didionville

Ever since — and definitely during — Didion’s birth, I have been totally amazed by Leslie. She has always known just what to do and just what Didion needs, kind of like the Oracle at Delphi. I am sure I am not the first husband and father to notice this, but the mothering instinct is real and special. Every cry, every new feeding or sleeping pattern, Leslie has quickly figured out. Didion loves hanging out with her — he totally lights up when she comes back into a room, and watches wistfully as she leaves. I love seeing the two of them together — reading, singing, dancing; Leslie is always coming up with a new way to entertain him. I know how much work it is just to keep him fed and clothed and clean, adding in unique entertainment is truly a feat.

So Happy Mother’s Day to Leslie! And to our moms and sisters and grandmas, too. It is only now with Didion that I can really see what it takes to be a mom. All I can say is, “Wow!”, and thank you. I should probably apologize for all of the pooping and crying, etc.

today is grandma maryann and grandpa jer’s 37th wedding anniversary! mommy mentioned it while we were having lunch.

actually, we’re still having lunch, and mommy is typing this because my hands … and chin … and nose … and forehead … are covered in oatmeal.

so congratulations grandma and grandpa! i don’t know how long or even WHAT “37″ is, but i will close with grandma maryann’s standard annual response when anyone wishes her a happy anniversary:

“THIRTY-SEVEN [actually, any number applies] YEARS IS TOO LONG TO EXPECT TWO PEOPLE TO HAVE TO LIVE TOGETHER! hrmph!”

now back to my oatmeal …

today i am six-months old. i went to the doctor today for my regular checkup and shots. i am growing exactly like i am supposed to. i weigh 18 lbs. 1 oz. and am 27-3/4 inches long. i let the doctor poke and prod me without whining or struggling. the doctor said i was a very good baby. and when i got my shots, i cried for less than a minute. the doctor picked me up, and i nestled in his neck. then i was totally fine.

mommy brought me home, and we had oatmeal and bananas. then daddy came home, and we all went for a little walk and hung out on the deck. now it’s time to watch baseball, but the shots are making me feel a little achy and tired, so i think i will go to bed early.

updates are on their way … we’ve been pretty busy lately, largely because i decided to begin teething last saturday.

i drool. i wail. i chomp on things.

and i suspect this is going to be a marathon process. mommy and daddy can feel a little lump in my bottom gum, but it’s not swollen or red … so who knows when the tooth is going to decide to make an appearance.

when i’m not in teething mode, i am in eating mode. i eat as much as i can as fast as i can, and mommy’s really been mixing it up with my menu options. she bought yummy organic baby food, and i’ve been wolfing it down. it’s pretty awesome when a turkey-vegetable puree ACTUALLY TASTES like turkey and vegetables.

oh, and i’ve also taught myself how to take off my bib and throw it to the ground with great authority. i like to wrestle mommy over whether i will wear my bib, and guess what? i usually win. can you tell?

o.k., so worry not. i’m meeting with my media team over the next few days, and before you know it, you will be totally in-the-know.

more later …

did you feel it yesterday?

that cosmic energy force reverberating all day long … making everyone’s aura just a little bigger, a little brighter …

come on, you HAD TO HAVE felt it …

IT WAS AUNTIE LORETTA’S BIRTHDAY!!!

duh!

“how old,” you ask? … good question. i asked, too, and mommy groaned, “OLD!” but still a few months younger than mommy …

*** *** ***

we also had a naturific experience with a late-afternoon influx of deer in the backyard … not exactly *IN* the backyard, but just beyond the fence, in the neighbor’s backyard.

mommy counted a total of six deer. they were just chillin’, and mommy was surprised by how close they let her get. a lot of people who have lived here their whole lives think deer are pests. mommy and daddy definitely don’t think this way, and mommy will never get tired of seeing them. who cares if they eat the landscaping … priorities, people!

photos:

closer and bigger …

this deer was the bravest and took the greatest interest in mommy and me …

check out the super-white tail …

and then there was grover …

mommy took me to the pharmacy, and when i saw this grover puppet, i swore I HAD TO HAVE IT!

now we are working on our comedy act …

big stuff happened on tuesday.

big-boy ryan got to go home from the hospital with his mommy. his size definitely contributed to a relatively rough delivery, but his size also helped him get super-strong afterwards.

you go, ryan!

that was in the morning.

in the afternoon, mommy and i had to take izzie to the vet. you see, izzie likes to do this:

and lately his back legs have been giving out. at first mommy and daddy thought his muscles were just sore. then they thought the floors were just too slippery (all of a sudden??? and certainly NOT from being clean!) … but they resigned themselves to the fact that izzie is getting old (9 years), and that he was getting bad hips and arthritis like bigger dogs often do.

mommy was not handling this prospect very well.

so off to the vet we go … and GOOD NEWS!

izzie’s bod is in great shape! his hips and musculature are awesome (as always). he actually has a COMPRESSED DISC! can you believe it? g-pa jer, auntie jen, mommy … they all have bad backs … and now izzie, too?!?!?!?!

the vet says it’s from an injury … mommy and daddy think it is likely from hurling himself into the tree when he jumps on his rope.

but, gosh, does he LOVE pulling on that rope.

prescription: muscle relaxants, steroids, and rest.

prognosis: full recovery.

woo-hoo!!! mommy’s friend, buffy, gave birth to her third child (and first son) today. she went into labor this morning, and ryan joseph was born this afternoon.

and, friends, if you thought i was big …

ryan weighed in at 10 lbs, 2.5 oz …

WHOA!

mommy doesn’t have all the details yet, but she does know the MOST IMPORTANT stuff … mommy and baby are healthy and doing a-ok!

here’s a pic of ryan. he’s just a few hours old …

big stuff has been happenin’ here in the pok …

first, i am now comfortably wearing all of my 6-to-9-month clothes, which is terrific because i have received some very hip duds for this age range. mommy, though, is a tad discomfited by it all, considering i am only just barely five months old. it seems every time she turns around, i am outgrowing this or that …

second, mommy made yet another of her habitual bold moves this afternoon. we were driving home from running errands. i was trying to catch a nap in my car seat, when mommy pulled over in front of a hair salon that is about two blocks from our house. she lugged me into the place and asked if they take walk-ins. luckily one of the stylists — the one who had been recommended to her in the past by a couple of people — was able to take her, and …

mommy got ALL OF HER HAIR CHOPPED OFF!!!!

she has the same haircut as me!!!!

she is ECSTATIC, and daddy likes it, too. the best part of it all is that mommy had enough hair cut off to donate to locks of love. she is putting her ponytail in the mail tomorrow. (she and daddy also donated some money to the organization, and ibm will match it!)

i gotta say, the ladies at the salon sure did looooooooove me! talkin’ to me and smilin’ at me and tellin’ mommy how cute and good i am … sheesh! i must admit, though, i was REALLY GOOD. the only time i got a little whiny was when the lady cutting mommy’s hair blocked my sight line. when i’m in new digs, i need to see my peeps (mommy or daddy) at all times. i’m chill; i just need to know my crew is nearby.

third, the weather has been so nutty lately. yesterday it was cold and rainy. today it was humid and warm (high 60s!!!) … mommy says it’s tornado weather. (if we were in los angeles with this craziness, grandma maryann would say it was earthquake weather … like mother, like daughter, i suppose.)

but i got to see my first rainbow.

o.k. gotta go … the yankee game is on (postponed from yesterday), and i have some serious spectating to do with my daddy.

today auntie loretta starts her new job. i don’t wanna divulge too much, but we are sending super-duper supportive vibes all the way to los angeles … burbank, actually … the warner brothers lot, to be absolutely specific.

woo-hoo!

mommy updated our flickr album with all the photos from our trip to the city.

enjoy!