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.