Back home, reunited with his little buddies.

Bouncing on the trampoline at Playnastics with Harper, Carmen, and Jackson.

Finding a car, even at the gym.

A happy family picture with Aunt Sarika!

Sorry that Sarika's eyes are closed! I like Paxton's smile in this one! :)

My little guy, happily running up 'Ma Kay's walkway with his new little friends.

While the rest of the kids rolled on the hill, Paxton took a little time to focus on his cars.

My cute little Papap with my cute little boy.

Giving my teething boy a kiss on the airplane. He's getting in his two-year molars.

Pointing out our plane at the Atlanta airport.

Paxton with his "'Ma Kay".

Paxton's cousin, Jace, all decked out in his Steeler's colors!

Paxton getting a hug from his cousin, Jaden.

He played it remarkably cool, never even taking his water out of his mouth.

Her work done, Jaden moved on to her next task.

Paxton chilling with his new white tiger friend. Rowr!

Amy picked up some cool toys from the 70s for Paxton from a family member's garage sale.

G.G. and Jess were Paxton's adoring bookends.

I didn't get to take a picture of Nana, but here's a pretty accurate drawing.

Paxton and his new girlfriend, Jessica.

La Familia

Paxton and I made the annual trip to visit my family and friends in my home state of Pennsylvania last week. I would go more often if not for the high cost of travel. I love spending time in Western PA. It's absolutely beautiful there, and I adore all of my family there. My mother's parents (who I call "Nana" and "Papap"), my father's mother (who I call "G.G."), my father's siblings ("Jess" and "Amy"), my father's wife ("Kay"), my childhood friend ("Heather), my Texas friend who relocated to Western PA ("Jessica"), and a woman I've known since I was two ("Pam") all live there, and I try to make the time to visit each of them in the few days that I visit once or twice a year. As the days go by making my departure date to PA closer, I get giddy with anticipation, particularly now that I have Paxton with whom to share the love and experience.

In the past, I have split my time between Nana and Papap's abode, and Kay's house. This was more understandable when my dad was still alive. I loved spending time with my grandparents, but I mostly wanted to spend my time with Dad. Sometimes it was difficult, because I felt like a square peg in the perfect fit of his new family. They had inside jokes and a shared history and immense love and understanding of one another. I was this awkward Texan who didn't watch enough sports, didn't like the same kind of music, simply didn't fit in. But I loved my dad. I ached to understand him and be understood by him. I wanted him to tell me I was pretty, and that he was proud of me. Most of our visits were tinged by sadness on my part. But I adored him.

Now, I still spend part of my visit with Kay. After years spent competing for my dad's affections, we now find ourselves in a very small, very intense club. We both miss my dad immensely. We see him in one another. I think we want to protect each other. I've known Kay since I was nine-years-old, but only came to really love and appreciate her a few years before my dad passed away. I consider her family now. She was my dad's family, so she is mine.

This visit was different, because a few days before I arrived, Kay's father had to be hospitalized. Her extended family came to look in on him, and stayed at Kay's house, where Paxton and I had planned to stay. It wasn't an issue, because Paxton and I were happy to continue our visit with my grandparents. I always feel at home with them. They make me crazy sometimes, but they also make my heart big, especially now when I see them with their great-grandson. They love him so much. And his immediate comfort with them was astonishing to see. He followed Papap so closely, that when Papap stopped, Paxton literally ran into his legs. He would offer to share his food with Nana. He carried their giant stuffed tiger all around the house with him. He gently inspected all of Nana's knick-knacks, much to Papap's great concern. It was wonderful to see our family grow and improve. I've never felt closer to my grandparents.

My father's side of the family is more reserved and I didn't have the same closeness in my childhood with them. Often, I feel that I must sit with my back straighter when I am with them. I must suck in my stomach, sneak to the bathroom to comb my hair, and be careful not to drop my gerunds when I speak. It isn't exactly a comfortable setting. But my G.G., in particular, seems to love Paxton very much. She makes us feel welcome. My aunt is a little more fear-inducing. She was quick to scold Paxton for any sort of toddler curiosity he exhibited in their home. A perfect example of our differences was this conversation:

Amy: Paxton--no, no. Don't touch the cover for the arm of the chair.
G.G.: Oh, don't worry. He's putting it back.
Paxton then looked briefly at both of them, locked eyes with Amy and wiped his mouth with the arm chair cover.

To Amy, I'm pretty sure we're backwoods hooligans. First we have our wedding in a campground, our reception in an old wooden dance hall, and then we have a toddler who doesn't yet know how to use coasters (seriously--she brought that up). When Paxton proved how intelligent he is in little ways like showing his aptitude for sign language or successfully completeing a rather difficult puzzle on his first attempt, I felt like Amy thought we were just showing off. Perhaps that was just my assumption, and didn't have a basis in truth. I'm simply happy to have a family who loves my son. That's all that really matters.

My adorable friend, Jessica, moved to Western Pennsylvania a couple of years ago with her now-husband, Chuck. They are both wonderful people. It is a blessing for me to be able to see her when I visit my family. She has an addictive personality. She makes everyone she meets immediately loosen up and smile. Paxton was no exception to her charms. He absolutely loved her. When I said her name, he grinned from ear to ear. He calls her "Jecca". He is pretty sure she hung the moon.

Traveling alone with a toddler isn't a breeze. I carted Paxton, a carseat/stroller, two carry-ons and a purse from plane to plane. I had no time to relax with my magazines en route, as I was constantly tending to Paxton's whims in hopes that he'd stop kicking the seat in front of him. I carried every light-weight snack, book, car, and game I could think of to constantly entertain him so that he wouldn't have a meltdown with no one around to distract him but me and an airplane filled with frowning strangers. It was stressful. Next time we fly to Pennsylvania, I'm willing to put forth another $250 for Chris' ticket just so I can have the support of another loving adult. It will be worth every penny.

To cap off our week of family fun, just days after we returned home, we were visited by my adorable sister-in-law, Sarika. This was the first time she has seen Paxton since he was four-months-old. She and my brother live in Los Angeles. I have been dying for them to meet the toddler version of their nephew. My brother, especially, will find in Paxton a little soulmate. They are two boys cut from the same cloth. They could probably sit together with a few Hot Wheels and be completely sated for hours. Paxton already knows about cars, trucks, SUVs, taxis, buses, Jeeps, Tizzy's car (Prius), vans and trailers. Aaron could teach him a ridiculous slew of more vehicle information. Sarika took pictures of the pets, the Hot Wheels, the Converse shoes Paxton was rocking and promptly sent them to Aaron so that he could be a part of the visit. I hope we can make a trip to L.A. soon to see them in their element and meet their son, Otto (a beautiful black dog with his daddy's bad attitude).

I feel rich with blessings. Family was never as important as when Paxton arrived. I ache for him to feel a sense of connection with his roots. I want him to always know how valued and adored he is. And I want him to learn how crucial it is to look out for our family and to treat them with love and respect. It's a lesson that I did not always take to heart. But I will do everything in my power to teach my son that lesson. If only so that he doesn't put me and Chris in a home at his first available opportunity.

Swim Fan!

BUY US! We're cute and lonely.

Oh, look--TY!

A cultural pair!

WHINNEY!

No new pictures of my boy this week, sadly. The only shots I've taken lately were of stuffed animals that I plan to sell. I totally over-prepared for the arrival of our first child. When our store closed, I stowed away one of each of our stuffed animals, in anticipation of my unborn child's entertainment. Let me just say that you CAN have too many stuffed animals. And they apparently multiply when you leave them alone too long. We have SO many. I gave a few to my friend, Carmen, whose son, Harper, apparently didn't experience the onslaught of stuffed goodies in his first year. I put a few of Paxton's favorites around his room, and displayed a few of my favorites on the ledge above his closet. That still left me with about a dozen that, while adorable, need a new home, stat. Perhaps I'll post their pictures here! They're all in great, pretty much brand new condition, but we just have no place in our home for them, no matter how adorable. Take them off my hands for a steal! :)

Though I lack pictures, I did want to comment on Paxton's much-improved swimming abilities this summer. We have a membership to the local pool, which is just down the road from our house. I think we've reached something like fifty days over 100 degrees here already this summer, so the pool has been our only real relief. Amazingly, it's nearly empty most of the times we go. Is it possible to be too hot to swim? Not from where we're standing, but we seem to be in the minority. We even brave the hot pavement and walk to the pool, towing Paxton in his little red wagon. Also along for the ride, his water wings, some towels, LOTS of sunscreen, a magazine, ice water and a "treat" to lure Paxton out of the pool.

Despite his rash guard shirts blocking the sun, and his SPF 50, Paxton has still developed a little tan. It's very strange seeing this on any child of mine. But surprisingly, even I have darkened a little. I know that no dermatologist would pat me on the back for this, but I find it to be a terrific novelty. Tanning is not something I have ever excelled at. Then again, before this summer, going outside was enemy #1. I hate the hot Texas summers. I am constantly hot, constantly tending to the beads of sweat forming above my lip and on my brow. But this summer, one of the hottest on records, I'm having a darn fine time. I credit Paxton and the pool membership, above all.

Paxton is a student of everything he lays eyes on. And don't think for a minute that he isn't paying attention. The kid can spot a butterfly a mile away. He can hear a motorcycle across town. He throws in prepositions before his nouns, just because he hears us do it enough that he's probably got a chance that he's right. The kid is on it like Harry Connick. And at the pool, floating around in his water wings, he is studying all. For that reason, when he jumps into the water from the side of the pool, he now pristinely puts his hands together in front of him, bends at the waist and does the toddler rendition of "diving". He's seen enough of the older kids demonstrating that he's actually better than I have ever been. And though he doesn't have his counting down exactly, he prefaces every dive with some sequence of numbers. Often he throws out "one, two, three", but sometimes he mixes it up for effect. "Four, five, TWO!" SPLASH!

The water wings (sometimes known as "floaties") were the best purchase we made all summer. Before we got them, he would try to squirm out of our arms, pushing his giant baby feet off of our stomachs, practically guzzling pool water in an effort to score a little independence. He didn't realize that cruising off solo in the pool wasn't a real possibility for a three-foot-tall person in a pool that starts at three-feet in depth. He resented that we were trying to 'keep him down', while we were actually trying very hard to 'keep him up'. We offered him little rafts and secure inner tubes, but he wanted none of it. I even got a little swimsuit that has the floatation device built in to it, but it didn't do much more than make him look really awkward. He still tipped forward in the pool, swallowing water.

I have seen countless kids in water wings, but I always kind of frowned on them. I rated them right up there with holding your nose when you went under water. They were a crutch that stopped you from learning the right way to do things. But for a kid who is a year-and-a-half, treading water isn't going to happen. Water wings are the perfect solution. Since we started putting them on him, he now feels comfortable enough in the water that he can swim where he wants to go (including the steps to leave the pool, and the ladders), lower his head to blow bubbles, and experiment with floating on his stomach or back. He is so comfortable in the water, it's like he's been swimming for years. Other pool visitors comment on it all the time. I'm so glad that he loves the water as much as Chris and I do. It's such a fun family activity and it's really brought us closer!

Not since high school have I been sad to see summer go. We're already a week into August, and while this summer has been hot enough to have Native Texans grumbling, this Pennsylvania girl has loved just about every minute of it! I never thought I'd say that. For years, I've been scheming to leave our hot state, but now I'm dreading the cold days of winter to come. Only my blue-eyed baby angel could make me love the hottest months of the year. He truly is a miracle!

Playnastics!

Playing on the mats with the pool noodles and bouncey balls was enough to make Paxton's whole day!

But he was also awfully fond of the foam pit!

He loved being tossed into the foam pit.

He experimented with mats of all different heights and textures.

One of these days, we'll graduate to the trampolines, the balance beams and the rock climbing wall. But for now, ramp mats are just fine for us!

My favorite little cutie girl, Tatum June! :)

He fell accidentally, but decided that maybe he'd just rest there for a moment and enjoy some t.v.

Paxton loves bath time with Daddy!

My beautiful friend, Autumn, with her new baby boy, Owen, and her original baby boy, Sam!

Those baby blues and long eyelashes help Paxton get away with plenty.

Playdate at Paxton's House

Despite a room filled with toys, all babies are drawn to the spiral staircase. Here is beautiful Tatum, trying it out for size.

Paxton was so happy to see his friends!

Paxton shows off his cars, while Tatum ducks behind the beach ball.

Harper and Tatum share the stretchy ball.

Tatum drives the bus!

Livin' La Vida Paxton

I am sure I had lots of fun as a child, but it was most likely had in the privacy of my own backyard with my brother and our neighbor, Tommy, who would drop his gum in the dirt and then put it back in his mouth. Perhaps in the mid-70's, the stay-at-home-mother gig wasn't the finely-oiled social machine that it is today. That was before the internet was around to advertise playdates on meetup.com and facebook let you keep in constant contact with your social network of fellow mommies. I often feel like I'm Paxton's social secretary. "Good morning, Master Paxton. It's Monday today, so after breakfast and dressing, we'll hie to your music class with Miss Petra. Then we can't waste a moment, because we must arrive at the library for Toddler Time by 10:30." He exists in a whirlwind of puppet shows, story time, playground dates, visits from friends, swimming, and, as of last week, playnastics. I didn't anticipate being the mom who overscheduled every second of her child's life, and I still wouldn't categorize myself as such, but I'm foreseeing a fair amount of extracurricular fun throughout this kiddo's life.

We have enough toys in our house to entertain an army of toddlers. Just from where I'm sitting, 50% of everything in my view is designed specifically to achieve momentary childhood bliss. And then there are the things that were once toys for grown-ups that Paxton has adopted as his own. The big blue exercise ball. The singing and talking Homer Simpson. The spray bottle of water. The rolling pin and onion-keeper. The dog, for goodness sakes. This is Paxton's world and we just live in it. And work for him.

He's rolling up on the 20-month mark. His vocabulary is astonishing. He recognizes numbers (2, 4, and 8 are his favorites) and can count to five. He can swim like a fish, providing someone slip the water wings on his arms first. He can differentiate and name (over and over and over) cars, trucks, motorcycles ("Bi-CLE!!") and SUVs. He can point out a guitar playing in music he hears. He air drums. He knows all of the pets' names (no small feat, since we have four cats, two dogs and a parrot). He knows at least 30 signs (like "dog", "cat", "eat", "yellow", "red", "blue", "train", "car", "rain", "cheese", "cracker", "mama", "cookie", "more", "finished", and "milk") and even made up his own very humorous and very effective sign for "nursing"--he points to his chest, one finger on each pec. He astonishes and amazes us every single day. His capacity for learning and his curiousity about the world seemingly know no limits. And he has a wicked sense of humor. What more could a mom ask for? I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I'm in love.