Half birthday!

Sebastian writes:

Today was my half birthday.

I have been doing lots of new things lately. I

can

sit up. That means no more carrier when I go shopping or to a restaurant. I can sit in a shopping cart or high chair. In that picture I am sitting in a high chair at some restaurant
Eli likes. NOTICE THAT I DO NOT HAVE ANY FOOD YET. Everyone else is eating chips. Also I can sit on the ground. It is more fun than being held all the time or just lying there. But when I am sitting I can't move. I like to move.

What I really want to do is walk. My friend Henry can stand up and practically walk

, but I can't do that yet. I saw him crawl one time and I thought I would do that. I get in the right position but nothing happens. Then I get tired and mad and yell for someone to move me. But I am practicing.

I can also eat real food. I am not saying that mommy milk isn't real food. It is delicious. You should have some. But I want to eat the same things everyone else eats

. I am pretty sure I can eat all of it right now. Mommy and Daddy think I sho

uld only eat a few things, though. I started out with rice cereal. It was so yummy! Then I had oatmeal. It was even yummier! Then I had green beans. Wow, talk about yummy! I like how I eat some of it, then there's more on my chin so I can eat it later. Here you see me eating. Much better. The best is when I can grab the spoon. There is always more yumminess on it so I can keep licking it and eating it. I think what other people call a lollipop.

The last food I tried was sweet potatoes. I think that was for Thanksgiving. Everyone e

lse ate these big things like turkey and corn pudding and some kind of cake. I just had my sweet potatoes. I would be more thankful if I had more food to eat. I am hoping for doughnuts tomorrow or possibly a tender cut of beef such as filet mignon.

Anyway, today was my half birthday so I am six months old. I think I mentioned that earlier. First we went to church. I like church but it int

erferes with my nap time. Daddy says he has the same problem. Silly Daddy! He doesn't nap!

Then we got in the minivan and went to a restaurant in Birmingham. Everybody else had things like chicken and macaroni and collard greens but I just got green beans. Then we went to this big mall. We did a little shopping and Eli and I got shoes. But mostly we did fun things. For example, Eli and Daddy and I rode in a train that went around the mall. We saw a lot of people and they all waved and smiled at me. It was so nice of them to come to the mall to wave and smile at me on my half birthday. If you are one of those people, then I want to send you a special message of thanks.

Oh, that was the special message of thanks. You are not getting any more than that. I probably waved and smiled at you, so really it is a breach of protocol if we start exchanging cards about it or something like that. It's like when someone sends you a card: are you obliged to send a thank-you card in return? Of course not. If you were, then that person would have to send you a card for that, and then you would send one, and it would never end. I am only six months old but that is obvious.

Eli said some people were too far away for waving, so those are the people to whom I wrote.

Then Eli went on this rubber band thing and jumped up really high. They called it a Eurobungy. It seemed very American to me, though. I watched him jumping up and down. It was a really fun show. He seemed to enjoy putting it on for me. He said he could see the tops of all kinds of things. He also said next time he would flip over. Mommy said the sign said you could not flip over unless you were under the age of 20, so Eli has only 16 years. I have longer. I am going to do the Eurobungy and flip over. You only have to weigh 20 lbs. to go on it and I'm practically there!

Eli and Mommy and Daddy then went and played air hockey. Eli said it was the first time he had played. Even I could see he was kind of little for the game. My idea is that I would sit on the air hockey table and kind of float around. I could fly like Eli did with the rubber band thing.

I decided to take a nap, but Eli and Mommy went on the carousel. I napped some more in the car and we were at my friends the Horwitzes' house all of a sudden. It turned out it was Isaac's actual second birthday. He is so big. Mommy and Daddy told me they remember when he was tiny. There was pizza and cake, which I thought would be great new foods, but I DID NOT GET ANY. Despite this, I retained a happy affect; indeed, Mommy and Daddy said we were both very good all day.

So I am going to sleep now. Tomorrow I am going to get some doughnuts and also start crawling. Maybe I will also have a tooth! I can't wait for those!

Bears and Buffalo Better Watch Out

Eli's preschool held their annual Thanksgiving Program today. Last year he was a turkey, and this year he graduated to Indian.

The audio is not good, but the songs included:

"Indian Child" narration(repeat 2x)

I am a little Indian Child

something something something

I shoot my bow and arrow

and paddle my canoe

"I'm a Little Indian" (to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot")

I'm a Little Indian on the go

Here is my arrow, here is my bow

When I go out hunting, hear me shout

BEARS AND BUFFALO BETTER WATCH OUT

"Five Little Indians" (to the tune of "Five Little Ducks")

None of this could be considered historically accurate (we didn't even include the part about the Pilgrims), nor would it be labeled "p.c." (unless of course that stands for "pretty cute"), but a good time seemed to be had by all, including Eli's biggest fan, Sebastian.

Dude, Where's My Candy?

Life is good when you're 5 months old.
I went to the doctor's office two weeks ago and found out that I'm:
26" long and 17.4 lbs (with a head that's 17" around).

I like to smile and laugh. I love my big brother and think he's the funniest guy EVER. He sings "Wheels on the Bus" to me when I'm sad in the car seat. My daddy is also great. He and I play all day long. And I love my mommy. She's helping me learn to get around. I'm on a roll! I can roll wherever I want. I'm pretty sure that there's some way to move myself forward, but every time I try, I scoot backwards. It makes no sense. But at least I can roll.

Halloween was fun. Here are some pics.

I was a Sea Beast... I mean Sea Turtle. Eli was a jellyfish. People gave Eli lots of candy. Then they gave me some, too. Mommy couldn't quite get over the fact that they gave me Reeses peanut butter cups and said "Here's something you can eat." I don't know why she was being so weird. So what if I've never eaten anything but milk. I have to start solids someday. Why not start with a peanut butter cup. Gimme. Thank you.

What you'd be seeing if you were here

Thoughts of the day:

Eli - "No, not Daddy. This father Abraham lived a long time ago."

Seb - "Un-gah" *screech* *screech* *giggle*

A new cousin!

Our cousin, Ila Myrabelle Dye was born yesterday (October 1st) at 2:18 a.m. Though Mommy and Daddy stayed up late to hear the news, we didn't find out until we woke up in the morning. And now we're so excited! Can't wait to meet you, baby Ila!

Rockin' and Rollin'

Sebastian: This has been a month of smiles. Sebastian smiles.




He also enjoyed his first real playdate, with Henry Yust (born 3/4/10 to our friends Kelly Cannon and Jason Yust).



Seb had the size advantage, but Henry had mobility!


Perhaps it is no surprise then, that...
on September 16th, at the ripe old age of 3 1/2 months, Sebastian finally decided to roll over. But didn't just roll over, he rolled AROUND! For a few weeks now, we've seen him on the cusp of rolling from his back to his front. He rolls onto his side immediately when you lay him down to sleep. When he played, he often rolled past 90-degrees, but stopped just short of flinging himself onto his stomach. Often, it seemed, his arm was in his way. But then, the day after his daddy's birthday, he was having some tummy time when he finally figured out how to roll onto his back. Once there, he thought he'd try it again. He rolled onto his stomach, then right back to his back again. Yup, he made it all the way around. I guess he didn't want to really try to roll over until he felt that he could do it in every direction! Now, when he's tired, he'll occasionally get stuck on his belly and start squawking from his crib for our help, but I'm sure that phase will be short-lived. He can right himself when he puts his mind to it.

Eli: Eli is a master of conversation, or as he calls it, "convosayshun." His conversation skills have been described by his teachers and by the director of his preschool as "scintillating" and "absorbing." He loves to make up stories, teach Mommy Bible stories, and make up new words to his songs. His current music tastes range from Sesame Street Silly Songs to Jerry Garcia to the Beastie Boys. You have not lived 'till you've heard Eli's rendition of "Hey Ladies!" and he loves to tell you about "Eating chicken on a Tuesday night." The other night, he called me into his room to hear a "very important song." It was "America the Beautiful" and he liked the way they said beautiful. He insisted on having that one song put on repeat while he fell asleep. It played for over an hour. I'm guessing he dreamed of spacious skies and amber waves of grain.

And those are our happy boys: the rocker and the roller.

Neigh!

Eli and Sebastian have already found ways to play together. I'm fairly sure this is not what the manufacturers intended.Please note the concessions we've made to the local culture. Eli, at three-and-a-half, has drunk the crimson cool-aid. We'll see how long it takes for the Pittsburgh Preschool to indoctrinate him into Steelers fandom.

Summer Vacation

After months of studying for the bar (Abe) and staying up all hours with a newborn (Ally and Abe), we were all ready for a break. But first, Abe had to take that bar exam... in Pittsburgh. So, we packed up the car and woke up early the morning of July 25th and drove as a family to the airport in Birmingham. Sebastian, Eli, and Ally said goodbye to Abe, whose flight was scheduled to depart at 9:00 a.m., and waited for Grandma Vivie to arrive (at about the same time). Once we collected Grandma, we jumped back in the car and began our big drive to Virginia. We took the scenic route through Chattanooga (where we toured the fantastic aquarium), the Great Smoky Mountains, and along a part of the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was lovely, but we were all glad to arrive safely in Virginia Beach after 2 1/2 days and 2 nights on the road. Meanwhile, Abe got settled in a nice downtown Pittsburgh hotel, enjoyed some quiet time, and prepared for his big two-days of examinations. He met up with the rest of us on July 30th in Virginia - arriving mere minutes before a funnel cloud that would almost certainly have re-routed his flight. As it was, he apparently had quite a wild ride there at the end!

Altogether, we spent about 3 weeks in Virginia Beach spending quality time with Grandma Vivie and Grandpa Doug, Papa and Grammy Candie, and Aunt Mary and Uncle Chris (in town for their baby shower). This was the first time that Aunt and Uncle got to meet baby Sebastian... all were pleased with each other!
While in Virginia, we had a number of great adventures. We toured the aquarium, Nauticus, and the Air and Space Museum. We all got to go out on Pop Pop's boat for a short adventure, and Eli and Daddy even got in a much longer half-day adventure. Sebastian became a beach baby, while Eli re-discovered the joys of romping in the surf and playing with and in the sand. There was the big party for Mary and Chris (after which Sebastian slept for 11 hours - his longest uninterrupted stretch to date - by far!), and many smaller get-togethers and gatherings, as well. And Eli and Pop Pop got to splash around the fountains at the Botanical Gardens for hours! For Abe and Ally, one of the highlights had to have been lunch and (later) dinner in the minivan at Doumars. Eli got his first lessons on eating an ice cream cone at the place founded by the inventor of the cone (see the photo) and was thrilled to discover that the middle seats can fold down into tables. Mommy and Daddy loved the nostalgic family fun. Sebastian slept peacefully. We had so much fun the first time that we invited Grandma Vivie and Grandpa Doug to join us for dinner days later and the boys made a pajama party of it. We'll be doing that again!

We ended the Virginia portion of our vacation on August 13th and headed for Washington D.C., where we spent the afternoon on the national mall and touring the American Museum of Natural History and showing Eli where they make laws and where the president lives. Eli enjoyed seeing the monuments in "George Washington D.C." After a night spent near BWI airport (we love Embassy Suites), we then drove to Newark, Delaware for lunch with Abe's Aunt Patty and Uncle Jimmy, cousins Jamie and Calyce, and their kids, Lauren and Owen. Sebastian got to meet even more family, and Eli renewed old acquaintances (whom he had not seen since he was 6 months old). Finally, we arrived at our hotel in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania in time for a quick dip in the pool before changing into our dressy clothes. We then headed to Paoli, to historic Waynesborough, to attend the wedding of a good friend of Abe's from law school, Gretchen, and her husband, Tim. Boy, did we have fun at that wedding! The boys behaved beautifully. Sebastian was a hit with the ladies, and all of the groomsmen commented on Eli's effortlessly cool look.

The next day, after the wedding brunch, our family was ready to return to Tuscaloosa. Though it was a long haul, we were all eager for the comforts of home. We made it back in two days (Monday night). Whew!

Just in time for Ally to start work (Wednesday) and Sebastian's baptism (Sunday)...

There's a sucker born every minute

It is hard to be a baby.

This is a truth not universally acknowledged, but one that you daily affirm. At the six-and-one-half weeks mark, you are sometimes quiet and alert, often asleep, and occasionally VERY dissatisfied with your life, your parents, and our complete mishandling of your needs. This latter state seems lately to be prompted by some errant digits. You see, Sebastian, you seem to really want to suck your thumb. This is amusing, since at my 21-week sonogram, the technician remarked that you seemed to be trying to suck your thumb but had not managed to accomplish the feat during our session. I now see that this was mere foreshadowing. You are determined to suck your thumb, but your immature nervous system and poor muscle coordination thwart you at every turn. It starts with some stirring and the happy discovery that your hands are near your mouth. I'll hear eager slurping and see you trying to get your fingers or thumb to extend... but the harder you try, the more impatient you become, the less control you have over your arms and hands. Soon you are flailing uncontrollably and you often punch yourself in the face in frustration. This leads to crying and screaming that can only be relieved... well, that depends...

You love to bounce on the blue ball (as noted before), unless you don't.
You can be satisfied with one of your parents' pinkies to suck, except when it enrages you.
You have sometimes allowed us to insert a pacifier, though usually that just infuriates you.
You like to be worn, unless it is hot... or you are just not in the mood.

But something always works to make you happy.

And when you are happy, all is well with the world.

Lately, you've been doing fun things with imitation. Beginning ten days ago (July 4th, to be exact), you and I have had a little game. When you are happy, quiet, alert, and focused on my face, I can stick out my tongue or open my mouth and watch you respond. You seem to concentrate very hard... then move your face all around trying to figure out the exact muscles you need to coordinate... then out pops your tongue or your mouth opens right up and you get the most triumphant little look on your face. Until, that is, your mommy, who is thrilling with pride, lets out an enthusiastic exclamation, "That's it, you did it!!!" This generally startles you and your normal seriously-concerned-old-man expression settles back over your features. It is a fun game.

Yesterday, your granddad Sam (who is visiting) and I took you for some professional photos. As you can see, you are actually quite sweet at this age. Once you get the hang of sucking your thumb, your life will be golden. So, as hard as it is to be a baby, just remember, you're growing up fast and there are many wonderful things to look forward to, little guy.

I guess he's getting enough to eat...

So you never know if a baby is getting enough milk from his mommy, until you go to the 1 month well-baby check up and find out that he's now bigger than your friend's 3-month-old.

Sebastian at 5 weeks old (7/5/10) tipped the scales at 12 lbs 6 oz, putting him in the 95th percentile for weight. He also now measures 22 1/2 inches (75th percentile). His doctor proclaimed him thriving and healthy. We concur.

After a month of newborn neediness and sleepiness, Sebastian is now starting to spend more of his time quiet and alert. He's discovered the musical star with the lights that so delighted Eli at this age and he has been caught more than once smiling at me, Abe, Eli, and said musical star. He's a real cutie and while he still lets us know with loud and frequent protestations when he is upset, he's increasingly easy to placate. As we head towards (and speedily past) the 6-week mark (the point at which newborn crying is notoriously at its height), we are happy to report that Sebastian is a sweet and relatively content baby.

Kids say the darndest...

At three, Eli is inquisitive, talkative, and wondrous. To share, here are some of the best Eli quotes heard in the past week:

Upon seeing a sign for the restaurant Chang's near our house: "Hey there's a comma that is a catastrophe!" (He's been learning about punctuation and the difference between commas and apostrophes.)

To keep him occupied while attending to Sebastian's needs, Abe let Eli type on his keyboard. Halfway through just randomly hitting the keys, Eli told daddy that he wanted to type the name of his favorite train. This is what he did:

4d44d9

For the record, his favorite train is the South Pacific 4449 Daylight (forty-four forty nine). Look it up, it's gorgeous!

"I love you as much as confetti grows..." (Upon questioning, I realized that he meant "infinity", not confetti.) He has also been known to tell his mommy: "I love you as far as light can travel in 100 years." Yes, that's right, he's measuring love in light years. We often have to remind ourselves that he is only three years old.

The highlight of his weekend was seeing fireworks on the 4th of July. But since I can't show you pictures of that, here's Eli's enthusiastic flag waving done on the side of the "tugboat" at the Childrens' Museum here in Tuscaloosa.

At one month...

You are one month old! And to celebrate, mommy and daddy bought a new family car. We have joined minivan nation and I'm just waiting for one of you to start playing soccer so that I can truly earn the title of "soccer mom."

At a month old, you have figured out the difference between night and day. You can hold your head steady on your shoulders and lift it 45 degrees when on your belly. You track objects with your eyes as they go by... and you may have smiled for the first time today. (Although the smile was aimed at the t.v. and so I am not going to count it; your first smile should be for mommy!) You have also now met all your grandparents. Pop Pop (Vic) and Grammy Candy came for a long weekend and had fun playing with Eli and bounce-bounce-bouncing you. That, in fact, seems to be your true love. You are the literal "bouncing baby boy."

The most reliable way to stop your crying (and man, can you cry!), is to bounce you on the big blue ball. Pop pop and Grammy were champs at the bounce and I thank them for all the help. It can be exhausting, as this picture attests!

The most wonderful part is that you are beginning to spend more time awake and enjoying your toys. You have discovered the happy musical star on your exercise gym and have made good friends with a singing fish and a soothing giraffe. I am enjoying watching you discover your world.

Visitors and checkups

Sebastian had his two-week well baby check up on Friday, June 11. He weighed in at 9 lbs, measured 21 inches and was dubbed healthy and growing. He's in the 50th percentile for height and weight and head size. And he handled the visit like a true champ. Big boy!

And here are some pics from our latest visitors...




The toy bear you see with Sebastian was a gift from Grandma, Grandpa, and Eli. Eli chose the bear, warmed his heart, helped stuff him, and picked out his pj's. We think that the bear's name might be "Oatmeal" to go with Eli's toy Zebra, Flapjack, but we'll wait for Sebastian to give final confirmation of the name. Stay tuned...

We'll leave you with pictures of the boys... at rest and at play...


(All the boys...)

A special thanks

We've had a number of visitors - good friends and loving family members - who have come to meet Sebastian and spend time with Eli, but a special note of thanks needs to go out to Grandma Jaye. She stayed with us for over 3 weeks, arriving two weeks before Seb was born. She helped mow the lawn, clean the stove, re-organize the closet, iron, sew, provide moral support, and with a whole host of other chores. Eli loved all the time he spent with Grandma, and she was one of the first to meet Sebastian. I can't thank you enough, mom! I'm not sure I could have done it all without you.

We miss you already and look forward to the next time we get to hang out.