Walk Hard

So our little man has finally decided to put his traveling shoes on.

The cell phone is a great motivator.


Get on the good foot!

He's been threatening for a while, but only in the past couple of days did he not only walk a bit, but he initiated his own walking. You can't see that here with all this cellular cajoling, but he has dashed our fears that we would have an adult son crawling around our basement forever.

McNear's Beach

At the end of August we had a picnic at McNear's Beach with the fam (Patty, Kendal, Miye, Ryan and Elizabeth). Desmond, always the Renaissance man, developed new interests in jellyfish, shiny bike helmets and clear plastic plates.



Gymboree

Grandma got us a Gymboree membership for the month of August.
Desmond really seemed to like it - thanks Lynne!



We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

You were born on October 6, 2007. How is it possible that one year has gone by already? It seems like it was just yesterday, and at the same time it seems like you've been here with us forever. I love you so much, sweet boy. Happy birthday!

Tickle Monster



Somebody Likes Watermelon

Really
really
really
likes watermelon.

Seussical

Kendra, Gage and Scout came to visit in mid-August. We went to play in the park, ate at a yummy Cambodian restaurant for dinner, then left Ron and Desmond at home to go see an evening showing of Seussical in Joaquin Miller Park. We did not dress correctly - it was freezing! Luckily Kendra had bags of old clothes she was planning to take to Goodwill in the trunk of her car. We layered on lots of clothing and laughed hysterically at how stupid we looked. (Why did I not take pictures??!!) Poor Gage was so embarrassed to be seen with us silly females. But in the end, we were relatively warm, and I think Scout and Gage enjoyed the show.





Stand in the Place Where You Live

Bad R.E.M. reference for such a wondrous event. This video was taken a mere two days after he had stood for the first time. The next frontier...walking. But that will be another video for another time.

Bathing Beauty




More Camping Photos

Our wee precious tent.Heather and Eric's clearly preferable, hulking enormity of a tent.
D, dad's feet and mom.
Breakfast.
Early morning deer sighting.

First Camping Trip

My friend Heather persuaded us to go camping for a night in Bodega Bay. It was good fun. Desmond and Myles had a great time pushing each other around on Myles' car, Heather and Eric made yummy burritos for dinner, and then we sat around the campfire and had s'mores, which are always the best part of camping.

The no-sleep-all-night part was not so much fun. We've got a teeny little backpacking tent that is clearly not suitable for 2 grown adults plus a baby. It's not that Desmond takes up so much room, it's that such close proximity to us makes him want to nurse all night long. He slept and suckled, and if I tried to move him he would instantly wake up and cry. LOUDLY. Not acceptable in a tightly packed campground. So I would pop him back on, he'd go to sleep, and I would stare at the ceiling of the tent wondering how many hours it could possibly be until dawn. At the crack of dawn I cracked, and demanded that Ron take the baby and leave - I didn't care where - and let me get at least an hour or two of sleep. Ron took him for a long drive in the car, where they saw many beautifully antlered deer. Well, Ron saw them - Desmond was fast asleep in his car seat. Of course.

We decided we need a tent like Heather and Eric have - a huge lurking green thing with 2 "rooms." They had a blow-up mattress for themselves in one room, and the pack-n-play for Myles in the other room. The result: happy and well-rested family. Yes please!





Climb Every Mountain

Desmond learned how to climb stairs. This is his story.


Dad sounds like a total goof in this one.


Even new skills can be derailed by well-placed banisters.

I'm a (10-month-old) Lumberjack and I'm OK

I'm a lumberjack, and I'm okay.
I sleep all night. I play all day.
I drink my milk. I eat my lunch.
I poop in my diapees.
On Wednesdays I go shoppin'
And have pureed peas for tea.

I'm a lumberjack, and I'm okay.
I sleep all night. I play all day.
I climp up steps. I crawl and cruise.
I like to giggle and fart.
I put on toddler clothing
And hang around in parks.