g and e: the video

excuse the lack of editing at the end. just wanted to publish it fast! see how much fun they had?!

mghe meets efg

Friday night we got to see our friends, Kris, Amy & Eloise from Ohio. G and E are only 3 months apart, but Eloise has been walking for many more months than g. Anyway, K, A & E flew in from Ohio yesterday, to do some site-seeing. We were lucky enough to be able to have dinner together and hang out for a while in their sweet downtown hotel.

We ate a quick dinner at the Palace Kitchen, where they were super kind to us. They even made us a plate of carrots for the kiddos (that's service)! Garrison loved that you could see in the kitchen and he kept fussing to go watch the chefs at work. One of the chefs waved and garrison pointed back, as if to say "hey, dude, you rocked the potato fritters!"

After dinner we went back to the hotel and let the kids have some play time. At first it was mostly just walking back and forth in front of one another. Then eventually it seemed like they were playing together. G was really tickled by E and did a lot of giggling. It was so fun to see G interacting with another little person. This was really my first time seeing him play for a long sustained period with someone. It was just fascinating to watch how they interacted and how they made toys of everything. As we were leaving they walked us down to the lobby so we could get a picture by the xmas tree. (taken on Kris' camera, so I'll have to get copies before I post.) We let the kids just walk around the HUGE lobby. They just had a ball walking around. E would walk up behind G like she was sneaking, it was soooo cute. It was way too short a visit for the grown ups, but I think the kids really could have played all night. G, however was ready for bed when we got home and didn't even want a bedtime story.

I took lots of cute pictures and several cute videos, which I'll try to post this weekend. So, here are some pictures of G playing with his first friend. Thanks for coming out to visit, I wish we could see you more often, and I know G wishes he could play with Eloise every day. Hopefully we'll see you all again soon!

walking non-stop

so after my last post, the walking tapered a little bit. He got really into his push cart from ikea and he was "Hell on wheels," terrorizing the dog and running into feet. (ouch). He sped around the house like a crazy person. We had to take it away, because Miles just got no rest. Then he started to use his ride-on truck toy as push thing. That was almost as bad. When he tried to T-bone the dog it had to go away too. Since then he's been crawling a lot.

Then all of a sudden, this weekend he was on 2 feet all the time. Monday and today have been involved G doing circuits around the house and me following behind or sitting in a central location where I can see the action. Today he carried around two spoons and just walked. It was funny. We've been working on "happy feet" which is basically running in place. He's really good at it and it makes him giggle when you do it with him. He loves being chased and loves when you hide and jump out at him. He's kind of playing hide and seek with Amos these days, which involves G standing behind the arm of the couch and poking his head out on the side and laughing. He's really starting to get playing.

I'm not sure, but I think he might be working on his 2 year molars already. He's drooly drooly drooly.

Oh, and on the talking front. Taco is a new favorite word. I don't know if he knows what one is, but he sure likes sayin' it. Sometimes it comes out "kaco" though.

In a little over a week he'll be a year and a half!

big news--walking is happening, independently!

So, it's been a little quiet on the blog, but it's not that things aren't going on. My writing energy is all being focused on the dissertation, so as soon as that is done I swear I will write better, more often and longer AND with more pictures! For today, however a short little update plus video will have to suffice.

a) walking spontaneously happened this week, on november 9, 2009. I announced it on facebook. I'm counting it as first day of walking, because it was in no way parent coerced. YAY for G!! We've been anticipating this for a long time. He still likes his ikea push cart for getting around quickly, though and you have to watch your toes, especially if you have 4 legs. He is very slow without it, because he takes careful steps. (for the record, his hair looks a little red in the video, but it's just the magenta room being picked up by his blond hair.)


b) we're really into Dr. Seuss' ABC book. I mean he spends about 70% of play time with books, and it might be closer to 80% or 90%, so it's not surprising, but he is fixated on this book, and the letter D. He can point to it on the Daisy Rock guitar (it says "daisy rock" on it). No, he does not point at the D string.

c) G likes to go for walks in the stroller with me (we go to the PCC or the grocery almost every day 2-3 miles) and he likes to go for walks on foot with Daddy to the elementary school near the house. He never wants to turn around and come home, so you have to carry all 27 pounds of him back up the hill to our house.

d) whining is our favorite form of communication these days. (well, it's not really mine, but G seems to think it is effective).

e) apart from books G is really into yogurt containers, wooden spoons, old spice containers (and my spice drawer in general), snack traps w/ snacks, stuff he's not supposed to have, dvd player and iphones, remote controls, tv, cups, clothes and clothes baskets (likes to take stuff out, throw it on the floor and then put it back in).

f) is shy with strangers and people he knows that aren't amos or me.

g) is very very sweet and loves big, tight hugs. (one of my favorite things too).

you are an amazingly sweet, little boy.

Dear Garrison,
This week we've been visiting Grams and Papaw in Springfield. We've been having a good time, especially today, you seem to feel like your normal happy self. I think earlier this week your 16th tooth coming was causing you some discomfort. Not to mention the fact that you likely miss your dad and dog.

Anyway, I was having a talk with Grams and Papaw. Something to the effect of "I can't believe how lucky I am to have such great parents..." and I was a little emotional (yes, there were tears). You noticed my tears and you tried to make me feel comforted. You were on Grams' lap and you turned to me and reached up and smiled. I melted. I picked you up and you wrapped your arms around my neck and squeezed me tightly, like you do when I pick you up after a nap. Then after holding on tight for a long time you loosened your grasp long enough to lean back and look at my face. I had to smile at you and you, of course, smiled back with that wide toothy smile and those precious dimples you have.

How is it that you know, at the tender age of not quite 16 months old to be so sweet? How is it that I am so lucky to have such a loving child?

I will always remember that moment. It touched me so deeply, and, not to sound silly, but it reminded me so much of the sweet way that miles davis always tries to kiss away my tears and climb into my lap when I see a sad movie. (maybe you learned it from him, he did teach you one of your first words--ooof oof! HA!)

Anyway, thanks, my sweet boy. I love you to pieces.
mommy

garrison's big adventure part 3

Garrison and Amos had a good time on their trip. They arrived in TN on Monday after traveling Sunday and spending the night in a hotel that night (G's first).

They had an excellent visit in TN. They got to see Uncle Jon, Uncle Allen, Adrian, Seth, Ruth and of course, Grandmother, Granddaddy, Kate & Mr. B (who were most certainly chased about by Garrison). From what I've been told the boys enjoyed all the eating they did while there for the visit, Garrison loved the breakfasts. I know it was a good father-son experience.

As far as I'm concerned, the hug when G got back to Seattle was worth the week-long wait. I missed my boys.

And, now G and I will venture off to see his other grandparents. He'll already made way more flights than amos and I did by the time we were teenagers. (I'll add pictures when I've got a little more time and I'm not getting ready to travel myself! The life of a jet-setter's parents!)

garrison's big adventure part 2

Here is a picture from G's visit with his great-grandmother. (edited to add "great")