September 2006

He crawls, he stands, he cruises! Why is the baby so skinny, you ask? Because he expends all his energy moving around! As much fun as Alex was in August, September was that much better. With the exception of teething (the first tooth didn't erupt until October), he's a joy for Mommy to attend to. On the other hand, the house does not get clean, because while he's awake, he must be attended. My goal for the last week in September: tidy up the downstairs. My goal for the first week of October: tidy up the downstairs. Hopefully it'll be tidied by the time Barbara and Jack visit again in the middle of October.
Oh, and Alex and Caira are best friends. I think they're at the same developmental stage. They like the same things, comprehend about the same vocabulary (look!, no!, here!, get-your-sister!, mama!, papa!), and are invariably interested in what the other is doing. Luckily, Alex will mature past this point. (Alex also will look at the TV if I say "Boohbah!") Anyways, enough rambling before pictures.


September 1.
The grandmas, Alex, and I went to the pool at Pala Resort... and were admiring how Alex's feet have grown. What big feet he has!


September 1.
Alex, Grandma Barbara, and Devil Ducky(TM).






September 1.
If you notice, the box is marked as "Fragile". Peanuts, by the way, do not support the weight of a baby. Or a cat.
Grandma's possibly contemplating a new way of visiting the baby.

September 4.
Alex holding the dog's ball. Actually, everything is now the property of the baby, so he's holding his ball, which used to belong to Joshua. In the background is the amazing ball popping machine, which is adept at making a big mess within thirty seconds of activation.



September 9.
The cat will climb into any container within proximity to the baby. Alex will then push, turn, or climb the said container. Everybody's happy.


September 9.
We ventured to the zoo for the special *members only* White Elephant Sale. I didn't advise Travis that this was the purpose behind the trip, only suggested that we go "to the zoo". We bought a couple stuffed animals for Alex's collection, and a hat for when he's a little bigger. (This hat, by the way, is too small for him within a month.) Here we are on the Sky Ride, where Alex enjoyed mouthing (or attempting to) the bars holding us in.



September 14.
He has learned how to turn on the bath water. In magnitude of amusement at this development are: Alex, Caira, Mommy, Papa. These pictures are taken before an unscheduled bath. But you know, when he's having fun, there's nothing wrong with a little unscheduled bath.



(And to the right, a picture of Alex's profile. When he concentrates on exploring something, he has tremendous focus.)





September 16.
Alex and Caira, examining a toy. The best way for Alex to pick what toy he wants to play with is to dump out his bin full of them. Then, he'll find something to entertain him for a moment or two. Often, it's the bin itself, which he can push around.


September 21.
...Or, after exuberant playing with the bin and the cat, the bin will be over the cat, much to both of their amusement. Until Alex wants to push the bin, with the cat underneath. He can also follow the cat around, if she's not in the bin.






September 22.
Kitty kisses! Despite Caira's large girth, Alex significantly outweighs her.



September 22.
Alex had decided he was finished eating shortly after I prepared a nice bowl of oatmeal for him. In October, his method of signalling that he's done is to merely turn his head away or refuse to open up. In September, it was to put his hands in his food. We can sort of say that at least the food isn't being wasted, if he's playing with it. Baby oatmeal, by the way, is a much better adhesive than rice cereal, although the texture is lumpier.





September 24.
Alex and Papa playing. Papa likes dressing up Devil Ducky(TM) as Count Duckula.



September  29.
... pushing an even bigger bin. These Target bins are among my favorite home devices - inexpensive, and oh, so useful.





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