almost walking, motorcycles, and limes

Sawyer has been really moving recently. He is standing for a few seconds at a time and he wants to walk everywhere. He is getting more stable - he has even taken steps holding just one hand- but when he really wants to get somewhere fast he usually drops to his knees and crawls at top speed.
Sawyer got this great t-shirt from our friends Janelle and Ralf, who sent it to us from Australia where they have been for the last year. We miss them and the breakfasts and motorcycle rides we used to share! (Thanks again for the t-shirt Ralf and Janelle!!)

Sawyer loves books. He often asks us to read to him by going to his book basket, pulling out the book of his choice, and bringing it to us. He will go back again and again to get his fill. I caught these two pics- of Dan reading to Sawyer and Dan reading to Sawyer *and* Dezi a couple of days ago. His current favorite books are Gossie (the Gosling) and Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes.

Since our February has been like a good spring- with temps consistently in the 50s and 60s, Dan pulled his motorcycle back out of the garage for his daily commute. Sawyer got his first taste of two-wheeled motor transport
I caught some reflections of Sawyer during his motorcycle adventure.

Cheeks-McGee...
We have been continuing to introduce Sawyer to new tastes. Recently, he had pickles, limes, and oranges. He liked the oranges best.

Weekend Family Time

We had a really great weekend.

On Saturday, we took Sawyer to the pool for the second time. Even though he enjoyed it last time, this time he was much more relaxed and had more fun. Here are a couple pics I grabbed when we first got there.
Most of the day, we just hung out and played. I got some nice pics and a couple of videos. Here are Dan and Saw hanging out.
Sawyer is now giving us high 5s! What fun!

I saw this for the first time this weekend, but apparently Dan has been giving Sawyer colander rides on a pretty regular basis. Sawyer loves it- Dezi is intrigued.
Sawyer has been pretty interested in the cat door recently- especially when Dezi is outside and pokes his nose in.We also had a lot of music this weekend. Sawyer has been learning to play the harmonica and the recorder! Looks like he has Dan's musical genes!



On Sunday, Sawyer and I went to the park. It was pretty cold but the sun kept us pretty warm. Sawyer had a blast!
We caught some funny kitchen antics. He has been trying to figure out exactly how spoons work.

Sawyer usually doesn't use a binky during the day. We have a great routine in the morning when we ask him to leave his binky in the crib and he drops it in. On this afternoon, he got up from his nap and didn't want to give it up. When we offered him some water, he decided he needed both. Check it out.

10 months!

10 months- How did that happen??
This is how we get him to let us wipe his face!


He is scooting right along!


Frog eyes!Playing in his tent...

End of January

On Saturday, we had a nice breakfast with Sacha, Diane, and Amato. Here are some pics from the morning.
If you notice in this pic, Sawyer has something in each hand and something in his mouth. This is his new way. He crawls around the house with something in each hand and something in his mouth. He has even been seen picking things up off the ground with his mouth--- efficient though it may be, I think he is spending too much time with his dog.
(Amato and Dezi)
Some random notes about Sawyer:
Sawyer's two front teeth are really coming in now- making his smile more toothy and giving him something to grind. He is now waving hello as well as good-bye. He understands so much more now. Every morning after I get him out of the crib, I ask him to leave his Binky in the crib. He takes his Binky out of his mouth and drops it into the crib. He is learning to share. We ask him to share and he will offer his goods up- and is always eager to see what we might share back. And finally, he recently took his first steps toward being an omnivore- trying chicken and beef.

He is more and more proficient with his scoot scoot and with his walker. Today he scooted over to a chair we keep in the kitchen- reached over to grab the chair and dismounted from his scoot scoot perfectly. I was very impressed!

The pic below is Sawyer with the beautiful and long-awaited blanket chest that Dan made for me.
Yesterday, I took Sawyer on a nice hike with Dezi. It was a mild and sunny day and he sang along the way. Whenever we passed other hikers he sang out to them and bounced in the backpack. He loves watching Dezi run up the trail and back. He seems to really enjoy watching the action-- just like he likes watching the world from his stroller. A few days ago, Dan and I went for a run- Dan and Dezi out front and Sawyer and I in hot pursuit. Sawyer loved it! I think it reminded him of the fun he has being chased down the hall.

This morning, I took Sawyer to Gymboree. He goes with Carolyn to a music class once a week and to the open gym they have at least once a week. He continues to charm the staff and the moms who are there with their children. I miss spending time with him there, seeing the kids he is interacting with, watching him approach challenges with his growing skills. Here are some pics from this morning.

He remains ever curious about bolts, screws, snaps, zippers, buttons- these bolts kept him entranced for quite a while.
A couple folks have asked about our nanny- here is a pic I took of Sawyer and Carolyn so that you can see who is looking after him while Dan and I are at work. They get along really well and it definitely seems that Sawyer has adjusted well. The best part is when I come home and open the door- Sawyer hears my voice and comes crawling to see me- with the biggest smile on his face!

Sawyer is now standing on his own for 2-3 seconds at a time. Usually this happens when he is standing holding onto something with a toy in one hand. He will let go so he can play with his toy with both hands and.... Voila... he stands for a few seconds before he plops down onto his bottom.
I got this small rocking chair from my grandparent's storage unit when all their belongings were being distributed among their children and grandchildren. It is beaten up and not very pretty, but it felt like it had history. And even though I had no idea at the time if I would end of having a kid, I felt like the chair needed a home. Now it is with us and Sawyer is almost the perfect size for it. We will have to refurbish it a little to make sure he doesn't get any splinters. I am grateful to have it in our home.