Sawyer Smith: September 2008

portraits

I am no portrait photographer, but I figured we should at least try to have some more traditional photos... so here are my first attempts at taking some more classic baby photos. (The beautiful blue baby blanket was *hand knit* by our dear friend Beth Ellen!) Enjoy.

almost mobile!

Fall is truly here and we are enjoying the short window of beautiful fall color.

Sawyer has really been making strides towards crawling. We love watching as he works to figure it out. He has been spending a lot of time on his hands and knees recently and is beginning to try putting one hand forward at time. He is also beginning to move his knees independently and is sometimes putting a foot out to try to lever himself forward...though sometimes he ends up going backwards despite all his efforts. All this, accompanied by squeals of happiness and frustration. Here is a video.

This pic is for you, Great Nana and Great Bumpa! Sawyer is really enjoying his new outfits!

And this pic is for you, Nana....

Sitting Proud and Making Friends

Sawyer had an amazing afternoon. Until today, he has only been able to sit without propping for about 10 seconds at a time- then suddenly, with a visit from Amato, Sawyer seemed to have found the inspiration to stay upright without needing to hold himself like a tripod or needing side support. Here are three short videos of Sawyer showing his interest in Amato, scaring Amato a little with his exuberance, and eventually trying to chase Amato. Amato was a very good sport about it all- we are thrilled to see this friendship grow.

Big Week!

Changes come in fits and starts and boy have we had a doozy of a week! Sawyer has added some new sounds to his repertoire- including "th" "zzzz" "ba" and he is making zerberts. He is also exploring his upper vocal registry- trying out new squeals and is making a new happy sound which is a long high- pitched "eeeee". He also has a new not happy groan which seems to cover being hungry, tired, and dirty. Here are some little videos of the happy stuff:

He has also added new moves! In the matter of a few days, Sawyer found his knees, began rocking back and forth on them.... he usually rocks back and forth and then launches onto his face in attempts to move forward.

The Zoo

Dan and I both have mixed feelings about zoos- nonetheless we went to the Denver Zoo and enjoyed seeing all the creatures with Sawyer, Sacha, and Amato. Here are some pics from the day.

Happy Birthday Dan!

Dan turned 37 on Wednesday. Sawyer helped him celebrate by giving him good giggles as they chased the dog together. This game makes all three of them very, very happy.

I caught this video:

And on a totally random note: here is a glimpse at Sawyer's amazing hair swirls- a pattern he clearly inherited from his father. Dan predicts some wicked hair!

High Chair

Sawyer got his first taste of sitting in a high chair when we were in New Hampshire a few weeks ago. Now, he has officially graduated to high chair sitting and eating!

(we ran out of h's)

The high chair has also been a great place for him to play with toys that he can't play with on his floor quilt- like his wood blocks.

Laura visits!

I have known Laura all of my life. She swung through town this weekend during a western excursion. I was so happy she got to meet Sawyer while he is still so young. We had a delicious lunch with her Denver-based college friend Liz and her son Henry.

This post makes me realize I didn't record Jeffrey's visit at the beginning of this month. Jeffrey Vincent is a dear friend from highschool. He was out in Boulder for a friend's wedding and stayed with us. He and his wife, Moni, are expecting a baby in the spring. I was so happy that he got to meet Sawyer. Here they are:

Saw's new Socks

Lois, a dear friend of Sawyer's Nana knitted these amazing and stylish socks. Thanks, Lois! His feet will be toasty this winter!

zerberts

Caught this video when we were in New Hampshire.

small small catch monkey

It is so amazing to watch as Sawyer changes and develops. His small accomplishments add up quickly.... small small catch monkey...

He has been babbling constantly and making new sounds all the time. And though he doesn't seem to know what it means yet, he is saying "Da Da" an awful lot.

He is sitting on his own for a minute or two at a time- propped up like a tripod with both arms extended. He can manipulate toys with one hand and stay upright for a while.

He used a high chair for the first time on our visit to New Hampshire.

He is rolling over in both directions now, though still gets stuck on his belly sometimes.

He has found a preferred sleeping position: on his left side.

When playing with small toys, he will pass them from one hand to the other and will drop one so he can pick up another toy. He recently started banging his wood blocks against the counter.

He loves to play with his stacking cups and colored rings but still loves his little stuffed creatures: monkey, giraffe, and kiwi.

He has yet to meet a food he doesn't like. He has added oatmeal and peas to his diet and is eating almost a cup of grains + vegetables twice a day. Fruit is on the horizon.

He continues to love to practice standing and can fully weight one foot at a time.

He loves being outside and loves plants, trees, and flowers. Nothing else holds his attention in the same way.

When he is being held by one person, he will stretch out his arms so he can be passed to another person.

He is beginning to really pay attention to the sign language we have been using with him: up, eat, more, nurse, all done.

He is an excellent traveler. He likes his stroller and his carrier- pretty much anything that lets him see new stuff and jostles him a little along the way.

Meeting Family

Our trip was particularly memorable because we got to introduce Sawyer to so many family members he hadn't met yet. On this trip he met his Aunties and Uncles Kevin/Boo, Jen, Eric, Kaitlyn, and Greg; his cousins Aiden and Bella; his grandparents Poppa, Mimi, and John; his great grandparents Great Nana and Great Bumpa; his great Aunties Sherrie and Marie; his great Uncles Bruce and Great Uncle Rick and his kids Haley and Derrick... am I forgetting anyone?

Sawyer loved meeting everyone and so far isn't showing any signs of stranger anxiety. We were happy to see him passed from one set of loving hands to another. The words used most frequently to describe him, besides cute, were: strong and determined. Here are some pics from the wedding weekend:

John, Nana, Dan, and Sawyer:

Sawyer and Great Auntie Sherrie:

Here I am with Sawyer, Great Nana, Great Bumpa, and Dan:

Four generations of Smith men: Dan, Poppa, Sawyer, and Great Bumpa:

Poppa, Sawyer, Great Nana, Great Bumpa, and Mimi:

Sawyer with his Auntie Kaitlyn:

Auntie Jen and Sawyer:

Sawyer and his cousin Aiden:

The Ocean

On the first day back East, we hit the road for Maine and went to Parson's Beach. It was really great to introduce Sawyer to the ocean. We ate fried sea scallops and lobster chowder, and Dan indulged in his favorite: clam cakes. Here are some shots from the day.