A List for Tuesday

 Woke up right as I took the picture.

He was seriously sleeping like this!

Rolling over.

Like always!

Baby Dane at 4 Months: A List

• Age: 4 months 2 days
• Weight: 13 pounds 7 ounces (25th percentile)
• Length: 27 inches (15th percentile)
• Head circumference: 39.8 centimeters (5th percentile)
• Rolls over from back to front, but seems to have forgotten how to go from front to back
• Fallen off the bed: once
• Smiles: all the time!
• Chews on: anything that comes near his mouth
• Teeth: zero
• Head-shape: awkward; if we can't get it to round out he might have to wear a goofy helmet
• Sleeps through the night almost every night. I usually get about 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep!
• Feet: fascinating
• Funniest person in the world: Daddy
• Completely intrigued by: Dutch
• Doesn't know quite what to do with: Bo
• Reaches for: everything
• Eats: breast milk; formula every once in a while; no solid food yet, maybe after we move
• Overall personality: mellow

In conclusion we have the sweetest, smallest baby boy in the whole world!

Dutch's First Day of School

 I told him to look at me and this is what he did.

He was trying to pull Bo into the picture.

Today was Dutch's first day of pre-school. He is in Ms. Gretchen's class on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:30 to 1:45. On Saturday we took him to pick out a backpack (the only school supply he needed). He surprised no one by picking a Toy Story one with Buzz and Woody on it. 

This morning he decided he wanted to wear his Percy (the train from Thomas and Friends) underwear instead of a diaper. I was wary, but said yes. He did great this morning and didn't have any accidents, so I told him he could go to school in them too. I warned one of his paraeducators, Barbara (a friend of my mom-in-laws) that he was not 100% potty trained.

When I went to pick him up I saw he was still in his same outfit. Hooray! But it turns out they were taking him inside to change him. They weren't sure if he'd had an accident because they'd been playing in water, but they changed him just to be sure. I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and say it was just water! ;)

They said that he did great and was a sweetheart! Then in the car on the way home I asked him what he did at school today and he said, just as clear as can be, "I played with toys." I started crying! It was the first time he'd referred to himself as "I" and the first time he'd used a full sentence like that without prompting. It was a little miracle that made the day perfect.

By the way, when I dropped him off I did not cry OR jump for joy, although I was sure I would end up doing one or the other. I think this is going to be a great school year!

Pictures of Dane

I promised my nieces Bella and Evie that I would put up pictures of Dane. They say I haven't been good enough about giving them pictures. So, because I want to remain the favorite aunt, I am doing what they say.

 Asleep on the bed.

 Asleep on the bed.

 Dane with his Auntie Clarissa.

(taken by Dutch and/or Cambria)

 Dane eating.

(Taken by Dutch and/or Cambria)

 Dane

(Taken by Dutch and/or Cambria)

 Dane crying.

(Taken by Dutch and/or Cambria)

 Extreme close-up of Dane

(Taken by Dutch and/or Cambria)

Dane asleep on Mama.

(Taken by Dutch)

A List for Tuesday

I've decided to make a "30 Before 30" list of things to do, but I think I'll need some suggestions. Keep in mind that it's only about a year and a half before I turn 30 and that I have two kids, so pretty much anything abroad is not an option. Here's what I have so far:

1. Get one of my books published.
2. Go to Disneyland.
3. Own a piece of jewelry from Tiffany & Co.
4. Learn how to knit something other than a scarf.
5. Take a class on letter pressing.
6. Take a road trip.
7. Go horseback riding.
8. Finally get a honeymoon with Chris.
9. Plant a vegetable garden.
10. Learn how to salsa dance.

Okay, so I only have ten. I need some suggestions! And...GO!

Speaking Dutch

I try to encourage Dutch to talk at every chance I get. The other day we passed one of his favorite things: a back-hoe. He instantly shouted, "Truck!" and I said, "That's a back-hoe. Can you say back-hoe?" He looks at me, nods his head and says, "Uh-huh." I say: "Will you say it for me? Will you say back-hoe." Dutch: "No."

Can't say I didn't try.

A List for Tuesday

5 Things I'm Looking Forward To:

1. Closing on our house
2. Painting the master bedroom in our new house
3. Painting the back door in our new house
4. Dutch starting pre-school
5. Finishing my next draft of Adelaide and Eagan

A Couple of Pictures of Dane-Dane

 Playing with his IKEA play-thing

Sleeping in his bouncer.

Isn't he so cute?

A List for Tuesday

5 of my favorite pictures Dutch has taken with my camera:

 Bo

 Daddy

 Self-portrait

 Train tracks

Mama in the hospital after Dane-Dane was born

(Dutch has just started calling him that)

Saggy Mo

July 2011

My dad changed my niece Mo's diaper.

He couldn't find one of hers, 

so he thought Dutch's might work just as well.

Below are the hilarious results!

A List for Tuesday

In our apartment complex there are a lot of people with dogs. I have a dog, but I'm not dog-crazy (emphasis on the crazy) like some of the people here.

5 Things About Dog Owners That Bug Me
1. They address all conversation to you through their dog. As in, "Can you say good morning? Can you say that we went to the pool today?" No, they can't.
2. A responsible pet owner cleans up after their pet. It's disgusting, however, to hold the bag under them and catch the poop as it comes out. You really can't just pick it up off the ground like a normal person? Gross!
3. There's a dirty old man here who has trained his dog to stop whenever a pretty girl goes by. I'm not sure how he did that, but every time I see him he is leering at a chick and using his dog as the excuse.
4. If the sign says to keep your dog on a leash then KEEP YOUR DOG ON A LEASH. It's not rocket science.
5. Before we had a baby Bo the Wonder Dog was our baby. There are people who take this too far, however. If you're taking your dog for a walk in a stroller then you're weird. And possibly crazy.

Farm Country

Here are a ton of pictures from when my mom and dad were visiting a few weeks ago. We took Dutch and Dane to Farm Country at Thanksgiving Point. Dutch had a blast!

 Mom, Dad, Chris, Dutch looking at the animals.

 An albino peacock - how awesome is that!

 Dutch and Chris petting a horse.

 Dutch yelling at the horse to let him pet it.

 My dad helping Dutch pet the big one. You can't see it in this picture, but he was pretty scared of him.

 Feeding the ducks.

 Mama sitting with Baby Dane.

 Dutch in sea monkey jail.

(Inside joke.)

 Dutch and Chris in jail.

I'm not really sure what the jail has to do with the farm, but that might be just me.

 Dad playing in the tunnel with Dutch.

 Dutch in the tunnel.

 Riding the red tractor.

 Chris, Dutch, and I on the wagon ride.

Dutch sitting on the (slightly creepy) cow bench and laughing at Grandpa Bailey.