Friday, September 1, 2006

So it looks like two weeks seems to be the interlude.  Hopefully my work will settle down so that I can attend to the fun pastimes.  I do get to spend, typically, 4:15p to bedtime with the boy, during the week, so that's been pretty cool.  Typically then I head back to work or wrestle with it at home.  The actual fun "personal" stuff like writing about Dash or setting up the telescope (since I finished the scope deck over a month ago I set the scope up once (and couldn't get the sucker to align)) doesn't happen too often.  C'est la vie.

Anyway, much development in the ensuing fortnight.  Last Wednesday, in one of those moments only parents care about, Dash put one of them little balls in the little hole on a toy-designed-to-make-putting-little-balls-in-specially-designed-holes-Interesting toys.  Much cheering and wows from the parental units.  By Thursday he was an ace.  Apparently, there's quite a talent leap between knocking things over and finding symbiotic relationships (it's easier to be a thug (sand castles, gangs, foreign policy)).  He can get the big plastic donut on the donut-pyramid mast thingy (we all had one, but don't know what to call it) but that requires a lot more coordination and he's batting about 1/10 versus 3/4.

The walking efforts continue apace (hee-hee).  Sunday or Monday he was trying to stand up from seated, unsupported, in the middle of the room.  I actually told him, "Take it easy, that's way too complicated a trick.  Cheat off the furniture."  Good thing his English isn't very good: Wednesday he was getting up from the middle of the room and walking from there.  He's still a bit of a cannonball, though.  We may have to rename him "Bash."

A breakthrough in the sleeping, and we can't quite figure it out.  Perhaps it's a pause between the teething (tooth #8, lower right lateral incisor took forever to come in.  We had a ton of false sightings.  "Oh, there it is."  "No, that's gum."  "But it's white."  "It's white gum."  "But it's sharp."  "It's sharp, white GUM."  "I could have sworn the tooth was in."  "I agree, it must have gone back in.").  A couple days after Leigh was losing it about the two hour "put down sessions" and the hour long stroller rides to get him to fall asleep, we decided to try again putting him in the crib and walking away.  We tried this in the past and it was pretty ugly.  This time, though, he went to sleep after less than twenty minutes of half-hearted crying.  He started off really tired, so that maybe helped.  Since then he's cried very little and seldom longer than two or three minutes.  We can even put him down for a nap when he's awake.  It's only been a week, but hopefully this will be a permanent thing.

Dash seems to be a very analytical about some things, especially the less-rational things.  Take the "So Big" game.  He gets a big smile when you initiate the "How big is Dash?"  When you put your hands in the air, he looks at you like you're daft.  At the zoo I stuck out my tongue at an eight-month old who promptly echoed it.  Dash, though, looked at me like "WHAT are you doing?"  He does interactive stuff like share his pacifier when he's lying around, and lately laughs his head off when he sticks his dirty socks in mom's face (she gags and does a big "Pew!" production).

Monday, September, 11, 2006

Visiting Grandma and Grandpa Stokes

We visited Grandpa and Grandma Stokes in Elk Rapids over the Labor Day weekend.   Dash was good on the plane on the way out.  He slept the last half of the four hour San Diego-Chicago leg.  The Chicago Traverse City flight "Final Boarding Call for Traverse City" caught us a bit off guard as Dash was pantless and I had perhaps the biggest and best Gyro sandwich of my life in one hand.  Leigh "held the door" at the gate while I managed to get Dash in his new umbrella stroller with one hand.  Unable to strap him in one-handed, I had to pop a wheelie to keep him from falling out; my face covered in Taziki sauce as if it were shaving cream. Dash flirted with the flight attendant in the last row of the second leg.  Grandma and Grandpa were waiting at the airport.  Yeah!

The next day Dash continued his walking practice in the Stokes' lake house.  Not being very baby-proofed (little need) Dash was like a bull in a china shop, a clumsy fragile bull negotiating hard unyielding china.  We were about to rename him "Bash."  His forehead lost its new moguls soon enough.

Of course, we were all thrilled to be together, but it was also the first weekend of college football season, so you know what Dad and I did a lot of.  

Gus joined us to meet his nephew (the Stokes get a new family member every 26 years).

A highlight was the pontoon boat ride with Dan and Sue.  I remember back when I was a kid thinking that going either less than 25 miles per hour or being IN the boat as opposed to being 75 feet behind it was crazy-dull.  But now floating patios are perfect.

The flight home was tough, every seat filled and our "Lap Child" wriggling for the first two hours out of Chicago.

Since we've been back home Dash has improved his walking.  He's learned to apply the retro-rockets so as not to have to crash land every trip.  He now can do about two rooms, though he still has a hard wipeout.

As of Thursday of last week he figured out how to wave vigorously and has been doing so at every opportunity.  Months ago he waved goodbye to me occasionally, but he seemed confused by it.  Now he ENJOYS it.

9/13/06: the picture to the right (click for bigger!) I took Dash down to DeAnza Cover where our friends play volleyball.  I figured he'd get some good walking practice in.  Monday night he had tried kicking the volleyball around the living room without holding on to anything.  I told him that he wasn't coordinated enough to do that.  After walking around the grass for a good thirty minutes (with about 300 crashes) he started kicking a volleyball and I'll be darned if he wasn't almost as good walking with the ball as without.  He wore himself out good and was asleep in record time (five minutes (he usually cries for about ten (which is pretty reasonable considering how difficult it was just a few weeks ago))). He doesn't eat as much solids as he should but had 3 jars today which is pretty amazing. Dash has lately been really excited standing behind the minivan steering wheel (I wonder how he knows as he always sits facing the rear).  Lots of gadgets.

Monday, 9/18/06:  Momma's back, she had a week of training in Pittsburg.  No fun for anyone.  Leigh spent almost all weekend with Dash to get re-acquainted.

We went to the almost-empty zoo today.  Highlights for Dash included the wheels of his stroller and about 10 minutes of these three-step stairs over by the gorillas.  It's different now that he's walking.  He petted some goats (no fear, yet) and when petting a sheep put his face against the fleece like he does with his blankets.  Funny what impresses me.

9/18/06: Musings on the meaning of Dash...

 

Monday, 9/25/06: brief note:  Walking around makes a big change.  I guess that's why toddlers have their own designation.  He seems tall and thin.  He waves at people all the time, he claps his hands and is starting to get idiomatic things like the "So Big" game.  He doesn't seem like a baby at all anymore.  

From the Beginning of October...

Hi Mom! I miss you! Come home soon! Oh,yeah, bjajf, bubububu buuuuuhbuhu!

Dash really does like books.  Grandma is a big help this week as we wait for Momma's return from Pittsburg.

Here's some Halloween pix:

November (!) 1, 2006

Birthday Pix will follow eventually, here's one of Dash getting sung at:

November 15.  Too busy.  

Saturday, November 25, 2006

I'm guessing that the shot to the right looks a lot like Dash will look like in a few years.  He looks taller and his face leaner. Aunt Joanna caught him "off peak" during her Monday-Saturday visit. Dash had a rough weekend last weekend.  Two top molars are taking their time getting in.  He had a fever this week, but seems to be feeling better now, though only two points of the upper left molar are in. We did get to the zoo yesterday, with Dash and JoJo.  A couple shots of Dash are below.

I posted some new and old pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/DashPotato

	12/22/06: Why is Dash crying? Click on the picture to find out.
1/8/07: Now what? Click to find out...

1/25/07 - A bunch of pictures at: Jan 2007 Gallery

Hi Everybody, Looks like Daddy's been dropping the ball as far as keeping me published. I guess I'll have to take over.  With these automatic spell-checkers MY typing is almost as good as Daddy's! So expect some updates and a lot more pictures very soon, unless Mommy and Daddy keep putting me to bed early or if my drool short-circuits the keyboard (not as unlikely as you'd think). I love you all (actually I pretty much love everybody I've ever met). Bye-bye! -Dash

Dash holding my moon globe (Feb 8, 2007):

Happy Valentine's Day

2/20/07:  Sorry that there hasn't been much content other than the occasional picture.  I've been unemployed, which is a very busy time, as you know.  I've been updating my training manuals and getting ready for much work.  Until I complete my manuals, I'm afraid the truly important stuff (Dash musings) get deferred.

Today was a sadly quiet day around the house.  Due to long waiting lists, we're enrolling Dash in daycare earlier than we'd like.  Sue, his nanny, is interviewing today, so we put Dash in daycare.  After working at home for seven weeks in the noise of his babbling (and lately his fussing, as he's learned to throw a very efficient and precise fit (he can have his cheek on the floor a half-second after the slightest disappointment)) and Sue's singing and sing-songing, it was eerily quiet and empty around the house today.   Leigh and I couldn't resist checking up on him at lunchtime (he was asleep).  

It was one thing putting Dash in daycare when I worked two floors above him (the daycare is in the new CalTrans building).  It's another thing leaving the house temporarily to take him away for the day.  :-(

Well, Dash won't actually be full-timing until April.  We think the socialization outweighs the many disadvantages of daycare vs. our high-energy, high-love nanny.  But the house doesn't seem as happy with the boy not in it.

Hope you are all well (whoever you are).

-jeff

3/3/7:  A bit of chaos.  

Last Thursday, Dash caught the stomach virus that is going around, the first day I was out of town in almost a year.  Leigh was at Children's Hospital for eight hours Thursday mostly waiting. He's over it now, but is well into the cough that is going around.  Our nanny's been unavailable for a few days due to some planned time off.  Long days and long nights...   I remind myself that he's an easy baby and then extrapolate on how it must be for less "easy" babies.  Too old.... Got lots of pictures but ridiculously little time...

3/4/7: Another "Extortion Photo" to force Dash to behave when he's a teenager.       Click on the photo to the right to see a newer shot that will keep him "in line"...

3/11/07: It's frighteningly early to be showing addictive behavior.   In an effort to "nip it in the bud,"  we have entered Dash into Rehab.   click the picture

Dash, the DeerKisser...

3/25/07:  What used to be the Guest Room is now the Dashroom.   When we brought Dash in to check on the remodeling he ran to the fishes, pointing.  He then tried to climb into the crib, so we put him in it.  I pointed out the moon on the mural.  He said "Cool!"  He started saying cool a couple of weeks ago, and was good a parroting it, but I didn't think he really knew how to use it in context.  I was very impressed.  Cool!