Play Date

Have you ever wondered what a table at Chick Fil A would look like after a playdate with 3 boys under the age of 5?
Well here it is.

Today we tried something new. We've had this gate since Christmas but haven't used it all. We thought we were going to need it to protect the Christmas tree, but Honeybadger didn't give a shiz. He didn't care a bit about a giant lit up furry tree materializing in his living room. How could we have ever worried about that Honeybadger?

So we have this unused giant thing. Grandma suggested we try it out as a playpen today. David needs to learn this play by himself (he is starting to get very needy with me), and I need to be able to do things while he is awake without looking over my shoulder ever ten seconds.

So we set it up. Baby Mama came home in the afternoon and was very dissatisfied at the sight of her baby in a "cage." David wasn't too happy either. He played for about 10 minutes then wanted his freedom back. Needless to say but the playpen will not be making a second appearance tomorrow.

Just for fun...

I think he is going to be a super star of some kind...involving a ball...or multiple balls?




January 23, 2012

It always rains...

On Tuesdays. Seriously. I should never make plans to leave the house on Tuesdays in Austin, because that is the day it always rains.

Tuesday is the day that the cleaning ladies come to the house. I hate being in the house when they are there. I feel awkward, like we are all watching each other. I worry they think I'm home to supervise them, or rat them out for doing a bad job (I'm not a mind reader, just paranoid). I also feel like they are watching me, and judging my baby sitting skills. I'm always dragging the baby from room to room to stay out of their way, while making sure we don't mess up what they just cleaned.

Today, I made plans. I had planned to meet with a guy about subletting his apartment. I planned it all perfectly. I scheduled the meet for 11, after David's nap so he would be a good little Honeybadger. While he was napping, I made bottles, packed the diaper bag, got the baby carrier and loaded it all into the car so that when he woke up, I would literally put pants on him and leave. I wake him up at 10:40 and start getting him ready, when I hear thunder, which I choose to ignore.

I yell out to Grandma (who is staying in the house for at least week) that we are running an errand and will be back. She comes out and asks me about the weather. I open the front door, and its pouring. POURING. I make a dash for the car with the baby. Jump in the back seat with him and close the door to start strapping him in. I get in the front seat, and start driving. I get 2 blocks away when Grandpa calls and says "I heard you are driving. I don't think you should in this weather. You should turn around and go back." Well I can't argue with that. So back we go.

So we stayed home, and we were stuck in the house (because of the rain) while the cleaning ladies cleaned. Argh.


The biggest bummer wasn't even that I had to cancel the apartment meet, it was that I woke David up from his nap to run this errand that was ruined by the rain. He could have slept for another 45 minutes probably if I had let him!

Walking!

Look who started some major walking this weekend!
January 22, 2012!

Video!

This was our Friday after we got back from Gymboree. My advice to all caregivers: step on the babies.

Gymboree Success

Gymboree was awesome this week. I took David to a class on Friday afternoon and we had a new teacher. She was filling in for someone else, and I loved her. I love the other teacher too, but this one had a different style. She was quieter and calmer. The music she played was calmer, and I think David responded well to that. The last few times we have gone to Gymboree, he has sat on my lap and refused to interact with others. On Friday, he was touching other babies, smiling, babbling, and he even moved around a bit.

There is one activity they do every class where they put a parachute on the ground and put toys in the middle. David usually sits on my lap and refuses to go play. On Friday though, he crawled into the middle and played! I was so happy, I ran and got my camera :-)

Nine Dogs on a Moonlit Night...

Today we officially signed up for unlimited usage of Gymboree Play and Learn classes. We went in to Gymboree for a free class last week , mostly because I wanted to get out of the house with the Honeybadger. He was completely overwhelmed because he had never been around that many babies before! He sat in my lap most of the time watching all the other babies crawl and tumble around the room, while he held tightly onto a ball. After I told his Mom this, we all agreed that being around other babies is something he needs so we enrolled! So at LEAST once a week we will be going in for an age appropriate class, but knowing me, I am probably going to go tons. I mean, it is a room filled with mats to ease all the tumbles and falls the baby will have and filled with toys, I don't have to put away!

I stayed late tonight at the house to have dinner. After dinner I was playing with David and he was crawling away and heading for another room. I was to lazy to get up and go chase him, so I picked up a book and started reading it out loud. He stopped dead in his tracks, turned around and came rushing back. He LOVES books. I pulled him up onto the couch with me and snuggled in next to me. I was reading "Doggies" by Susan Boyton (her books are a God-send) to him and when I got to "Nine Dogs on a moonlit night...AoooOoOoaAOooo" David started howling too. It was amazing! He breaks my heart with how precious he is. Baby Mama made video, so I am just waiting for her to email it to me. It is precious precious precious.

Day Off

So what do I do when I'm not with my little Honeybadger?
Well this picture sums it up. This has been my entire day. I haven't gotten dressed or showered yet and its 5:40pm.

October 2011










So precious

Friends are always asking me what I do everyday in Texas, and I am always talking about baby David, so I figured, why not start a blog about it?

I am 22 (going on 23 in February) and I adore kids. I am the kind of person who makes faces at babies in public and talks to little kids. So it is no surprise to anyone who knows me that I am nannying right now. Right guys?

David is 11 months old. He is a tiny little guy, currently weighing around 16 1/2 pounds. He has two teeth right smack in the center of his mouth on the bottom, and one on top trying to pop through. He is cruising up a storm, and starting to take his first steps. So far he can take up to five steps at a time before eating it! He has mastered the art of standing on his own, and now likes to play with his toys while standing up. He loves to say "OH WOW" when he picks up a toy for the first time (which makes my heart melt).

I take pictures of David obsessively, so get ready to be assaulted by tons of photos of a beautiful baby boy.