Thanksgiving / 13 months

[Editor's note: Although back-dated, this is really take 2, since the first one went *splat*]

Dear Leo,

Today you are 13 months old. this month you have really started walking almost exclusively (as opposed to crawling) and talking up a storm. Your mama & I would love to know what you are saying, because only sometimes do we know what you mean! However, we have prepared this brief Leoese--grown-up lexicon:

• Bee = book
• Baby = stuffed animal
• Baba = bye-bye (with waving)
• Ball = ball
• Hello = hello (with a phone)
• Up = up (with one arm up)
• Puppy = anything with 4 legs
• mama = mama and "I want that!"
• dada = dada and "What is that?"

You've become a more picky eater and really only want to eat what we're eating, but then you don't always like it. Sometimes it seems like yogurt, toast, and crackers are all you'll eat. You have successfully made the switch from formula to whole mile with no problem, and now only use the bottle at the bedtime feeding.

You've got two [Ed.: by 11/30, possibly, probably more] teeth coming in on top -- one front tooth, and an incisor right next to it. They were accompanied by another cold and ear infection like the first two were. We hope this is a coincidencec and not a trend, as you have 16 more teeth to go!












Even though you were getting over an ear infection (well, we hope getting over it, anyway), you were a stellar traveler on our Thanksgiving trip to Texas. We had to take 2 flights and drive 3 hours one way to go see your Aunts and Granny Marge & Grandpa Ervin in Del Rio. (Note from Kirstin: My sister LauraLynn lives there, and our Aunt Faith came in from Portland, OR and our mom & stepdad came from WI.) Even though the travelling was pretty involved you did great -- sleeping and otherwise being interested in your surroundings and only fussing a bit on the final leg of the trip home yesterday. Everyone who encountered you commented on what a happy baby and good traveler you are.

While in Texas we ate a big Thanksgiving dinner (you tried and liked everything -- your mama thinks it was because you got to sit on her lap and eat off her plate), and you didn't fuss. You took good naps everyday except the last day. We took a short drive to see the Pecos River, and it's amazing how different the Texas landscape is.We all had a great time, and your mama wishes we got to see them all more often. She was a bit disappointed that Aunt LaLa's 3 dogs made you so nervous. They stayed outside the whole time, but she had hoped you would be able to pet one. However, even looking at them through the window kind of freaked you out if hey started to show too much interest in your. They were all very sweet, well-behaved dogs, though. Maybe next time you'll want to meet them.


You learned your latest word on the trip -- while in our hotel room you started to play with the phone and say "Hello." We finally had to unplug it so you wouldn't dial China. Then, when your mama was talking to her dad to wish him a happy Thanksgiving, she put the phone up to your ear and you said "Hello?" Boy was he surprised!






You are starting to exert more independence, and definitely voice your displeasure when we take something away from you that you want or prevent you from doing something you want to do (i.e., keep you out of danger). You prefer to play with the environment rather than toys most of the time, but you do like your doys when you do play with them -- especially your scooter and your ball. When you can be convinced to slow down for a minute you live to give hugs, but you are usually too busy to sit still for any length of time. It's hard to read books anymore because you'd rather be up and about or turn the pages yourself. You like to play upside-downs, which consist of a grown-up holding you and you bending backward until you're upside-down.

overloaded

No posts for a while because we've had far, far too much to do. But, there's news to impart, so let this be the place to impart it.

First, very belated congratulations are due to Doug Sillars and his wife Katherine, who had their second child on Halloween, right about the time that my stepsister was having Carina. (The Sillars, by the way, had a boy -- Rowan Arran.)

On non-Leo fronts, I got it confirmed last night that the school where I worked last year did well enough in the state's testing program that everybody who worked there last year qualified for a bonus. It's being paid at the end of the month. In some ways, it means that much of the furor that resulted last year was already being fixed. In confirming the news with a friend, I also heard about how one of my former students described me as "cool." (When my name came up, she gave them a warning that I was a dear friend and that she wouldn't let anybody say anything bad about me, but it was still neat to hear that I was remembered as somebody who had made an impression.)

Now, about the little boy:
We're now regularly seeing him drink from either a bottle or a sippy cup one-handed -- and by himself. The solo part has been a useful trait a couple mornings this week, because we needed to let him do that while we finished getting ready. No pictures of this in action, unfortunately.

Our park doesn't have much in the way of playground equpiment, despite its size. So, last weekend we went to the next closest park, which got a major overhaul a few years ago and has scads of it. That trip included both Leo's first solo trip down a slide and proof that our one-story house isn't hampering his ability to climb. This picture is his second solo trip; we were still hanging on to be sure his head didn't get bonked. The close-up above was taken elsewhere in the park, and really cool. Below, there's a shot from later, while he was on the swing.


Next week, we head to Texas for Thanksgiving to visit my sister-in-law. We'll try to post something at least once to comment on how the trip was -- it'll be his first airplane trip, and the whole process will be about nine hours (six either on planes or in airports, plus another three driving to get to from San Antonio to Del Rio). I hate to fly anyway, so I'm really not looking forward to the process of getting there. The visit itself is likely to be just fine.

There's visible evidence of at least one tooth coming in on the top. Kirstin told me tonight that she thinks she feels a second one. He hasn't sat still long enough to try to get pictures of same.

The teething (we think) led to a fever yesterday afternoon that resulted in us getting a call from day care. I stayed home with him all day today, and will be home again tomorrow. In the event that he has to stay home on Monday, too, then Kirstin gets the draw.

In the last two weeks, he's made the transition from formula to whole milk. Last night was the end of the formula. I think that for the next several days, we'll continue to use a bottle for warming the milk up while we get him used to the idea of drinking it cold.

The other big news is that he's now walking more than he's crawling. I actually can't remember the last time I saw him crawl more than about 3 feet, and that mostly to get over to the scooter or a piece of furniture to pull himself up.

I'm sure that I'm forgetting something, but we can post about it later, when we remember it.

Jeff's Accent......

... is as neutral as it gets.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
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I'm from WI doncha know!

Thanks Heather!

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Inland North You may think you speak "Standard English straight out of the dictionary" but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like "Are you from Wisconsin?" or "Are you from Chicago?" Chances are you call carbonated drinks "pop."
The Midland
The Northeast
Philadelphia
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Boston
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1 year doctor's appt

Leo had his one year checkup Friday. 21 1/2 pounds (35%), 29 inches (45%) and 50% head circumference. He got four shots and a finger jab (to test for iron and lead). He has to go back in a month for the second dose of the flu vaccine, but he is healthy and well. He surprised the doctor by saying "thank you" when he took from her the pen that she had handed to me. She was really amazed that he was already saying thank you. Now, it's not as distinct as when you or I say it, but you can tell that's what he means.

More videos coming soon.