Baby Steps

Tonight Dexter pushed his wagon across the room, turned around, and walked - unassisted - six steps into the middle of the room. Without any hesitation! Like he'd been walking all his life! He fell when he tripped on a toy.

Trick or Treat

Daddy bringing Dexter home from trick or treating (My Bologna greeting us with lots of barking).

Happy Halloween

I present...The Turtle!

What Was I Thinking?!

I'm making myself miserable with my plans to make a home-made Halloween costume for Dexter. My mother made our costumes when we were young so I had a fantasy that I could manage to be some kind of supermom while working full-time. I had the idea to make a turtle costume because Dexy reminded us of a turtle when he was born. We bought a wide, shallow, green bowl at Target and I thought Ben could drill some holes in it and we could attach to his back using elastic (that I also bought). Then I bought a bunch of green material to cover his body and make a hood for his head and "flippers" for his hands and feet. I am at the point now where I have a green bowl full of work papers on my desk and some green material cut out in the shape of Dexter's body. I don't how I'm ever going to pull it off. My good friend Elissa was kind enough to bring me her son's first Halloween costume from last year (a lion) "just in case" I don't get it together and finish the turtle costume. In my mind, Dexter is saying in this photo, "Mommy, I thought you were going to make me a turtle costume." Where did this guilt come from?!

Da Da

Dexter uttered his first (and much anticipated) Da Da yesterday! He said it to me but Ben was there and we both were thrilled.

After Dinner Drinks

Now that Dexter has mastered self-feeding, he's working on feeding his dinner to My Bologna. Needless to say, My Bologna is Dexter's best friend at dinnertime. Dexy likes to wash down his meal with big gulps of refreshing water from his sippycup.

Bursting at the Seams

There's not much that's funnier than when a diaper full of pee pee pops the crotch snaps.

One Small Step...

Yesterday, Dexter took his very first unaccompanied step when he "walked" from Ben to me. We were sitting about 3 feet apart and he only needed to take one step to get from Ben to me but he did it! Tentatively, purposefully, and proudly, Dexter took his first step.

Mister Press-It

Dexter is busily mastering pushing buttons. Yesterday, I went to get him out of his car seat and he was pushing on the red release button with his index finger. He knew it would release his harness but luckily he's not yet strong enough to get it on his own.

Bad Mommy?

Yesterday afternoon I had a two-hour conference call with other researchers and federal government bureaucrats to kick off a project involving culling youth development theories, developing a framework for synthesizing existing knowledge and practices, and coming up with ways for federal agencies to work with each other to share knowledge and best-practices in their programs (easier said than done - and it's not that easy to say!). 20 minutes into the meeting, Dexter woke up screaming from his nap (luckily I had figured out how to work the "mute" button on the phone). I was unable to quiet Dexter and remain engaged in the conversation so for the next hour and a half I fed him...and fed him...and fed him. As long as he was eating, he was quiet. As long as he was quiet, I could hear the conversation. Do you see where I'm going with this? I've never seen him eat so much for so long. I felt so guilty for not being able to fully engage with Dexy and for not being able to fully engage with my work. I just hope Dexter doesn't develop some sort of association with food as a substitute for my love.

Indian Summer

Following a brisk morning, the sun emerged and spread its warmth across Chicago. By this afternoon, the temperature was a perfect 68 degrees. Dexter and I took full advantage with a walk in the park where we visited the ducks and swung in the swing. He couldn't have been any cuter in the handmade sweater that a friend brought back from Chile for him (thanks again Carolina!). I forgot the camera when we were frolicking in the park but remembered to get a shot of him when we got home.

Rings Aren't Balls

More (unsuccessful) attempts to move other objects through his train.

Who Cares?

I may be the only one who cares about Dexter's emerging teeth but I'm not going to let that stop me from sharing the news anyway. I'm announcing the arrival of tooth number 8 (bottom right, next to the middle).

The Back-Saver

Dexter has been all about walking using our fingers as supports. This has caused tremendous strain on our already aching backs. We ordered the Radio Flyer Push Wagon thinking it would replace us as his means of transport. It arrived in pieces in a box that had a picture of a hammer, a wrench, 2 screwdrivers, and a pair of pliers indicating that this would be no simple snap-together construction. Ben and I spend a half hour on Thursday night putting it together and introduced it to him yesterday. He likes it but still prefers to grab onto our fingers and cruise around the house. So much for saving our backs...

More of the Buckethead

He's still at it!

The Avon Baby

Gears Clogging Gears

Good effort at putting things in things but this thing just clogged the gears of that thing.

Clarification

I've gotten enough complaints about not posting Dexter's weight that I feel compelled to correct my previous post's omission (which was completely unintentional by the way). For those who are interested, Dexter weighed 23 pounds, 6 ounces and was a smidge under 29 inches long at last Friday's doctor appointment.

He's With the Band

Musical Morning

A musical morning on a rainy fall day.

No Surprises

Today's doctor visit brought no surprises. Dexter is at the same percentages as always on the growth chart: 50th percentile length, 75th percentile weight and head circumference. She recommended continuing to feed him table scraps (as she put it!) as much as possible. I bet My Bologna wishes she was HIS doctor!

Not Exactly

But good effort!

Teething Chair?

He Did It Again

Yesterday another tooth poked through - next to the bottom middle on the left. The left one isn't far behind - I'll be surprised if we don't see it tomorrow.

Quackers

Race to Mommy

My Bologna won.

Something New for Elissa

He figured out how to turn this thing on and take the balls out on the day he got it. Today, it's all about putting the balls back in. I can't believe how fast he's learning.