Though this is obviously not a photo of him doing so...Joseph took three steps for Clay on Wednesday night and three for Ama today...maybe for Mama too soon?!
Friday, June 29, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Joseph and his Keene side Cousins
Last weekend we went up to Camano Island for cousin Ryan Teather's graduation party! Ryan is going to San Francisco University, so Joseph put on his tie dyes and his Rasta Hat and we celebrated! Joseph had lots of fun with his cousins who treat him like one of the gang! Clockwise from the top: Liam Duncan, Ashlyn & Ryan Teather, Dylan & Luka Bergan, & Joseph
Novelty Hill Winery Opening
WHAT?! She's posting something other than Joseph's latest meals? YES! These photos are from the Novelty Hill Winery http://www.noveltyhillwines.com/ opening party for the designers, sub-consultants, contractors, etc. Great food, fun reconnecting with the team, and so amazing to see something come to life that we all spent so much time working on.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Letters to Joseph-June
Dear Joseph:
June has been a whirlwind! We moved to our new house on June 2nd and it was also Uncle Asa’s 30th birthday! Your Ama Joyce took care of you while we moved all of our furniture…then we went to Asa’s BBQ…then we spent the night in our new house and I’m afraid you fell off the bed in the middle of the night. Luckily, we were just on a mattress on the floor since we’d been unsuccessful in getting our box spring up the stairs of the house…so it was not a tragedy.
You are loving our new house…you have lots more spots for your toys and room to cruise. You are standing for 20-30 seconds at a time and have made moves to take steps. You are starting to eat better too…I just hand you a breadstick ,which you love, and when you open your mouth to nibble it, I shove in some prunes or such. We just went to your 9 month well-child check and you are doing ‘awesome’ according to our beloved Dr. Ben Danielson. You weigh 19 lbs. 11 oz…this drops you down from the 50th percentile to the 35th percentile, but no one is worried because you are eating better and I think it’s because you are burning so many calories with all of your standing and cruising! He says you are incredibly alert, interested, curious, sensitive, and aware…we knew all that already.
During the second weekend in June, our wonderful Auntie Ali made a surprise visit…we had lots and lots of fun visiting with her. We went to a party and stayed late…I kept you on my back while I sang karaoke with Auntie Ali. You were transfixed with the treadle sewing machine in the hall at this party…we think you are fascinated with wheels and moving parts. The next day we went to the Sculpture Garden, up to Cousin Henry’s and to dinner at our haunt, the Kingfish Café. It was here that Auntie Ali discovered your favorite food: Grits with Saffron! Now we know that your Southern roots are showing!
In the middle of the month, you went to two birthday parties on the same day! You went to Indi and Jude Reynolds birthday party…it was a Wizard of Oz theme and you dressed up as the Cowardly Lion. We pinned the heart on the Tin Man. Then we went to Cousin Dylan’s 5th birthday party…you played with all the kids and loved all the attention!
Just last weekend we went to your second cousin Ryan Teather’s graduation. You played with all of your cousins and they treated you like ‘one of the gang’…they pulled you around the lawn on an old blanket and your cousin Ashlyn watched out for you…it was so fun to see because that was how my generation of cousins played…so many good memories.
I’m so excited for the summer…today we went down to Colman Pool for your first real swim. We got all the way down there and it was closed for repairs, so we went up to the wading pool. You sat right down in the water and splashed all around and watched the kids. You love to watch other kids! You babble about when you are having fun…dee dee dee, ot ot….cha, che…sometimes you hiss a little, this also means happiness. You beam your gap toothed grin at all you meet and charm everyone’s pants off. You found a purple ball (you seem to be particularly drawn to purple…beads, balls, shovels) and played with it for a long time. I took you to the ‘deep’ end’ and your stretched yourself out to swim, but decided it was too cold. We’ll try again tomorrow for the big pool.
Love, Mama
June has been a whirlwind! We moved to our new house on June 2nd and it was also Uncle Asa’s 30th birthday! Your Ama Joyce took care of you while we moved all of our furniture…then we went to Asa’s BBQ…then we spent the night in our new house and I’m afraid you fell off the bed in the middle of the night. Luckily, we were just on a mattress on the floor since we’d been unsuccessful in getting our box spring up the stairs of the house…so it was not a tragedy.
You are loving our new house…you have lots more spots for your toys and room to cruise. You are standing for 20-30 seconds at a time and have made moves to take steps. You are starting to eat better too…I just hand you a breadstick ,which you love, and when you open your mouth to nibble it, I shove in some prunes or such. We just went to your 9 month well-child check and you are doing ‘awesome’ according to our beloved Dr. Ben Danielson. You weigh 19 lbs. 11 oz…this drops you down from the 50th percentile to the 35th percentile, but no one is worried because you are eating better and I think it’s because you are burning so many calories with all of your standing and cruising! He says you are incredibly alert, interested, curious, sensitive, and aware…we knew all that already.
During the second weekend in June, our wonderful Auntie Ali made a surprise visit…we had lots and lots of fun visiting with her. We went to a party and stayed late…I kept you on my back while I sang karaoke with Auntie Ali. You were transfixed with the treadle sewing machine in the hall at this party…we think you are fascinated with wheels and moving parts. The next day we went to the Sculpture Garden, up to Cousin Henry’s and to dinner at our haunt, the Kingfish Café. It was here that Auntie Ali discovered your favorite food: Grits with Saffron! Now we know that your Southern roots are showing!
In the middle of the month, you went to two birthday parties on the same day! You went to Indi and Jude Reynolds birthday party…it was a Wizard of Oz theme and you dressed up as the Cowardly Lion. We pinned the heart on the Tin Man. Then we went to Cousin Dylan’s 5th birthday party…you played with all the kids and loved all the attention!
Just last weekend we went to your second cousin Ryan Teather’s graduation. You played with all of your cousins and they treated you like ‘one of the gang’…they pulled you around the lawn on an old blanket and your cousin Ashlyn watched out for you…it was so fun to see because that was how my generation of cousins played…so many good memories.
I’m so excited for the summer…today we went down to Colman Pool for your first real swim. We got all the way down there and it was closed for repairs, so we went up to the wading pool. You sat right down in the water and splashed all around and watched the kids. You love to watch other kids! You babble about when you are having fun…dee dee dee, ot ot….cha, che…sometimes you hiss a little, this also means happiness. You beam your gap toothed grin at all you meet and charm everyone’s pants off. You found a purple ball (you seem to be particularly drawn to purple…beads, balls, shovels) and played with it for a long time. I took you to the ‘deep’ end’ and your stretched yourself out to swim, but decided it was too cold. We’ll try again tomorrow for the big pool.
Love, Mama
Letters to Joseph-May
Dear Joseph:
May was a busy month…suddenly your Dad and I decided that we needed to MOVE! Now let me first say that we LOVE our old house. We worked so hard making that house a home and we envisioned bringing you up until perhaps the age of 5 in that house. But we started feeling the space pinch a bit. So May was filled with visits to open houses, signing of papers, and packing. Through all of this, you haven’t missed a beat.
First of all…you’ve got a total of 6 teeth! They’ve all come in during May for the most part…two front teeth, two just next to the front teeth on either side, and of course your bottom two. I wish I could say that you have stopped biting me, but oooch, I’d be lying. Another absolutely amazing thing happened in the last week of May. We were at the park with Cousin Dylan and Luka and Aunt Andrea…we were sitting on a blanket on the grass, and suddenly, you stood up!!! Pretty much out of no where and from a seated position! Now you stand all the time. No steps yet, but they are coming soon!
Another crazy thing you did this month…we were standing outside and Pepe , the little dog across the street, was barking. You waved and said HI! I am not kidding. Then you did the same thing to your Dad on his birthday…what a kid!
I feel I need to touch on the house thing again…even before we thought of moving, we entered your beautiful room in a nursery contest, prompted by your Auntie Ali.
http://nursery.apartmenttherapy.com/nursery/small-cool-2007-entries/18-josephs-lantern-festival-021451
We didn’t win…but got lots of nice comments such as:
“So good-looking and non commercial, love that. I adore your lanterns, I also used lanterns in my daughter's nursery. I like the look of the cabinetry next to shelves. Are they built-in custom or furniture? Also may I ask a source on the prints above the crib? Congratulations on creating a space where a creative child will grow!”
“So beautiful! I love this space for a wee one, but the best part is that it's a space that will be a nice refuge for an adult too. So many nurseries look like spaces that only a kid would want to hang out in”
“If I truly assess the other nurseries using your exact rules/criteria for submission, my favorite other entry is #18: "Joseph's Lantern Festival". I love everything about it - the beautiful color on the walls, the punchy lanterns, the playful artwork above the crib, and the stately yet folksy rocking chair. It's a fantastic mix of eclectic pieces. Overall, I like the simplicity of the room and the sense of calm it evokes. It's child-like yet sophisticated.”
“'Josephs lantern festival' I liked the lanterns and artwork a lot and the fact that the lanterns were the colorful inspiration for the rest of the room. I also relate to starting with things that are special to you and let the room grow while the child reveals itself to you. I loved how the things from their own childhood, like the nursing chair from the mom's nursery and their own toys were incorporated in the room. To me it has a nice natural balance between style and personality.”
This was such a nice farewell to the house where you were born…I know that though you may not consciously remember that house, that it will remain a foundation in your soul as it does in mine. Of course it was very difficult for us to leave that house…I gave birth to you in that house…but I realize that you are my home, and we will make this new house our home since you are in it. All the same…I love to think of memories there…sitting around the firebowl in the back yard with you all bundled up and asleep on my chest. You crawling around in the grass with Liam. Me lying on the bed during the summer of ’06, very pregnant, lights dim, french doors open and the warm summer night breeze floating the curtains…thinking of what you would be like and how much I would love you. And even before you were born…playing with Seamus in the yard, burying my face in his soft neck fur. Dancing with your Dad in the living room. And so many more…
On to the summer my dear…
Love, Mama
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