Life, Schedules & Memories

Austin used to have a bed time routine. Then life hit.  We spent a week in MI for Christmas.  Austin got sick...twice.  Then he had an ear infection. He got better, we were just about on track for bedtime routine, then Mommy and Austin took a quick trip to MI.  We went on Spring Break.  Celebrated Easter with Daddy's family.  Then Grandma Dunlap passed away (Austin got to play with Grandma one last time a few weeks prior.  See picture.)  Then Austin started teething, began crawling and eating like a teenager.  Now he's gotten smart (well he was always smart.) We have gone back to our normal bedtime routine, but  Austin has figured it out.  No longer does he go to the bedroom, knowing it's bedtime, calm and quietly got to bed.  He still knows it's bedtime, now he is working us.  Though he's fussy in the living room, rubbing his eyes and clinging to one of us, once we're in the bedroom, he starts laughing, jumping around and squirming out of our arms.  He knows that this could cause Mommy & Daddy to let him stay up.  He's training us.  Well it's time to change that.  With patience and tender words, I was able to get him down tonight.  Even amidst the a thunderstorm, Austin calmly went down, ready for sleep, with God's angels watching over him.

In Loving Memory of Grandma Janet Dunlap

Grass?!?

Since birth Austin has been fascinated by everything.  Today we witnessed one of the very few moments when he was less than pleased with something. (The 5 minute lemon tasting was probably one of the best moments...see picture.)  I was pulling weeds and Daddy and Austin came out to play on the lawn.  Wes put a blanket down and placed Austin on it.  Austin of course crawled to the edge, but beyond the edge was something he was unsure of...grass.  He would put one hand down, lift it, hesitate, then put the other down, lift it, hesitate. He didn't like having them both in the grass.  Admittedly, our grass is tough, not the soft plush that some grasses are.  He finally smiled when Daddy picked him up off that dreadful green stuff.

Commando

It was close to bed time yesterday. Austin was extra squirmy, so I decided to change his diaper and clothes on the floor.  He thought this was a great game as he tossed and turned, laughing the entire time.  He finally got away.  With no diaper (or clothes) on, going full speed (I'm pretty sure this was the fastest he's ever crawled), and looking back at me while he laughed, he crawled around the room, butt naked, until I caught him.  It took two hands and one foot to keep him pinned down in order for me to get that diaper on, but I finally prevailed. I let him have a little more fun on the floor with just his diaper.  This appeared to make him feel like he won too!

To New Heights

Austin went down for bed...or so we thought.  Daddy hopped in the shower.  Mommy grabbed a night time bowl of cereal.  After I got comfortable, I turned on the monitor to find Austin smiling from ear to ear, standing up on the side of the crib. This is our happy, tall man!

Deciding he had used the bumper as a help to get himself up, I removed the bumper, while he played on the floor then rocked him before putting him back to bed.  Clearly taking the bumper off helped! (note of sarcasm)

After quite a bit of fussing he finally went down.  It was a late night, but he slept well.  Daddy went to get him in the morning after Austin had spent some time playing in the crib.  He found Austin sitting up waiting happily for someone to come get him.

 Austin is growing quickly.  Though we have not yet seen him pull himself up again, I did hear a thump the last night...followed, of course, by a cry.  He is moving faster and faster these days, following Mommy and Daddy around wherever we are.  He grabs at things in high places and tries to pull himself up on furniture.