For people who read this blog for the articles

My excuse for the long lag-time between posts is that Mommy left the camera at Maggie's house the other night so I don't have any pictures to post. But like the Cavaliers, I am a no-excuses player, so I am posting sans pictures tonight and will just update with photos later.

I have been having some good times with my grandmothers this week. Last Sunday I went to a cookout at my Oma's house (more on that event later) and then stayed with her while my parents went to the Cavs' game. Last night, my Nonna came over and we had a sleepover while my parents went to yet another Cavs' game; my Nonna pulled weeds out of the front flowerbeds while I helped by laughing every time she pulled up another set of roots. And today I went to Grandma T's house while Daddy was at work and Mommy went to school; Aunt Terry played Grandma T's monkey for me, the one that sings the Tootsie Roll song, and we wiggled our backsides and waved our arms in the air endlessly.

Since it was a holiday weekend, I got to go to my first two cookouts ever, and although I didn't get to eat any cookout food, I loved getting to hang out with everyone else outside. At my Oma's and Ono's house on Sunday night, I got to hang out with a ton of my family and friends, and at Maggie's house on Monday night, I got to hang out with Maggie's dad, Matt, who is a particular favorite of mine. I was so excited about hanging out with Matt, I messed myself badly enough to have to take a bath at their house. Fortunately, I haven't yet acquired any sense of shame, so to me it was just an extra bonus to get to play in the bath and hang out with my friends all on the same night. I also went out for breakfast Monday morning with Mommy and Nonna to the Diner on Clifton, and they let me eat nearly all their toast, and I was in heaven.

A big first for me this week was my first Significant Injury. My mommy sat me down next to her on the next-to-bottom step on Oma's deck to eat my supper, and while she turned around to pick up my bowl of broccoli and edamame, I spotted a leaf on the lower level of the deck that looked tasty, so I leaned forward to grab it. I wish I had known that it's not as easy to swivel from sitting to on-my-belly when on a step. I landed face first on the lower level, and boy, was I upset. My mommy picked me up right away and held me close and apologized and kissed my boo-boos, and then my Oma checked me out and pronounced me okay and tried to hold a bag of frozen peas to the big goose egg on my forehead, but I wasn't into it, so she played with me instead. By Monday morning, I had just a very faint bruise on my forehead, a quarter-shiner on the outer edge of my eye, and a scab on my nose. I am just roughed up enough to look a little dangerous. If you saw me, you wouldn't want to find yourself alone with me in a deserted playroom. That's all I'm saying.

Developmentally, I am moving around much more quickly these days, in part because I don't waste time trying to use all my limbs for self-propulsion; I just pull myself using my left arm and the rest of me follows. Since I tend to feed myself with my left hand, there may be a pattern here. I've also had the breakthrough of Tooth Number 3 (ta-da!), my upper right front tooth, and am trying it out on everything I can get in my mouth to get the hang of using the thing.

I'm getting more specific in my verbal communication, using even greater inflection when I speak to indicate my pleasure (or displeasure, as the case may be). I've also started to use the word "dat" when pointing to interesting things, although not strictly consistently. Sometimes, I don't feel like throwing out a dat. You know how it is.

Speaking of my pleasure and displeasure, I've decided that some things I've endured, just to go along with my parents' wishes, are no longer tolerable, and I am making certain my parents know which things they are. For example, I've decided that carrots are no longer my favorite vegetable and in fact should not be eaten under any circumstances, ever. While I will tolerate a little fresh mozzarella, any cheese darker than, say, muenster is unacceptable. Look, I was eating a little Velveeta and colby because my tastebuds were young and unsophisticated, but I know better now and I am not putting that orange stuff in my mouth. Got it? Good.

There are some foods which are not merely tolerated but are so good that I believe I have the right to graze on them all day long. On the top of this list is bread, in all its forms, and don't think you can eat some bread product in front of me and I won't ask for it just because I haven't seen bread in that form before. I wasn't born yesterday. I know bread. Other foods on the list include toasted O-shaped cereal, veggie burgers, graham crackers, green beans (provided I am allowed to feed them to myself), broccoli (ditto) and edamame (ditto ditto). I'm willing to tolerate a little tofu, if there's no bread around. And I will drink some pear juice if I can have it in the sippy cup with the silicon sippy part and I can hold the cup myself, but I can tell if you've diluted the juice with water, and if you give it to me in a cup with a rigid sippy part, you're just asking for me to perform scientific experiments on the effects of gravity on liquids.

Despite my assertion of my preferences, I am still a ray of sunshine to all who come within reach of my charm. I love to talk to other babies, and to sit at the dining table in my booster chair like a big boy, and to flirt with the cashiers at Target, and to have "Barnyard Dance" read to me over and over again, and to occasionally try out my singing voice, and to practice standing while someone holds my hands, and to swap kisses with my daddy and mommy.

Tune in next time, when I'll have actual pictures to illustrate my adventures.

The Full Cleveland

On Thursday I visited Grandma T in the hospital. I love to go see her, but I don't understand why she won't get down on the floor with me. I hope she comes home soon so I can get back to playing with the giraffe on the quilt on her living room floor.

My other great-grandma, Nona, died Saturday night. She had a stroke Wednesday, the day I got home from spending five fantastic days with her. My mommy says I'm lucky I got to meet her and that her last days were extra-special because they were spent with me.









I spent Friday afternoon with my Oma and my cousin Bailey. I love it when my Oma blows razzberries on my neck, and Mommy loves to go grocery shopping without me trying to get out of the cart.












Friday night I went to my first Indians' game with my parents. I loved all the yelling; it inspired me to yell, too, and no one told me shhhhhhhhhh. We left the game in the 7th inning and walked next door to The Q, where we watched the Cavs beat the Nets and clinch the series in New Jersey on the giant monitors. Go Cavs!!!





Daddy and me with Jen, Laine and Owen, who came from Toronto to spend the weekend with us and to see the Clash exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I loved playing with big boy Owen; he showed me how to climb stairs and to pull up on the trash can. I am constantly striving to master those skills so I can make him proud.







I am all about crawling under things these days. Sometimes I get a little stuck, as I did here, under the coffee table; it's easier to crawl under the couch or the the kitchen table (although the kitchen chairs make it tougher, if they're pushed all the way under the table). My daddy commented tonight that he thinks I'm on the verge of pulling up on the furniture. I guess you'll have to wait and see what I do next.

I've got the great-grandma blues

Hey, kids! I'm back from Iowa. I had a fantastic time there - I finally got to eat table food regularly, for one thing, and I also got to meet all kinds of wonderful new people to whom I am related, including my great-grandparents, my great-uncles Herman and Dave and my great-aunts Sonya and Bev, my first-cousin-once-removed Lance and his wife Nicole, and my second cousins Roman, Monet and Bronze. My apologies if I left anyone out; at nine months of age I only have so much memory. You can see my Iowa slide show by clicking here. If it's not working yet, well, stay tuned, and I'll work on it later. I've got bigger things to worry about today: both of my great-grandmas are in the hospital. My great-grandma Nona, the very one I just got to meet this weekend, had a stroke last night, and my great-grandma Marlene (aka Grandma T) went into the hospital while I was gone with what they first thought to be a stroke but is now turning out to be something like vertigo. Mommy and I are getting ready to go over to the hospital to see her now; I hope the sunshine of my presence helps her feel better.

For now, here are some pictures of me and my great-grandma Nona:

Busy Body

Man, am I tuckered. This has been one jam-packed but fabulous week. What have I been so busy doing? you may ask. Well:

1. My friend Margaret was born just after midnight Monday, and Monday afternoon I went to the hospital to go meet her.

2. I went to lunch with my parents at Panera, where I wasn't interested in the peas I usually love but did greatly enjoy pieces of parents' apples and baguettes.


3. I hung out with Daddy at CSU while Mommy registered for her classes.


4. I helped with laundry.


5. I gave Mommy an early Mother's Day present of a digital picture frame. She loved it, but she says the best Mother's Day present is ME!


6. The hat I ordered for Daddy from Justin Winery in Paso Robles, California, for his birthday finally arrived, and I helped him try it on.


7. I helped Mommy shop for vegetables and cheeses at the West Side Market and make dinner for Margaret's parents, and then I helped her load the dishwasher.


8. I went for my nine-month check-up and only had to get one shot. I'm staying in the same percentile range in all measurements except height, where I have suddenly shot up into the 78th percentile. Dr Roberts thinks the nurse might not have gotten an accurate measurement since I was so wiggly.


9. Cousin Spencer was born Tuesday, and I went to go see him and Aunt Christa at the hospital. My Oma met me there and we played and exchanged many kisses while Mommy held Spencer.
And the fun isn't over! Very early tomorrow morning I am flying to Iowa to meet my great grandparents and other of my relatives on my Nonna's side. I'm sure I'll have numerous adventures, but I won't be posting them until after I get back next week, since I'm leaving the laptop at home; I love to type on it, but it's just too heavy for me to carry through the airport.

Surf and Turf

After logging 2671 miles in the backseat of our rental car, I am home, reunited with loved ones, and driving my parents nuts with my bumpy adjustment back to the Eastern time zone. Here are some of the better moments of the last few days, visiting the Seattle Aquarium Friday afternoon and then coming home:

I LOVE SEA OTTERS!!! Do you think I could take one home with me?

Hellooooooo, fishies! Can I come swim with you in there?





I loved walking around downtown Seattle. I was torn between the big busses and the noises the made on the one side, and the people waiting at the bus stops who waved to me on the other side.


















Before we got on the redeye, my parents got me ready for "bed" in hopes that I'd sleep on the plane (which I did). I wonder at what age it stops being okay to be naked in the airport?





Uncle came to pick us up from the airport. I hadn't seen in him in over six weeks, and today he has gone away again, but at least I got to hang out with him and watch the Cavs game on TV yesterday afternoon (while my parents went to the actual game without me). Thanks, Uncle!


















My nonna came to see me as soon as I got home. Even after a month, I still remembered her.



After a month away, we needed to stock up on a few things at Target, and I got to ride in the shopping cart seat (instead of on top of it in my carseat) for the first time ever.


















Reunited and it feels so good: finally getting to see my beloved cousin Bailey at Sunday night dinner.

All Over But The Flyin'

Yesterday we had to leave Emma's house, which made me so sad. I love Emma so much. I can't wait to see her again. I hope she comes to see me at home soon! This is me having one last breakfast at her house.










My daddy drove us to Seattle yesterday afternoon, and after we checked into our hotel next to Safeco Field (where the Mariners play baseball), we walked around downtown. It was Seattle's First Thursday, which meant that all the art galleries were open late and tons of people were walking around - people that smiled and said hi to me all night, which I loved. We ate at a Thai restaurant and then walked down to the waterfront and I took a peek across the Puget Sound.



This morning we ate breakfast downstairs at the hotel restaurant, where a really nice server named Mandy helped me adjust the seatbelt on my highchair and gave me a kiss. I'm hanging out in bed with Mommy now watching PBS Kids and I'm looking forward to going to the Aquarium before we fly home overnight tonight. See you back in Cleveland!

Double Header

Today was a very special day - it was both my Daddy's 30th birthday and Emma's 3rd birthday! We spent the whole day celebrating, including going to Canada (my first time ever). Here are just a few of the 237 pictures my parents took today:








Candice made us waffles and Richard made us eggs for breakfast; afterwards, I helped Daddy check his email.


We all went to the Greater Vancouver Zoo. I slept through most of our time there, though.


Daddy talked to an animal whose name I can't remember, maybe because I was asleep at the time.



I did wake up for a train ride around the zoo. The train whistle was so loud, but the view was great.


After the zoo, we went to the pier in Steveston. We had coffee (actually, I had a little toast while my parents had coffee) and then we strolled down the boardwalk. Emma kept me entertained with her go/stop running game.


We went to Vogue Chinese Restaurant in Richmond for dinner. I tried to get me some of the eggplant, cucumbers, and handmade noodles everyone else was eating, but to no avail. After dinner, we went to La Cuisson for Dutch-process coffee; apparently, it takes 60 hours to brew a 30-cup pot, but the big people said it was totally worth it. At La Cuisson we also had a special birthday cake from Yaohan made of taro root. I hear it was yummy but I couldn't say, since my many lunges for Mommy's piece of cake were unsuccessful. When we got home, we all put on party hats, and Daddy and Emma opened their presents.


After all the partying, I was too wound up to go to bed yet, so Candice and I played together. I was so sad when it was time to give up and go to bed. It was such a good day that I didn't want it to end.

Our trip is almost over. Tomorrow we are going to Seattle, and then Saturday we'll be home. I have had such a good time, but I will be happy to see all of my extended family. They may not recognize me because I have grown up so much this last month.

Nine Months of Momentousness

On my nine month birthday, I had a record number of clothes changes due to various messes I made, I laughed harder than I've ever laughed (courtesy of my big friend Emma) and I finally CRAWLED! (See a little video of me crawling here! Or click on the window at the bottom of this post. If it doesn't work, try it again a little later.) It's army crawling (on my belly, pulling myself with my arms), but it's still crawling! I am so relieved to finally figure it all out! And my parents are so proud of me - or so they have told me about a thousand times today. Now I just need to figure out how to get my knees up and under me...

Bellingham Bliss

Hello from Bellingham, Washington, home of Emma and her parents Richard and Candice. We arrived yesterday after meeting Emma and her dad for lunch in Seattle. I loved the swimming and the parks and the birds and the french toast in Portland, but I am thrilled to be here with Emma, who is a really big kid. She gives me kisses and shares her duck with me and she makes me laugh harder than my parents have ever heard me laugh. She has beautiful hair that I love to pull. I can't imagine why she doesn't love it when I grab a handful.



At Pike Place Market in Seattle, Emma and I watched a balloon artist make a pink bear for Emma. Alas, I am too little for balloons, but I like seeing Emma's bear.

Daddy and me posing as Ben & Jerry.
Mommy had Cinnamon Buns ice cream
and Daddy had Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough,
and I got nada. Again.

Emma and I watched Willie Wonka together.
She invited me to sit with her in her chair,
which I thought was swell.
I felt so big hanging out with her.