WE LOVE BABY VI

FUNNY BOY

Oliver, in his most dapper and mature stance, watching Elmo.

There is something so irresistible and amusing about the way Lolly moves. He is very dexterous and coordinated...but he pulls these funny faces and leads with his tummy. He looks like a little Who. He is an agile climber and you always get the feeling he knows something that he's not letting on. In his deep, dry voice, he jabbers in what sounds to me like Hungarian. Or Hebrew. Lots of consonants. My neighbor thinks it sounds like the Ewok language. Oliver often runs with his eyes closed. ?? And he loves to zip around with his silky over his face playing peek-a-boo as he bounces of the walls, floor, and furniture. He reaches for outlets or climbs on the piano, looking over his shoulder at me saying, "Nuh-no." He keeps me smiling all day. A busy bundle of joy!

MAMA TIRED

The boys got over their stomach flu a good week and a half ago, yet I dreamed all last night about cleaning up vomit. A couple times I woke up, thinking I heard one of them whimpering in the next room. Turns out it was just my companion's nose whistling. An exhausting night, even with the babies sleeping soundly.

Not only has Lamb been working ridiculous hours--like SEVENTY this week, plus Messiah rehearsal and performance--but he has also taken my car to work because of the bad snow and the extra deliveries and catering jobs that pack December. So my lads and I have been home-bound even after they got well. (No end in sight to the runny noses they've had since Thanksgiving weekend. But the ralphing and the big D are over.) It has already been a long, cold, lonely winter. If not for dear Lori and Marge, I wouldn't have even a little Christmas shopping done. I just barely got our Christmas cards to the post office late last night.

When X was napping yesterday, I bundled Oli and took him in the backyard to alleviate his cabin fever. Maudie immediately absconded with one of his mittens. She's bored, too.

Can't wait for 3pm on Christmas Eve when the restaurant will be CLOSED for the blessed holiday.

I'm pooped but restless. Who wants to meet at midnight for some treacherous sledding at Willowcreek park??

ATTEMPTS AT A CHRISTMAS CARD PHOTO

9 MONTH CHECKUP

At his 9 month check up, our little X weighed in at 21 pounds (50%) and was 29 3/4inches long (90%). He was working on some squats for a few days and now can push up to standing without holding anything for support. With hands and feet close together on the floor, he pushes his bum up, stinkbug-style, and then simply raises from the waist. (He won't do it while the video camera is on.) He stands in place for several seconds, making gorilla noises, and we're afraid he's just going to start marching one of these first days. He and Brother have been under the weather. We've got boxes of tissue in strategic spots. And lets not talk about the synchronized dia diapers today.

THANKSGIVING

A tidy Thanksgiving at home with just the Larson side this year. Note the swell place cards and centerpiece Asher helped me make.

"IS THERE A PROBLEM, OFFICER?"

SHORN

I took Oliver to Cookie Cutters for some help with his long locks. The stylist buzzed him much shorter than I requested. Maybe since it was Veteran's Day, she was providing haircuts suitable for lads wanting to enlist. Right afterward I thought it was cute, though drastic. But the next day I cried a little for my baby. He looks so big--especially as he is running everywhere he goes these days. It will grow.

TEETH

X's first tooth finally poked through on November 16th, just before he turned 9 months old. He let us know it was coming a few days prior by screaming all night, according to Brent, "like a chimpanzee getting skinned." Poor baby. Oliver was cutting a couple new teeth at the same time. Instead of crying about it, he found something soft to bite.


Naughty, but Lennox is so delicious, you can't really blame Oliver.

NEWPORT BEACH

LONG LIVE HALLOWEEN!

Much to the disappointment of the neighborhood, we didn't do our standard Halloween Bash. Three reasons: 1) two mobile babies who would have ruined or been injured by our haunted basement/backyard. 2) Shayna and family, some of our most dedicated party patrons, had a 7-day-old baby. 3)We were flying to California the morning of November 1st. So we had a drastically downscaled Halloweener. The party was at Shayna's on the 30th.

I even let slip my philosphy of "creepy over cutesy" costumes. Lennox had to be a bunny. He simply is an adorable chubby bunny. So Oliver was his magician. Cool as ever, he stayed in character all night. And when I decided Lamb should be a sock monkey, I tried to think of another toy for my costume. I found the blouse in the costume closet, and "Back From Beijing Barbie" evolved. Looking at the pics (I'm only sharing the most flattering), perhaps "Thunder Thighs Barbie" would have been more accurate.

Here's Kinners again since she got cut off in the slide show:

BABY VIOLET

Shayna had her baby girl October 23 at about 3:30 am. (Kevin called me about 2:20 am, "This is your brother-in-law, Kevin Swiss." I guess you want to be specific at that hour. He said I was quiet for two beats and then replied, "BABY??")

Violet Jan Swiss. Jan after our mommy whose birthday is the following day. Our mom didn't much like her own name, but we really like our mom. Shayna is She-ra. She devlivered naturally again, by choice. Kinsey and I joined Kev to witness the miracle. Nothing, NOTHING like the birth of a new person. I get weepy thinking about it. Violet is beautiful like her momma, and we all love her.

She's about 12 hours old in this picture.



And here she is in confection form: the cake I made for Shayna's shower.

FALL PICNIC OCTOBER 16, 2008