It won't be long before his feet are actually this big. These are the only shoes I can fit his feet into right now, since he makes a foot fist every time I try.A break for kitties. From left to right, Franklin, Scramble and Buster.

He likes Crocs. They're functional, if not beautiful.


Okay, so lots of new developments with our little guy this week. Much to my dismay, he's now fully mobile. He crawls brilliantly. And he crawls toward everything he is not supposed to be touching. Some of his favorite things are...the dog chew treats, the dog bowls, the cable box, my laptop, any exposed wires, and my digital camera. Today he actually climbed over a pillow barricade I'd made to get to my laptop. All of his toys now bore him to tears. I need to find another mommy to trade toys with. Surely every other baby gets painfully bored with the same toys they see every day. Hm...that might be something I mention to the play group I go to!

Besides the new crawling capability, he also now knows how to pull himself up into a standing position. We witnessed this last night, in his crib. He's been really fussy lately, which I think is a mixture of teething and keeping him too busy. He didn't go to bed until later last night, and when I put him down, he was crying like mad. I was ready to ignore the cries, because I was exhausted and not feeling well. But Chris went up to check on him and called from upstairs that Paxton was standing in his crib. I got to witness this for myself today when he was crying when he should have been napping. It was really neat to see him standing there, but frustrating that it was stopping him from getting the sleep he so desperately needs.

The strange thing about the timing of his standing was that just hours before he did it yesterday, I was having a conversation with my mom about when Aaron and I first learned to pull ourselves up to stand. She said that we would stand up in our cribs and then just sob because we didn't know how to get back down. She said she repeatedly had to go in and lay us back down and that it was a frustrating time. I now see just what she means.

Three of Paxton's four top front teeth have broken through his gums. One of them is a little ahead of the other two. It's the one that is just above his two bottom teeth, so he now grinds those teeth together constantly. It is like hearing nails on a chalkboard. My jaw is sore from tensing it when he does that. He also lays his jaw on my shoulder and pops it--the jaw, not my shoulder. It doesn't bother me the same way the teeth grinding does, but it's still a little odd.

We went to the pediatrician last week for Paxton's nine-month well check. He is doing great. He is 21 pounds exactly, which puts him in the 55th percentile for weight. That's a switch for him! I've noticed him getting leaner. He's got ab muscles I would kill for. And he is something like 27 inches tall. That's the 80th percentile, I think. Now that he's nine-months-old, we are going to start feeding him three meals a day, rather than just lunch and dinner (plus LOTS of nursing), like we had been doing. It's sort of hard to fit in breakfast, but I realize that if I just got us up a little earlier, it'd be fine. As it is, I'm usually jumping up in the morning to tend to all the animals and dressing and nursing and changing Paxton before we run out the door to whatever storytime or playdate we've got on the schedule.

Speaking of playdates, I have been getting to know some of the mommies from the play group we joined. It's really great to get to know other moms and I like several of them a lot! Everyone always said that when you have a baby, you make friends more easily, because you have something in common with other moms, but I was doubtful. As I've said, I'm a little shy when it comes to meeting new people. But I am so happy that I've met these great people and that Paxton has other little ones to interact with!

One last thing--I've been catching up on filling out Paxton's baby books for the past week. You read right--BOOKS. Plural. I have four. I don't know what I was thinking. Each one was cuter than the next. And one was a gift. I keep writing the same information over and over. One was a pregnancy book, and I'm using it to also write things about what he's doing now. I am determined to fill the whole thing. I already feel bad for our next child, since I highly doubt I'm going to go the route of multiple baby books again. He or she will probably be lucky to get one. Oh, the injustice.

Paxton and Chalula, zoned out.
Paxton with his Get Well Soon balloon from Daddy, and a sleeping Daddy in the background. ZZZZZ.
Naked baby, in-between crawls.
That's one version of his cheesy smile. I LOVE IT. He's so silly. All that drool on his chin is courtesy of the four new teeth breaking through.

Ding! Ding! Dinner Time!

Paxton is feeling a lot better. I ended up having to take him to the doctor after his temperature was elevated for three straight days, despite the Tylenol and Motrin. When I took his temperature on Friday afternoon, it was 102.9. I called his doctor and they recommended that I bring him in. The pediatrician was very reassuring. He told me that Pax's lungs and ears both seemed to be fine, meaning that we caught this in the early stages. He said it was a virus and we just needed to ride it out. He also said that the old wives tale that babies get temperatures when they are teething comes from the fact that when they are teething, they are more apt to put anything and everything in their mouths, thus leading to them acquiring more germs than normal. Interesting stuff. I had no idea.

What was so terribly sweet was that even though Paxton clearly felt like poo, he was such a trouper about the whole thing. He works that new smile of his like a pack mule. The eyes squint. The bottom teeth flash. There's no real heart and soul in it. It's more like a cheese move you do when the camera is pointed at you. It's awesome. I adore it. Anyway, I am so impressed that his "bad days" are like many kids "normal days". He's a pretty happy little dude and it's sweet to see that that perseveres even when he's rocking a fever of 102. I don't know where he gets his good attitude. Not from his fiery -tempered mommy, that's for sure. From me, he gets his tendency to scream when his ball rolls out of his reach.

Okay, so on a different note, I am entering a new phase of baby feeding that is bringing me undue tension. When I took Paxton to the pediatrician for his six-month well-check, they asked me if he was feeding himself yet. Uh...what? He had barely started to eat solids. Yes, he was a pro at trying to wrestle the spoon out of my hand and he often shoved it into his mouth himself, but I think that was less about feeding himself and more about chewing on something that I was trying to keep from him. Still, the seemingly innocent question made me worry that maybe I was doing something wrong. I mean, it was terrifying enough for me to introduce solid foods to him at all. Breastfeeding was going so well, and I was relatively confident that I was doing everything right in that department. I mean, yes, I still drink caffiene and I take antidepressants, but I think that the risk that presents to him is less than it would be if I was without those two things.

I got over my terror of him having a deadly allergy attack from the solids I introduced. It took a couple of months, but I think I'm relaxed in that area now. But without intervention, I think that I would probably still be spoon feeding him pureed fruits and veggies when he's three. I didn't understand how I could introduce things that he's expected to chew when he only has two teeth. I guess, upon further inspection, he mashes these soft things with his gums. I started with Baby Mum-Mums, which claim to dissolve in the baby's mouth. Then I let him have an organic teething biscuit, which he wasn't too into, even though it smelled for all the world like a cookie to me. I gave him some organic cheerio-type cereal, and he was not interested. I gave him banana pieces, but he would only eat it if I inserted it into his mouth, even though dozens of pieces were right there at his fingertips on his high chair tray and he seems to want to stick everything else in his mouth. Last week, I tried some avocado. He was a little gunshy since I had given him the dreaded Tylenol earlier, so he sealed his mouth shut and turned his face away. I sweet-talked him, though, and he succumbed. Again, though, he would only eat it if I fed it to him on a spoon. Drat! Today, I offered him pieces of tofu, rolled in cereal crumbs. Was he curious enough to feed it to himself? Uh, no. But he liked it when I fed it to him. I guess that's a start. I just hope I don't have to go with him to high school to feed him his lunch.

I know I'm his mommy and, thus, biased, but he's awfully handsome any way you slice it.
While Paxton ate dinner, Daddy vacuumed. I put the headphones on his to blunt the volume for the little guy.
Headphones and sweet potatoes go together like Tom and Jerry.
Scramble fell asleep after a long evening of jamming on the guitar.

Sickos

I have a house of sick babies today. Chalula, the puppy whose name spelling I change daily, got her second round of vaccinations today and she's been asleep ever since. Normally, when I sit on the couch, she rushes over to sit next to me if she's feeling remotely lethargic. Most of the time, however, she and the kitten (Scramble) are chasing each other around the house, biting Paxton's toes while I try to change his diaper, running off with baby toys, you name it. It's baby pet mayhem. But today, Chalula hasn't even budged from the spot she's been sleeping at all afternoon. She's lost in a couch cushion nowhere near her beloved mommy and she could care less. It's peaceful around here. I kinda like it.

Paxton is also under the weather. I'm waiting for the nurse to call us back to give me some guidance. For a while now, both Paxton and I have been battling allergies. He usually wakes up with a crusty nose, but that's about the extent of it, so I haven't thought too much about it. Yesterday, he had flushed cheeks, so I took his temperature and it was within the normal range for a rectal reading. Today, though, he's been fussy all day. He's been crying more easily and has had fewer of those just plain joyful moments that normally fill his day. Mom noticed that he has four front teeth coming in on top now. One broke through a while ago, and I noticed the second one at the surface. Apparently the two middle teeth are rushing to catch up, because his top gums are just a mess of pre-exposed chicklets suddenly. That certainly could and should be contributing to his crabbiness. But when he woke up from his nap this afternoon, one of his cheeks was really red again, and he felt warm, so I took his temp again. It was 102.6, which is high, even for teething and for a rectal reading. He was only up for 40 minutes--just long enough to eat some lunch and get a diaper change--before I put him back to sleep and I haven't heard a peep for over an hour. The last two nights, I've heard him talking to himself a lot. It's almost like he's whining or singing. It doesn't break out into a full cry, and he usually goes back to sleep fairly quickly. Heck, he might be asleep while he's making these sounds. He's too much of a light sleeper for me to check on him. Every time I try to quietly stick my head in his room, he jumps like I threw a grenade in ahead of me.

So the house is quiet today, and I'll be honest, I'm liking it. I just ate three helpings of spinach salad which has left me queasy, but happy. I'm just about to watch my "news" program, Inside Edition. I hope I don't ostrasize you with my intellectual nature. It's important for me to keep up with current events. You know, Barack Obama allegedly calling Palin a pig with lipstick, and a woman who got mauled by a bear and lived to tell the tale. And I need to stay tuned to see which famous singer just got busted for DUI. Important stuff.

Say prayers for my little sweetie (and the puppy dog, too). The nurse just called and said that I should give Pax Tylenol and Motrin and just keep an eye on him over the next day or two. There are some viruses going around and all the plans we had this week with friends were cancelled, because they came down with sicknesses. Hopefully his immune system is strong and will battle this quickly and he'll feel better in no time. I hate to see him under-the-weather. It both breaks my heart and warms it to see him feeling bad, but still mustering a giggle for me when I make a goofy face or pretend to chomp on his fingers. He's my angel.

By the way, it was Eric Carmen who was arrested for DUI. Disturbing video. The police had to hold him up. Yikes.

Baby Labor Day

The water down the front of Paxton's shirt here is actually water from his sippy cup and not drool. He's not 100% great with the sippy cup yet, but he does so enjoy it.
He finally outgrew his old baseball cap, so I found this one at Babies R Us. It has a motorcycle on it and it says "VROOM". It's hardcore, yo. Like my baby. The front of his shirt here might actually be drool.
I LOVE the faces Paxton makes. He's so expressive. Here he is playing with a dog toy, while the dog (who is now named "Chalula") is curled up in his nursing pillow. It's good to share.
The camera just brings him so much joy and excitement. So does a plastic book with a squeaker in it.
I finally, finally met my friend Jen from myspace. We've been writing for, oh, three years or so. Actually, I guess it's been more like two. It just feels longer. We live a little over an hour from each other, but since she's in far north Austin and I'm in Wimberley, it might as well be different states, so we've never met until yesterday. We finally made firm plans to meet at the Austin Zoo. That's her beautiful little girl, Zosja, who is about six months older than Pax. We had a good time, aside from the freakishly hot day. I don't think yesterday even topped 100, but we were all dripping sweat. At one point, I was actually blinded by sweat while I was trying to feed the snaggletoothed llama. Chris looked like he had taken a dive into a pool in his clothes and later told me he thought he was going to pass out. When we went to eat afterwards, and could actually sit and talk a bit, I was so zapped from the sun that I thought I was going to nap at the table. The zoo was fun, but Paxton will appreciate it far more when he's a little older. Zosja could make all the sounds of the animals and Paxton could barely spot them in the distance. It'll be a fun place to visit as he learns more about all the creatures! It's strictly a rescue sanctuary, so I always enjoy going there.

Paxton is getting two more teeth in. I noticed them when he gave me a giant grin the other night. They are his upper canines. Very vampire-esque of him to skip the middle teeth in favor of these impressive chompers. I've been reading Twilight, so I have all the more respect for his glorious ivories. I still feel a little sad with every new "big boy" development he makes, but I'm starting to accept that these changes are a great thing, and not mourn the loss of my little baby boy. When I went in to wake him up this morning, he was asleep on his tummy in his crib and got up on his hands and knees upon seeing me. He's so close to crawling. We have a LOT of babyproofing to do around here.

We're wrapping up our Labor Day weekend with a cookout at my mom's house this afternoon. We've had a busy, fun weekend. Chris starts his new job tomorrow and is in a zone of worry about the change. It's going to be an interesting week!