O favorites

Going on fourteen months, the lion cub is growing into distinct tastes for certain foods, loving his new friends in the church, and almost standing on his own.  Just this Sunday, he learned to raise his hand in worship as he watched the lead of others singing.  He has lots to say (in his own language), and can read to himself now while tied down in his car seat--what else, but an open-the flaps Farm Book?  His favorite pages: the animals and fruit!

He's also learning Spanish with his English vocabulary without speaking clearly in either one. I tried a couple different language DVDs: The Bilingual Baby (by Small Fry) and Usborne's First Fun with Spanish.  The latter is a nicely made little story of a day in the life of a Spanish family with the narrator as a little girl who also speaks English, and thus translates everything the others say.  Unfortunately, the words that stick in one's mind are the ones in your mother tongue, so it doesn't do much for learning the new language.  Bilingual Baby, on the other hand, is very effective by speaking only in Spanish.  Pictures and an English word in the far corner of the screen illustrate the meaning of the words, which the narrator uses to build a sentence after giving a few vocabulary words repeated to various tracks of classical music.

And did I mention that, along with his little friend Jacob, he's mastered the art of watching TV?

behind but not forgotten

In October of 2010....

Serious crawling, on deck on blanket with toys.

And across the driveway into the leaves on the other side.

All afternoon on the deck, and attempted down-stairs.

Bath time favorite discovery: drains and plugs.

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A most rewarding climb.

Under the table we find dogs, stray toys, and crumbs.

It's really funny!

a few shots of september

Building a moat with mom.

Sand beard!

Beach toys passed on from Mama Pops!

Model poses

August 2010

It's play time!

Intensity at the walker play station.

Torture getting down to the beach.  O's first time in a double stroller and he kept trying to grab baby Rhett's nose, eyes, cheeks--whatever he could reach! Ouch, manners, please!

Practicing his moves at the park. 

Now we're talking: sand beard!!  Can't you taste the grit and salt?

First time

Omari survived his first night of fever.  He didn't lose his appetite for milk and with plenty of chamomile tea calmly suffers through the body heat.  The question of childhood illness seems to be less of whether the child will pull through, but how the parents come out on the other end.

Eight Months Old Day!

Omari is growing up into a growly lion.  He relishes gruff, low voice exercises any time of day--when in doubt, growl about it.  His favorite word: "Ma-maa-ma-maaa" and does he know it really goes to me, or is it his expression of all desire, need, want and depths of emotion?    His favorite actions: free-fall hitting with his whole arm, usually on himself, and biting and devouring--pacifiers, paper, shoulders, blocks.   He suffered his first week of daily "meals."  Rice, oatmeal, peach, whey, yogurt, avacado, egg yolk--it all goes down a teeny-tiny bite at a time with a grimace; however, he seems to be almost agreeable to the creamy, warm egg yolk and drinks his Juice Plus from a dropper like any hungry baby bird.

He can now sit at the big table and throw toys off the side!

He even proved his infant patience by hanging out with us at Port City Java for an hour and more, watching people and listening to the grindings and bangings behind the coffee counter.