This is just a taste of Sawyer’s fascination with the view from our new apartment. He’s just tall enough to see over the ledge but he can’t see the street, which is all that really matters to him, so I hold him up to the window. Me, I’d rather look at the sky and the buildings, but he’ll grow to like those too.
That big brick building is the headquarters for The Gap. Google has an office right around the corner too. That’s why my new favorite Taco Truck sits right outside our front door. More on that soon. =)
Abby went to a baby shower for our former neighbor Christine today, so Sawyer and I spent the afternoon exploring our new neighborhood. After Sawyer’s delicious meal of Corn and Butternut squash, we set out to the Ferry Building to find something for me to eat. I lucked out with a panini made of tasty salted pig parts!
After that, Sawyer and I went down to sit in the shadow of Cupid’s Span, which is just a block away from our new apartment. Sawyer crawled all around the blanket and grass, and once he tired of that climbed all over me. He was very talkative too, alternating between saying “da-da-da” and his patented motorboat “br-br-brrrrrrrr,” which in the end had my shirt soaked from the non-stop slobbering.
Sawyer also made two friends while we were out, one was a pigeon and another was an almost two year old girl named Bella.
Here’s the pigeon taunting Sawyer:
I’m gonna git you, pigeon:
We laughed for almost an hour:
When he wasn’t distracted by something else:
He’s explaining something to me, only he knows what:
And then he went after the pigeon, not nearly quick enough, but he eventually made it to the end of the shady area before I tracked him down:
Here’s Bella and Sawyer. I wish I had taken a picture of their hug (she hugs everyone and everything her dad said) but all I have is one of Sawyer looking up at her father:
Br-br-brrrrrrrr:
Sawyer had a little trouble calming down after all the excitement at the park. He was exhausted and in need of a nap, but like always he wanted to eat first (apples and blueberries weren’t the answer). Abby was on her way home, so I had to improvise. My old trick was to put him in front of a mirror, which almost always takes his mind off of whatever is bothering him. Now I have a new trick, letting him stand in the window sill and watch the world go by beneath our window:
Over the weekend, I went to Ikea to pick up a few things for our new apartment. On my way past the children’s section, I saw a tunnel hanging from the ceiling. Of course I had to buy it.
When I got home and showed Abby, I noticed the label said 18 months and up. I mentioned that to my mom, but she said let him have it. Later that afternoon, I did:
I let him play with it a few more times over the weekend, putting Taddy Porter at one end to entice him through, which made him laugh out loud. I’m pretty sure he crawled through on his hands and knees tonight, but didn’t have the camera close by to capture it. I’ll have it ready next time.
Sawyer was sick over the weekend, but that hasn’t stopped him from trying to stand whenever possible. Tonight, after his bath and feeding, Abby put him in his crib. He immediately stood up and started to scream.
Abby picked him up, held him for a bit, calmed him down, then put him back in the crib. Again, he immediately stood up and started to scream.
We stayed downstairs for a little longer the second time, hoping he would grow tired and give up. He did not, tenacious little bugger that he is. Since Diana, Abby’s mother, thinks he never cries or causes any trouble, I grabbed the camera to give all of you a little taste of our last week with Sawyer:
He was so tired he didn’t know what to do with himself. Abby also thinks he’s not quite sure how to sit back down once standing, so that likely had something to do with it. As soon as I shut off the camera and laid him down, he feel right to sleep. What a relief!
To be fair, he gave me his cold from last week, and I’ve been down for the count, so it’s no wonder he was so unhappy. I think he’s just starting to feel better, but still lacks his full energy, hence the frustration.
On a related note, there was one night last week, some time around 2am if memory serves me well, that Sawyer was wide awake and completely uninterested in going back to sleep. Since it was dark, I figured he could play with his firebugs that his Grandparents Truitt bought for him — they blink when struck, and Sawyer loves to put them in his mouth. I think he enjoyed it:
He slept better last night than he has in a long time, as he was quickly falling back to sleep without any fuss. Hopefully tonight will be even more of a success. I’m starting to feel a little better myself, and really hoping that Abby makes it through unscathed. It hasn’t been a whole lot of fun around here.
No story here, I just really like this picture. We were having lunch with Scott in South Park. I love Scott’s seven minute commute. It makes it so easy to go spend time with him.
After much discussion — remember the poll and results — Abby and I finally agreed to get Sawyer’s hair cut. It wasn’t an easy decision, but after seeing the pictures in the tub from last time, we realized it’s long overdue.
I had my hair cut first this morning, while Sawyer finished up his nap. When he woke up, Abby brought him down to watch me, then have his rooster do quickly trimmed. It certainly wasn’t easy holding him still, and Susan even said it was the most difficult haircut she’s ever done, but two minutes later he was a brand new man (baby). He didn’t even cry or make a fuss, in fact he may not have even noticed what was going on!
He was so excited when he sat down in front of the big mirror (the cape was a short-lived experiment):
I had to put him in a bear hold just to hold him still:
Then Abby gave him the camera case to play with:
And that was just enough of a distraction to get it done:
Last but not least, here’s the video. Before:
During and after:
btw, CNU Sharp was the name of a barber shop in Columbus that we passed on the way to Crew games. My dad always loved the name, we all did come to think of it, and it was the first thought in my mind when I saw Sawyer’s new look. I hope you agree he does look sharp, and sleek, and even more aerodynamic than before, which is just what we needed.
I was so happy that Scott finally got to visit us at swim class on Tuesday! Scott was able to get some video and pictures of Sawyer in action. Not only was Gabrielle in class, two new babies who Sawyer knew from our mom & baby groups unexpectedly joined too. Welcome Tommy and Abigail to the little swim group along with Gabrielle and Anastasia.
First the welcome song and splashing with Gabrielle. Then he swims to teacher Laura. Blowing on his face causes him to close his eyes and mouth so that he goes under without swallowing water. It is a reflex all babies have.
Going under again.
Kicking like a little fishie, well if little fishies had legs.
This past weekend, we left the city, crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, and spent the day in Tiburon. Once we crossed the GGB, which was completely covered in fog, the sun was shining and it was 75°. We were told that Sam’s was the place to eat lunch, so we placed our name on the waiting list and walked around town. After returning too early for our table, we continued to walk. Upon returning a second time, we arrived to what we thought was “good timing” as we heard our name being called. Of course, that was the last and final call, and our table was given away.
Ironically enough, though, the table was given away to one of Sawyer’s swim class friends, Gabrielle. Her parents, Chris and Rose, invited us to join them so it all worked out, well, swimingly.
Yes, avocado is the main event, but there are several other milestones in these three movies.
First, Abby acquired and I assembled each of the pieces to his high chair (thanks to everyone at Levi’s for this!). It’s pretty clear he likes being on our level, just look at that smile. Abby also put him in his new hard plastic bib (the other ones are so flimsy). With everything in place, he begins his first formal dinner at the table with his now standard rice cereal mix:
Next, the main event, which really needs no introduction or explanation:
Last, he’s really sitting up on his own for long stretches of time now. Yes, there’s almost always a pillow behind his head (we learned that lesson the hard way, so did he come to think of it). But look at how strong he is:
As my dad is fond of saying, “he’s a dude!”
So, to continue on with the graduation of Matthew and Michael, I feel it only fair to pull out the old pics of Matthew, aka Chewby, from earlier years as well. First a few of the boys together again.
Matthew and Michael, age 3
I absolutely LOVE this picture! Michael, Matthew and our Grandma Addie Doernberg in pretty much every piece of her jewelry.
Here are 2 pics of Matthew in first grade!
One of my favorite Matthew memories is when we asked him to get packed to go to Grandma’s house. We checked in the suitcase when he said he was finished: only his animals had made it into the suitcase. There was no room for anything else.
Here are Matt and I out on the bike path.
So I have shown 2 younger pics of myself, so it is only fair that we bring Scott into the action.
Finally, Matthew being the great uncle he is with Sawyer.
