g at 10 months old

well, he's actually past 10 months old, but getting ready for the trip meant I slacked off on the 10 month old post. Anyway, what's new with G at 10 months?

-he's a big clapper now
-he definitely expresses his opinion/preferences
-still likes eating, and now will eat bananas
-likes to play ball
-talks a lot
-would really, really like to walk
-is outgrowing his 6-12 months sleepers
-smiles at people in certain commercials (like the lipitor dude and the progressive girl)
-still naps 2 times a day, gets up at 6 or 6:30 and goes to bed at 8pm
-is very huggy
-likes to try to drink from a glass (he's not so good at this, but he tries really hard)
-likes to be read to, especially when you use voices
-is a super happy, gregarious guy, who has the best laugh I've ever heard

here's a picture of g with his new "junior" drum sticks--he loves them.

our trip to oak ridge

Wow, it's taken me a long time to write this up! It's been hard to find a stretch of time that is big enough to write about all we did AND we've just been so tired after we got back. The flights back just killed us. Flights that leave at 6 am are to be avoided at all cost in the future! Or at least we'll only do one in a trip. I can see why those were the only super saver freq flyer tickets we could get. The worst part was getting home at 11 am Seattle time and having a wide-awake 10 month old who was ready to play after sleeping the whole way from Chicago to Seattle.

We managed to travel with very little stuff for ourselves, but Garrison is at an age when he needs lots of junk on a day-to-day basis. So, we each had a carry on suitcase + personal item. Then we checked G's gigantic car seat and even more gigantic bob stroller. We got a bag for the bob, but on the trip back from TN it got a rip in the seam, so it's going back to REI this weekend. Other than the rip, it was great for the bob. We stuffed some diapers in with the bob, so it wouldn't be lonely in the cargo hold. Then I wore G in the ergo, which was a lot easier than trying to deal with a stroller with the really short connections we had. Really the way there was pretty uneventful, aside from the no-changing-table-diaper-change on flight #2.

We were greeted in TN by Young and Katherine, and G was happy to see them (as were we). We picked up our rental minivan (our first!) and headed to Oak Ridge. It was HOT, did I say that yet? In Denver there was SNOW! Freaky. As we drove home we saw all the boats on their trailers for a big crew thing that was taking place on the river. It was cool noting all of the different schools...Michigan, Florida, ...who were there to compete. We had some good bbq that night. Garrison enjoyed the food.

The next day's highlights were going on a driving tour of Oak Ridge. Garrison fell asleep, but I enjoyed it. Our friends Amy and Eloise were going to fly down from Ohio, but the flights were too full (she gets to fly for free, but scheduling can be tough!). There just aren't that many flights into knoxville. Then later that day Uncle Allen, Aunt Suzanne, Adrian & Jacob came by. Garrison had a great time meeting his cousins. He also met his cousin, Ruth one day after school. We got to see her gorgeous prom dress. Uncle Jon was there a lot working on a big project for Young and Katherine, so we got to see a lot of him. Jon is great fun to have a political discussion with--he is a thoughtful debater. Garrison also got to meet John Krewson. We had dinner with him in Knoxville at the MS4 Cafe--YUM. Ever since we ate there when I ask amos what he wants to eat he mumbles something about chicken and waffles. Garrison enjoyed the food.

So, we also drove to Chattanooga to go to the aquarium. It was a nice day for a drive. Garrison fell asleep in the car both ways. He stayed awake the whole time we were at the aquarium, and when we were at lunch. Garrison enjoyed the fish and the food.

On our last night we went over to John Krewson's cool house in Knoxville to do play a little music. It was a good time. It had been a long time, so long that I wasn't even playing bass then. Amos and John were very good, and I did my best to keep up. While we were gone Garrison stayed home with his grandparents and was fast asleep when we returned.

Good visits are always too short.

why no pictures?

It's been an eventful week here, but not in a good way. We've all been sick, and G's had his first semi-uncomfortable illness--bronchiolitis. It's not bronchitis and there's just a lot of snot and it lasts FOREVER! Anyway, he's been looking pretty pathetic, so I tried to wait until he looked a little less sick.

Last Friday we had a plumber come out, because we suspected we had a leak in our waterline. Our water bill said we used 500 gallons of water A DAY! There is no way I'm doing that much laundry!! Yep. We did. That meant a patch or a replacement. There was only $1200 difference in replacing it, so we had it done. It's not like that pipe was getting any younger. The guy who did it looked just like Sam Etheridge, and I just wish we could have gotten a picture of him. He was very nice and I found him on the internet. Replaced the waterline by himself on saturday--didn't charge any extra for saturday. I'm guessing that this has been around for a little while, we always thought our front yard had a drainage problem, maybe not!

Also on saturday Garrison and I went to the children's hospital after hours clinic about the sickness--it's like urgent care, but just for kids AND you can make an appointment. WE thought it might be a sinus infection, so we wanted to get him checked out before we flew. That's where they told us it was bronchiolitis. So much fun. There wasn't really anything we could do for him medicine-wise, so he just has to suffer through it, poor guy. He's on the mend, so I got him a ball at target. He seems to love it. We sat on the floor and rolled/passed it back and forth for a long time. I'm always looking for fun things to do with him that will work on his motor skills and that he doesn't hate (like tummy time, which is still hated even though he sometimes sleeps on his tummy), so the ball was a big winner in that department.

g's new bunny

thanks for the bunny, Grandmother & Granddaddy!

all tuckered out

Garrison has had the craziest sleep schedule lately. He usually naps twice a day, but he has been not into his afternoon nap the past two days. I know he's tired, but he just cries when you put him down (that is so not how he normally is). Skipping the afternoon nap just sets him up to be tired way before his 8 pm bedtime. Anyway, last night he was so tired he fell asleep mid-bottle on the couch. I loved the way he had his hand on his cheek.

breaking: G has mastered reading

APRIL FOOLS! Seriously, though it kind of looks like he knows what he's doing in this picture. And Paddington Bear seems to be enjoying the reading as well.