My GREAT Aunts & Meela
Thursday, August 8, 2002 Edition
This past weekend my Great Aunt Carol & Kitty came and visited me. It was wonderful to see them. We spent some quality time together Sunday. They told me all their stories, and I demonstrated how to play with all my toys. Aunt Carol took at least 2 rolls of film! On Monday, we all went to the zoo together. That was a lot of fun. I took them around to see all my favorite animals. Then we went to Steak & Shake. I showed them how I love to eat grilled cheese just like Mommy. Then Tuesday we went out to lunch again. Aunt Carol shared her peas with me. They were yummy (but not as good as grilled cheese!). Then they had to head back to Evansville. The good part is that I get to see them AGAIN this weekend.
A little before all that - on Saturday - we had a visit from Meela & her parents. Meela's dad is a friend of Daddy's from college. They used to play tennis together. I had a great time getting to know Meela. She is a CUTIE! We played together on the floor. Then we all went out to dinner at PF Changs. It was yummy. We did a little shopping too. It was a great visit. I can't wait until we go down to Louisville sometime and visit them.
I still am working on all my tricks. On Tuesday night I learned a neat one. I can now get from my belly to a sitting up position all by myself. This helps a lot... especially when I get frustrated from trying to crawl. I still haven't mastered crawling... but Mommy says there's no rush! (She says that about my teeth too... I wonder why.)
I am sleeping better through the night too. I figure there's no use getting up anymore since Mommy has decided she's not going to feed me during the night. So what's the use? Mommy also bought me a cute little elephant that is also a blanket so I have something to cuddle in the night when I am missing her or Daddy. However, I figure, if I sleep for such a long time, then when I wake up around 4:00 or so, it's party time... and I want to be up for the rest of the day. Mommy says we still have to work on that. (She's a stickler!)
A couple of times this week, my friend Olivia (she's 8) from next door has come over to play with me in the afternoon. She is really good with me. Then Mommy can get some chores done while Olivia & I have some fun!
Travel is in our forecast.... Evansville this weekend to help everyone move... and then Columbus next weekend to celebrate Brandon's birthday. Look for future Times for more details!
Talk to you again soon!
Noah
Working Hard in Evansville
Friday, August 16, 2002 Edition
Phew! I'm all tired out. I spent this past weekend down in Evansville helping my relatives move. I also helped put in the laminate floor for Grammy & Grandpa's new living room. It was hard work. The real reason I'm tired though is because I didn't get a whole lot of naps... I mean who can sleep with all that hammering & sawing going on?!?!?!
I was a good boy, though, despite my lack of sleep. I got to spend lots of time playing with my Grammy.
I am making up for the naps by getting LOTS of quality sleep at night. I felt sorry for Mommy when I saw those bags under her eyes... so I have decided to sleep from 8-4 without waking up. However, I still haven't chosen a good waking up time... I can't decide if I like 4 or 5:30 or maybe 5:45... Mommy says after 6:00 is best, but I'm still not convinced.
I'm sleeping through the night because I am plenty busy during the day! I have LOTS of things to practice. I am REALLY working hard on my crawling. Yesterday I made it all the way across the floor of my playroom. That was fun.... it wasn't pretty (I have a unique way of doing so that involves one of my legs always being ready to sit down at a moments notice)... but it was fun. I also surprised Mommy & Daddy by pulling myself up to stand on Daddy's legs while he was lying down. That was neat.
Today I am going to the State Fair with my two best friends, Alex & Delaney. I am looking forward to having LOTS of fun. Then we are heading to Ohio to celebrate Brandon's birthday with Nonna, Grandpa, GG & Aunt Katie. I'm a kid on the go!
Talk to you again soon!
Noah
Watch Out World; Here I Come!
Monday, August 19, 2002 Edition
It's official... I am finally on the move! Yes, you've got it... I can crawl! Sometimes I can look pretty funny doing it, but it gets me where I want to go.
Now that I've realized the world is such a big place, I want my Mommy and Daddy close by at all times. I get a little grumpy when they do not want to stay right by me or hold me when I want them. I still love to smile and watch other people, but when it gets right down to it, I know who feeds & clothes me... and I figure they better stay where I can see them.
The state fair was fun. I didn't really pay much attention to the animals or the fun activities that Alex & Delaney were doing. I liked to watch the people and eat my toes instead. That was fun enough for me. Mommy & Daddy successfully tired me out, and I slept the entire 3 hours in the car to Columbus!
Nonna, Grandpa, GG & Aunt Katie were happy to see me this weekend. I had fun with each one of them. I showed them how I could crawl, and they all were suitably impressed. I gave Aunt Katie some advice on buying a used car. I played with GG a lot. She is VERY good at getting me the toys with which I want to play.
We celebrated Brandon's birthday. He's 17. He got a cool remote control Jeep from Nonna... I loved to watch it drive all over the driveway. He liked to pick me up and was very proud to hold me. (For a refresher... Brandon is a developmentally challenged boy with whom Uncle Bryan used to work who is now a very close friend of our family.)
Of COURSE we had our traditional Sunday brunch at Tim Horton's with GG. Daddy & Mommy ate their Bavarian creme doughnuts while GG had her crullers. Grandpa shared his southern biscuit with me, and Nonna shared her bagel. Grandma Annie (another friend of the family) came too.
We drove home early Sunday afternoon so we could make it in time for Alex's THIRD birthday. I liked watching the kids there. I took some wagon rides with some of them. Alex had a really neat birthday cake with a big hill & trucks on it. That Aunt Jody is so creative! I got Alex a castle for his birthday. He liked it a lot.
Birthdays, birthdays & more birthdays. Next weekend I am going to celebrate Great Grandma Roberts birthday down in southern Indiana. The funniest thing is... all three of them actually have the exact same birthday! WOW!
That's it for now. Talk to you again soon!
Noah
Stand Up! Stand Up! for what you believe in
Monday, August 26, 2002 Edition
Well, crawling just wasn't enough of a challenge. I decided I needed to add even more thrills to my life (and of course my parents') so.............. I am now pulling myself up to stand on anything I can find. My favorite thing to stand up on is the noisy toy (one of them) that Nonna got me for Christmas. My mom's least favorite thing that I pull myself up on is my crib.
I continue to investigate our household and to find all the nooks and crannies that Mommy & Daddy have been hiding from me all these months. I try to pull on as many cords as I can when they are not looking. They are quick though. I'm thinking of some more creative ways I can get into trouble as I type.
I wore myself out with all this activity... and so I became susceptible to a fever. I was sick all weekend. This did not put me (or Mommy) in a very good mood. I decided I'd see just how much Mommy & Daddy could take, so today I decided, even though I was recovering from my fever, I wouldn't take any naps. It wasn't a great day for any of the three of us.
Yesterday we had a good day though. We went to Orleans, Indiana to celebrate Great-Grandma Roberts' birthday at my Uncle Buddy's house. Grammy, Grandpa, Aunt Amy, Uncle Tom & Justin were there too. I didn't get to play too much with Justin, because I didn't want to get him sick. I did get to see him swimming in the pool with Grandpa, though.
Talk to you again soon!
Noah
I'm Still Standing... Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
Saturday, August 31, 2002 Edition
I'm getting better & better at pulling myself up to stand. I am quite quick at it now.
On Thursday I had my very first play group. Some of the people from our breastfeeding support group have decided to start playing together once a week. We hosted the first one at our house. About 8 of my friends & their moms came over to play this week. It was a lot of fun. I liked crawling around the floor with all those other babies.
Friday was picture day for my 9 month photos. Mommy had waited until there were no scratches on my face from when I like to rub & scratch my eyes. This wasn't good enough for me... so I decided to wait until her back was turned for one minute while she was changing me on the bed... and... WAHOO! I took a nose dive off the bed. Fortunately for Mommy, I only got a little red spot on the side of my forehead. I felt just like a movie star when I got to have make up on my forehead to cover it up for my pictures.
This week I also learned how to clap. This gets Mommy & Daddy pretty excited. Soon we are all just clapping fools with lots of laughter ensuing. I hold my right hand out in front of me, nice & still, while I move my left hand to clap it. Then I get really excited and move my hands wildly up & down to celebrate. It's lots of fun & gets some great reactions from everyone. It's even better than when I used to shake my head no (which I'm doing more again these days). I'm also learning how to stick my tongue out (but not in a mean way!).
I am sleeping pretty well through the night... except I still like to get up at 4:30 or so to start my day. This is making Mommy & Daddy a little tired. I'm eating really well too. In addition to breast milk & my baby food, I am also starting to eat lots of finger foods. In fact, that's what I prefer. I love to feed myself.
Tomorrow I am going to a picnic at the Winters' house. We don't have any other specific plans for Labor Day this year. We are just taking it easy around the house.
Talk to you again soon!
Noah