shelf and the only way you'd ever know is if you cruise by places fifty times a day. It is quite the rush seeing paper so available. But anyways, my mom and dad are pretty much obsessed with walking. They do this thing where they hold onto my hand to help me walk around. It is usually pretty fun, except sometimes, they let go of my hand. At first I thought it was because they were distracted, but then I realized it was because they were trying to trick me into walking all by myself. How rude! Well, I'm onto them. As soon as they do that, I drop to the ground and refuse to stand up again. Sometimes I whine, even. That's actually the best thing to do because then I get picked up. I only like to walk when I can hold on to stuff. 

I also have this thing called "Welcome to my Learning Farm" My mom says it is a 'walker' but really, it is this way awesome thing that I get to push around and it sings to me! "Welcome to my Learning Farm, we have lots to show you....Shapes and colors, music too....There's so much to do-oo!" Oh I love that song. Anyways, I'll walk when I can hold on to "Welcome to my Learning Farm," the furniture or wall, or my mom or dad's hand. Any other way is totally unnecessary.    


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See that copy of the Ensign? I totally ripped that one up! Yessss. And Mom's book? You can totally see a perfect bite mark in it. I'm so awesome at eating paper. And yes, those are bruises on my head. Sometimes I fall OK? And sometimes my mom doesn't watch me close enough.



PS: The video from last time should work now. My mom didn't realize it was on a private setting.

Etc.

My favorite Russell moments lately have been after his naps. I'll go into his room after I know he's been awake for a while (I usually give him some 'alone' time when he wakes up becaues he's so relaxed and seems content to just coo and be).  I sit on this chair next to his crib, tell him hello, and ask him about his nap. He looks at me, sits up, then picks up one of his stuffed animals and hands it to me. I take it, give it some kisses, and then he gives me the other stuffed animal. I take it, play with it for a few seconds, and then he gives me his blanket. I give the items back to him and we do the whole routine again. It is very sweet. I don't know how long it will last, but for now, it is something I want to remember.

Other things in our lives:

• Brandon is looking forward to the season finale of the Bachelor Pad, or what I like to call The Show That Brings Out the Worst in Human Behavior. He's captivated though and there is nothing I can do about it.
• I'm reading Bossypants. It is quite funny although it has swears and is sometimes inappropriate.
• We are starting a budgeting system and getting it established is kind of a nightmare but it does help me feel more in control so I know it is a good thing. Do ya'll have any tips, resources, or suggestions of things that worked for you?
• The other day a tarantula attacked me in the garage.  I almost screamed like the time I saw that snake but then I chilled out because tarantulas are actually great little critters. And it really didn't attack me...it just was near me.
• The below video is from almost a month ago...I haven't uploaded our most recent pictures and media. Anyways, he was just starting to eat grapes and I was bitting off small chunks of them and spitting them onto his tray. That sounds really gross but in case you didn't know, we are birds. I'm the mommy bird and he's the chickie*.  That laugh, though! There's nothing quite like it.

  

*That is not true at all. We are humans.

Ridiculous

Most of Russell's clothes are dirty.  As I result, I was forced to clothe him in this onesie that reads, "DADDY'S BEST FRIEND" because it is pretty much the only clean one left. Ridiculous. (The onesie not my inability to stay on top of the laundry.) The notion that a baby is a grown man's best friend is so absurd. If that was the case, then I should be down right terrified that my baby's daddy was agoraphobic or a pedophile.  And if one of those two issues were our reality, I would not be broadcasting that to the world. Then again, most text on baby clothing is ridiculous. The Carter's brand is especially guilty*.  There's also those onesies that say, "I love boobs."  Um yes I get the joke and yes I'm all about breastfeeding but come on peeps, lame-o.

That's the onesie in question. This picture is from a few months ago and isn't quite in focus...but boy o boy is  Russell chunky there (maybe it is from the ice cream?)! He has actually slimmed out some...that onesie actually fits him better today than it did back in May.

That's all I wanted to say for now. 

What do you think is ridiculous? Let's get a good list rolling. I'm in the mood.

*I do fall prey to dumb baby slogans, though.  A few months ago, I bought him this Carter onesie that says, "They call me muscles."  I thought it was pretty silly, because get it, 'Russell's muscles?' Totally justifiable.  I also really wanted this baby onesie from H&M that said, "I (heart) Mum" because get it, Mum means Mom in British?     

A Diaper Story

So one of the grocery stores near our house has this discount table that I always have to check out.  I even kind of get excited about it.  The possibility of a suprise awesome deal never gets old, I suppose. A few weeks ago, I found this bag of Huggies Diapers on that table for $4.99. I did the math and found that each diaper would come to about $.10, which is a great deal on that brand. Logically, I snatched them up and felt proud.

Non Story Related Pic. This is from when we took him camping and he was mostly miserable except for when in the trunk of our car. 

A few hours later, as I opened the package to unload them into the diaper basket, I noticed they had been sealed shut with scotch tape. No biggie, I thought, someone else probably returned them because they were the wrong size or something. Well, as I reached in the bag to unload the bottom layer of diapers, I quickly saw that there were several diapers that did not match the others. As I analyzed the situation further, I realized that there were about five diapers that were a size smaller, had tacky green and yellow animals all over them, and had no brand name slapped across the diaper. AND, there were five diapers fewer than the package indicated.

The truth of matter began to become apparant. I had been had!! Can you believe the nerve?! Some desperate, cheating bozo totally snuck the remainder of their no name, too-small diapers that they no longer needed into mostly full Huggies package and then returned them to the store for money. Who does that? The tattle-tell in me wanted to take them back pronto, but I eventually realized that it wasn't woth another trip to the store to complain and make up the few cents I lost on the scam.

And there's a more pathetic part to this story. I totally used those too-small diapers. I just made sure Russell never slept or pooped in them and they worked just fine. Each time I strapped them on his little bum, however, I felt like an uber-cheapskate for being unable to just toss them and crossed my fingers that no major mess would ensue.  

So buyer beware--the clearance table isn't all that it's cracked up to be.

The fam at a Rockies game in Colorado

In Russell news, he is almost 10 months. He...

• Is a shorty.  He is only in the 27% for height, which means his weight is only in the 30%.  He still has all those rolls on his thighs...but he technically isn't a fatty!
• Continues to cruise along walls and furniture like nobody's business but isn't close to walking solo at all.
• Sleeps like a champ.
• Thinks I'm funnier than Brandon. If Russell laughs at something I do, Brandon will try to get a similar reaction by doing the exact same thing with minimal to no success. I've never upstaged Brandon before. I'm pretty certain it won't last long.
• Loves when I sing, "The Wheels on the Bus"...it allows me to change his diaper without him wiggling his way off the changing table and for me to wipe his face after eating without him screaming in agony.  He particularly loves the line, "The driver on the bus says, 'Move on back'"--especially when sung with a gruff, deep voice.  
• Loves to look at books with photographs of babies--he totally giggles and makes excited sounds for his favorite baby pics.
• Is entering a disgusting food phase where he likes to take food out of his mouth, mash it up in his hand, put it back in his mouth (he sometimes does that sequence repeatedly), and then touch his hair. That whole routine is kind of ironic because we had to put chunkies (stuff like frozen peas and carrots) in his food because he was spitting out the strictly pureed stuff.  So we get spit-up food if we don't put in the chunks or a giant mess if we do...this is getting interesting folks.
• Has one of his top teeth about half way in and another one peeking through...
• Is often called, "Rustito," by his father. Brandon decided that was the Spanish version of his name.

Feeling very proud of himself for crusing along the wall to this window

True Stories

This is a true story.  The other day I got a postcard in the mail from my old dentist in Colorado.  It said, "It has been 760 days since your last visit, time for another appointment!"  Not only have we found another dentist, but we have lived in a completely different state for over two years. I know they probably just used some mass mail computer program and didn't screen anything...but come on.  As much as we loved Colorado, our dentist wasn't one of the reasons that keeps us going back.

Another true story: I was out walking with Russell a few mornings ago and I saw the backside of this big hairy animal in our neighbor's yard. I slowly tip toed into their driveway to see if I could see it better. As I moved closer, I thought, "I probably shouldn't be pushing my baby towards a wild animal." I then noticed my neighbor's teenage son sitting on the front steps. "Oh, he sees that thing, too! I wonder how long he's been watching it..."  I looked at the beast again. A javelina? A bobcat? Then the neighbor called out, "Hello?" The animal moved. I quickly realized that the wild animal was the neighbor's dog. "Sorry!" I shouted, "I thought your dog was a wild animal!"   "Oh" he yelled back, "Its not."  "I know!  Sorry!" I felt like an idiot and promptly left.

Also, I made two types of freezer jam last week. I felt accomplished. Among my other cooking endeavors were a slightly overcooked pan of brownies. I tend to do that. I don't know why but it is sure annoying. Seems like that is an easy fix, like, just under cook them next time, duh! But for some reason I always chicken out. "If I take them out now, they'll be all goo!" I always tell myself.  

In terms of Russell updates, he is becoming more and more like a little boy...sometimes I can't stand it.  He's almost 9 months. Where did my baby go? He weaned himself from the pacifier which is so bizarre because anyone who knew him in his infancy to 2 weeks ago knew how obsessed he was with that thing. Countless people said Russell reminded them of Maggie Simpson with his vigorous and continual sucking of the binky. I was actually pretty worried he would be taking it to kindergarten. But, he suddenly became disinterested in it. Whenever we'd give it to him (usually when he was hungry or upset), he take it out of his mouth and throw it on to the ground, insulted.  Like, "You want to shut me up? You think this thing will placate me? Well I'm onto you guys and let me tell you NOT COOL. So not cool. You are not going to win this one. I will not be shut up!"

He is also army commando crawling everywhere and is quite speedy. His big toes are getting blisters, which is not surprising as he moving constantly and is into EVERYTHING. His newest tricks are sitting up by himself, pulling himself to standing on furniture and the occasional wall. He continues to cruise along furniture and loves to hold on to our hands as we walk him around. You'll also notice from the picture above and in one of the videos below that his tongue is always out. I find it pretty silly and of course, quite cute. One of the videos is of him sort of waving...another new trick. The second is when he got another case of the giggles. For some reason he thought it was hilarious when we made a certain sound. Like usual, pardon my annoying voice. I tend to say "Buh bye!" in the most obnoxious way in every video with Russell. I keep hoping that if I get his attention in the final seconds of recording, he'll do this amazing trick, but as you can tell, it never works. Probably because saying "Buh bye" is not an attention getter. It is more like an attention zapper.  And on that note...before I zap even more of your attention, here's the videos.  Adios!

Musings

Russell is on the right, Owen on the left.

Russell:  Um, Owen, I have a question.

Owen: Shoot.  I'm all ears.

Russell: Have you seen that big girl that keeps running around here?

Owen: I think so...the one who keeps singing Ba Ba Black Sheep?

Russell: Yea. Traci? I think that's her name.

Owen: My mom says she is my cousin.  She says you're my cousin, too.  I don't really get that word but I think it means that we have to be friends or something.

Russell: My mom keeps saying that cousin word, too!  Wierd.

Owen: What do you think of her?  She's not little like us but she's not big like our moms.  But she can walk around and eat all by herself.  I have seen her cry, though.  A lot of times.  So I know she's not all the way grown up.

Russell:  I think she's cool.  Sometimes, she takes off her diaper...without any help!  It is amazing.  All the moms and dads around her sure think she's hilarious.  They are always asking her questions and laughing at what she says.... (Pause)  I'm a little jealous of that.

Owen:  I know what you mean.  All the moms and dads just say, "Owen, you look so cute!  Those glasses are just so adorable!"  Cute this, cute that.  I'm more than just my looks.

Russell: Seriously!  I have sand all over my body.  It is totally itchy and it tastes so salty...but instead of doing something about it, my mom just laughs and says, "Aw, Russell looks so cute with sand in his mouth!"  Don't get me wrong, I like the attention and I am kind of obsessed with this sand, but sometimes it is kind of insulting.

Owen: You know what, Russell? I think we are going to get big like Traci.

Russell: I was wondering about that. I wouldn't be surprised.  There's that other baby here, Carmen.  My mom keeps saying, "Oh...I can't believe Russell used to be so tiny like baby Carmen."  I don't really remember, but my mom does know everything so she must be right.

Owen: I think it'll be cool to be big.  You get to sing songs a lot and everyone gets so happy when you say thinks like "Icky Bug" or when you tell people you have to go poop.

Russell: Yeah.  Mostly, I just can't wait to walk.

Owen:  Word.

Russell: Actually, I've been wondering something.  When you get big, do you have to walk all the time?

Owen: Probably.  I've seen that Traci girl walk up stairs and everything.

Russell:  Well, sometimes I like it when my mom carries me.  Sometimes I cry just so she'll pick me up.  Does that make me a baby?  I don't want that to go away.

Owen: Hmm....I don't know.  I do the same thing.  I especially do that around bed time.  I just like my mom to hold me so sometimes I pretend like I'm really sad about something.  If I don't, she'll just put me in that thing she calls the 'Pack-N-Play' which, FYI, is not really for playing at all.

Russell: Well, let's see if we can ask Traci about that.

Owen: How?  Traci verbalizes stuff.  We just send telepathic messages.

Russell: Um....we are going to have to revisit this conversation because here my mom comes, with the camera and my hat.  I think it is time for another photo session.

Owen: Ugh.  Why are they so obsessed with that stuff?

Russell: I don't know but Owen...

Owen: Yeah?

Russell: You'll always be more than 'cute' to me.  I think you are so rad.  I'm glad we are cousins, whatever that means.

Owen: Thanks Russell.  You can suck on my yellow shovel whenever you want.
Enter Moms with hats and cameras.  Moms scoop up babies and smoother them with terms of endearment and sunscreen.

This is one of my favorites from the trip...you can see Russell's snaggle tooth and Owen happily chomping away on that shovel....

Traci!  Russell and Owen really did just stare whenever she was around. 

Baby chaos

Sunkissed.

Stuff and Whatever

A confession (that is always a juicy way to start a post, eh?):

I gave up on my garden. So sad! It just kept getting browner and browner despite anything I did...and aside from a teenie-tiny mini zucchini and watermelon that started to grow and then quickly withered away, no fruit or vegetable ever developed...and I should have been able to harvest everything by now. Everything started out so green and flowery and then just tanked. Plus critters just kept eating all the blooms. So did it get too hot (The garden is west facing)? Not enough fertilizer? And of course, the critters are partially to blame.  I dunno. When we get back from our trip, I'm gonna rip everything out and try to transplant some peppers and chiles and forgo planting from seed in the middle of summer. I'm also going to contact the local community garden experts to see what they recommend. 

Also, there have not been additional sightings of that snake. Phew! I do have flashbacks every time I go into the garage, though, and have visions of snakes coming out of unexpected places to terrorize me--something a la Snakes on a Plane (yes we saw that movie and it was awesome. FYI Tim Riggins is in it and is just as Tim Riggins-y as ever although he has a somewhat naughty role).

Which makes me want to digress to Friday Night Lights. We have Season Four episodes accumulating on our DVR and cannot wait to watch them. Plus, every time I see a Super 8 commercial I just want to freeze it on Coach Taylor and hear him say, "Clear Eyes Full Hearts Can't Loose" and then see him have the perfect marriage with Mrs. Coach. If I could live in a TV show, I would live in Friday Night Lights and wear the coolest aviator sunglasses and look effortlessly beautiful and not care that life revolved around football. 

Back to my post--which, if you haven't gathered, is about nothing. So maybe I should continue talking about FNL? Eh, maybe next time.

Yesterday, when the baby was sleeping and Brandon was away at work, I snuck a few bites of ice cream.  In the middle of the day! With a fork!  Don't tell.  My waistline will, if that keeps up. But it was a Sunday and I was all alone, a little bored, and hungry.  That makes it OK, right?

I fed Russell green beans again and he ate them up. I guess he is broadening his horizons which is more than I can say because I still pick at my veggies. 

Here are two videos I wanted to share.  The first needs no explaining, although I did kind of feel like a mean mom for filming this.  Does that make me meaner for showing ya'll?

This next one demonstrates Russell's superior crawling skills.  He crawled over from the other side of the couches...the whole way with that little ball.  I've noticed him crawling with a toy cradled in his arms several times now and I find it pretty cute.

Oh, here's another confession that is Internet appropriate--that ball is a freebie from the VA hospital. It says, "It takes the courage and strength of a warrior to ask for help" and it shows the silhouette of a soldier with their head in their hands against the back drop of an American flag. Yes, our son's current favorite toy is suicide prevention schwag. But he loves it and Brandon interprets it to mean that Russell will one day become a skilled athlete.  I smile and nod...wait, who am I kidding...I always (and quickly) remind him that all babies love playing with balls, especially ones that are so shiny, smooth, and squishy (ie perfect for licking and trying to suck). That's me, the dream-dasher. At least I use a nice tone of voice...