Baby Prison

Sorry for the delay--I'll post more swim pictures later on this week, but I've been in grading hell this week and haven't had much spare time.  (Actually, I'm hosting an English Club event in less than an hour).  In the meantime, I thought I'd add a short post.

Isaac has so much more mobile than he was a week ago.  He's not crawling, really, but he's still able to get from one end of the room to the other pretty quickly.  Case in point--the last time I tried to get a glass of water, he managed to move several yards, get the box of wet wipes, open them, and stuff them in his mouth.  And yesterday when I tried to make a bottle, Isaac wiggled across the living room and was sucking on the legs of our TV tray (damn near pulling it down in the process).

As a result, we have to put him in the playpen whenever we leave the room.  He's not too thrilled about this development.

Fetch

We got some amazing swim photos today: Isaac was in a great mood and even happier than usual because he got to show off for Daddy and the camera.  By the way, David should get a hearty round of applause for giving up his one morning/week to sleep in so that he could come with us.  I was thrilled, though, that we got to share this moment with him--Saturday morning swims are probably my favorite part of the week.

David took tons of great photos, but for now, I'll just share those that show us playing one of Isaac's favorite water games.  David's been teasing me that I sometimes talk to Isaac like a dog (see the videos in the last post, when I say, er, "Come to Mama, Isaac!  Come on, good boy!"), so it seemed funny that in swim class we're instructed to throw a ball and then have our babies "swim" to it and pick it up.  As Isaac and I can attest, it's harder than it sounds:

No, honey, it;s over there.

You've almost got it!

Why don't I just hold it for you?  That should make it easier.

Is anyone suprised that he wanted to fetch it with his mouth?  Didn't think so.

 

 Here's a short video so you can see us in action.  I'll post more photos tomorrow!

Like a Rolling Stone

Sorry for the lack of updates lately; it's been a really busy week both professionally and socially.  But there's been some new developments here, and one of the coolest things Isaac's been doing is a sort of pre-crawling.  It's hard to describe, so I'll just let you see for yourselves.

Going Bananas

No swimming photo ops this week--a 4:45 am wake-up time yesterday morning, combined with a refusal to nap, meant that Isaac was too exhausted to do much more than drink the water and belch loudly during our swim class. 

But we did try something new this weekend--bananas!  I'm determined to make, rather than buy, Isaac's baby food, and this is my first attempt:

Since the process just involved mashing bananas (organic, fair trade bananas--because I want Isaac to not only have the best but also  to not become the Man, despite his white male status), I couldn't feel too proud of myself.  But it smelled really good, and David, who felt compelled to taste it, though it tasted awesome too.  Still, Isaac remained skeptical at first...

He's starting to get used to the different taste and texture, though.

Next up on his tasting menu?  Sweet potatoes!

Book Matters

Apparently I'm not the only one in the family with an interest in transnational Irish literature.

But our interests stem from different factors: while I find the subject matter fascinating, Isaac likes the taste of the pages.

Isaac-Bear

This is what happens on Thursday nights, when David's off teaching, and Isaac and I are left to our own devices:

Okay--I take full responsibility for this one; Isaac didn't have anything to do with it.  But in my defense, he seemed to really like it at first...

Just look at how adorable he is...even though the bear suit is both too warm for the fall weather and too big for Isaac's body, as you can tell.

But Isaac didn't seem bothered by that either; if anything, it just made it easier for him to mouth on something.  But then...

I don't think this is what Helen Reddy meant when she sang "hear me roar."  

The Golden Child

Isaac and I went to our swim class today and it was so much fun!  We'll have David come and take photos soon so you can see.

We spent the part of the afternoon in the backyard, soaking up the late afternoon rays.  It's really been feeling like fall lately, and we have to take advantage of the sun while we can.

With the sun in the background, we all seem a little illuminated and holy.  I guess we are a blessed family.

Dinner with Daddy

Isaac has been so much fun when we feed him.  He and David now have this game that they play, and it's absolutely adorable.

Sittin' Pretty

Isaac's ability to sit has really improved the last few days: he can now hold himself up with a toy for support.. 

Isaac's nearly as impressed with himself as we are.

But after a minute or so, he becomes the leaning tower of Pisa...

And we all fall down!

Standing Tall

For awhile now, Isaac's been bearing weight on his legs when we hold him  in a standing position, and now he sometimes let's go of one of our hands (usually to suck upon the other one) when we hold him up.  So I thought I'd see what happened when we propped him up with the couch in the standing position.

 

As you can tell from the second photo, Isaac's not just using his hands for balance; he's also using his mouth.

The photos probably make this look like more of an achievement than it actually is: he can really only do this for about five to ten seconds before he starts to fall to one side.  Luckily Momma or Daddy is always there to catch him!

When Daddy Dresses Me

The last couple mornings have been pretty chilly and we've been dressing Isaac accordingly.  Today was my morning to sleep in (til 8:00!), and this was what I saw when I went downstairs.

Isaac's modeling what we've decided to call "hobo baby chic": a robot shirt, striped pajama pants, and red socks. 

Isaac's stylists weren't quite finished; I decided it was cold enough to warrant a hat.

Only a baby as cute as Isaac can pull this off!

Big Brother Substitute

Because we've been wanting to encourage Isaac to sit, we got out a six-month toy (he's a gifted five-month old, so he can handle it): his turtle stacker.  Isaac was intrigued...

So far he's really only able to get the first two rings off.  Of course, his main focus remains in eating the toy.

Still, since Senor won't play with him, at least Isaac has one turtle friend!

Returning to Work

Yesterday I went back to work, which was much harder than I originally thought it was going to be.  Before I went in, I spent the morning playing with Isaac while crying and listening to sad Willie Nelson songs (perhaps a bit self-indulgent).  But lo and behold, this is what I returned to:

He was cuddled up to Amanda, sleeping like a precious angel baby.  (Amanda must be some kind of miracle worker because she got him to take a thirty-minute nap in his crib  today).  Of course I immediately woke him up to to  play.  Later on, we ran errands and I got to dress him in warmer clothes.  He was a little cranky--probably because I wouldn't let him finish his nap.

Your adoration bores me.

Powder blue isn't even my color!

Do You Like See Food?

Eating solids has become a very enjoyable and successful venture for Isaac (maybe too successful since he weighed 18 lbs 7 oz when I took him to the doctor's this week...).  He bangs his hands on the table for more and gives a goofy grin--sometimes even laughs--when he has the cereal in his mouth.  Table manners?  We'll work on those later.