Apple Picking and 11 Months Old

This weekend we joined other families from my school for our almost-annual apple picking trip. We don't go every year, but have been several times in the last 5 years or so and it's always a lot of fun to hang out, pick some apples, and eat a picnic lunch. It was a beautiful day... we couldn't have picked a better one -pun intended. When London is a little older we'll grab a picking pole and trek out further into the orchard, but for today's little adventure, we walked about 10 feet from the car, took a couple of pictures and then made our way through the crowd (it was packed!) to the pre-picked apple bins and the pumpkin patch. We ate our lunch amongst the bees and the stink bugs (they really are bad this year) and then headed home with one exhausted boy (no morning nap + fresh air + sunshine = a very quiet car ride home) and enough apples for my almost-annual homemade apple pie. A good day.

"How am I supposed to do this again?"

"Like this."

"Oh... that was easy."

"Then you put it in the bag."

"No problem. I'll get a couple more..."

"Uh... I think that's enough. Let's go pick out a pumpkin."

"Which one do you want, Mom? This one?"

"That one over there is pretty nice..."

"Or how about that one?"

"I want this one!"

"Which one??"

"Ha ha. Very funny."

The year continues to fly by at an alarming rate and London continues to grow and change just as rapidly. Two weeks ago he started walking! He can go about 5 feet before he wobbles and falls down, but his control is pretty amazing. He often stops mid-journey, catches his balance, and takes another step or two before he takes a seat.

Party plans are underway: the invitations have been ordered, the menu has been set, and there's a little wagon hiding in the guest room with London's name on it (figuratively speaking). We're so excited!

We were lucky to get this shot at the orchard. By this point, he had had enough and wanted DOWN in a big way! Did I mention that he's really strong-willed? Toddlerhood is looming...

10 months!!

The birthday party plans are underway! I've got a test cake waiting to be frosted on the kitchen counter (I'm testing my frosting capabilities - Betty Crocker's cake has already been tested!) and a list of ideas that grows daily. We're only two short months away from the big oh-one! And no, I can't believe it.

Let's see... milestones from this month... more teeth are coming in... incisors, I think. He can stand for a couple of seconds at a time and cruises effortlessly around the house via anything that will hold his weight. He's mastered the waving thing and enjoys waving goodbye and (especially) hello at the window. It makes my heart melt to see that little smiling face grinning down at me from the living room window when I get home from work! So cute! He's also in the midst of his first cold. Not necessarily a milestone I was looking forward to, but it had to happen sooner or later.

We had a follow up doctor visit to recheck his weight from his 9 month check-up. She was very happy with his weight gain. He's definitely on a new growth curve (the tall/skinny one) and even though he's in the 13th percentile for weight, he stayed put (last month he was in the 14th) and gained 11 ounces. He still eats like a champ and is thoroughly enjoying the new and yummy world of dairy products. Peach yogurt is a strong contender to knock blueberries out of the Number One Favorite Food of All Time slot.

So, we're all good. London's happy, we're happy, life is pretty good right now.

I LOVE the camera!!

Mommy got me some new jeans. They make my knees more comfy

when I crawl around, but I won't be crawling around for much longer!

I said, "Don't touch the hair!"

Pern's Birthday and the Birth of an Artist

Yesterday was Pern's 39th birthday. London surprised him with this balloon:

But I think the balloon surprised him, too!

"Every time I pull it down, it pops back up again!"

(p.s. See the fireplace mantle /wall in the background?

It's going to change a little further down in this post.)

"Get back here!"

London gave Pern just what he wanted for his birthday:

A musical magnet-matching "fridge farm" that sings!

It's living on our dishwasher.

Pern specifically requested a grocery store cake - nasty blue frosting and all.

London took it all in... it's his birthday in two months, after all!

He needs to know what to expect!

So the other day I was putting something away in one of the upstairs closets and found a blank canvas that I'd bought ages ago, but forgotten about. Aha! I thought. I'd been wanting to rearrange the fireplace mantle area for a while. The sunroom is now London's play area and a wedding photo (not even of us, but of some clients from 2007) doesn't quite do it for me (and probably not for L either). So I decided that London would have his first painting experience and decorate the walls with something he created.

If I'd thought it out more carefully, I wouldn't have set him up on the table and I would've skipped the newspaper... too slippery. Oh, well... live and learn. There's always next time.

I held his arm or hand just to keep the brush from ending up in his mouth.

The brushstrokes are totally his.

"L" for London, perhaps?

He looks like he's really giving it some thought, doesn't he?

Yeah... the whole thing took about two and a half minutes.

But, we love it!!

And so does our fireplace.

The artists dons his creativity helmet and heads to the music table to compose.

His artistic expression knows no limits... :)

9 month stats

"Do I look tiny to you??!!!"

That's what the lady at JoAnn's said the other day. Turns out she was right! Sigh... We had London's 9 month check up this afternoon and the numbers aren't great. He weighs 18.2 pounds (only up 1 pound, 2 ounces since 6 months) and he's almost 29 inches long (up almost 2 inches). That puts him in the 68th percentile for height and the 14th percentile for weight. Yes, you read that right... 14th!!! Aaaack!! I wouldn't say I'm freaking out, but I'm not happy either. I know he's going to be tall and skinny... he just has that build, but the 14th percentile?? Really?? The kid eats EVERYTHING that is put in front of him! If the tray weren't attached to the chair, he'd eat that too! He's in constant motion... everything he eats is burned up in the blur of motion that is London. One pound in three months?? Are you kidding me??

So, as if I didn't have enough to worry about what with nursing/working/pumping, I'm now supposed to figure out how to squeeze another nursing session in (just when he's given up the nighttime nursing and started sleeping through the night), and make a concentrated effort to add more fat to his diet. Sigh... I wish someone would tell me I had to gain a few pounds. That's a whole other story entirely... :(

Anyway... we'll go back at the beginning of September for a weight/height check. Until then... bring on the avocados and cheese!

Mmmm... I LOVE avocados and cheese!!

I can eat them with my teeth...

... or charm them into my belly with my winning personality and dashing good looks!