1 year 1 week, 4 days

We are still frantically packing to move to the new apartment on this coming Friday, so this will be a short update. I had a picture of Griffin "helping" us use the bubble wrap, but it seems to have evaporated. This is a picture of Griffin and one of his insanely cute cousins, on Griffin's birthday. We're dismantling my computer, and then I will have no internet connection until June 19th or so (because Verizon is terminally slow and unhelpful), so this won't be updated until then.

Griffin is trying to walk. He's not sure he can do it, so he stands, hesitating, and then just sits and crawls. He DOES walk with one hand lightly touching surfaces, so I know if he screwed his courage together, he could make it!

Soon, we all go swimming. Soon, meaning after the move. The pool is open, and it's finally warm enough. I can't wait to see his second reaction to the pool. He won't remember it, but we tried to make him get in the pool long, long ago. That did not go over so well. But now that he's not afraid of water (except the shower and sometimes the sink), it should go better. We hope, anyhow. :)

He's finally moving almost exclusively to solids, and he can drink milk! He seems to seriously dig milk, but now he's suddenly become picky about what he wants to eat, which is sad. He also throws fits and wants to eat my food, and wants to feed himself. The feeding himself thing is awesome.. not so much wanting my food.

So, now I say farewell until the 19th, or whenever Verizon decides to have their heads removed from their posteriors and realize that I'm only moving around the corner in the same apartment complex, and I don't need them to test to see if I can get DSL there. I'm sure that two weeks will bring up a lot of things, and the next update will be full of news!

Be well,
Autumn

1 YEAR OLD (and 1 day)

He is one year old. His grandparents on my side came from their homes to see us, and my sister flew in as well. My other sister was not feeling well (due to surgery), so was unable to come. My brother and sister in law came with my nephews later in the day.

The day was pretty mellow, with hanging out, and various shopping excursions. We had sandwhiches, then cake. Griffin was getting really overwhelmed at this point, but he really enjoyed playing with his piece of cake. He didn't get it on the wall, for which I am eternally grateful. It did get on his head, behind his ears, on his eyebrows, eyelashes, and up his nose. Some got in his mouth too, and he seemed to seriously dig that. We all made a big deal of the cake, and he seemed the happiest he'd been all night, while at the same time being incredibly wired. I think all the people, attention and sugar took its toll on him then. Present opening was just for the adults, as he worked himself into a state.

Then, everyone was gone. Everyone went home, and life went on as usual. It was jarring, and once again I am reminded that life isn't a movie. His birthday party doesn't end with credits and a sappy song. You get up the next morning, he needs changing, the laundry needs to get done, life just.. goes on. For the first time in longer than I care to remember, that doesn't depress me. Sure, if I'm tired I still wish I could keep sleeping, but I don't feel as if I am being ground between the wheels of life anymore. Incredibly, strangely, awesomely, I am enjoying my life.

Being one year since he was lifted from my womb by the nice gentlemen at Children's Hospital, I am of course prompted to remember that experience. [Long Pause] Now that that is over, let me move on to the next year's worth of hopes and dreams. As we move to the new apartment, we all take the first step in a long journey.

Roads go ever ever on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea:
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June,
Over grass and over stone,
And under mountains in the moon.

Be well,
Autumn

11 months, 4 weeks

He's going to be 1 year old in a few days.WOW.


Wow.


Looking at all his old pictures and some clothing, and even a diaper that was left over from when he first came home, I am boggled that he was ever so incredibly tiny. I used to be able to cradle him with one arm to breastfeed.

Thursday, we all sing happy birthday, and give him pressies. Yay!

Real updates will continue later on, sorry for the weird times, and short stuff. After his party, though, definately an update.

11 months, 8 days away from his birthday

Parenting is hard! I don't think any book can really spell it out for you. Not the worry, not the nail biting, or the bone tired fears at midnight. No book can really prepare you for wondering if your choice of food in a jar is going to send him on the right kinds of path in life. Or prepare you for the wracking guilt when you yell at him in a moment of pure 'end of your rope'-ness.

It certainly is odd, parenting. I never thought I would be so happy to see someone who hits me in the face, grabs my glasses, and has me running ragged after him. Morning, I love seeing the little guy. Even if I'm exhausted, or he's being particularly butt-like. I never stop getting a little leap of joy when he reaches for me to give me a hug, or because he just.. wants me.

I used to be desperate for some way to amuse myself, but now I can play with Griffin all day, or watch him play by himself. While I do it, I get the sense that this is something I need to soak up, because it'll be gone faster than I can blink. So I do.

We went to the Zoo! Griffin was the happiest I have *ever* seen him. His father took him around the zoo on his shoulders, and he got to see all kinds of animals. His mother sat on a bench, mostly, because people stole the zoo's wheelchairs and she had to go by crutch.

I must go now, to sleep. Tomorrow is another day with the little man, and I want to be able to think straight. Have a good sleep, everyone.

Soon, he will be one year old!

Wow.
Autumn

11 months, 3 weeks, 6 days

Apologies for this post being late. They will be, for a while, as we pack and our schedules get interrupted.

Griffin keeps trying to eat the cardboard boxes that are piled up everyplace. At least he hasn't tried to climb them yet (and I do say yet).

He is smart and not easily dissuaded. I can't just take something away from him and hide it, because he watches me and goes after it. He also has suddenly shown acute knowledge of which direction an out of sight parent is. This past weekend, Eric let me sleep in (which was very very nice of him!), and after I'd awoken, I was laying in bed contemplating waking up. I heard something that sounded like "mom!" and the baby started banging on our bedroom door, trying to get in. When Eric leaves the room, the baby will notice he's gone, and go in the right direction for him, looking around everyplace. The stubbornness thing is showing up too. Just like his father and his uncle, he will not be discouraged out of doing something once he's set his mind to it! I have had more tantrums from me taking away a pencil he's accidentally gotten ahold of, or stopping him from eating computer wires than anything else, and I have to keep stopping him 5, 6, 9 times before something else distracts him.

Luckily, the word "No" actually works most of the time. I try not to overuse it, because I don't want him to ignore it. Eric and I have both come upon a tone that really seems to convey the fact that we aren't kidding around. Sadly, it makes him cry. At least he isn't eating cardboard boxes, though.

He will sometimes let go of what he's holding onto, and stand for a few seconds. Usually, he's standing on his tip-toes, so he'll fall on his butt quickly. Sometimes, he realizes what he's doing, flails his arms, and falls on his butt. Luckily, that stubborn bit I was talking about earlier makes him get right back up. I saw a lot of that doggedness when he was learning to pull himself up in the first place.

The words he's using have seemed to cement themselves. The "mama" or "Mahm" noises tend to mean me. "Dada" tends to mean Eric, and "bah bah bah" means food. He also still uses "nah nah nah" for no, but now it's accompanied by a vigorous head shaking, too. He also still shakes his head while dancing, but now it's got an added shifting foot to foot element to it if he's standing.

I can't wait till we've moved. I can make his room his own.